“Learning to be present with yourself and to abide in that which is steady and comfortable does not allow space for self-judgment. When you live this way, you are practicing yoga: you are living fully.”
– Judith Hanson Lasater
We believe that in learning, there is life, and in self-discovery, there is growth which allows us to shed the practices and beliefs that no longer serve us. We aim to offer everyone the opportunity to know themselves better through comprehensive programs that serve the personal journey and the professional one.
We invite you to join us for courses and trainings that are open to practitioners of all levels of experience.
Online Courses & Trainings
Study with us from the comfort of your own home.
Online Community
Join a global community of teachers and students in the exploration of yogic teachings.
In-Person Courses & Trainings
Attend in-person courses and trainings at the PranaShanti Education Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Upcoming COURSES & events
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program
The program is consists of 26 hours of direct instruction, including a meditation day retreat and daily home practices.
MBSR is an 8-week, once weekly, group program that was developed in 1979, by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn and associates at the University of Massachusetts Centre for Mindfulness in Medicine, Healthcare and Society.
The curriculum is based on the emerging field of Mind-Body Medicine and as a result, MBSR is now an internationally acclaimed program with a growing body of research supporting its efficacy and potential benefits for a variety of populations.
Through intentional training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction strategies, participants will learn to mobilize their own inner resources to activate learning, growth and healing while increasing emotional regulation and enhancing self-care and interpersonal relationships.
Date / Time: October 15, 2022
Saturday: 8:00 am ET – 4:00 pm ET
Instructor: Eileen Harris, Ph.D. and Stéphane Ippersiel
Saturday: 8:00 am ET – 4:00 pm ET
Instructor: Eileen Harris, Ph.D. and Stéphane Ippersiel
Your Brain on Yoga: The Neuroscience of Love, Peace and Wellbeing™
Did you know that yoga has the power to change the very structure of your brain? Come discover what happens in your brain during your practice. Learn how to use its abilities more effectively to bring about positive change. Your Brain on Yoga presents current research that demonstrates the physical, physiological and psychological benefits of yoga—benefits that extend beyond our selves to those around us.
For centuries, ancient yogis have observed that yoga improves one’s attitude and outlook on life. Yoga challenges the yogi physically and mentally, nudging to explore what is beyond their comfort zone. We know that yoga improves our physical wellbeing, but does the practice of yoga affect the yogi’s brain? Absolutely!
This Master Class combines science with practical, insightful exercises and mindful movement. Experience how yoga as mindful meditation can lead to a fuller life and greater happiness.
The Energetic Anatomy of Yoga
As yoga practitioners, we can explore, become familiar with and have an immediate impact on our energetic or subtle body through various techniques such as asana (postures), pranayama (breathwork), mudras (hand gestures), mantras (repetition of sacred sounds or words) and meditation.The state of our energy or subtle body affects everything from our physical health to our emotional and mental well-being, our sense of connection with others and the clarity (or lack thereof) of our purpose in life. In this course, we will examine the main yogic concepts of the subtle body: the koshas, prana vayus, nadis, chakras and five elements. We will explore these topics with a combination of practical exercises, discussion and theory.
This training is designed for yoga teachers, yoga practitioners, and all those wanting to learn more about the subtle body and its important role in physical, mental and emotional health, and as a powerful tool for spiritual evolution.
Mudras for Health and Healing
“What more shall I tell thee? There is nothing in this world like mudras for giving quick success (along the spiritual path).” – Gheranda Samhita
Enjoy an immersive experience dedicated to learning about the ancient art and science of mudra. Mudras are gestures of the hands and body that are consciously used to “seal” or attune to specific energy frequencies. Mudras originated with the sages of India and works of art depicting these gestures communicate their importance through the ages.
We will demystify mudras as a vehicle to promote balance on all dimensions and awaken essential qualities, such as stillness, centering, alignment, and expansiveness.
The mini-course will also cover these three mudra families to build capacity for self-regulation and resilience:
- Hasta Mudras to expand awareness;
- Sharira Mudras to awaken the breath;
- Merudanda Mudras to balance your energy levels.
Information will be shared to understand how mudras work and the effects of each gesture on your physical and subtle systems. Ways to integrate mudras into your regular yoga practice will also be discussed.
Mindful Awakening Day Retreat
The Mindful Awakening Day Retreat is a day of practice devoted to YOU in the soft, soothing and welcoming environment of PranaShanti Education Centre.
Join Carole Trepanier for a day of nourishing mindfulness practices aimed at improving one’s relationship with oneself, others, as well as with the moments in one’s life.
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program graduates and general public are welcome to attend.
Fall Yoga & Meditation Retreat
Connect with nature and unplug!
Absorb yourself in daily yoga practice and dive within through meditation, movement and healing sound vibrations.
Join, PranaShanti Yoga Centre Director, Devinder, for a weekend that includes healthy meals, cozy accommodations, saunas, walks in nature, yoga, meditation and evening symphonic sound immersions.
Our location is Northern Edge Algonquin Nature Retreat & Wellness Centre where we will explore Mother Natures finest beauty, Algonquin Park, just a few hours north of the city of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada. Escape the hustle and bustle of the everyday life to find peace and tranquility on a weekend yoga and meditation getaway.
Date / Time: November 18-20, 2022
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday: 9 am ET – 12 pm ET & 1 pm ET – 4 pm ET
Sunday: 9 am ET – 12 pm ET
Instructor: Barrie Risman
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday: 9 am ET – 12 pm ET & 1 pm ET – 4 pm ET
Sunday: 9 am ET – 12 pm ET
Instructor: Barrie Risman
Yoga for Lifelong Well-being
Practical strategies for a lifetime of vitality with international teacher and best-selling author Barrie Risman, E-RYT 500, YACEP
Everyone would like to age with as much strength and grace as possible. Now, research has confirmed what many yoga practitioners have known for a long time: yoga practice can have a remarkable impact on your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being as you grow older.
In this weekend workshop you’ll learn about how yoga can improve five key components of healthy aging: stress management, strength, flexibility, agility, and balance.
You’ll leave with effective tools to target, adapt, and customize your yoga practice to meet your individual needs and concerns, no matter what your starting point.
If you’re a yoga teacher, this workshop will provide you with many practices and perspectives – including postures, breathwork, philosophy, and meditation – to support your students.
Date / Time: November 25-27, 2022
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET – 6 pm ET
Instructor: Sonia
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET – 6 pm ET
Instructor: Sonia
Principles of Ayurveda
Learn the core concepts of Ayurveda, an ancient tradition of healing, to enhance well-being and energy for the mind, body and soul.
Join Sonia for a 20-hour course to learn how to achieve personal and professional balance and unlock your true potential and purpose, through integrating modern science and the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda and Yoga.
If you want to understand and learn how Ayurveda and Yoga can be integrated at a practical level for your constitution, in your modern and fast-paced life, then this training is for you. You will learn how to attain peace, calm, and cultivate self-development in your professional life, in your relationships and in your lifestyle, using the basic principles of Yoga, Ayurveda and modern science.
By the end of this course, you will have your personalized wellness plan, based on your own unique constitution. You will be equipped with all the tools and understand how to bring balance to yourself based on your unique diet, lifestyle, and specific stress management techniques.
Date / Time: December 2-4, 2022
Friday: 9 am ET – 5 pm ET
Saturday: 9 am ET – 5 pm ET
Sunday: 11:30 am ET – 5 pm ET
Instructor: Devinder
Friday: 9 am ET – 5 pm ET
Saturday: 9 am ET – 5 pm ET
Sunday: 11:30 am ET – 5 pm ET
Instructor: Devinder
Meditation Training
“Meditation: Because some answers can only be found on the Inner net.” – Shira Tamir
Meditation is one of the most natural and rewarding of all human activities. It brings balance, rest, and a growing inner peace.
While its highest and original purpose is to help us awaken our inner, spiritual nature, the benefits to body and mind are well established by medical research.
Practiced on a daily basis, meditation produces profound results on all levels of your being—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It connects you with your own inner powers of vitality, clarity, and peace.
Join, PranaShanti Yoga Centre Director, Devinder Kaur, for a pragmatic introductory course to learn more about the powerful affects of meditation and how to teach simple and effective meditation techniques to others.
Winter Comfort Day Retreat | In-Person
Escape the cold, and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season with this 1 day urban Restorative Retreat!
Melt away the holiday stress and nourish your body, mind and spirit. Feel nurtured in a warm and supportive atmosphere, while creating the opportunity to connect with others. During this one-day retreat we will practice gentle and restorative yoga with hot-stones and guided meditations.
This is a perfect opportunity to take time out for yourself, while still providing the time for other commitments during the weekend. By taking care of ourselves, we can take better care of others.
Our retreat day is suitable for all levels of yoga practitioners, including those who are new to the practice.
Our Urban Day Winter Retreat includes:
- Welcome talk and introductions
- Gentle yoga and meditation practice
- A nourishing and healing light catered lunch
- Restorative Yoga with Hot Stones
- A goodie bag of treats to take home with a hand-made gift for you from Anne
- A Free Yoga Class (Online or In-Person) at PranaShanti Yoga Centre
- Closing Meditation
Cost: Early Bird Savings! Register by November 10 and save $20.00 for $135.00 per person, $155.00 per person thereafter.
Location: PranaShanti Education Centre, 45 Eccles Street, Ottawa, Ontario, (Chinatown).
Maximum 18 participants.
Advanced Anatomy, Physiology and Biomechanics Training
For ALL Yoga Teachers and Students!
Advanced Anatomy for Yoga Teachers is designed to build on core knowledge in anatomy, physiology and biomechanics learned in an introductory course (200-hour foundational yoga teacher training, for example). This interactive course is designed to provide a more detailed understanding of specific areas and structures of the body, in the contexts of asana and breath practice.
Participants will explore and study specific body parts and anatomic principles to develop and engage in knowledgeable, safe and sensible personal and teaching practices.
Particular attention will be given to the Lower Extremity (foot and knee), the Hip and Pelvis, the Spine and Thorax, and the Shoulder. The final session will examine injury in the context of yoga, based on knowledge and principles from the earlier sessions. Although Anatomy may be understood through focus and reduction on specific systems and structures, an integrative and holistic contextual understanding will also be encouraged.
Date / Time: February 27, 2023 to March 20, 2023
Mondays (4): 6 pm ET – 8:30 pm ET
Instructor: Dev Suroop
Mondays (4): 6 pm ET – 8:30 pm ET
Instructor: Dev Suroop
Mantra and the Yoga of Sound
For ALL Yoga Teachers and Students! Everyone is welcome – no prior experience required and you certainly do not need a ‘good singing voice’ – if you can breathe and speak you can experience the power of sound and your own voice!
Study the nature and power of sound and mantra, drawing from yoga philosophy, wisdom traditions and science. Explore sound practices from the vedic, tantric, bhakti and nada yoga traditions, to shift and awaken consciousness.
Understand the connection between sound, silence and meditation. The training will cover breath practices and vocal techniques to support the mind-body-connection.
Learn how to begin and/or deepen your own sound and mantra practice. Learn how to teach and integrate sound and mantra practice into yoga classes, workshops and in one-on-one sessions. Practice the pronunciation of mantras from different traditions. There will be opportunities to practice chanting and leading chanting.
This is an experiential training that includes lecture, group discussion and practice. This training is designed for yoga teachers, yoga practitioners, and all those curious about the power of sound for well-being and awakening.
Date / Time: March 3, 2023, to March 5, 2023
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET to 5 pm ET
Instructor: Dr. Nadya Pohran
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET to 5 pm ET
Instructor: Dr. Nadya Pohran
Embodied Emotions: Complementing Mental Meditation Practices with Embodied Practices
For ALL Yoga Teachers and Students!
A lot of people can think that emotions are things that happen in our brains. And, while it is true that the neural pathways in the brain are responsible for transmitting our emotions, emotions actually happen in, and to, our bodies. Research is showing that emotions have beginnings, middles, and ends. This means that our bodies can get “stuck” in cycles of emotions. It’s when we get “stuck” in these emotional cycles (rather than allowing/enabling the emotion to work its way through our body) that we experience things like immense anxiety, intense sadness, or burnout—among other challenging emotional states.
Thus, a first objective of this course is to equip you with an understanding of how emotions work in and through the body, by highlighting some of the most up-to-date research on this topic from philosophers, therapists, and wellbeing practitioners.
But there’s also another takeaway: because emotions are experienced in and by our bodies, this also means that we can use our bodies to navigate our emotional states. Indeed, advice like “sit still and calm your mind”, “focus on peace” is not always helpful when we are addressing intense emotional states. Rather, we can use our bodies to bring about a state of deep peace and contentment (what Hindu texts describe as “samatva” or equanimity.) In fact, a wide variety of cultural and philosophical traditions, over centuries, have developed systems for regulating and processing emotional experiences using the body. While these systems/philosophies are not exactly “immediate fixes” or ready-made solutions, they can offer immense peace and solace, and are a complement to more-still forms of meditation, for individuals who are seeking to quiet their mind and deepen their meditative practice.
With this in mind, the second objective of this course is to introduce you to a selection of these traditions which have developed bodily practices to address emotional states. One example of this is the Jin Shin Jyutsu, which is a Japanese art form where you hold your body in gentle, every-day postures to bring about an emotional release.
Date / Time: March 24, 2023, to March 26, 2023
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 11 am ET to 5 pm ET
Instructor: Michael
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 11 am ET to 5 pm ET
Instructor: Michael
Yoga for Seniors & Healthy Aging
For ALL Yoga Teachers and Students!
In 2021, Canada’s Seniors officially out numbered children. With no signs of this trend lessening any time soon, learning to teach yoga to our Seniors safely and mindfully is becoming an increasingly important skill in the yoga teaching world. Understanding the common physical and mental issues and having the qualifications to teach yoga to this large segment of our population will provide yoga teachers and care givers with a unique and very rewarding way to serve our communities.
In the training we will address common physical issues that will need accommodation in class, for example: osteoporosis, arthritis, COPD or CAD. Learning to create skillful modifications for older students, some coming to yoga for the first time, will allow for teachers and care givers to offer the gifts of yoga with confidence. Adapting to the needs in the room will allow for a strong, challenging, but equally relaxed and meditative practice.
Ethics and Business of Yoga
For ALL Yoga Teachers and Students!
Yoga is growing, evolving and becoming more widely available. Yoga Teachers need to be of service to their communities but also need to navigate the challenges of these times ethically, responsibly and be able to ensure their own sustainability.
In this course, we will explore:
- The Role and Identity of the Yoga Teacher
- Code of Ethics, Excellence and Professional Standards
- Responsibilities in the Class Setting and Outside the Class Setting – in-person and online
- The key aspects to consider when developing a Yoga Teacher business plan and your approach to teaching
- Tools for the effective day-to-day management of your Yoga Teaching business
- Identifying and articulating your unique offerings as a Yoga Teacher
- How to establish yourself as a professional in field of many Yoga Teachers
- Determining the most practical paths to gain teaching experience and professional development
- Tips and techniques for teaching online classes
Date / Time: March 31, 2023, to April 2, 2023
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 9 am ET to 5 pm ET
Instructor: Kathleen
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 9 am ET to 5 pm ET
Instructor: Kathleen
Trauma-Informed Practice
Everyone has been touched by trauma in some way, and there is a vital need for trauma-sensitive yoga and mindfulness.
Holding space is a continual learning process, and an environment is not a “safe space” just because a facilitator says so. Although teachers and other wellness practitioners show up with positive intent, offerings may have an unexpected impact. Many folks do not feel welcome, face obstacles of all kinds, and are sometimes adversely affected by what happens in yoga and mindfulness classes.
Through discussion about the dynamics of power and privilege, participants will learn more about systems of oppression and pathways to collective liberation to offer yoga in a way that honours the tradition and celebrates the full spectrum of human diversity. By understanding the connections between social justice, trauma and yoga, we can take skillful action.
This course explores trauma in a comprehensive way to understand the impacts and healing potentials. A wide variety of best practices and protocols are shared to create spaces that are genuinely inclusive and supportive. These trauma-sensitive tools for self-regulation and resiliency can be applied to any style of practice.
Participants will develop a trauma-informed lens and come away with resources to integrate into their own lives and to support the well-being of others. This course is an experiential learning opportunity designed to build on current capacities and empower sustainable service.