“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
Date / Time: October 13, 2023 to October 15, 2023
Friday: 6:30 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET – 5 pm ET
Instructor: Devinder
Friday: 6:30 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET – 5 pm ET
Instructor: Devinder
Yoga Nidra Training
For ALL Yoga Teachers and Students!
Yoga Nidra, or yogic sleep, is a type of meditation based on the ancient yogic anatomy of the Koshas, the 5 subtle bodies. Sometimes described as a long savasana, it is actually a combination of deep body relaxation and mental awareness.
Yoga Nidra is a quiet journey inward to stillness that transforms and releases old habits, fatigue, worry, and stress. Yoga Nidra is a technique for physical rejuvenation, mental relaxation, spiritual growth, and overall wellness.
This training is for those who would like to offer students the opportunity to experience a systematic method of conscious relaxation. Yoga Nidra has been found to be effective in treating many of the physical symptoms of stress, including insomnia, anxiety, and depression. It is also helpful in the treatment of PTSD and addictions.
Date / Time: November 17, 2023 to November 19, 2023
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
For ALL Yoga Teachers and Students!
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: November 3, 2023 to November 5, 2023
Friday: 7 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday: 10 am ET – 12 pm ET & 2 pm ET – 4 pm ET
Sunday: 9:30 am ET – 12 pm ET & 2 pm ET – 4:30 pm ET
Instructor: Max Strom
Friday: 7 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday: 10 am ET – 12 pm ET & 2 pm ET – 4 pm ET
Sunday: 9:30 am ET – 12 pm ET & 2 pm ET – 4:30 pm ET
Instructor: Max Strom
Max Strom: The Sunrise Within
Join a weekend with Max Strom: inspiring workshops and a training on breathwork, well-being, and emotional health.
Friday: 7 PM ET – 9 PM ET
Total Relaxation – Max Strom’s renowned rest & renewal
Learn and experience how to relax deeply. This special event will help you rest like you did long ago.
Saturday: 10 AM ET – 12 PM ET
Strength Grace Healing
Experience Max Strom’s unique yoga practice, called Inner Axis, with emphasis on emotional transformation. Class will include a short talk, inner axis yoga, non-dogmatic philosophy, breathing patterns, and meditation.
Saturday, 2 PM ET – 4 PM ET
Some Doors Open Only From the Inside – The healing power of transformational breath-work
The practices you will learn in this workshop will take you to new depths of insight and inspire you for weeks to come.
Sunday, 9:30 AM ET – 12:00 PM ET
The Sunrise Within Training
Part 1: The Secret of Using Movement & Postures to find stillness every time
Experience Max Strom’s unique practice that will enhance your strength, and yet brings you to a profound state of stillness. And learn how to teach others to experience this as well.
Sunday, 2 PM ET – 4:30 PM ET
The Sunrise Within Training
Part 2: Teaching cathartic breathwork
With the cathartic breathing techniques you learn in this training your students will be able to access memories more clearly, gain insights, and release long-held, obstructive emotions.
All levels are welcome. No previous experience necessary.
Date / Time: November 24, 2023 to November 26, 2023
Friday: Arrival time is 3 PM
Sunday: Departure time is 1 PM
Instructor: Devinder Kaur
Friday: Arrival time is 3 PM
Sunday: Departure time is 1 PM
Instructor: Devinder Kaur
PranaShanti 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.
The weekend includes healthy meals, cozy accommodations, w2ood fired sauna, time in nature, yoga, meditation and evening symphonic sound immersions.
Come out and explore with us in Mother Natures finest beauty, Algonquin Park just a few hours north of the city. Escape the hustle and bustle of the everyday life to find peace and tranquility on a weekend getaway.
The weekend includes:
- 3 days and 2 nights private or shared accommodation
- All nourishing meals and snacks
- Morning yoga and meditation classes and evening sound immersions meditation/relaxations with Devinder
- Join the activities or enjoy quiet time
- Use of Northern Edge’s amenities
- Wood-fired sauna
- Nature walk
- Quiet time to unplug, relax and be
Date / Time: December 1, 2023 to December 3, 2023
Friday and Saturday: 9 am ET – 5 pm ET
Sunday: 9 am ET – 3 pm ET
Instructor: Devinder
Friday and Saturday: 9 am ET – 5 pm ET
Sunday: 9 am ET – 3 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 an introductory course to learn more about the powerful affects of meditation and how to teach simple and effective meditation techniques to others.
Date / Time: Tuesday, January 23, 2024 / 6:30 pm ET – 8:30 pm ET
Instructor: Devinder, Stephanie and Shannon
Instructor: Devinder, Stephanie and Shannon
PranaShanti Training Open House!
You’re Invited to Our Open House!
With 15 years of experience in Yoga Teacher Training Education, PranaShanti is an accredited school offering 200-, 300- and 800-hour Yoga Teacher Training Programs along with continuing education and career-expanding courses and programs.
Our programs blend eastern, western, ancient and modern philosophy and practice. Our curriculum are as distinctive and comprehensive as our faculty that delivers our courses and programs.
We invite you to our Training Open House, a 2-hour experience that includes mindful movement, meditation, refreshments and social connection.
This is wonderful opportunity to visit the PranaShanti Education Centre, meet our Director, Training Co-ordinators and some of our faculty. Ask any questions about our upcoming and ongoing training programs, meet up with folks you know from past trainings and make some new friends!
Cost: FREE. Everyone is welcome but sign up so that we know you are attending!
Location: PranaShanti Education Centre, 45 Eccles Street, Ottawa, Ontario, (Chinatown). Our 2,500 square foot Education Centre offers a large open concept training area with high ceilings and an abundance of natural light and excellent ventilation. There is a kitchenette with fridge, microwave, kettle and dishware. We have a dining/boardroom with conference table and chairs, 2 gender neutral bathrooms, reading room, mini Boutique and our Administration Office.
Cost: Free
Date / Time: February 23, 2024 to February 25, 2024
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 9 am ET – 6 pm ET each day
Instructor: Laurie and Stephane
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 9 am ET – 6 pm ET each day
Instructor: Laurie and Stephane
Yin Yoga Teacher Training – Part 1
For ALL practitioners, students and Teachers!
Discovering the healing potential of a yin practice is becoming more popular.
This 25-hour training is designed for both yoga teachers and dedicated yoga practitioners to delve deep into the practice and theory of Yin Yoga, and explore anatomy, sequencing, safety in postures, introduction to meridian theory, and mindfulness.
This training will benefit teachers, practitioners and students alike. It can be used as a therapeutic treatment or as a personal practice. You don’t need to have the desire to teach, only the openness to fully immerse yourself in yoga.
More and more practitioners are exploring Yin Yoga. This is a natural reaction to what has become an extremely yang health culture. Yin yoga is the relaxed practice of floor postures for three to five minutes at a time. A yin practice emphasizes the connective tissues of the hips, thighs, pelvis and lower spine. It prepares the body and mind for longer meditation practices. By drawing the student’s awareness away from the muscles and deeper into the bones, a deep level of relaxed focus is achieved.
Date / Time: March 1, 2024 to March 3, 2024
Friday and Saturday: 6:30 pm ET – 8:30 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 9 am ET – 5 pm ET each day
Instructor: Anna
Friday and Saturday: 6:30 pm ET – 8:30 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 9 am ET – 5 pm ET each day
Instructor: Anna
Exploring Yoga Props: Deepening Alignment and Self-Understanding
For ALL yoga students and Teachers!
Come and explore the effective use of basic yoga props like blocks, blankets, bolsters, the wall, the yoga chair, and yoga belts/ straps. Deepen your self-understanding through basic alignment techniques and the support of props.
In this course you will understand how props can support the unfolding and opening of the physical and subtle body. We will look at the layers of the body and understand how props can awaken the natural intelligence of the body.
Whether you want to become more confident in your current practice by integrating new techniques and refining your understanding of asana, or you’re curious how you can integrate props into a dynamic flow, this workshop has something for everyone!
We all have different shapes, flexibility, ability and energy levels. Props assist in the extension of our awareness and create opportunities to increase inner vitality!
Props are essentially guides for self-learning. Come play with props!
Date / Time: April 5, 2024 to April 7, 2024
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 9 am ET – 5 pm ET each day
Instructor: Anne
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 9 am ET – 5 pm ET each day
Instructor: Anne
Restorative Yoga Teacher Training – Foundation
For ALL practitioners, students and Teachers!
Our body needs rest.
Join Anne Wanda Tessier, an experienced restorative yoga teacher and trainer for this 30-hour foundational Restorative Yoga Teacher Training and learn about the benefits of rest on the body, mind, and nervous system.
Everyone experiences various levels of stress in our daily lives, from having too much on our to-do lists, navigating through big life changes and challenging situations, or experiencing stressful environmental and physical conditions. We can sometimes feel overwhelmed, tired, depleted, or even burnt out. We need to rest.
Restorative yoga is a style of yoga which uses props to support the body in various poses to help the body relax and to facilitate health and overall well–being. This practice is useful to soothe the nervous system, help reduce anxiety and stress, and bring the body back to a state of calm where the body functions properly. It is an opportunity to find balance in our busy lives.
Through direct experience, practice teaching and feedback, you leave this training with the ability to confidently teach a restorative class and learn how you can incorporate restorative yoga in your personal practice.
Date / Time: April 26, 2024 to April 28, 2024
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET – 4 pm ET each day
Instructor: Mike
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET – 4 pm ET each day
Instructor: Mike
Yoga for Seniors & Healthy Aging Training
For ALL practitioners, students and Teachers!
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.
Date / Time: May 3, 2024 to May 5, 2024
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET – 4 pm ET each day
Instructor: Catherine Collobert, PhD.
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET – 4 pm ET each day
Instructor: Catherine Collobert, PhD.
Classical Yoga Philosophy
For ALL practitioners, students and Teachers!
The practice of yoga dates back at least 1,000 years and continues to this day to be an experiential path to spiritual enlightenment.
Understanding the history and evolution of this practice can shed more light on its current iteration and allow us to explore its various aspects in more depth, as yoga was meant to be much more than exercise.
This training will explore central themes in some of the most significant historical texts on yoga and yoga practice such as the Rig Veda, the Upanishads, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in order to gain a better understanding of yoga’s beginnings and cultural roots.
We will examine in more detail the larger context of yoga practice beyond asana and pranayama, as well as the origins of the physical practice of yoga postures and its evolution as the central focus in the West’s adoption of yoga.
This training is designed for yoga teachers, yoga practitioners, and all those wanting to learn more about the origins of yoga, its historical and cultural context, and philosophical underpinnings.
Date / Time: May 31, 2024 to June 2, 2024
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET – 4 pm ET each day
Instructor: Mike
Friday: 6 pm ET – 9 pm ET
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am ET – 4 pm ET each day
Instructor: Mike
Chair Yoga Training
For ALL practitioners, students and Teachers!
Chair Yoga adapts traditional yoga poses so that they can be done with a chair for support, making yoga more accessible for all people.
Our society is aging and there are many people unable to practice a standard yoga class. Chair yoga also provides a gentle but effective practice for those with mobility or disability issues. The chair takes the place of the yoga mat, and poses are seated or supported by the chair. You get a warm-up, stretching and strengthening, whether you’re coming off a sports injury, challenged by the physical limits of aging, or have been sitting for too many hours at your desk.
This program will offer you the tools to help you and/or your students build strength, awareness and confidence as well as to increase well-being both physically and mentally. Learn how to work with this ever growing group who can get so much benefit from the practice of yoga with the assistance of a chair!