Yoga schools hold a special place in yoga education because many of the top locations are in the cradle of yoga’s birth: India. These schools offer some of the most complete and intense training for yoga in the world. Though you could attend a school anywhere, learning in India might be compared to learning culinary skills in France, or literature in London. Whether attending short term classes to train or long term classes to learn the art of teaching yoga, these institutions are places with many yoga education options to choose from. Here are a few you might find in your average yoga school.

Sopan

Yoga Sopan is considered one of the easiest types of yoga to master. The course is often a week long or less. For those who are new to yoga, even in India, this is the place to start. You will learn the movements of yoga as well as the breathing techniques, chanting and meditation. All of these are the foundation of yoga and thus will virtually always be available in a high level yoga school. Mastering Sopan is like learning the fundamentals of any sport or activity: it builds a base and foundation upon which greater things may be built.

Pravesh

In somewhere between 25 and 35 days, most schools will help you to learn Yoga Pravesh. For about an hour per day you work on the movements of your limbs while adding in the movement of neck, waist and hips for a more complete yoga foundation. As yoga schools move along, there will often be lectures or talks added during lessons so that you may gain a better overview of not just the physical side of yoga but also the mental and spiritual sides.

Certification

If you wish to pursue an actual degree in Yoga from a yoga school, they can take anywhere form 3-5 months. In them, once you have built a proper base, you will be introduced to the idea of asanas as well as the more advanced methods for self cleansing and mental focus. You will likely, in addition to yoga session, be involved with research and lecture too as gaining a yoga degree is a complete merger of mind, body, and spirit. This merger will allow you to practice yoga at the highest level and maybe even pursue teaching since you will have truly learned to combine your mind, body, and spirit.

Advanced Degrees

In addition to the degrees and levels listed, you can work up to advanced teaching degrees at many yoga schools. Whether you are becoming a teacher or just wish to master the ins and outs of yoga as a practitioner, you will find that these schools offer you the best in what yoga has to offer you at every level of your being. Remember, as with any yoga instruction, though, always make sure you are comfortable with the school you enter. Yoga is about trust and balance, and with the plethora of high level schools in India and around the world, you will surely find what you need.

Rebecca Prescott presents more information on yoga retreat centers here, as well as more detailed information on the different yoga schools, India, here. Learn yoga, its poses and subtleties, here.

Join us on a journey to one of the most beautiful places on earth, and take a vacation from your pains, stresses and worries. For eight days you will practice the gift of unconditional self-love; calm your world, become present and learn how to clear your energy and access your intuition with ‘Spacious Awareness’ in an ancient Mayan culture and in a safe, supportive, fun and healing environment. Calming Your World / The Joy Of Being An 8-day Transformational Retreat at Lake Atitlan / Guatemala from June 30 to July 7, 2007

In the past three years, I’ve spent 10 days before every Labor day weekend at Villa Sumaya – at Lake Atitlan in Guatemalla with 9 -11 participants. Each one of them was magical in it’s own way. Lake Atitlan is one of the last innocent jewels of this world. The combination of this vast and pristine vast lake, surrounded by three volcanos makes it a perfect blend of yin and yang. The lake often changes its color, and its not unlikely to start the day with bright sun, have a little shower, and then for a storm to arrive, which makes looking at the lake, swimming in it or sailing through it – a meditative experience.

Boats are the only form of transportation around the lake. There are no cars or any land transportation and many of the local people walk. When we take our hikes around the lake we often run into children or older people who effortlessly walk barefoot and carry big loads on their heads. You gain perspective and appreciation for the old world aspect and the ancient Mayan culture of the e lake – which is surrounded by 2 towns with diverse languages and magnificent costumes.

Villa Sumaya, which is heaven on earth – in Arabic, is a flawless retreat center that makes it the perfect environment for our retreat. While nothing there reminds you of a five star hotel, the accommodations are elegant, clean, simple, comfortable and nurturing. Between the scrumptious vegetarian meals cooked by a local chef, the sauna, the Jacuzzi, and the luscious gardens, Villa Sumaya is truly a heavenly place.

The focus over our last three retreats has been Living in the present through meditation, yoga, qi-gong, sharing in community and celebration. This year the focus of the retreat will be how to clear our energy, access our intuition and implement it to daily life. We usually start the morning at 7:00 with mindful movement and meditation – at the meditation hall. After breakfast we have a morning session and then go on a hike around the lake, and come back for lunch. After lunch there are four hours of free time; you can read, nap, rest, swim or have a body work or energy session. We gather for the evening session , which includes meditation and dialogging about the daily lesson. After dinner we usually gather for a movie, chat, communal sauna/Jacuzzi and sleep – which many report is filled with dreams and visits by energies from the lake…

We usually take a boat trip to the fascinating town of Santiago and the Santa Katarina hot-springs. The town of Panhachell, which is a 20 minute boat ride from the retreat center. There are always surprises and unforgettable celebrations. When I return to NYC i can feel the energy of the lake for a couple of months. Rereating at lake Atitlan is a treat for the body, mind and soul – in keeping with the Hopi Message 2001:

There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly. Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water. See who is in there with you and celebrate. At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all, ourselves. And do not look outside yourself for the leader. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt. The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves! Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
-Oraibi, Arizona Hopi Nation

Samuel Kirschner has spent 20 years as a body/mind therapist and a meditation teacher, speaker and author. In the 1980s, he facilitated The New York Healing Circle, which helped thousands of people with HIV live with a sense of peace and self-acceptance. Trained in body-centered psychotherapy, and in the Zen tradition and the Vipassana style of meditation, as well as in MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction – by Jon Kabat Zinn), Samuel is in private practice in Manhattan. He has been teaching Living in the Present / Dynamic Mindfulness Meditation through individual & couple sessions, classes, workshops, organizational wellness training and retreats.