Introduction to Tibetan Meditation with Caro Lokah, March 7 + 8

This course is designed to be accessible for yoga teachers, teacher trainees and the general public, while still offering real depth, structure, and lived practice. The teachings are rooted in the Three Jewels tradition and draw directly from Tibetan Buddhist meditation frameworks as transmitted through contemporary Three Jewels teachings.

*Lineage & Framework
The course is based on Tibetan Buddhist meditation as presented through the Three Jewels lineage, which emphasizes meditation as a practical path for waking up, cultivating compassion, and understanding the mind.

The Three Jewels are:
• The Buddha – the awakened mind and our own capacity for awakening
• The Dharma – the teachings and methods that lead to liberation
• The Sangha – the community that supports and reflects the path

These principles will be woven throughout the day in a grounded, non-dogmatic way that supports both personal practice and teaching.

*Course Overview
This training introduces foundational Tibetan meditation principles in a way that is practical, embodied, and applicable to modern life. Students will learn how meditation actually works, why we practice, and how to guide or sustain meditation with confidence.

*Topics Covered
• What meditation is (and what it isn’t)
• Different types of meditation (shamatha, analytical, compassion-based, and guided meditation)
• Introduction to karma and emptiness, presented simply and accessibly
• The 9 Stages of Meditation as a clear roadmap for practice
• Meditation preliminaries: posture, breath, intention, and environment
• How to structure and guide an introductory meditation

We’ll close the course with a long, deeply integrated guided meditation session so students can embody the teachings rather than just understand them conceptually.

*Who It’s For
• Yoga teacher trainees
• Yoga teachers wanting to confidently guide meditation
• Dedicated students curious about meditation
• Anyone seeking a grounded, traditional, yet accessible introduction to meditation

Schedule:
Saturday 1-5p
Sunday 12-5p
Course enrollment also includes a drop in to Friday evening's Meridian Master Class from 5:30-7:30p (Friday PM attendance is required if applying hours to 300-hour training)

Investment: $250 for the full weekend. Register HERE. NEW! $125 for Saturday OR Sunday drop in.  Please call 804.397.9075 or email hello@theyogadojorva.com if you have issues registering for a single day option.

This course is eligible for 15 credit hours (11 contact, 4 non-contact) to our 300-hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training. It is also eligible for Yoga Alliance CEUs if you are not enrolled in our 300-hour program.

Yoga for Letting Go with Breanne Armbrust, Saturdays, March 21 to April 25, 10:30-11:45a

Learn how to let go of what binds you through yoga, meditation, breathing practices, and yoga philosophy tailored to your goals.

This is a great yoga therapy series for anyone, but especially if you're experiencing grief, stress, anxiety, challenges with relationships with others, and chronic illness.

This offering is for small group yoga therapy for 3-8 clients. At each session you'll receive an offering of practices that you can incorporate to your daily life. We will meet for six consecutive Saturdays from 10:30-11:45a. A sliding scale is available so that you may select the rate that is sustainable for you.

Investment:
Sustainer rate: $120
Supporter rate: $140

Register HERE.

Root of the spirit with Olivia yohai, Sunday, March 22, 5:30-7:30p

Join Olivia Yohai for her seasonal workshop on the Wood Element of Chinese Medicine Philosophy. Moving with the energy from the yin of winter towards the yang of summer, focusing on the in between, where the flowers blossom and the Liver and Gall Bladder meridians are at their peak.

These meridians carry emotions through the body; especially feelings like anger, frustration, and repression. We will dig into these emotions and general tension through the physical body; as well as acute tension held in the side body, jaw, shoulder, and hip. This unique sequence balances dynamic movement with deep stillness in yin postures. Learning specific seasonal techniques like the Diaphragm Release will inspire the capacity for deeper breathing; and long explorations of Hip Healers will leave not only the hips feeling new, but the physical, mental, and emotional body free.

The title of this workshop is named after an acupuncture point to ensure recipients that acupressure will be at the forefront of this workshop. Acupressure involves self massage and body awareness for accessible healing that can be done at any time. Spring, the wood element, and these meridians are creative forces also associated with change, forgiveness, and becoming.

Investment: $35. Register HERE.

Abdominal self care Class with lili simons, friday, March 27

In this class we will learn and explore our abdominal area, and how to take care of the belly with self massage techniques.  Through this work, you can learn to open the flow of energy and blood circulation in the abdominal organs, as well as to relieve stress and negative emotions stored in the belly.
Abdominal massage is a great tool for staying healthy physically, emotionally and spiritually. The abdomen is our vitality center, also called Hara.  When it is healthy, the rest of the body will follow.

Please bring a yoga mat and pillow.

Investment: $30. Sign up HERE.

Community Acupuncture with Dr. Sarah Coghlan, Sunday, April 12, 12-3p

Community Acupuncture is designed as a way of offering Chinese medicine in an accessible format. It's a means of giving back to our hardworking, overstressed community in a way that is affordable to all. It's ideal for both first time and seasoned acupuncture clients.

Community (or group) acupuncture is offered in a room with several zero-gravity chairs, where individuals can join each other in holding a healing space. Please wear loose-fitting clothing to your session, as most points will be from the elbows and knees down. There will be a short intake form and you will speak with our practitioner for a few minutes, have your pulse taken, and after points are inserted, your will be able to rest for about 30 minutes. People seek acupuncture for a variety of reasons, including (but not limited to) physical injury, acute and chronic pain, colds flu and immune support, reproductive health, allergies and respiratory issues, digestive health concerns, mental and emotional wellness, auto-immune conditions, insomnia, and more.

We will hold healing sessions once a month at our sibling space, The Yoga Dojo, with Elizabeth Mastropierro, L.Ac. and Sarah Coghlan, DACM, L.Ac. Relax and receive a 45-minute treatment for a sliding scale amount of $20-50 ($20 minimum is required to reserve your space, additional amount can be contributed post-treatment). Reserve your appointment through our online booking system HERE.

Chair Yoga Teacher Training with Jess Geevarghese, April 18-19

Chair yoga is an accessible practice for students, clients or patients who need the support of a chair for a number of reasons, including age, weight, temperament, ability
or situation. The 14-hour Chair Yoga Teacher Training is an opportunity for yoga teachers and those in allied professions to build skills related to teaching students of varying abilities in three settings:

• Yoga Studio (more mobile seniors/individuals)
• Nursing Home/Retirement Facility, and
• Corporate/Workplace Settings.
The training is accompanied by a 100+ page printed manual.

What you will learn:
1) Students will learn to teach chair yoga in a trauma-informed and accessible manner.
2) Students will understand the considerations for teaching a variety of students, including in an active yoga studio setting, corporate environment and retirement facility.
3) Students will learn the basics of injury and condition management.
4) Students will become competent to teach resistance training and use props in their practice.

The training is broken up into Discussions, Posture Labs, Anatomy & Physiology, Practice and Practice Teaching.

*Discussions include Creating a Safe and Inclusive Environment, Balance/Proprioception and Considerations for Workplace Yoga.
*Posture Labs cover seated and standing sun salutations, back bends, forward bends, hip openers, low-impact movements, lateral flexion, and savasana.

Please bring a yoga mat and a set of light-weight dumbbells (1-3 lbs).  We will provide chairs and blocks.

Schedule:
Saturday, 4/18: 12-7p
Sunday, 4/19: 11:30-4:30p

This training is approved for lead trainer core hours (12 contact, 2 non-contact) for our modular 300-hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training program. It is also approved for 14 Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Units.

Investment: $400.  Register HERE.

Elemental sound healing with Juju Desta, April date coming soon!

Sound healing is an ancient practice that uses sound to relax the body and mind through allowing the vibrations of the various instruments to put one into a “yogic sleep.” In yogic sleep, the individual is neither fully asleep nor fully awake. In Aboriginal culture, it is referred to as the “Dream Time” state. The sounds vibrate with every cell of a living organism which in turn activates a natural healing process working through any physical, mental, or emotional blockages within the body.

Julian J. Desta is 200hr certified yoga instructor residing in Richmond, VA. Always having a passion for the creative arts, he was introduced to the practice of Sound Healing and Therapy when given his first singing bowl as a birthday present from a friend. Julian began researching the depths of sound and it’s powerful healing techniques. After a few years practicing Julian received his Sound Healing Certification from Mentor and friend Mark Toregson in 2019.

Specializing in a variety of instruments from the didgeridoo, to flutes, singing bowls, and drums, Julian has created a unique Sound Healing Experience called Elemental Sound Healing. Discovering relationship between sound healing and nature, he calls on the 4 elements of Air, Wind, Water, and Fire to channel through each practice to bring balance to the human system or what he likes to refer to as homeostasis.

Please bring whatever you would like to rest comfortably on the ground.  A mat, pillow, and blanket or two are recommended.

Investment: $30. Register HERE.

Retreat to Mallorca with Adrian and Lauren, june 13-20, 2026

Join Adrian and Lauren this summer on our retreat to Mallorca, Spain! We have a stunning location to call home base - Finca Son Sion (https://sanauretreats.com/son-sion/). And a private chef, just for us!

We have shared dual occupancy rooms for $3000 per person.  Grab a friend and join us! Or we will do our best to match you with your new bestie.

Included:
Room
Delicious meals (we will have one or two days allocated for off site lunches, and one night allocated for off site dinner)
1-2 yoga, meditation, hand balance and calisthenics classes a day
Loads of fun with friends! 

Not included:
Flights
Transportation: You will need to either get a taxi (~40-50 euros each way) to the finca from the airport, or rent a car (this is RECOMMENDED for ultimate flexibility for store trips, day excursions, shopping... but also a lot of people are getting cars, so no stress if you don't). 
Offsite meals and excursions

Drop us an email at retreats@theyogadojorva.com, as space is limited and filling up quickly!! A $500 non-refundable deposit will secure your space, with the balance due in the spring.