Body love : a somatic experience with molly bienstock, friday, april 17, 5:30-7p
Together we'll explore what it means to be in a body through the lens of somatic experience, parts work, and the importance of slowing down. Come enjoy an evening of yoga, movement, and dance as a ritual for forgiveness, belonging, and collective care.
Investment: $30. Register HERE.
Molly Bienstock (they/them) is a nonbinary, queer somatic therapist and educator whose passions lie in helping people find safety in their bodies so they can experience their most playful, authentic selves. After a traumatic accident in 2014, Molly became a scholar of somatic and spiritual methodologies as a channel to better understand the body's survival responses as well as how it can thrive. Molly now offers a unique combination of tools in their private practice Magic With Molly that stems from the wisdom of yoga, breathwork, somatic experience, movement and dance therapy, traditional talk therapy, and parts work. Molly's focus is on helping people feel their most expansive, human selves by honoring our reflections in Nature and integrating contradictory aspects of the self to support the feeling of Wholeness. Molly works with clients of all ages and backgrounds in both 1-on-1 settings and groups.
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, Friday, April 24, 6-7:15p
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.
Additional sessions are available for booking on Fridays, May 22 and June 26 at the link below.
Investment: $30. Register HERE.
Healing the Mother Wound : A Sacred Breathwork Experience, Friday, May 8, 4-8p
The “mother wound” refers to the emotional imprints we carry from our earliest experiences of nurturing, safety, and connection. Whether our mothers were loving, overwhelmed, absent, critical, or simply human, these early dynamics shape how we relate to ourselves, others, and the world.
For many people, the mother wound shows up in daily life as people-pleasing, difficulty setting boundaries, perfectionism, fear of abandonment, or feeling like we are never quite enough.
This experience is not limited to women. Men often carry the same wounds through patterns of emotional suppression, difficulty expressing vulnerability, or feeling disconnected from their own needs.
In this sacred ceremony, we will use guided 9D immersive sound technology, somatic conscious connected Breathwork and somatic movement, journaling, and integration to create space for compassion, release, and deeper self-understanding in a safe, trauma-informed environment.
This ceremony is for those who are ready to:
*Release inherited emotional patterns
*Explore the mother wound with compassion
*Reconnect with their own inner voice
*Process grief, anger, or unmet needs
*Step into greater emotional sovereignty
This is not about blaming our mothers. It is about reclaiming the parts of ourselves that were never fully seen. This container is designed to be safe, supportive, and deeply restorative.
Investment: $125. Register HERE.
creative sequencing weekend for yoga teachers and dedicated practitioners with parham neal-Pishko, May 15-17
Leading a full, memorable experience to the bodies that show up - exactly as they are - is an art form. It requires anatomical understanding, clear and inclusive language, thoughtful structure, and the ability to adapt in real time. This weekend is designed to help you refine that art.
Over two immersive days (plus a Friday night master class), you’ll explore the foundations and freedom of intelligent sequencing. This training blends anatomy, cueing language, creative formulas, sequencing games, and live feedback to help you craft practices that are effective, safe, and unforgettable.
This experience is for any teacher with a 200-hour certification, any of our 300-hour trainees or those looking for continuing education, or anyone with an established personal practice who wants to:
• Incorporate innovative transitions
• Modify skillfully in real time
• Build cohesive, intentional practice arcs
• Create new sequences for classes or home practices with confidence and clarity
• Make classes both safe and genuinely fun for every body
Parham brings advanced training in creative sequencing and has co-created and led a Yoga Alliance–accredited 200-hour teacher training centered on this methodology. She has distilled years of study, experimentation, and hands-on teaching into an accessible, practical, and inspiring weekend.
Schedule:
Friday Master Class: 5:30-7p
Saturday: 12-6p
Sunday: 11:30-5p
This training is approved for 15 elective hours (13 contact, 2 non-contact) for our modular 300-hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training program.
Investment: $250. Register by 5/1 to receive a 1 hour sequencing video tutorial from Parham (for replay indefinitely!). Register HERE.
Retreat to Mallorca with Adrian and Lauren, june 13-20
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, or $4500 for single occupancy. Roll solo or 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
Travel insurance
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 we only have a couple of spots left. A $500 non-refundable deposit will secure your space, with the balance due in the spring.
Rocket Yoga Intensive with Steve Pyka and Lauren Nottingham, July 22-26
WHAT IT IS:
The 5-Day Practice Immersion is designed for any person at any level in their practice who is interested in learning more about Rocket Vinyasa Yoga. Through daily practice and group discussions, your existing concepts of what yoga is and what it is for will be challenged and expanded. Live a life in the week of a Rocket Yogi. See how a simple, gentle, systematic and powerful approach to yoga can transform how you relate to yourself and the world around you.
Schedule:
Wednesday (evening practice only): 6-7:30p
Thursday: 9a-7p
Friday: 9a-7p
Saturday: 9a-7p
Sunday: 11:30a-7p
WHO SHOULD TAKE IT:
Anyone! Of course, it is helpful to already have a consistent yoga practice, but it is not essential. The immersion might light a fire for you! Students and teachers are welcome, but this program does not confer any authority to teach yoga generally or Rocket Yoga specifically. The authority to teach yoga comes from your own experience, dedication and enthusiasm to share what you practice.
WHY YOU SHOULD TAKE IT:
We take a common-sense approach to the practice and the philosophy. Yoga need not be complicated. In fact, it's very natural- it's moving and breathing with awareness. Forget about what you can do, have or become through yoga. Yoga is most useful in demonstrating that you have what you seek. Having an enjoyable and familiar yoga routine that you can do anywhere and at anytime will inspire you to develop the consistency and dedication which bring forth the gifts of the practice.
YOUR INSTRUCTORS:
Steve Pyka, a direct student of Larry Schultz, the creator of Rocket Yoga, opened AstaYoga with Rene Henley in 2009 as a place where people could find a genuine sense of strength, peace and community. Together, they have over 20 years of experience teaching and have trained hundreds of people (including Adrian, Lauren, and other Dojo instructors!) who are practicing and sharing the Rocket all over the world.
Lauren Nottingham + Adrian McCavitt, co-founders of The Yoga Dojo, will be co-facilitating this training.
WHAT IT COSTS AND HOW YOU CAN SIGN UP:
The training costs $995, call or email to register. You can reserve a space in the training with a $300 deposit, with the balance due before training commences. Or feel free to pay in full upon registering. Returning students who have previously completed a Rocket training with Asta / The Yoga Dojo can take $420 off the training price and enroll at a discounted rate of $575- the Larry Schultz Special - and can sign up by emailing hello@theyogadojorva.com.
This training is approved for 45 lead trainer core hours (40 contact, 5 non-contact) for our modular 300-hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training program. This course is also approved for 45 YA CEUs (40 contact, 5 non-contact).