Restorative Yoga
Teacher Trainings
With Melissa Smith
Restorative Yoga Immersion: Houston Texas February 2024
Join us for our Restorative Yoga Teacher Training and Immersion on February 9-11, 2024 at Union Yoga Studio in the heart of Houston, Texas. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced yogi, this training will deepen your practice and expand your knowledge. As a special promotion, we're offering a 10% discount for returning students. Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your skills and connect with like-minded individuals. Reserve your spot now!
Can't join for the training? Join for the class on February 9th!
"Wonderful instructor who takes you beyond Asana. Melissa Smith is a teacher with extensive experience and foundation in the practice of yoga, therapeutics and Thai massage as well as Acro Yoga. Her classes incorporate connection and exploration on all levels, with attention to each individual's needs. Melissa is an author, a world traveler and an ambassador of connection. She has connected yogis all over the world through her teachings and has created community wherever she goes. A class or retreat with Melissa will be an experience you will never forget!"
-Chrys Kub, e-RTY500, PT
MEET YOUR TEACHER
“One of the oldest and most beloved prayers from the Vedic tradition, the Gayatri Mantra, tells us that all of life is sustained by one ever-renewing source. When we practice restorative postures, what we are restoring is our connection with the part of our mind that is linked with this enduring, vast, and silent source. Yoga tells us that wen we are in intimate connection with the is part of our mind and thus tapped into a greater mind, we are also tuned in to the body’s natural ability to heal itself.” ~ Donna Farhi
Restorative Yoga Teacher Training
Online- Live from Pranava Yoga Studio
Sundays from 4:00-6:30pm MST
TBA for Summer 2024
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"Originally I came to this training just to learn more about teaching restorative yoga. My intention in the end changed. And now I’ve become more curious and experiment with new props, longer hold times, new language usage and ALLOW rest!”- Restorative Student, October, 2020
This somatic restorative immersion marries slow purposeful somatic moment with long head prop supported postures. Soma (living aware) or somatics is the awakened awareness of the body within movement. The difference between restoration and somatics is sensing through stillness verses sensing through movement. Restorative Yoga, through long held, prop supported postures, teaches that even though a pose appears to be still, there is a subtler action going on that involves a symphony of breath and body that brings the entire being into a state of deep repose and release. We will dive deep into the systems of the body and its potent affects. We explore the endocrine and nervous system within a restorative and soma movement framework. The somatic movements mirror our developmental movement patterns and will prepare the body for rest in the restorative pose and specification to individuals and special population needs will be addressed.
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This course is open to all who would like to deepen their yoga practice whether you plan to teach a restorative class or not. So much can be gained with the understanding of the adaptations of traditional yoga poses with the utilization of props. With support, energy is received, tension is released, circulation is improved without the need to expend great energy.
WHAT TO EXPECT
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Experience multiple restorative classes.
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Create a balanced practice through the structure and sequencing of class. Including: movement warm-up; pranayama; sankulpa (class intention and theming) through philosophy, asana, or personal experience.
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Learn valuable alignment skills and cuing techniques that meet the students where they are today.
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Break down active and passive restorative poses.
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Utilize props as tools for enhancing a pose in supportive and nurturing way.
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Obtain 19.5 hours of credits toward Yoga Alliance continuing education.
INVESTMENT
Investment: $465
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Includes:
Complete restorative manual, class recordings, all sessions with 20 hours Yoga Alliance CEC's.
Also includes homework mentorship, worth an additional 5 non-contact hours CEC’s with
Yoga Alliance upon completion*.
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*Successful completion of homework required in order to receive a certificate.
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Payment in full, required and is transferable to another person, however, is non-refundable.
Investment: $465
Please note: the PayPal fee is not included in the Investment cost.
TBA Sundays in 2024
"Your enthusiasm for what you teach is infectious and delightful. If you aimed to inspire curiosity, you hit the bullseye. Keep up the good work. You’re my favorite yoga nerd, and I mean that as high praise.”
~ George S., May 2019 Somatic Restorative Immersion
This somatic restorative immersion marries slow purposeful somatic moment with long head prop supported postures. Soma (living aware) or somatics is the awakened awareness of the body within movement. The difference between restoration and somatics is sensing through stillness verses sensing through movement. Restorative Yoga, through long held, prop supported postures, teaches that even though a pose appears to be still, there is a subtler action going on that involves a symphony of breath and body that brings the entire being into a state of deep repose and release. We will dive deep into the systems of the body and its potent affects. We explore the endocrine and nervous system within a restorative and soma movement framework. The somatic movements mirror our developmental movement patterns and will prepare the body for rest in the restorative pose and specification to individuals and special population needs will be addressed.
​
This course is open to all who would like to deepen their yoga practice whether you plan to teach a restorative class or not. So much can be gained with the understanding of the adaptations of traditional yoga poses with the utilization of props. With support, energy is received, tension is released, circulation is improved without the need to expend great energy.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Sunday afternoons with Somatic Restorative Yoga classes & interactive discussion:​
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Experience postures that promote deep relaxation and recuperation. We will begin with a short discussion of a restful pose, somatic (moving within) movements, breath work, and a unique restorative sequence and finish with an extended Savasana. The sequences and long-held poses are designed to support a strong body, mind, and spirit connection with strategic placement of Yoga props which will encourage the body to release. The somatic movements between the postures will help facilitate a soma or “living aware” experience by awakening awareness of the body within. These movements will complement the supported poses by silencing overworked areas.
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Each session builds upon the last as we investigate principles of interoception (sense) and somatic (movement) exploration:​
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Explore valuable alignment and propping skills, discover a discerning eye, and review cuing, and rest techniques that meet the students where they are today.
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Break down key restorative poses with a focus on how each pose affects different systems of the body, including the nervous system.
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Utilize props as tools for enhancing a pose in a supportive and nurturing way.
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Breath perception and connection with postures and effects of Pranayama on the nervous system.
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Learn basic somatic and developmental movement principles to integrate with restorative postures.
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Create a balanced somatic restorative practice through the structure and sequencing of a class.
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Gain an overview of somatic principles in relationship to Restorative Yoga and non-doing.
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8 weeks:
TBA 2024
4:00pm -6:30pm MST
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INVESTMENT
Investment: $465
​
Includes:
Complete somatic manual, class recordings, all sessions with 20 hours Yoga Alliance CEC's.
Also includes homework mentorship, worth an additional 5 non-contact hours CEC’s with
Yoga Alliance upon completion*.
*Successful completion of homework required in order to receive a certificate.
​
Payment in full, required and is transferrable to another person, however, is non-refundable.
​
​
Investment: $465
Please note: the PayPal fee is not included in the Investment cost.
"So having had the absolute pleasure of experiencing restorative teacher training with Melissa Smith Yoga I absolutely recommend that everyone try introducing this wellness into their practice! It truly reminds you of the reasons why we practice yoga and allows you to really understand yourself beyond the asana."
​-Amanda G. December 2017