Restorative Yoga Teacher Trainings
With Melissa Smith
Restorative Yoga Immersion:
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Join us for our Restorative Yoga Teacher Training and Immersion on August 29-September 1, 2025, at Pranavya Yoga Studio in the heart of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Whether you're a beginner, a practitioner, or an experienced teacher looking for certification, this training will deepen your practice and expand your knowledge. As a special promotion, we offer a 10% discount for returning students. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your skills and connect with like-minded individuals in the beautiful setting of the New Mexico mountains. Reserve your spot now! $475 includes 12 hours of in-person, 5 hours of self-study, a Certificate of completion or certification, and a comprehensive manual. See below for a more detailed description.
Investment: $475
"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
Somatic Restorative
Online/On Demand
Sundays from 4:00-6:30 pm MST
for Oct-Nov 2025​
"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 movement 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, a subtler action 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 body's systems and their potent effects. We explore the endocrine and nervous systems 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 the specifications for 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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7 consecutive sessions beginning October 5, 2025
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Experience multiple restorative classes.
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The class's structure and sequencing will create a balanced practice, including a movement warm-up, pranayama, and 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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Use props to enhance a pose in a supportive and nurturing way.
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Obtain 17.5 hours of credits toward Yoga Alliance continuing education.
INVESTMENT
Investment: $475
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Includes:
Complete restorative manual, class recordings, and all sessions with 17.5 hours of Yoga Alliance CECs.
Also includes homework mentorship, worth an additional five non-contact hours CECs with
Yoga Alliance upon completion*.
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*Successful completion of homework is required to receive a certificate.
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Payment in full is required and is transferable to another person; however, it is non-refundable.
Investment: $475
Please note: the PayPal fee is not included in the Investment cost.
Restorative Yoga
Online/On-demand
Sundays, 4-6:30 pm MST January-February 2026
"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 Restorative Immersion
Through long-held, prop-supported postures, Restorative Yoga teaches that even though a pose appears to be still, a subtler action involves a symphony of breath and body that brings the entire being into a state of deep repose and release. The difference between restoration and somatics is sensing through stillness versus sensing through movement.
​
This course is open to all who want to deepen their yoga practice, whether you plan to teach a restorative class or not. Understanding the adaptations of traditional yoga poses with the utilization of props can yield so much. With support, energy is received, tension is released, and circulation is improved without needing great energy.
The Benefits of a Restorative Yoga Class Include:
- Powerful relaxation to access a state of pratayahara (a withdrawn state).
- Restoration and exploration of the mind, body, and soul in passive postures.
- Energy flow and healing can be achieved by utilizing props as playful tools through active restorative postures.
- Clarity, connection, and a spirit of offering through ishvara pranidhana (the divine within).
- Moving meditation warmup and the graceful presence accessed with long-held postures.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Sunday afternoons with 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, 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 connection between the body, mind, and spirit, with the strategic placement of yoga props that encourage the body to release.
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General Outline:
- Experience multiple restorative classes.
- Create a balanced practice through the structure and sequencing of class, including movement warm-up, pranayama, and sankulpa (class intention and theming) through philosophy, asana, or personal experience.
- Learn valuable alignment skills and cuing techniques that meet the students where they are today.
- Break down passive restorative poses.
- Utilize props as tools to enhance a pose in a supportive and nurturing way.
- Obtain credits toward yoga alliance continuing education with 17.5 contact hours.
This course is open to all who would like to deepen their yoga practice, whether you plan to teach a restorative class or not. Understanding the adaptations of traditional yoga poses with the utilization of props can yield so much. With support, energy is received, tension is released, and circulation is improved without the need to expend great energy.
​​
7 weeks January- February 2026, online only
A few in-person spaces are available. Inquire here
4:00 pm -6:30 pm MST
​
INVESTMENT
Investment: $475
​
Includes:
Complete somatic manual, class recordings, all sessions with 17.5 hours Yoga Alliance CEC's.
Also includes homework mentorship, worth an additional five non-contact hours CECs with
Yoga Alliance upon completion*.
*Successful completion of homework is required to receive a certificate.
​
Full payment is required and transferable to another person; however, it is non-refundable. ​​
Investment: $475
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