Saturday, November 16th 12:00-6:00pm
Sunday, November 17th 12:00-6:00pm

Some of our deepest experiences of yoga happen when we have the opportunity to rest with support, awareness, and intention. Restorative Yoga is more than just adult nap time or an occasional indulgence. This immersive program will help you understand the profound impact of Restorative Yoga as a practitioner and/or a yoga teacher. Yoga teachers who complete both days will be eligible for 12 continuing education hours with Yoga Alliance.

In this two-day program, we will explore:

• The benefits, applications, and energetics of Restorative Yoga

• Detailed alignment and propping instruction of Restorative Yoga postures -when/how to use props

• How to address injuries and limitations during Restorative Yoga practice

• Ways to identify physical and energetic misalignment in Restorative Yoga poses - skills for physical and verbal adjustments during Restorative Yoga practice

• The benefits of compassion cultivation and its relationship to Restorative Yoga

• How to lead Restorative Yoga practices in a variety of settings to a wide range of students

This training is ideal for:

• Those looking to learn and experience effective ways to calm the nervous system and reduce stress

• Anyone interested in deepening their understanding and experience of Restorative Yoga

• New and experienced yoga teachers who want to grow teaching skills

• Therapists, teachers, parents looking to offer down-regulating practices to those they support

Tara Lemerise, E-RYT 200/E-RYT 500, YACEP has guided 100s of yoga teachers in her highly-acclaimed Rest for All: Restorative Yoga Teacher Training. Tara is deeply committed to spreading the word about the power of the down-regulating and healing practices of Restorative Yoga in order to subvert the prevailing cultural narrative that humans need to be over-worked and under-rested to have value. Learn more about Tara at www.TaraLemeriseYoga.com.

Roots & River 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training
Directed by Tara Lemerise and Machelle Lee

December 7, 2024 - May 18, 2025
10 Weekends + Some Tuesday and Wednesday Evenings

You are invited to join us in a transformative experience of studying the self in wholeness. Yoga is a gateway to depth and meaning and we are on a soul’s journey. The Roots & River 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) is an academically and spiritually designed curriculum that promotes and preserves the ancient wisdom and traditions of yoga while honoring and cultivating the application for the modern yogi.

Program directors and lead teachers, Tara Lemerise and Machelle Lee, have more than 50 years of combined yoga teaching experience and have curated a comprehensive program from their decades of personal practice and in-depth study. The Roots and River 200 Hour YTT curriculum meets and exceeds the requirements for yoga teacher certification and registration with the Yoga Alliance.  The learning environment includes lecture, on-the-mat practices, practical teaching experience, group discussion, and interactive activities. Although several yoga asana modalities and lineages will be explored, the emphasis is on well-rounded beginner, gentle and flow based Hatha Yoga with emphasis on Yin Yoga and Restorative Yoga practices.

This 200 Hour YTT is for…

• Dedicated students who wish to deepen their personal practice through immersion.

• Those who want to broaden their base of yoga tradition, science, and psychology to inform  their personal practice or yoga teaching

• Those who wish to become certified yoga teachers and eligible to register with Yoga Alliance.

• Clinicians who want to incorporate yoga, meditation, spirituality, lifestyle practices, or breathwork into their practice.

  If you would like to schedule a phone or Zoom chat to talk more about the program, please reach out to info@RootsAndRiverYoga.com or call 240-938-8622.

“This training is a game changer for any yoga practitioner”
~Lynne Olson, Yoga Studio Owner

• Saturday, March 9th, 12:30pm-6:30pm (Upper Body and Spine)

• Sunday, March 10th, 12:30pm-6:30pm (Sacrum and Lower Body)

Harshly judging one's range of motion is one of the greatest sources of unnecessary suffering in many people’s yoga practice. The asanas (poses) are intended to be a method to move the regenerative and healing life force. To do that effectively in yoga, we must understand each of our own (or our students) unique structures and explore when we can move more deeply into a posture or when to acknowledge limitations with respect.

Although some restrictions in range of motion are related to tight muscles, and more are related to contracted fascia and ligaments, many significant limitations are actually due to variations in bone shapes and joint orientations that can differ dramatically from one person to the next. Understanding YOUR yoga anatomy is best learned through direct hands-on experience - testing your bones/joints and witnessing them curiously and compassionately to the bones of others.

This functional, comparative anatomy workshop explores the 12 major joint segments of the body that account for most of our yoga postures. For each joint intersection, we will perform bone analysis and range of motion tests on ourselves, compare with each other, and demonstrate how each varying joints will express itself in specific yoga postures.

Anatomy is a vast subject, but this playful, interactive workshop reveals the basics in a way that clarifies and simplifies the yoga practice - putting the attention back where it belongs - how the key action of each pose makes you FEEL and moves the life force. In this workshop, participants often experience an “ah-ha” moment about their body and their practice, which can be powerfully liberating and self-accepting.

This workshop is ideal for all yoga practitioners, whether one is a beginner or experienced student wishing to deepen their knowledge of their body in practice and for yoga teachers looking to expand their teaching, cueing.

Cost: $280 (includes manual)

Machelle has 30 years of experience as a yoga teacher, massage therapist, and childbirth educator. She holds a Masters Degree in Mythology and Depth Psychology and has completed a 300-hour advanced yoga teacher training in yoga psychology. Machelle has cultivated a therapeutic approach through Yin Yoga that weaves together yogic teachings with modern scientific research on tissue rehabilitation, traditional medicine, and psychology. This approach to the whole person aids one in feeling and understanding the bodymind connection both somatically and intellectually.

Machelle is committed to serving students in a way that best fits their unique abilities and anatomic structure and combines storytelling, archetypes, poetry, neuroscience, psychology, and Five Element Meridian Theory in a way that is always aimed at facilitating a creative and grounded approach to self-development.

5 Week Online Series
Wednesdays, 7:30-8:30pm
February 28th - March 27th

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali have arguably become the most influential text to modern yoga. But why? You've seen these pithy lines as captions on instagram posts but what does this text REALLY say about yoga as a philosophy, practice, and lifestyle? The ethical guidelines of yoga, the end goal of yoga practice, distractions and the obstacles, and what we can expect when near enlightenment… It’s all here! Join The Yoga Sutras Book club to read and discuss all of this and more! You'll feel right at home with your fellow nerdy, curious, and kind-hearted seekers in fun, deep, lively discussions of this seminal text.

Please purchase this version:
The Yoga Sutras translated by Alistair Shearer

You do not need to read anything before our first session.

Cost: $90

Tara Lemerise, E-RYT 200/E-RYT 500, was expecting the Ashtanga Yoga Primary series and ended up in a Restorative Yoga class instead. That was her best mistake ever! Tara has been teaching Restorative Yoga since 2005 and has earned Restorative Yoga teaching certificates from Jillian Pransky, Judith Hanson Laster, and Cyndi Lee. She has since trained over 100 yoga teachers in her highly-acclaimed Rest for All: Restorative Yoga Teacher Training. Tara is deeply committed to spreading the word about the power of the down-regulating and healing practices of Restorative Yoga in order to subvert the prevailing capitalist narrative that humans need to be over-worked and under-rested to have value. Learn more about Tara at www.TaraLemeriseYoga.com.

The Zoom link for these gatherings will be emailed to you one (1) hour before each class.

Saturday, January 20th 1:00-7:00pm AND
Sunday, January 21st 1:00-7:00pm

Some of our deepest experiences of yoga happen when we have the opportunity to rest with support, awareness, and intention. Restorative Yoga is more than just adult nap time or an occasional indulgence. This immersive program will help you understand the profound impact of Restorative Yoga as a practitioner and/or a yoga teacher. Yoga teachers who complete both days will be eligible for 12 continuing education hours (CEUs) with Yoga Alliance.

In this two-day program, we will explore:

• The benefits, applications, and energetics of Restorative Yoga

• Detailed alignment and propping instruction of Restorative Yoga postures -when/how to use props

• How to address injuries and limitations during Restorative Yoga practice

• Ways to identify physical and energetic misalignment in Restorative Yoga poses - skills for physical and verbal adjustments during Restorative Yoga practice

• The benefits of compassion cultivation and its relationship to Restorative Yoga

• How to lead Restorative Yoga practices in a variety of settings to a wide range of students

This training is ideal for:

• Anyone interested in deepening their understanding and experience of Restorative Yoga

• New and experienced yoga teachers who want to grow teaching skills

• Anyone currently enrolled in an immersion or yoga teaching training program

Cost: $280 (includes manual)

Tara Lemerise, E-RYT 200/E-RYT 500, was expecting the Ashtanga Yoga Primary series and ended up in a Restorative Yoga class instead. That was her best mistake ever! Tara has been teaching Restorative Yoga since 2005 and has earned Restorative Yoga teaching certificates from Jillian Pransky, Judith Hanson Laster, and Cyndi Lee. She has since trained over 100 yoga teachers in her highly-acclaimed Rest for All: Restorative Yoga Teacher Training. Tara is deeply committed to spreading the word about the power of the down-regulating and healing practices of Restorative Yoga in order to subvert the prevailing capitalist narrative that humans need to be over-worked and under-rested to have value. Learn more about Tara at www.TaraLemeriseYoga.com.

5 Week Online Series
Wednesdays, 7:30-8:30pm
January 10th - February 7th

How can we live a spiritually meaningful life without withdrawing from society and our family obligations? How do we make it through our struggles for self-mastery? These are the essential questions posed in the beloved and sacred ancient Hindu scripture known as The Bhagavad Gita. Sometimes criticized for contradicting itself, this insightful text appeals to seekers of all sorts, assuring us that yoga takes different forms for different people. Join Tara for this online book club to read and unpack all of the beauty and profound wisdom in this text that will deepen your understanding of yoga.

Please purchase this version:
Bhagavad Gita translated by Stephen Mitchell

You do not need to read anything before our first session.

Cost: $90

Tara Lemerise, E-RYT 200/E-RYT 500, was expecting the Ashtanga Yoga Primary series and ended up in a Restorative Yoga class instead. That was her best mistake ever! Tara has been teaching Restorative Yoga since 2005 and has earned Restorative Yoga teaching certificates from Jillian Pransky, Judith Hanson Laster, and Cyndi Lee. She has since trained over 100 yoga teachers in her highly-acclaimed Rest for All: Restorative Yoga Teacher Training. Tara is deeply committed to spreading the word about the power of the down-regulating and healing practices of Restorative Yoga in order to subvert the prevailing capitalist narrative that humans need to be over-worked and under-rested to have value. Learn more about Tara at www.TaraLemeriseYoga.com.

The Zoom link for these gatherings will be emailed to you one (1) hour before each class.

Can be taken as a Personal Immersion or
FOUNDATIONAL CERTIFICATION/30 CONTACT HOUR CEUS WITH YOGA ALLIANCE

Immersion dates:

• Sat/Sun March 18th and 19th 1:00-6:30pm

• Sat/Sun April 1st and 2nd 1:00-6:30pm

• Sat/Sun April 15th and 16th 1:00-6:30pm

Yin Yoga's quiet practice has been Machelle's passion and special focus for 18 years, though she has been teaching for 30 years. In 1997, Machelle was introduced to meridian theory through the 200 hours of Shiatsu training she took within her broader massage therapist training. In her own practice and in group classes, she began to teach how yoga asanas stimulate energetic meridian lines through acupressure/tension in the poses. Machelle discovered Yin Yoga in 2004 and immediately recognized it as a powerful tool for physical and emotional self-care through its long, slow approach to connective tissue, fascia and meridians lines. She experienced first hand the joint ease and the somatic shift in her body/psyche energies and has matured with this practice through the years. In 2004 Machelle sought out to study with Paul Grilley, who developed and named this unique approach "Yin Yoga," and she has been a student of Paul’s ever since.

Yin Yoga utilizes muscularly relaxed poses on the floor that are held for longer periods of time (3-5+ minutes typically) in order to safely and systematically stimulate chemical re-generative responses in tissues, particularly of fascia, ligaments, and within joint capsules. Through modest traction and compression, one trains the structural tissues to reduce the process of contracture that shortens tissues and can cause degeneration, adhesions, pain, and decreased range of motion. Yin Yoga's methodical and subtle approach provides lubrication, mobility, and a sense of lightness and well being to the body's structure, energetics, and to the mind.  

This training/personal enrichment program is a valuable in-depth exploration for those who wish to deepen their understanding of the Yin Yoga practice for their own self-care, and for teachers/wellness practitioners wishing to incorporate Yin Yoga wisely and safely into their class offerings or recommendations.

Topics of exploration include: 

• History of Yin Yoga and its influence from Chinese Taoism and traditional Chinese medicine, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and the lineage of modern teachers who informed and mentored Paul Grilley and his development of the therapeutic approach that he named "Yin Yoga.”

• Joining of an East meets West approach to the body/mind balance

• Theory and Practice of Yin Yoga - the science and application of Yin Yoga including:

  • the function of the “soft skeleton” of fascia/connective tissue

  • the biomechanics of range of motion, fascia’s roll in movement

  • how "exercising" structural tissue appropriately, through long held and modest tractions and compressions, fosters a chemical response for tissue health

  • Physiological and psychological benefits of Yin Yoga

• Functional anatomy exploring 10 muscles groups and 14 skeletal joint segments

• Comparative anatomy - how normal skeletal variations affect range of motion and principles of individual alignment

• Essential repertoire of Yin Yoga poses and transitions

• Approaches to modify, adjust, and prop Yin Yoga postures in order to safely create practices for each individual to stimulate desired joint tissue or energy lines

• Foundations of Sequencing Yin Yoga

• Introduction to science and psychology of meridian theory, the study of the body's energy system as intertwined with fascia, and how the practice of Yin Yoga influences meridians, organ health, and psychological well being. This is expanded upon more in the freestanding 20 hour training, Science and Psychology of Meridian Theory in Yin Yoga

  Registered yoga teachers with Yoga Alliance
  can earn 30 contact hours of continuing credit hours.

This training is ideal for:

• New and experienced yoga teachers who want to expand their teaching knowledge and skills

• Yoga students who are interested in deepening their personal practice and exploring the theory and application of Yin Yoga for self-care

• Physical therapists, massage therapists, acupuncturists or health care practitioners looking to suggest home practices for their clients

Cost: $600

Includes:

• 30 Contact Hours

• Comprehensive Manual

• Access to private facebook group to share yin-sights with your peers

• Certificate of Completion

Registered yoga teachers with Yoga Alliance can earn 30 contact hours of continuing credit hours.

Machelle Lee, MA, E-RYT 500, CMT, YACEP, 

Founder of Roots & River Yoga Studio, Machelle has 30 years of experience as a yoga teacher, massage therapist, and childbirth educator. She holds a Masters Degree in Mythology and Depth Psychology and earn a 300 hour advanced certification in yoga psychology. Machelle is a long time student of Paul Grilley, founder of Yin Yoga and who brought comparative anatomy in yoga asana and considerations of ligament and fascia to the forefront of modern yoga culture. 

Machelle leads teacher trainings at her studio and is a guest presenter in YTT 200 and YTT 300 hour programs. She specializes in Functional Anatomy, Yin Yoga Theory and Practice, and the Science and Psychology of Five Element Meridian Theory. She is known for her humor-filled way of transforming complex ideas into accessible information, offering students simple tools to approach their practice and their life with authenticity and meaning-making. 

Committed to serving students in a way that best fits their unique abilities and anatomic structure, Machelle combines anatomy, storytelling, archetypes, poetry, neuroscience, psychology, and meridian theory across a variety of yoga styles in a way that is aimed at facilitating a creative and grounded approach to self-development. This approach to the whole person aids one in feeling the bodymind connection both intellectually and somatically.

What People Are Saying

Cancelation/Refund Policy - Cancelations 14 days or more before the training will receive a full refund minus $50 administrative fees. Cancelations 7-13 days before the training will receive 1/2 tuition back. Cancelations less than 6 days or less before the training starts will not receive a refund but will be eligible for future use credit. No refunds or studio credits are given for missed days in the training though make up hours can be arranged for up to 5 hours.

“This training is a game changer for any yoga practitioner” ~Lynne Olson, Yoga Studio Owner

Saturday, March 11th 1:00-7:30pm(Upper Body and Spine)
Sunday, March 12th 1:00-7:30pm (Sacrum and Lower Body)

Harshly judging one's range of motion is one of the greatest sources of unnecessary suffering in many people’s yoga practice. The asanas (poses) were designed to move the regenerative and healing life force. To do that effectively in yoga, we must understand our own (or our students') unique structures and explore when we can safely move deeply into a posture or when to acknowledge limitations with respect.

Although some restrictions in range of motion are related to tight muscles, and more are related to contracted fascia and ligaments, many significant limitations are actually due to variations in bone shapes and joint orientations that can differ dramatically from one person to the next. Understanding YOUR anatomy in yoga is best learned through direct hands-on experience - testing your bones/joints and witnessing them curiously and compassionately to the bones/joints of others.

This functional anatomy workshop explores the 10 muscle groups and the 14 major joint segments of the body that account for most of our yoga postures. For each joint intersection, we will perform analysis and range of motion tests on ourselves, ask specific questions about the key sensations, compare with each other, and demonstrate how each person will express particular poses based on their unique anatomic make up.

Anatomy is a vast subject, but this interactive workshop reveals the basics in a way that clarifies and simplifies the yoga practice - putting the attention back where it belongs - how the key action of each pose makes you FEEL and moves the life force. Participants often experience an “ah-ha” moment about their body and their practice, which can be powerfully liberating and self-accepting.

This workshop is ideal for all yoga practitioners, whether one is a beginner or experienced student wishing to deepen their knowledge of their body in practice, or one is a yoga teacher looking to expand their teaching and cueing.

13 CEUs Available for Yoga Teachers with Yoga Alliance

Cost: $260 (includes digital manual)

Founder of Roots & River Yoga, Machelle has 30 years of experience as a yoga teacher, massage therapist, and childbirth educator. She holds a Masters Degree in Mythology and Depth Psychology and has earned a 300-hour advanced yoga teacher training in yoga psychology. 

Machelle leads teacher trainings at her studio and is a guest presenter in YTT 200 and YTT 300 hour programs. She specializes in Functional Anatomy, Yin Yoga Theory and Practice, and the Science and Psychology of Five Element Meridian Theory in Yoga. She is known for her humor-filled way of transforming complex ideas into accessible information, giving students simple tools to approach their practice and their life with authenticity and meaning-making. 

Committed to serving in a way that meets the each persons' unique personality and physical structure, Machelle has created an innovated fusion of anatomy, neuroscience, psychology, storytelling, archetypes, poetry, breathwork, and Chinese medicine that is weaved through various styles of asana practice and aimed at facilitating a creative and grounded approach to self-development.

Lighthouse Yoga Center is located at
502 Kennedy Street NW #2B Washington, DC 20011

• Saturday/Sunday, November 19th and 20th, 1:00-6:30pm

• Saturday/Sunday, December 3rd and 4th, 1:00-6:30pm

Most every wisdom tradition in history describes life’s existence as being animated by a vital, yet invisible, source. In Eastern traditions, from which some of our earliest scientific health systems arose, this primordial energy is described as a force moving through all living systems and our own body tissues via pathways called meridians (Chinese Taoist system) or nadis (Indian system). These meridians account for thousands of tributaries or streams of energy moving through connective tissue that support our physical organs and promote psychological well-being. 

In this immersion, we explore 12 major organ meridian pathways and discuss their basic physical function and psychological association. Special focus will be placed on the modern biological science and chemistry of meridian lines within fascia. We will consider what times of the day and seasons of the year organ energy is renewing and benefit from conscious support. Students will learn to tune into the body’s “voice” as it expresses its balance or need for attention through somatic cues such as taste cravings, sleep/awake patterns, body aches or ease, over/under active senses, voice quality and distinct emotions.

In a mix of lecture, group discussion and practice, we will utilize Yin Yoga poses, sequences, an pressure points that are designed specifically to stimulate the organ pathway, acting as a form of self-acupressure or self-acu-tension in order to consciously support a healthier organ/ meridian system and a grounded psycho-spiritual sense of wellbeing. 

Cost: $400 (includes manual)

UPON COMPLETION, REGISTERED YOGA TEACHERS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR 20 CEUS CONTACT HOURS THROUGH YOGA ALLIANCE OR CAN USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE 30 HOUR YIN YOGA TRAINING TO EARN A 50 HOUR YIN YOGA CERTIFICATION.

Founder of Roots & River Yoga Studio, Machelle has 30 years of experience as a yoga teacher, massage therapist, and childbirth educator. She holds a Masters Degree in Mythology and Depth Psychology and earn a 300 hour advanced certification in yoga psychology. Machelle is a long time student of Paul Grilley, founder of Yin Yoga and who brought comparative anatomy in yoga asana to the forefront of modern yoga culture. 

Machelle leads teacher trainings at her studio and is a guest presenter in YTT 200 and YTT 300 hour programs. She specializes in Functional Anatomy, Yin Yoga Theory and Practice, and the Science and Psychology of Five Element Meridian Theory. She is known for her humor-filled way of transforming complex ideas into accessible information, giving students simple tools to approach their practice and their life with authenticity and meaning-making. 

Committed to serving students in a way that best fits their unique abilities and anatomic structure, Machelle combines anatomy, storytelling, archetypes, poetry, neuroscience, psychology, and meridian theory across a variety of yoga styles in a way that is aimed at facilitating a creative and grounded approach to self-development.

Cancelation/Refund Policy - Cancelations 14 days or more before the training will receive a full refund minus $50 administrative fees. Cancelations 7-13 days before the training will receive 1/2 tuition back. Cancelations less than 6 days or less before the training starts will not receive a refund but will be eligible for future use credit. No refunds or studio credits are given for missed days in the training though make up hours can be arranged for up to 5 hours.

Training Dates:

• Friday, November 11th 3:00-8:00pm

• Saturday, November 12th 1:00-7:00pm

• Sunday, November 13th 1:00-7:00pm

This 20 hour Prenatal Yoga intensive is a base to equip you with greater knowledge, confidence and an overall understanding of appropriate asanas (postures), meditative practices and more for the expectant woman. Over the training weekend, you will learn the basic art of guiding and teaching women through their pregnancy along with preparation for birth and beyond.

One Love Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training is an informative and practical intensive. Through this unique and well rounded immersion you will learn ways and means to facilitate and support prenatally. The combination of alignment based poses, esoteric wisdom and evidence based information will safely and confidently guide you, to teach yoga to women during all stages of pregnancy.

This training is ideal for:

• Certified Yoga teachers

• Yoga Teachers looking to earn CEUs

• Women’s Health Professionals

• Labor and Birth Educators

• Doulas

• Yoga Students who want to empower their pregnancy and birth or support someone they love

20 CEU with Yoga Alliance: 17 contact hours over the weekend plus 3 non-contact hours with a home assignment and private Zoom consultation with Ryah.

This training can be attended either in-studio or online LIVEstream. Recording options will be considered.

Cost: $425 includes digital manual

Please Bring to Class:

• Notebook and writing tool

• Yoga Mat

• 2 Yoga Blocks

• Yoga Bolster (Huggermugger brand is recommended)

• Yoga Strap

• Two Blankets or Beach Towels

• Optional Eye Pillow

  *Roots & River has these yoga props for use in studio for free OR in our boutique if you choose to purchase*

Ryah Dekis is a Momma of two, E-RYT 500, RPYT, AYS, YACEP, Reiki Master, and a Fertility, Labor, Postpartum Doula. She the owner of Nectar and Nurture Yoga (RYS and RPYS), Nectar & Nurture Ayurveda & Wellness and is the creator of "Natural Mystic” organic Reiki infused products and Baltic Amber jewelry. A spirited women's health educator, self-care specialist and couples birth workshop leader, Ryah he’s been passionate and purposeful in the Prenatal Yoga world for over 15 years. Ryah a proud member of The International Childbirth Education Association providing CEUs for Doulas, and of Yoga Alliance, providing CEUs for Yoga teachers.

Cancelation/Refund Policy - Cancelations 14 days or more before the training will receive a full refund minus $50 administrative fees. Cancelations 7-13 days before the training will receive 1/2 tuition back. Cancelations less than 6 days or less before the training starts will not receive a refund but will be eligible for future use credit. No refunds or studio credits are given for missed days/hours in the training, though make up hours and recordings can be arranged.

For online attendance, the Zoom link will arrive to your inbox 1 HOUR before training day starts.

Saturday, April 9th 1:00-7:00pm

Sunday, April 10th 1:00-7:00pm

Yin Yoga utilizes muscularly relaxed poses, practiced on the floor, that are held for 3-5 minutes in order to safely and systematically stimulate chemical re-generative responses in tissues, particularly of fascia, ligaments, and within joint capsules. Through modest traction and compression, one trains the structural tissues to reduce the process of contracture that shortens tissues and can cause degeneration, adhesions, pain, and decreased range of motion. Yin Yoga's methodical and subtle approach provides lubrication, mobility, and a sense of lightness to the body's structure, energetics, and thus to the nervous system, the mind and emotions.  

This 12 hour training/personal enrichment program is a valuable introductory exploration for those who wish to deepen their understanding of the Yin Yoga practice for their own self-care, for teachers wanting to incorporate the basics of Yin Yoga wisely and safely into their class offerings, and for wellness practitioners looking to integrate Yin Yoga practices into their sessions.

Registered Yoga Teachers receive 12 CEUs for Yoga Alliance

Please note that this is not a Yin Yoga certification program but rather an immersion in to the foundations of Yin Yoga. Look for the 50 Hour Yin YTT in Fall 2022 for certification. Registered yoga teachers with Yoga Alliance will earn 12 contact hours of continuing education credit (CEUS).

Topics of exploration: 

• Theory and Practice of Yin Yoga - the science and practice behind Yin Yoga including:

  • the function of fascia - the “soft skeleton”

  • the biomechanics of range of motion and fascia’s roll in movement

  • how muscle vs ligament health must be approached fundamentally differently

  • how "exercising" structural tissue appropriately, through long held and modest tractions and compressions, fosters regenerative chemical responses for tissue health

  • primary physiological and psychological benefits of Yin Yoga on the nervous system

• 6 foundational Yin Yoga poses, their variations, and their target areas to stimulate the tissues and joint capsules around the hips, sacrum/SI joints, low back, length of spine, and knees

• Approaches to modify, adjust, and prop Yin Yoga postures in order to safely create practices that stimulate desired joint and fascia tissue for each individual’s needs and unique body structure

Cost: $250 (includes manual)

Founder of Roots & River Yoga Studio, Machelle has 29 years of experience as a yoga teacher, massage therapist, and childbirth educator. She holds a Masters Degree in Mythology and Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute and has completed a 300-hour advanced yoga teacher training in yoga psychology. Machelle is a long time student of Paul Grilley, founder of Yin Yoga and who brought comparative anatomy in yoga asana to the forefront of modern yoga culture. 

Machelle guest lectures in YTT 200 and YTT 300 hour programs teaching anatomy, Yin Yoga theory and practice, and Meridian Theory of moving energy in asana practice.  Committed to serving students in a way that best fits their unique abilities and anatomic structure, Machelle combines anatomy, storytelling, archetypes, poetry, neuroscience, psychology, and Five Element Meridian Theory across a variety of yoga styles in a way that is aimed at facilitating a creative and grounded approach to self-development.

Cancelation Policy: Cancelations 2+ weeks before event will receive a full refund minus $30 administrative fees. Cancelations 2-13 days before will receive 50% refund. Cancelations within 24 hours or no-shows will not be refunded or given studio credit.

Saturday, October 23rd and Sunday, October 24th 1:00-7:00pm

Yin Yoga utilizes muscularly relaxed poses, practiced on the floor, that are held for 3-5 minutes in order to safely and systematically stimulate chemical re-generative responses in tissues, particularly of fascia, ligaments, and within joint capsules. Through modest traction and compression, one trains the structural tissues to reduce the process of contracture that shortens tissues and can cause degeneration, adhesions, pain, and decreased range of motion. Yin Yoga's methodical and subtle approach provides lubrication, mobility, and a sense of lightness to the body's structure, energetics, and thus to the nervous system, the mind and emotions.  

This 12 hour training/personal enrichment program is a valuable introductory exploration for those who wish to deepen their understanding of the Yin Yoga practice for their own self-care, for teachers wanting to incorporate the basics of Yin Yoga wisely and safely into their class offerings, and for wellness practitioners looking to integrate Yin Yoga practices into their sessions.

Registered yoga teachers with Yoga Alliance will earn 12 contact hours of continuing education credit (CEUS).

Topics of exploration: 

• Theory and Practice of Yin Yoga - the science and practice behind Yin Yoga including:

  • the function of fascia - the “soft skeleton”

  • the biomechanics of range of motion and fascia’s roll in movement

  • how muscle vs ligament health must be approached fundamentally differently

  • how "exercising" structural tissue appropriately, through long held and modest tractions and compressions, fosters regenerative chemical responses for tissue health

  • primary physiological and psychological benefits of Yin Yoga on the nervous system

• 6 foundational Yin Yoga poses, their variations, and their target areas to stimulate the tissues and joint capsules around the hips, sacrum/SI joints, low back, length of spine, and knees

• Approaches to modify, adjust, and prop Yin Yoga postures in order to safely create practices that stimulate desired joint and fascia tissue for each individual’s needs and unique body structure

Cost: $280 (includes manual)

Founder of Roots & River Yoga Studio, Machelle has 28 years of experience as a yoga teacher, massage therapist, and childbirth educator. She holds a Masters Degree in Mythology and Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute and has completed a 300-hour advanced yoga teacher training in yoga psychology. With more than 11,000 hours of yoga teaching experience, Machelle is a long time student of Paul Grilley, founder of Yin Yoga and who brought comparative anatomy in yoga asana to the forefront of modern yoga culture. 

Machelle guest lectures in YTT 200 and YTT 300 hour programs teaching anatomy, Yin Yoga theory and practice, and Meridian Theory of moving energy in asana practice.  Committed to serving students in a way that best fits their unique abilities and anatomic structure, Machelle combines anatomy, storytelling, archetypes, poetry, neuroscience, psychology, and Five Element Meridian Theory across a variety of yoga styles in a way that is aimed at facilitating a creative and grounded approach to self-development.

Uplift Yoga is located at 3411 Olandwood Ct. Suite 205 Olney, MD 20832 410-616-3372

Saturday, April 24th 12:00-6:00pm

Sunday, April 25th 12:30-6:30pm

At Uplift Yoga in Olney, MD

12 CONTACT HOURS WITH YOGA ALLIANCE

Harshly judging body range of motion is one of the greatest sources of unnecessary suffering in most people’s yoga practice. Although some challenges in postures are related to tight muscles and more is related to contracted fascia and ligaments - many significant limitations are actually due to variations in bone shapes and joint orientations that can differ dramatically from one person to the next.

Understanding YOUR yoga anatomy is best learned through direct hands on experience - testing your bones/joints and witnessing them curiously and compassionately to the bones of others. 

This comparative anatomy workshop explores major joints of the body that account for most of our yoga postures. For each joint intersection, we will perform bone range of motion tests on ourselves and on each other and then demonstrate how each varying joint will express itself in specific yoga postures. 

Anatomy is a vast subject, but this playful, interactive workshop reveals the basics in a way that clarifies and simplifies the yoga practice - putting the attention back where it belongs - how the key action of each pose makes you FEEL and moves the life force. In this workshop, participants often experience an “ah-ha” moment about their body and their practice, which can be powerfully liberating and self-accepting. 

This workshop is great for beginners and experienced practitioners alike!

12 CEUs Available for Yoga Teachers with Yoga Alliance

Cost: $280 for Full Weekend and Includes Manual

Machelle Lee (MA, E-RYT 500, CMT, YACEP ) is the founder of Roots & River Yoga Studio in Brunswick, MD. Machelle has 29 years of experience as a yoga teacher, massage therapist, and childbirth educator. She holds a Masters Degree in Mythology and Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute and has completed a 300-hour advanced yoga teacher training in yoga psychology. With more than 11,000 hours of yoga teaching experience, Machelle is a long time student of Paul Grilley, founder of Yin Yoga and who brought comparative anatomy in yoga asana to the forefront of modern yoga culture. 

Machelle guest lectures in YTT 200 and YTT 300 hour programs teaching anatomy, Yin Yoga theory and practice, and Meridian Theory of moving energy in asana practice. Committed to serving students in a way that best fits their unique abilities and anatomic structure, Machelle combines anatomy, storytelling, archetypes, poetry, neuroscience, psychology, and Five Element Meridian Theory across a variety of yoga styles in a way that is aimed at facilitating a creative and grounded approach to self-development.

This teacher training/personal immersion will be offered in-studio and online simultaneously. Participants may choose to either attend In-Studio at Roots & River Yoga (up to 6 participants due to Covid-19 guidelines) or Online LIVE via Zoom (up to 20 participants)

50 CONTACT HOURS WITH YOGA ALLIANCE

Training Dates - 5 Weekends:

• Sat/Sun February 27th and 28th, 1:00-6:00pm

• Sat/Sun March 6th and 7th, 1:00-6:00pm

• Sat/Sun March 27th and 28th, 1:00-6:00pm

• Sat/Sun April 10th and 11th, 1:00-6:00pm

• Sat/Sun April 24th and 25th, 1:00-6:00pm

Some of our students’ deepest experiences of yoga happen when we can give them the opportunity to stop working to control their body and mind and instead help them rest with support, awareness, and intention. The deep, purposeful kind of resting possible with restorative yoga can eliminate fatigue, expedite recovery from injuries, ease experiences of anxiety, and develop resistance to the impact of stress on physical and mental health, among other things. This teacher training will provide the tools you need to teach restorative poses with confidence and ease, both in a group setting and to one-on-one clients.

This 50 hour module is a combination of practice, lecture, hands on exploration, and practice teaching

You will learn:

• History of Restorative Yoga 

• The relationship of Restorative Yoga to the broader offerings of modern yoga in the West

• The physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of Restorative Yoga

• The function and components of the nervous system and the physiological responses of relaxation

• Benefits, applications, and energetics of  Restorative Yoga postures

• When and how to use the appropriate props to initiate a relaxation response and support the physical, emotional and energetic bodies of students

• How to address injuries, limitations, and special conditions during Restorative Yoga practice

• Ways to identify physical and energetic misalignment in Restorative Yoga poses

• Skills for physical and verbal adjustments during Restorative Yoga practice

• Principles of sequencing a Restorative Yoga class 

• Theming and other class planning strategies

• Introduction to breath techniques and mantras relevant to Restorative Yoga

This training is ideal for:

• New and experienced yoga teachers who want to expand their teaching skills

• Anyone interested in deepening their personal practice or understanding and experience of Restorative Yoga

• Wellness practitioners looking to incorporate yoga recommendations into their services

Upon completion, Registered Yoga Teachers will receive a certificate and are eligible for 50 contact hours of CEUs through Yoga Alliance.

Cost: $850 Includes:

• 50 Contact Hours

• Comprehensive Manual

• Certificate of completion

Tara Lemerise, E-RYT 200, is known for offering clear, light-hearted, and encouraging instruction to students of all levels. Tara has a deeply calming way of teaching Restorative Yoga and brings a strong understanding of anatomy to all of her classes, which helps her students understand and appreciate their bodies in new ways. From restorative postures to arm balances and everything in between, Tara encourages her students to tune in to their body’s messages and she helps them seek out the delight in each moment, even the challenging ones. Students leave feeling more joyful and more at ease after each class.

After completing her first teacher training in 2005 at Willow Street Yoga Center, Tara went on to complete Restorative Yoga teacher training certificates with Judith Hason Lasater, Jillian Pransky, and Cyndi Lee. Since 2014, Tara has been leading "Rest for All: Restorative Yoga Teacher Training" based on what she has learned from all of these wise Restorative Yoga teachers, as well as her own 7,000+ hours of teaching experience.

What People Are Saying

"Tara Lemerise’s Rest For All Restorative Training is incredibly comprehensive. She covers everything an instructor needs to lead a well sequenced restorative class, from anatomy and why we need restorative yoga to setting up poses with props to how to sequence and even offered music selections. Not only does she make it informative and interesting but fun as well! It was time well spent!" -Rosemary Fatovic

"This teacher training was great! One of my favorite things I learned was how to guide people to sit with their own feelings that come up during a restorative practice instead of telling them how to feel and telling them to clear their mind. I like the idea of letting them sit with whatever comes up and just trying to make them feel as safe and comfortable with props during that process." -Carrie Dennison

"Tara has a vibrant, playful spirit that infuses her teaching and makes her an engaging trainer. Her extensive background in various styles of hatha yoga serves to inform and support the deep rest for both body and mind provided in a restorative pose. There was time for instruction, discussion and a manual was provided to facilitate note taking as needed. We were able to work as partners or groups of three both to experience and to practice providing each other assistance to find the most comfort in the poses. This is a training well worth taking." -Mary Lou Middleton

"Tara’s Restorative Teacher Training was thoughtful, engaging, and enlightening, with the perfect balance of discussion and practice. Her materials are informative and easy to use and the training structure started us off learning and propping restorative postures and ended with us planning and leading our own restorative class. I am so glad to have taken this training to deepen my own understanding and practice of restorative yoga and to be able to share it with my students!" –Tracy Buro

"This was such a magnificent training. I truly loved every moment of it and learned so much. Tara’s teaching style is tremendously effective. I would highly recommend it to any teacher looking to diversify and add to their yoga teacher toolkit." -Stephanie Crane

Cancelation/Refund Policy: Cancelations 15 days or more before the training will receive a full refund minus $50 administrative fees. Cancelations 7-14 days before the training will receive 1/2 tuition back. Cancelations less than 6 or less days before the training starts will not receive a refund but will be eligible for future use credit. No refunds or studio credits are given for missed days in the training though make up hours can be arranged for up to 5 missed hours.

Saturday and Sunday, August 15th and 16th from 1-6pm

Participants can choose to attend either in-person or online for this training

Most every wisdom tradition in history describes life’s existence as being animated by a vital, yet invisible, source. In Eastern traditions, from which some of our earliest scientific health systems arose, this primordial energy is described as a force moving through all living systems and our own body tissues via pathways called meridians (Chinese Taoist system) or nadis (Indian system). These meridians account for thousands of tributaries or streams of energy moving through connective tissue that support our physical organs and promote psychological well-being. 

In this workshop, we explore 12 major organ meridian pathways and discuss their basic physical function and psychological association while utilizing Yin Yoga postures that support specific organs/ meridians. Special focus will be placed on the modern biological science and chemistry of meridian lines within fascia. We will consider what times of the day and seasons of the year organ energy is renewing and benefit from conscious support. Students will learn to tune into the body’s “voice” as it expresses its balance or need for attention through somatic cues such as taste cravings, sleep/awake patterns, body aches or ease, over/under active senses, voice quality and distinct emotions.

In a mix of lecture and practice, we will utilize Yin Yoga poses and sequences that are designed specifically to stimulate the organ pathway, acting as a form of self-acupressure in order to consciously support a healthier organ/ meridian system and a grounded psycho-spiritual sense of wellbeing. 

Cost: $200 (includes manual)

UPON COMPLETION, REGISTERED YOGA TEACHERS WILL RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE AND ARE ELIGIBLE FOR 10 CEUS CONTACT HOURS THROUGH YOGA ALLIANCE

Machelle has 28 years of experience teaching therapeutic movement and yoga, is a certified massage therapist with special expertise in shiatsu, and is a former childbirth educator/doula. She holds a Masters Degree in Mythology and Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute and has completed a 300-hour advanced yoga teacher training in Yoga Psychology. With over 10,000 logged hours of yoga teaching experience, Machelle has cultivated a therapeutic approach utilizing Yin Yoga as well as Gentle and Vinyasa styles in a way that weaves together yogic teachings with modern scientific research on tissue rehabilitation, traditional medicines, and psychology. This approach to the whole person aids one in feeling and understanding the bodymind connection both somatically and intellectually. Specializing in the health and rehabilitation of fascia, connective tissues, and joints, Machelle is committed to serving students in a way that best fits their unique abilities and anatomic structure. Machelle combines storytelling, archetypes, poetry, neuroscience, psychology, and Five Element Meridian Theory across a variety of yoga styles in a way that is always aimed at facilitating a creative and grounded approach to self-development for each participant.

Cancelation Policy: Cancelations 2+ weeks before event will receive a check with full refund minus $30 administrative fees. Cancelations 2-13 days before will receive 50% refund. Cancelations within 24 hours or no-shows will not be refunded or given studio credit.