fall in love with the breath

In this facilitator immersion, you will explore breath practices, both from the lens of personal embodiment and as a guide. We will approach using both left and right brain practices… with purposeful discipline as well as with gentle observation and wonder. Breathwork is a simple and fun technology used to calm the nervous system, focus the intellect, deepen the intuition, meet the witness existing behind it all. It is an essential tool to dive deeper into yoga's subtler practices and philosophy.

While you will definitely learn to teach pranayama sequences, this 6 month course will show you HOW TO EXPERIENCE THE BREATH. You’ll get deeply present with your own breath, and you’ll learn to experience the breath of others. Hold space for what is in their present moment and have the tools to guide them deeper. And then before you know it, you’ll be breathing through eachother and it is an experience to be sure.

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In this training you will learn:

-Physical anatomy of the breath (organs/muscles/bones, respiratory & nervous system)
-Classical pranayama practices to create a specific change or shift in the body (reduce anxiety, cool the body, energize the body, stabilize the mind, strengthen the diaphragm, relieve constipation, encourage menses, increase joy, reduce blood pressure, cleanse the internal organs ...the list of super powers goes on and on)
-Bhakti breath practices (breath observation and devotional breathing) with the goal of engaging the soul-The koshas, or layers of being (body/breath/mind/intuition/spirit)
-The vayus, or the "winds" of the body the ways prana moves
-Energetics of the breath, the hidden qualities of the inhale, exhale, & retention, as well as the science that supports it
-The architecture of the body: the ways posture (asana) and breath combine, and creating restorative positions that truly support the body for somatic release
-The wisdom of community with space to reflect on practices and experiences together
-Leading breathwork for large groups, small groups, and individual sessions
-Riding the energy of a group, knowing how to respond to the participants, and teaching when your plan goes out the window
-Yoga theory including Samkyha, Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Puranas, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, and more
-Dynamic hands on assists that move with their breath as well as static hands on application
-Synchronized breath (and sampling Tantric practices)
-Incorporating sound, scent and movement

Each student will receive a Facilitator Training Manual that doubles as an invaluable compendium of practices for future use.

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This training is divided into three parts: an initial Immersion Week, Lab Days, and a final Practicum Weekend.

An initial seven-day immersion week provides a deep dive into theory, energetics, and practices.

Then our five recurring lab days (one weekend day a month, for five months) will give the students an opportunity for a home practice to develop, as well as assimilation of material. At each lab day there will be continued education (practices and discussion) with an opportunity to practice teaching on their peers, receiving feedback if desired, and will end with a student-lead public donation-based Breath Experiencing Class.

The final Practicum Weekend occurs after lab days have been completed. This is where each student will lead their own full length (60 min) breath class. Practicum Weekend classes are community/donation-based; friends and family are welcome and encouraged! During our final weekend together, we will also cover an integration plan, taking this work out into the world, and turning your individual breath experiencing skills into viable financial abundance. All class days are 9a-5pm.

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What makes this training so special?

A third of the contact hours include student-led facilitation. Every student will leave with a strong sense of leading individual and group practices of varying lengths

-Through monthly lab days, students receive regular and consistent occasions to learn information, assimilate, and then facilitate, followed by a month of integration, reflection, and deepening personal practice.

-100 direct contact hours, this is a generous amount of in-person teaching for a breath experiencing (breathwork/pranayama) facilitator course

-Repeated opportunity for constructive feedback from peers and teacher, if desired.

-Initial week long deep dive immersion lays a steady foundation for all future work.

-One day a month lab days makes it easy to schedule around your busy life.

-By alternating individual work, with a partner and small group, success of the student is amplified by many perspectives and multiple chances to embody/assimilate.

-While there are many specific methods of breath techniques to be certified in (Wim Hoff, circular breathing, etc) there aren't many trainings that give an in-depth approach to a full range of breath experiences, empowering the practitioner to pick from many tools within their pranayama toolbox to meet any need that may arise.

Prana is the life force that travels along the breath. To sit with the breath is to sit with the essence of life itself. To control the breath is to directly influence & control our immediate well-being. Through the breath we have the chance to witness the vital life force in the body; the animating source behind our life. To me, this is the same as witnessing Spirit (whether you know that to be God/Goddess or Great Mystery), and when facilitating breath experiencing for someone, it is the gift of unconditional presence.

Every future moment of your life will be spent breathing. If you fall in love with the breath, then you’ll come to experience respiration as inspiration.

At the close of the training you will have been given the tools to confidently lead pranayama and breath experiencing for groups or private clients. Teaching others to fall in love with this simple quality of being alive is a gift that will keep on giving, and consistently multiplies in dividends.

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Requirements:

Some prior yoga experience is helpful, but a previous yoga teacher training certification is not required. This training is appropriate for teachers and non-teachers alike. While the intention of this weekend is to teach you to confidently share the breath as a tactical yet subtle medicine with the world, it is also a space to explore your personal world of inner vital energy like never before. This training is a tool for any caregiver or could simply serve as a power source to charge your personal practice and evolution.

*Missed classes or lab days will not be made up. Students must be present at 80% or more of the classes to receive certification.*

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Investment:

Standard Pricing: $1850 which includes a $300 non-refundable deposit required at registration. Remaining balance to be paid with an monthly payment plan.

Must be paid in full by final practicum weekend: Nov 2, 2024.

Single Payment Pricing: $1500 (paid in full) ...save 18%

If your financial situation is prohibitive to attending, please inquire for partial tuition assistance by April 15th, 2024. Assistance is available but limited. *Any inquiries received after April 15 will be declined.

Registration closes May 1st, 2024

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Led by Sam Spychalla

Sam is a breath worker, teacher, circle leader, ceremonialist, artist, oneness enthusiast… and truth-seeking lady on a mission to neutralize the patriarchy. Devotion is at the core of her life purpose and a central theme to most of her offerings. She has a healthy obsession with non-duality, drums, taking rest, and the Dark Mother Goddess, Kali. She is led by her goosebumps and follows bodily sensations like GPS. Some of her favorite things include teaching teachers, having a clean kitchen, and her cats… Obviously.

Sam is 500 YA certified, with additional certifications in pranayama, meditation, restorative yoga, and Wild Woman facilitation. She has taught classes, workshops, and trainings all over the US, in studios, at festivals and at retreats. She has taught over 400 workshops over the past 15 years, in addition to weekly devotional gatherings.

As a teacher, you can expect Sam's offerings to be honest and vulnerable with focuses on the non-physical aspects of the self (mind, emotions, and breath). She likes to keep you on your toes, encouraging self-awareness and curiosity, and is likely crack several jokes. Some of them might even be funny.

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Is this a Yoga Alliance Certified Training?
No. Practically speaking, Yoga Alliance does not assess or enforce competency standards. There are no checks/balances to ensure what individuals put on an application/reissue is accurate or falsified. Anyone who is able to pay the fees, and willing to lie on their application can/will be certified by Yoga Alliance. Let’s be clear: Yoga Alliance does not actually certify yoga teachers, teacher trainers, or training schools, it maintains a registry (a list). To teach yoga, neither teachers nor trainers are required to be registered with Yoga Alliance or any other organization. Teaching and studio insurance may be obtained without Yoga Alliance — or any other — registration. Many widely recognized and influential teachers are NOT registered with YA, and might I add neither were the original yogis who brought it to the West, or anyone currently practicing in the East.

Subtly speaking, the practice or selling of yoga has now been commodified primarily by the white elite in the United States, it too now has access and representation problems, and has resulted in the commercialization of spiritual goods. Yoga has become almost unrecognizable from what the yogis of thousands of years ago practiced. A significant influence was the colonization of India by the British. During the period of colonization, Indians were forbidden from engaging in their traditional yoga practices as they were essentially banned. Yoga transformed from its traditional form and became infiltrated by Western gymnastics into something entirely different and mostly detached from its spiritual and philosophical origins. Becoming an accredited Yoga Alliance certified school costs a cool $600, with recertification fees every year. The institution Yoga Alliance reinforces exclusionary practices forcing these priceless and infinite teachings to operate within the bounds of capitalism, and ensures the gentrification of the yoga system.

There’s loads of great articles online expanding more. Here is one of our favorites.