Who is this workshop for?

This workshop is designed for yoga teachers and students who have a regular practice and a reasonable fitness level. If you are unsure, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

PROGRAMME

What does it mean to deepen your practice? It means cultivating a more intelligent awareness of your body and harmonising breath, body, and mind. This weekend, in a serene retreat-like setting, we'll create a space to turn inward and explore this connection. Our bodies are vessels for vital energy; understanding how they function allows us to achieve better physical and mental alignment. We'll begin by focusing on building a strong foundation, then move on to activating the deeper muscles that support our centre and enhance our breathing. The weekend will conclude with a discussion on the nervous system and how to stimulate the vagus nerve for healing. You'll leave feeling blissful and fully awakened on every level!

Saturday

10 am - 12 pm | From Standing to Seated Postures
Standing and seated postures can help us access our roots and feel grounded. When we connect to our legs and understand how to centre our pelvis, we connect to our root lock. This workshop will begin with a brief discussion on standing and seated postures and the many benefits we gain from practising them. We will examine the importance of finding our base and learning to root in these grounding postures.

Lunch 12 - 2 pm
The workshop(s) include a delicious vegetarian lunch by Simply Food Catering. We will head down to the pavilion, a short walk away to eat and relax. Take a walk on the beach or bring your togs if you want to swim!

2 pm - 4 pm | Supporting a Healthy Back
Learn about the sacrum and how to heal your lower back through yoga postures that build strength in your legs and core. The sacrum is the key to lower back stability and the fulcrum point in our bodies from which all movement happens. If the surrounding muscles are unstable, the ligaments and joints in the lower back will be stressed. To help heal and pacify the lower back, we will work through hip openers and breath awareness.

Sunday

10 am - 12 pm | Demystifying the Psoas
Sometimes referred to as the muscle of our soul, the psoas is the deepest muscle in our bodies. This core-stabilizing muscle runs from our trunk to the hipbone, connecting our upper and lower body and affects mobility, structural balance, joint function, flexibility, and much more. It keeps the body upright and moving and affects two of our most vital systems: digestion and breath. You will learn how to unlock this deep muscle, which will create numerous benefits throughout your body.

2 pm - 4 pm | The Yoga of Self-Care - Restoratives
Today's world can be stressful, and for many of us, it is a practice to slow down and relax. Stress accumulates in the body, causing injury, anxiety, and disease. Through restorative yoga, breath awareness, and meditation, we can alleviate stress and create a more peaceful, balanced internal environment. Cultivating a restorative practice with certain practices can help you live in the world today with less stress and more ease.

YOUR TEACHER: JOAN HYMAN - SENIOR YOGA TEACHER, FOUNDER OF THE SCHOOL OF YOGA (USA)

Joan Hyman’s grounded teaching style seamlessly supports her students as they emerge from their practice with the rich and bright energy that yoga offers. Joan’s teachings come from an organic and intuitive place, as she draws upon the combined studies of Ashtanga and Iyengar yoga as well as Ayurveda and meditation. Joan, an authentic modern-day yogi, shows her love and devotion in her practice and throughout her teaching; you will leave her class feeling transformed and deeply aligned.

Joan spent fifteen years as a distinguished YogaWorks Senior Teacher before bringing her expertise to Wanderlust as the Director of Teacher Training in 2016. Now, with over twenty years of experience leading retreats, training, and international workshops, Joan continues to travel the globe leading her own signature training. Joan founded the School of Yoga, a professional program that offers continuing education. It includes teachers such as Marla Apt and Annie Carpenter, who are experts in their field of study. Joan continues to partner with yoga schools worldwide to help develop high-quality teacher training programs and make the practice of yoga accessible to everyone.

As a leader in the yoga and wellness community, Joan also contributes to popular blogs such as International Yoga, Yoga Journal, and Wanderlust. She has been featured in conferences and festivals around the world and offers her teaching online and live in person, helping to accommodate an international community of yogis. Joan’s open-hearted approach to teaching yoga keeps both her inner spirit and her students continuously evolving.

THE VENUE: PAUSE YOGA STUDIO

Nestled amongst beautiful New Zealand bush with a spectacular view, Pause is an architectural award-winning Yoga studio. Located in the popular Days Bay in Eastbourne, the studio is just a short walk to local cafes and the beach.

From Wellington CBD, Pause is approximately a 35-minute drive.

LUNCH: BY SIMPLY FOOD CATERING

The workshops include a delicious and healthy vegetarian lunch provided by Simply Food Catering. We will contact you closer to the time with dietary requirements.

YOUR HOSTS: SARAH AND LIZ

500YTT Yoga teachers Sarah Marriott and Liz Birkett from Inlet Yoga warmly welcome you to their first Yoga training of 2025! Having studied with Joan Hyman since 2018, they are excited to bring her to Wellington shores so she can share her extensive knowledge of Yoga with Aotearoa's Yoga community.

Inlet Yoga is located on the beautiful Pauatahanui Inlet in Paremata, Wellington.