Teacher Training Retreat
June 26 to July 3, 2016
This retreat is now sold out. However, sometimes people cancel, so if you would like to be placed on a standby list, please let us know.
The Yin Yoga Teacher Training Program offered at the Sea-to-Sky Retreat Centre is a unique way to deepen your overall yoga practice and touch tissues rarely worked in a more active yang style of yoga. This Yin Yoga teaching training workshop lead by Bernie Clark and Diana Batts, is designed for students who have been practicing Yoga for at least one year and want to deepen their understanding of the practice. Prior experience in Yin Yoga is not required. You do not have to desire to become a Yoga teacher, but you are expected to have a passion for Yoga. Expect to learn much more than just Yin Yoga!
To look at pictures from past retreats visit Milla’s web site (and many thanks to Milla for the wonderful work!)
Retreat Outline
Yin Yoga is a unique way to deepen your yoga practice and touch tissues rarely worked in a more active yang styles of yoga. Yin Yoga targets the deeper connective tissues of the body; the ligaments, joints and especially, the mind.
The Yin Yoga Teacher Training Program will provide:
- Knowledge of the Philosophy and Practice of Yin Yoga
- Understanding of the practical benefits of Yin Yoga: physically, energetically and mentally
- Exploring the similarities between Eastern models of the mind/body/energy and Western Scientific models
- A Daily (but optional) morning sadhana practice including meditation, yin and yang yoga, chanting and more
- Your Body – Your Yoga!
- Understanding Physiology & Anatomy – from the bones outward
- Learning the limits to movement and the importance of human variation
- Answering the What Stops Me? question for yourself
- Learning the difference between Tension and Compression
- Understanding Energy including Prana, Qi (chi) & the Meridians and Western energy medicine
- Exploring mindfulness practices East and West and applying these to your yoga practice
- Working in detail through the 12 most common Yin Yoga asanas
- A taste of some modern healing modalities developing in the West
- Evening Story Time! An entertaining look into the philosophy, myths and history of Yoga & Meditation
- Practice in teaching Yin Yoga classes
- A Yin Yoga workbook
- A certificate of completion
It will be very useful for participants to have viewed some of Bernie’s Yin Yoga classes as shown on Gaiam TV/MyYogaOnline or on the YouTube Yin Yoga Channel, and it will be essential to bring a copy of The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga: it will be referred to often.
Comments from Past Attendees
- Everyone in the training felt that we had been apart of something special and transforming
- “A wonderful retreat that I would highly recommend to anyone who is interested in developing their yoga practice and/or learning about Yin Yoga.”
- “Spectacular location: can’t think of a nicer place. Very peaceful and beautiful. “
- “Truly appreciated the healthy and tasty meals”
- “Instruction was to a high standard with credible sourcing of reference materials.”
- “Surpassed expectations! Learned much more than just about Yin Yoga.”
- “The indepth information was amazingly beneficial for all my yoga endeavours.”
- “Storytime was my favourite part!”
- “Diana and Bernie complement each other so well. It was a joy.”
The Sea-to-Sky Retreat Centre
The retreat will be held at the beautiful and rugged Sea-to-Sky Retreat Centre (SSRC) just south of Whistler, B.C. The SSRC was founded in 1993 by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. The site is secluded on 40 acres on the east side of Daisy Lake in the beautiful British Columbia coastal mountains. The centre was been hosting a range of events since 1995 including group and personal retreats for both Buddhists and non-Buddhists.
Accommodations
The SSRC main lodge includes three bunk rooms and a loft providing up to 14 individuals with comfortable shared accommodations. Central facilities include two fully equipped modern kitchens, four bathrooms and complete laundry. There are more rooms in the retreat house and individual cabins. One or two single accommodation rooms may be available for an extra fee. Another option are tents, which are already pitched and ready for people who prefer privacy and more alone time. Sorry, commuting to the centre is not an option.
Food
The fee includes three meals a day and the accommodation. The food is vegetarian but not vegan. There will be no alcohol but there will be coffee for those who require it. There is no smoking in any of the buildings, but a special place can be provided.
The staff at the SSRC are very good at doing their best to accommodate special needs, but the site is remote and the staff few in number: they can not accommodate all dietary requirements. Some students can meet their needs by bringing their own special foods with them, howver, people with very special needs and diets should check first before registering to make sure they can be accommodated.
The Pavilion
All activities will be conducted in a beautiful pavilion situated a short walk away from the lodge, amid the trees. All teaching activities will be held in the pavilion and we will start the day at 6 a.m. with morning sadhana and end each day with “story time”. Bedtime is 9 p.m.
Directions to the Sea-to-Sky Retreat Center
SSRC is easily accessible from Vancouver, B.C. via bus or car. Travel time is approx. 2 hours.
Getting there: The centre is somewhat remote and for out-of-town students it is advised to make sure you arrive in Vancouver early enough to be able to make your way up to the centre. If you can not arrive by 3:30 pm of the first day, please get to Vancouver at least one day earlier.
By Car: Take highway 99 North. The Centre is located 3 km off the Province’s major North-South route, Highway 99, the ‘Sea to Sky Highway’. Driving north from Vancouver on Highway 99, the turn off for the Retreat Centre is about 33 km past Squamish. The turnoff is announced on Hwy 99 with 2 signs for Garibaldi Lake/ Black Tusk Trailhead (the first is 2 km before the park road turnoff and the second 400 meters before the turnoff). The Park turnoff road comes immediately after a small highway bridge over Rubble Creek. Turn right into this road and proceed for approximately 0.7 km. Turn left onto the gravel road that is marked by a small wooden sign (on a tree) which says: “SSRC”. The centre is located at the end of this gravel road. Follow this final road slowly to ease the strain on your kidneys as you drive. (Approx. 2.3 km) (You know you have missed the Park Road turn-off if you see a hydro dam on your right hand side, and if further along, you pass Pinecrest and Black Tusk Village).
You may call the Retreat Centre at 604-932-1677 for more detailed directions or check their web site. You may park briefly in front of the main lodge to unload, but please be sure to remove your car to the parking area after checking in at the office.
By Greyhound Bus: If you are coming by bus, purchase your ticket to Pinecrest and embark on the Greyhound Coach Lines bus at the downtown Pacific Central Station at Main and Terminal Streets. Greyhound Bus now operates on a first come, first serve basis so it is advisable to lineup for bus boarding at least 20 minutes prior to departure in busy times. Centre staff will meet you at the Pinecrest stop.
For connecting by bus to/from the Vancouver International Airport please phone 1-800-668-3141 or 604-946-8866 or visit www.yvr.ca. This site will show you how to take the Canada Line train to downtown Vancouver, where you can catch the Greyhound Bus.
By Pacific Coach Bus: This is another, more expensive option and it only goes to Squamish Adventure Centre. You may find their times more convenient however. You can check out their schedule here. If you choose this route, the centre staff can pick you up or drop you off only at Squamish Adventure Centre (not Whistler Village) for a $30 charge each time. Again, you must let the centre know (call 604-932-1633) if you plan to take this bus.
If you would like to car pool or need a ride, let us know and we will try to coordinate rides with other participants.
What to Bring?
The SSRC is remote, off the grid and self-contained. It is an environmentally-conscious centre and unlimite electrical power is not available. While the basic necessities are available you should bring the following items.
- The Centre supplies all bed linen & one blanket & one quilt. If you wish, you may bring an extra blanket, which is nice for shavasana.
- Bring personal items, such as towels, toiletries, medications
- Clothes for layering: warm jacket and sweater, rain gear, rugged outdoor walking shoes, slippers for use indoors
- Flashlight
- Some sort of timing device (a digital watch with a count down/up time works well)
- Yoga mat
- Meditation cushion or bench
- Depending upon the weather, some people go swimming in the lakes around us
- Warm clothes
- Bring a copy of The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga … we will refer to it often.
Schedule: Start & End times
We will start the retreat with a Yin Yoga class on Sunday, June 26th at 4:00 pm. We ask participants to arrive sometime between 2:00 pm and 3:30 pm. (Please do not arrive earlier because the staff won’t be ready to greet you yet.) We will end just after lunch on Sunday, July 3rd, 1:00pm. However many people need to leave before 1:00 pm that day to catch flights etc, and that is okay: you can leave anytime on the last day.
Our typical day will begin at 6am! Nice and early – a great way to stay focussed. There is an optional (but highly recommended) morning sadhana practice for two hours, followed by lunch. All of our meals will be eaten in noble silence. A morning session will follow breakfast until lunch time around noon. We will meet up again at 2:00 pm for our afternoon sessions leading us to dinner around 5:30. You will be free until our evening session and meditation at 7:00 pm. Lights out at 9:00 pm when noble silence begins again until the next day. One afternoon will be a “Lazy Afternoon” where you can be on your own to explore the rugged beauty around us, go for a hike, a swim (a cold swim however) or just chill in the retreat centre. The days will be full!
Fees
The fee for the retreat is $1,495 $US (or $1,995.00 Canadian), which includes taxes, payable by cheque, money order or by PayPal. The fees include all meals, accommodations and a special workbook, so it is a pretty good deal – don’t you think?
Cancellation Policy and Deposit Dates:
Your reservation for the retreat will be secured when you submit the deposit of $200.00. The full payment will be due May 26th, 2016. If you need to cancel, there will be a $100.00 handling charge. Refunds will not be given for cancellations after May 26th, however if you do need to cancel we will try to find a replacement for you. If we can find one, your fees will be refunded, less the $100.00 handling charge.
To Register
There are two ways to register for the retreat: you can email us at Bernie@YinYoga.com, or call us at 1-604-723-2696. Payments can be made by cheque or by money order. [Make out any cheques to Bernie Clark.] If you need to pay by credit card, this can be done via PayPal. If you choose to use Pay Pal please send the funds to admin@yinyoga.com. All mail should be sent to
Bernie Clark
1906 West 11th Ave
Vancouver, B.C.
Canada
V6J 2C6
For PayPal payments, send the payment to admin@yinyoga.com