Your Year of Yoga :: Learning to Love Practice
“Yoga protects the one who practices it and lives dynamically in it.”
-B.K.S. Iyengar
The practice and study of classical Yoga provides meaning and purpose to the human experience. It is called “sarva-bhaumah,” (universal), meaning it uplifts each individual being and is for the good of all beings, collectively. Yoga is a timeless, spiritual practice with deep roots in traditional, ancient teachings that transcend all (hu)man-made borders and limitations.
It does not matter how much time you have in your schedule or how flexible your hamstrings might be. Anyone, anywhere can practice Yoga and reap the multitude of benefits it offers.
A consistent practice of Yoga curates a balanced state of body and mind which makes it possible for us to live and interact with others from a place of reflection, rather than reaction. This skillful action leads to a life filled with ease, which Yoga calls “sukha” or happiness, and less “dukha” or distress.
Yoga is a discipline of redemption that has the potential to bring stability, fullness and clarity to one’s life. This is the power of practice.
Program Description
This program has been crafted to teach you how to develop a personal relationship with Yoga that is organized, intentional and, if you choose for it to be, perennial.
The home practice and reading assignments will enhance your experience in the group sessions. The commitment made to this elevated form of self-care has the potential to enhance the quality of your life both on and off the mat.
Those attending this program have the option of attending each meeting in-person or online. Recordings of each session will be available for the duration of the program.
In order to benefit from this program, applicants should have a sincere interest in the subject of Yoga and be open to the possibility that practice may positively transform their life in many ways.
About Your Program Guides
Holly Kostura is one of the youngest women to receive the title “Senior Teacher” in the Iyengar Yoga lineage. She founded The Iyengar Yoga Center of the Lehigh Valley in 2004 and currently serves as its Director, training teachers from all over the country in the classical tradition of Iyengar Yoga.
Holly studies regularly with her mentor, Patricia Walden of Cambridge, MA. She travels annually to the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India to train with Prashant Iyengar and Abhijata Iyengar and has studied directly with B.K.S. Iyengar and Geeta Iyengar in the US, Canada, China and India. She is a member of the Iyengar Yoga Association of the United States and is currently serving as both an assessor and a volunteer for the IYNAUS Certification Committee.
Her deep dedication to her own practice inspires and informs her teaching, which is clear, compassionate and steeped in Yoga philosophy. Her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and special interest in anatomy and physiology give her the unique ability to see her students from a place of wholeness.
For Holly, Yoga is a path of personal transformation with benefits that reach far beyond the physical body. Her aspiration is that those who practice with her seek and find the infinite source of health and joy inside themselves.
Lori Berenz is the founder and Director of Yoga Journey an Iyengar Yoga studio in Collingwood, Ontario. Her own Yoga journey began almost 25 years ago. Incorporating ancient, Yoga practices into a modern life transformed every aspect of her life and inspired her to transition from a corporate career in Human Resources to teaching Yoga full-time.
Lori loves the continuous learning Yoga provides and frequently participates in workshops with teachers around the world to hone her skills and deepen her understanding. Lori studies regularly with the Iyengar family at RIMYI in Pune, India and is a member of the Iyengar Yoga Association of Canada, currently serving as a volunteer on the Professional Development Committee.
Lori is truly grateful for the gift of Yoga and is passionate about sharing this gift with others. Through detailed instruction and personal attention, she encourages each student to challenge themselves to reap the many benefits offered by a skillful Yoga practice.
Her teaching is fun, inclusive and engaging and designed for students who want to deepen their practice beyond the physical level.
Program Schedule
This program will meet one full-day Sunday and one Friday evening per quarter from October 2021 – June 2022. To guide their daily practice, enrollees will have access to recordings of Holly teaching each sequence from her book (18.5 hours), Your Year of Yoga.
Sundays (31.5 hrs)
October 3, 2021
January 2, 2022
March 6, 2022
June 5, 2022
Timings
10:30 AM – 12:30 PM: Active Practice
Break
1:15 – 2:45 PM: Theory/Q & A
Break
3:00 – 4:00 PM Restorative Practice/Pranayama
Fridays, 5:30 – 7:30 PM ET (8 hrs)
November 19, 2021
February 18, 2022
April 22, 2022
July 29, 2022
Course Fees and Policies
The total cost of this course is $750 ($675 if paid before September 1st). A non-refundable deposit of $100 is required with your booking. The balance due must be paid in full before the program begins, unless alternate arrangements are made.
Refunds may be considered on a case-by-case basis for those experiencing extenuating circumstances.
Required Textbooks
Your Year of Yoga, by Holly Kostura (Included in the cost of tuition)
Yoga in Action: A Preliminary Course and
Yoga in Action: An Intermediate Course, both by Geeta S. Iyengar and B.K.S. Iyengar
Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar
Tree of Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar
Bookings
To register, please write a brief statement describing your personal goal for participating in this program and email it to holly@yogawithholly.com. Please Venmo your deposit to @Holly-Kostura or via PayPal.
Limited space is available to ensure personal attention to each enrollee. Space will be filled based on date received and acceptance letters will be sent via email. Enrollment will be limited to ensure each program attendee receives ample and unique teaching.
Important Note
Yoga is a subject meant to be studied over the course of one’s lifetime. Those enrolled will learn the foundational knowledge of Yoga asana (postures), pranayama (breathing) and philosophy needed before endeavoring to teach this rich subject. This program covers much of the information required for the Level I syllabus of the Iyengar Yoga certification yet is not a teacher training. Click here to learn more about the mentoring process and becoming a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher.