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Indian tradition teaches that our Prana, or life force, is delivered through energetic pathways, or Nadis, in the body. The human body has 72,000 Nadis which converge in the 7 chakras. with the most predominant being the Ida and Pingala.

The Ida Nadi is the feminine, creative, moon, receptive energy conduit, running from the base of the spine, alongside the spinal column, up the back of the skull, and culminating in the left nostril. The Pingala nano is the more masculine Nadi, channeling action-oriented, sun, directive energy throughout the body, This Nadi also runs from the base of the spine up the spin and head, and culminates in the right nostril. Ida is the Shakti, Pingala the Shive. Ida is the right brain, Pingala is the left brain. In this visible world, the duality of Ida and Pingala, masculine-feminine, sun-moon, dark-light are woven into everything we see.

However, humans also have a central nadi, the Sushumna, or spinal column, which is empty, neutral. As Sadhguru...

Have you been thinking about taking a yoga teacher training but are not sure if you are ready? 

If you have questions like "am I good enough" or "is yoga teaching training for me," this article will answer those & more of your concerns! 

Hopefully, you'll know if you are ready for a YTT at the end of this blog post. 

Now, let's begin!

7 reasons you're ready for a yoga teacher training:

1. You have an established and regular practice

While you don't need to have practiced yoga for many years (before the teacher training), it is good that you have a solid prior yoga practice of at least 4-6 months.

Some classes can be more dynamic and challenging at times, so having regular practice for at least a couple of months is recommendable. 

So, if you've been practicing yoga for a couple of months now, you love it and are interested in learning more, YTT can be a great option.

2. You want to deepen your practice

If you are deeply passionate about yoga and want to...

 Hosting and planning your own yoga retreat can be daunting. Here at AmaSer we are happy to share our insights. Here are our 7 tips on how to begin the process. 

1. Secure that money

A boring way to begin things, yes, but securing funding is crucial. Especially during these difficult times. A lot of retreat venues require a deposit to book your retreat. This is a personal financial risk for you. In case you have to cancel for any reason, you are likely to lose your deposit. Take into account that many venues ask for minimum numbers of students to sign up in order for you to host a retreat. So try to secure this before if you can.

Other important costs to consider:

• Advertising the retreat
• Lost income from classes you’ll miss out on teaching when you are away
• Your own travel expenses
• How to budget for the retreat’s food, any excursions, and activities

2. Create your vision

Your vibe will attract your tribe. When your retreat is an authentic reflection of...

Original Piece by Avani | 2016

There is a lot of pressure on yoga teachers to be juggling many skills: all star communicators, anatomy and physiology pros, committed practitioners, always kind, compassionate and available, skilled at hands on touch, present with ever breath…you get the picture.  It may seem overwhelming  to consider how you can focus on clear, concise cueing, observe you students, move through the space AND add hands-on touch.  The important skill in all of this is to approach each element with singular focus.  As you begin to feel more and more comfortable getting off your mat, see how it goes to add in just one assist (say, downward facing dog).  See how that goes.  Once that becomes very fluid, add the next piece.  How would you feel to move off your mat, offer a down dog assist AND add in a breath cue?  

What’s most important is that nothing is forced.  Forcing...

Imagine you are overlooking the clear blue Caribbean ocean, the sun is setting behind the mountains that encircle the coastline. You have an amazing view because luckily you are on a jungle hillside. As you watch the coast turn from that light shimmering yellow to a deep cerebral purple, all around you is a cacophony of birds, chirping insects and howler monkeys calling in the now dimly lit treetops. Perhaps, you are at an evening yoga class at AmaSer. 

I’ve just started working here and in my opinion, the location of AmaSer is one of its most unique qualities. It is just a few minutes walk to town and the ocean, yet the elevated hillside microclimate provides a sense of seclusion and fresh, boisterous air. You’ll notice that AmaSer is not just in the jungle, it is intentionally amongst the jungle. Every corner of AmaSer is padded with foliage. Draped over the walkways you’ll see ferns, and palm leaves, tall or short coconut, banana and moringa...

You, Yes YOU Are A Yogi  

The explosion of yoga on Instagram has visually defined what it means to be a yogi: $120 yoga pants and top, a skinny body with magically non-sweaty hair and professionally done makeup, most likely white.

No matter who you are, whether you fit most of those descriptors or none, it can be extremely intimidating to claim what seems to be such an elusive and EXclusive title as your own.

When asked if you do yoga, it’s hard not to qualify your ‘yes’; “Yeah I guess, but I’m not one of those crazy handstand people.” A full, confident, yes is a long-fought discussion with the Self until you can finally claim that YOU. Are. A. Yogi.

Here are some golden tidbits to help you end that war once and for all:

• What we know as ‘yoga’ today in the West is really called ‘Asana,’ or the physical component of Yoga. And get this- it’s only one out of the EIGHT limbs of yoga!
• Asana literally means...

“First of all, it was so so so much more than I could have ever expected. I went in with a vision that I wanted to deepen my knowledge since I felt ”kind of stuck.” I did my practice and went to yoga lessons since 2012 so I felt it was time to get deeper.

Also in my daily life I started to ask myself questions about the meaning of life. I felt like humanity (myself included) is becoming so separate from nature and things that are natural for us. The only thing in my life that got me more connected was Yoga.

So after this YTT I felt so connected to my dharma. Many of my questions I’ve been thinking of was exactly what YTT was giving me. It was so liberating.

And now only Thanks to Caribe Yoga Academy I feel like I got such an ultra mega good training, so good that I felt the courage to start working with yoga right away in Sweden. Sharing the things of yoga that I feel very passionate about. And it’s working!! Talking about earthing, Ganesha and...

A singular journey through a universal experience

Yoga Teacher Training: (Day One) 

8:00 a.m. – As I walk up to the lower entrance of Cashew Hill to meet the other girls, it feels reminiscent of all those summers I spent in camp. Nervous excitement, and quiet chatter can be felt and heard before we all walk in and head up the stairs. We’re gathered to take part in a non-immersive yoga teacher training through the Caribe Yoga Academy (CYA) that will take place every second weekend, over the course of the next three months.

Some of the girls have never seen the space before, because in all actuality, it’s only a few days old. We are the first group to be training at the CYA’s brand new facility here on Cashew Hill. We all take in the site together, along with the main attraction; the enormous wooden platform perfectly positioned to offer a clear view of the Caribbean Sea. The studio space is surrounded on all sides by the lush, green jungle and...

Everything contains both yin and yang energy. We have all seen the popular swirling black & white “yin-yang” icon, which symbolizes the importance of balance and harmony between light and dark, hot and cold, masculine and feminine etc. We are constantly in a state of both yin and yang, however, we can place ourselves in states where one or the other is dominant. Often times in our hectic daily lives, Yang energy dominates our bodies and minds. In order to remain balanced, increasing Yin in our lives can be highly beneficial.

Yang energy is masculine, fiery, dominating, aggressive, hard, and hot. It represents fast and loud, movement and light, aggression and strength. This is the energy that takes over when we are in an intense hot yoga class, slipping in sweat with a strong focused mind. We feel the internal fire building with heart racing and muscles contracted, burning up all of our impurities. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Yin energy. This...