Yoga for Life Program
Winter Module Begins January 1st, 2022
The Winter 2022 Yoga for Life Program will be held livestream via Zoom and in-person at the studio. Please be sure to register on the roster that corresponds with how you would like to attend. For Covid 19 precautions, we require vaccination verification and masking for those attending in-person at the studio.
Take your yoga practice to the next level with Evolution’s Yoga for Life program. Explore the depth of yogic techniques that can transform how you experience the world. Wondering what that means?
Yoga for Life was created with the intention of guiding students in developing a steady personal practice and applying yoga philosophy to daily life, so the practice evolves off the mat and into living your yoga.
As a member of the Yoga for Life, you will join a sangha (community) that will support you in developing your personal practice, living a yogic life, and progressing on the path of awakening for the benefit of all beings. Each module has a theme, with books and readings that support the philosophical study of the theme. The home practice includes mantra, pranayama, mudra, and meditation to facilitate deep focus and personal growth. Weekend workshops include some asana, and students have the opportunity to practice asana daily through the unlimited drop-in class pass included with membership. Members also have the opportunity for 1:1 mentorship with Rachel. These sessions support students in developing their meditation practice, developing a comfortable and aligned meditation posture, developing a personalized home asana practice, and applying the principles of yoga to daily life.
Director of The Yoga for Life Program Rachel de Simone DPT, YT 200
Rachel has been teaching yoga at Evolution for over seven years. As one of our veteran faculty, she has developed the curriculum for the Yoga for Life program and is Senior Faculty in our 200 Hour yoga teacher training program. Rachel is committed to making the practice of yoga accessible to all students. In addition to teaching yoga, she is also a Doctor of Physical Therapy and has a passion for adapting meditation, pranayama, and asana practice to meet students’ physical needs. Her professional interests involve yoga practices that calm the nervous system and support patients with managing pain. Her personal yoga practice is focused on cultivating bodhicitta, or the awakened heart and mind. She believes that yoga is a living practice, not limited to time spent on the mat. As a teacher, she supports students in the bodhisattva path: the path of awakening consciousness and compassion for the liberation of suffering for all beings.
Here’s what past participants say about our program:
“Yoga for Life has greatly deepened my understanding of the principles and philosophy that are integral to the asana practice so many of us know and love. The instructors are true teachers, creating a safe space for spiritual exploration and discovery. Joining other curious and seeking individuals, while learning together and from each other is part of what makes the program so rich. Yoga for Life has truly helped me develop and integrate a personal practice, self-awareness and greater skills into my everyday life, particularly in how I handle life’s more difficult and challenging events. Thank you for this life-nourishing program.”
Yoga for Life Philosophy
There are eight limbs of yoga that collectively support us on our path to liberation. The yamas and niyamas are the ethical guidelines for yogic life, and include nonviolence, truthfulness, non-stealing, non-excess, non-possessiveness, purity, contentment, self-discipline, self-study, and surrender. Asana, or the physical movement in yoga, is only one branch of the 8 limbed path. Integral to the practice is pranayama (conscious direction of breath and energy) and pratyahara (focusing the senses). All of these five branches support dharana, or concentration. As we practice consciously directing our attention, we develop dhyana or meditation. Dhyana is the practice of paying attention for an extended period of time. Through these seven branches, we work towards samadhi (enlightenment), or the awakened and liberated heart and mind.
Every part of our practice (studying philosophy, mantra, mudra, pranayama, meditation, asana, etc.) is yoga. But the true yoga is living your yoga. What is the purpose of our time on the mat if not to guide us into becoming more engaged, compassionate, and aware beings? Your personal practice informs your life, and your life informs your practice. And, this is a lifelong practice of cultivating peace in the world, starting with cultivating peace with ourselves.
Program Format and Schedule
Yoga for Life was designed for students who want to go deeper into the teachings, philosophies, and practices of yoga. Yoga is a living system that informs how we show up in the world, and our practice is not confined to our time spent on the mat. Spend the semester developing daily routines and a consistent home practice to transform your relationship with yourself, your community, and your environment. You’ll be supported by a compassionate community, or sangha, with ample time for one on one and small group connection, and 1:1 mentorship with Yoga for Life faculty.
The program runs for four months. During that time, you will have access to unlimited live, live streamed, and recorded yoga classes and our On-Demand Video Library of yoga classes. We will meet as a sangha once a month on Saturdays from 9 am – 1 pm for mini-retreats that will consist of:
- Guided mantra, pranayama, and meditation practice
- Movement-based somatic experiences to support deep breathing
- Dharma talks on Yogic and Ayurvedic philosophy
- Anatomy of breathing workshops
- Breakdown of advanced pranayama and bandha techniques
- Small and large group discussion about readings and home practice
- Reflection activities
- Community development
Additional Benefits of Yoga for Life Membership:
- Individual and Group Mentorship and support for living your yoga
- Learning pods
- Community gatherings
- 10% off Evolution Adult Yoga Workshops and Series
- Free access to special drop-in priced workshops
Winter 2022 Workshop Schedule
The Yoga for Life Program contains four Saturday workshops from 9:00-1:00 pm led by Yoga for Life Faculty
- January 29
- February 26
- March 26
- April 30
Module Theme
Winter 2022 Theme: Belonging
“You are not separate. You never were. You never will be.” ~ Selene Selassie“Yoga is as much a process of unlearning as it is a path of learning.” ~ Tias Little
Past Modules:
Fall 2021: Breathe
Fall 2020: Awakening the Heart & Mind
Winter 2020: Resilience
Fall 2019: Contentment, Joy, and Happiness
Winter 2019: Meditation – the Path Towards Harmony
Fall 2018: Yoga for the Benefit of All Beings
Winter 2018: Diving Deeper
Fall 2017: New Horizons
Attendance Policy
The Yoga for Life Program is designed to enhance participants’ ability to integrate yoga practices into their lives. In order to experience the changes that yoga can bring to practitioners lives, full participation in the program is recommended. Attending two or more drop in classes per week, establishing a daily sadhana (practice), and attending as many workshops as possible, will provide the fullest experience for participants. Yoga for Life Program participants are expected to arrive at classes and workshops on time and participate in sessions in a manner that creates a positive learning environment. Evolution PT and Yoga staff reserve the right to ask a participant to leave the program, if their behavior is disruptive, or interferes with the learning of the other participants.
Payment Options and Scholarship
Tuition per Yoga for Life Module is $549 when paid in full at time of registration, or $580 if paid via our monthly EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) contract. If you choose to purchase the monthly EFT option, you agree to have four monthly payments in the amount of $145 electronically debited from your credit or debit card account, with the first payment charged at the time of registration, and recurring payments made on the first day of each month thereafter until all four payments have been made.
Sign Up Online – Program Begins Jan 1st, 2021
- $549 per semester if paid in full at time of registration or
- $145 per month if paid via a monthly electronic funds transfer(EFT) payment contract (four payments of $145 billed to your debit or credit card once per month.) The total cost for the monthly payment option is $580.
Do you currently have a membership at Evolution? Contact yoga@evolutionvt.com to combine your membership payment with a Yoga for Life registration without losing your membership!
VSAC: Yoga Instructors may qualify for VSAC non-degree grants for the Yoga For Life Program.
There are two scholarship positions available for the Yoga for Life Program. Please e-mail yoga@evolutionvt.com for our scholarship application
Cancellation Policy
The Yoga for Life Training Program includes a non-refundable $50 registration fee. A full refund, minus the registration fee, will be given for cancellations given at least two (2) weeks prior to the program start date. No refunds nor changes to the Monthly EFT agreement shall be made when cancellation is made with less than two (2) weeks notice before the program start date. Requests to cancel must be made in writing by emailing yoga@evolutionvt.com.
