Public Workshops
These workshops are open to everyone.
Some workshops count as continuing education credits (CEC) for the Yoga Alliance.
All workshops are held at Ajna Yoga studio in the Oak Bay Village.
Somatic Tx for Chronic Pain – Online
Instructor: Melissa Bandura
March 22, 2025
$90
Click to register for this workshop.
Register for online
Chronic pain impacts approximately 20 percent of the population. Many clients are seeking yoga therapy as evidence builds that mind-body modalities provide effective pain management.
This workshop will review recent theories explaining the multiple modifiers of chronic pain, so that you can feel confident in your languaging and provision of a holistic assessment and treatment, within the scope of Yoga practice with respect to types of pain and common comorbidities. These considerations are important for promotion of safety cues and building therapeutic alignment with the client.
Positive impacts from Yoga Therapy tools such as – pranayama, asana, dharana and dhyana for the promotion of interoception which itself aids brain-body connection, motor coordination, nervous system wind down and pain attenuation.
This class is suited to yoga instructors wishing to specialize in populations having chronic health conditions such as pain and fatigue, plus people with the lived experience of chronic pain who wish to learn of specific yoga techniques for pain management.
20 hour (IN PERSON) TCTSY Foundational Training – Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga
Instructor: Sarah Holmes de Castro
Apr 25- 27, 2025
Early bird $460 before March 25, $475 regular price
Click to register for this workshop.
Register for in-person
This 20-hour Foundational Training from the Center for Trauma and Embodiment (Brookline, MA) introduces attendees to the core concepts and applications of TCTSY. It offers specific tools to facilitate trauma-sensitive movement through hatha yoga and breathwork in a unique way informed by robust research and decades of work with survivors./p>
This training supports yoga teachers and therapists to make their work more trauma-informed, and supports those working in the mental health field to bring the body into treatment, a vital part of healing complex trauma, developmental trauma and chronic PTSD. Open to anyone looking to deepen their understanding of complex, intersectional trauma, there are no pre-requisites to attend.
This is the primary pre-training required to apply to the 300-hour Certification Program in TCTSY. Topics of study include:
Trauma Theory, Attachment Theory and Neuroscience (Interoceptive Theory)
• Neurophysiology & Biology of Stress and Trauma (How Trauma Impacts the Brain)
• Spectrum of Trauma Impacts & Complex Trauma as Lived Experience
• Power, Oppression, & Intersectionality
• Building Trauma Sensitive Relationships
• TCTSY Practice and Practice Facilitation
• Key Elements of TCTSY Methodology
• Challenges in Implementing TCTSY
• Overview of Research & Studies on TCTSY
Approved for CECs: Foundational Trainings are approved for 20 Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Credits (CECs) (17 contact hours, 3 non-contact) and 18.5 CECs with the International Association of Yoga Therapists.
Scholarships are offered to support individuals whose intersecting identities may present barriers to accessing TCTSY training.
If you recognize your positionality impacts access to this training, there are scholarships available for a 50% reduced rate. Please reach out to sarah@sarahholmesdecastro.ca for an application form.
Yoga for Scoliosis Workshop (online & in-person)
Instructor: Kathryn Kusyszyn
May 2, 2025
Investment: $50
Click to register for this workshop.
Register for in-person
Register for online
Is one of your shoulders lifted higher than the other? Do you notice your hips are uneven or twisted? If you have scoliosis, know that yoga can be very beneficial, provided you understand how to use the techniques suited for your individual posture.
This 2 hour workshop is designed to assist you in finding relief, improving balance and strength. You will leave with knowledge of how to adapt active and resting yoga postures to your unique body. The aim is a practice that is steady and comfortable for your body.
You are welcome to attend class in-person or online through Zoom Use the link to the left to choose in-person or line.
20 hour (ONLINE) TCTSY Foundational Training – Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga
Instructor: Sarah Holmes de Castro
May 9-11, 2025
Early bird $460 before March 25, $475 regular price
Click to register for this workshop.
Register for online
This 20-hour Foundational Training from the Center for Trauma and Embodiment (Brookline, MA) introduces attendees to the core concepts and applications of TCTSY. It offers specific tools to facilitate trauma-sensitive movement through hatha yoga and breathwork in a unique way informed by robust research and decades of work with survivors.
This training supports yoga teachers and therapists to make their work more trauma-informed, and supports those working in the mental health field to bring the body into treatment, a vital part of healing complex trauma, developmental trauma and chronic PTSD. Open to anyone looking to deepen their understanding of complex, intersectional trauma, there are no pre-requisites to attend.
This is the primary pre-training required to apply to the 300-hour Certification Program in TCTSY. Topics of study include:
Trauma Theory, Attachment Theory and Neuroscience (Interoceptive Theory)
• Neurophysiology & Biology of Stress and Trauma (How Trauma Impacts the Brain)
• Spectrum of Trauma Impacts & Complex Trauma as Lived Experience
• Power, Oppression, & Intersectionality
• Building Trauma Sensitive Relationships
• TCTSY Practice and Practice Facilitation
• Key Elements of TCTSY Methodology
• Challenges in Implementing TCTSY
• Overview of Research & Studies on TCTSY
Approved for CECs: Foundational Trainings are approved for 20 Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Credits (CECs) (17 contact hours, 3 non-contact) and 18.5 CECs with the International Association of Yoga Therapists.
Scholarships are offered to support individuals whose intersecting identities may present barriers to accessing TCTSY training.
If you recognize your positionality impacts access to this training, there are scholarships available for a 50% reduced rate. Please reach out to sarah@sarahholmesdecastro.ca for an application form.
Sacroiliac Joint Workshop
Instructor: Jules Payne
Date: TBC, 1-4pm
Tuition: $75
Click to register for this module.
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Open to Studio clients & public as well as Yoga Teachers, Therapists trainees & students.
Many people are familiar with the sacroiliac joint because of aching low backs. The SI joint is the foundation of the pelvis and the low back. Although there is only meant to be a little movement in this joint, some people experience joint stress that leads to chronic pain. In this workshop, you will learn how to rehabilitate your SI joint.
Importantly, you will learn:
1. How to build supporting muscle groups,
2. How yoga can help and hinder your SI joint,
3. SOS rehab techniques for when your pain is at a crisis level.
SOAP Notes Workshop
Open to Yoga Therapists and Yoga Therapists in Training.
SOAP notes are a standardized documentation tool used in clinical settings. SOAP notes allow health care practitioners to share information about clients in an easily understandable way, even if they work from different perspectives.
Creating SOAP notes is a crucial skill for Yoga Therapists, especially if we work in a multi -disciplinary health care clinic. In this workshop, you will learn how to create SOAP notes for your clients. Hands-on practice will ensure that you leave the workshop with confidence in creating SOAP notes. * Note: This is an IAYT approved APD course that can be used for continuing education credits
Online Spiral Lesson
In this day and age, sitting on the floor isn’t something many adults do regularly.
In this 75-minute class, you’ll learn a strategy for sitting down on the floor and (bonus!) how to get back up again without putting unnecessary strain on the joints. Especially useful for students of yoga and other forms of exercises that require going down to—and up from—the floor.
With regular practice, “the spiral lesson” is also an important first step towards alleviating fear of falling. Knowing how to bring yourself down to the ground, and feeling comfortable about being on the ground, reduces the chances of falling with rigidity and fear.