Śakti Sādhanā Foundational Teacher Training
200-Hour Tantric Yoga Teacher Training
Lead Teacher : Natalie Backman
Assistant Teacher : Léa-Claude Blache-Pichette
Immerse yourself in the world of Traditional Tantric Yoga and follow the path of the Masters of the Himalayan Tradition. Set out on the journey which will eventually yield life's greatest rewards : freedom, fulfillment, and remembrance of who you truly are.
Intention of this Training
Our intention is to share the teachings and practices of the Sakta Tradition of Tantric Yoga in a way which touches your heart and transforms your life.
Śakti Sādhanā is a deep exploration of yourSelf through the lens of the ancient wisdom bodies of Yoga, Tantra and Sankhya. This year long 200-hour immersion and training will introduce you to the vast, beautiful world view of Tantra and grant you a transformative experience through the teachings and techniques of classical yoga.
Rooted in the Sakta Tradition, as passed down by the Himalayan Masters, Śakti Sādhanā draws from Classical Yoga, Tantra and Sankhya Philosophy to create a holistic approach to practice and life. It is designed as both a means for developing your personal experience of yoga as well as a training to foster ethical, empowered, impactful yoga teachers.
What Makes Śakti Sādhanā Unique?
Every module of Śakti Sādhanā is mindfully crafted for an immersive experience combined with practical, effective teaching methodology. The modules are woven together in a wise progression to deliver knowledge you can embody and a heart felt appreciation of the teachings, the techniques, and the tradition.
Schedule
Śakti Sādhanā meets live for one weekend each month, in addition to pre-recorded practice, lecture content, and self-guided assignments you can navigate at your own pace between our live gatherings. We begin in September and carry on for 12-months. Our live weekend gatherings are 12 hours : 2 hours Friday, 7 hours Saturday and 7 hours Sunday (with a 2 hour break each weekend day), leaving 8 hours of content for you to progress through on your own each month.
Live Gatherings
Module One 27-29 September What is Yoga?
Module Two 11-16 November Wise Progression Retreat in Tuscany
Module Three 6-8 December Anatomy & The Six Categories of Asana
Module Four 3-5 January The Beauty & Methodology of Tantra
Module Five 7-9 March Your Subtle Body
Module Six 4-6 April Prāṇaśakti & Prāṇāyāma
Module Seven 2-4 May Playing with Prāṇa
Module Eight 6-8 June Ayurveda & Developing Your Personal Practice
Module Nine 1-3 August Tantric Meditation & Mantra
Module Ten 5-7 September Living Dharma
Live Gathering Times
Fridays
9-11am Pacific / 12-2pm Eastern / 5-7pm UK / 6-8pm Europe
Saturdays + Sundays
5am-12pm in Los Angeles / 8am-3pm Eastern
1pm-8pm in the UK / 2pm-9pm in Europe
*Times will adjust with daylight savings in Europe on 27 October 2024 and again 30th March 2025.
Investment
The financial investment for Śakti Sādhanā is $4,108.
$1,000 go toward the retreat in Tuscany 11-16 November.
Payment Plans are available. The deposit for participation is $608. This deposit will reserve your space in the training. In addition to the deposit, you will be asked to pay the $1,000 for the retreat before the training begins. After that, you are welcome to pay the remainder in installments.
$108 of each participant's tuition will go toward our scholarship fund.
Please note that there is no option to quit the training once it has begun. Out of respect for the teachers and fellow students we ask that you honor your financial commitment to the training.
Apply for Śakti Sādhanā's 2024 Cohort
Questions?
Please feel free to reach out directly with any questions you may have. We are happy to arrange a complimentary consultation to determine if this is the right training and immersion for you. NatalieBackmanYoga@gmail.com
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Welcome to Śakti Sādhanā
Welcome to Śakti Sādhanā
Prepare for our time together
Schedule
Dates & Times
Gathering Details
How to join our live sessions
Retreat in Tuscany
Recommended Reading List
Books you will want to own now and forever
Laying a Healthy Foundation
Adopting a Yogic Lifestyle
Optimizing our Virtual Training
creating a safe virtual space
Library of Practices
Practice Reflections
Please complete after every practice
Strength & Grace : 6 October
Purify the Body & Mind : 13 October
Discipline & Devotion : 27 October
Moving Inward : 3 November
Approaching the Void : 10 November
Lean Into Delight : 17 November
Freedom for All : 24 November
Being Breathed : 1 December
Expand : 5 January
Effort & Surrender : 12 January
Remain in the World : 19 January
Enjoy the Moment : 26 January
Embrace All : 2 February
Sacred Inclusivity : 9 February
Experience the Essence : 16 February
The Smallest of the Small : 23 February
The Inner Guide : 2 March
Meditate on the Infinite : 9 March
Bring Yourself Fully : 16 March
The Courage to Speak from the Heart : 23 March
Connecting with the Divine : 30 March
Clear the Channels : 6 April
From the Unreal to the Real : 13 April
Tapping the Unknown : 20 April
Practice with Connie : 27 April
Pranavayu Practice : 2 May
Samanavayu Practice : 3 May
Apanavayu Practice : 3 May
Udanavayu Practice : 4 May
Vyanavayu Practice : 4 May
Bask In Your Inner Radiance : 11 May
Welcome Home : 8 May
Happiness : 25 May
Wide Open : 1 June
Love Yourself Whole : 8 June
All Of Yourself as One : 15 June
Assimilate & Expand : 6 July
Invoking Power & Play : 13 July
Embodied Expression of Sri Lakshmi : 20 July
Take Your Sweet Time : 27 July
Love is a Verb : 3 August
It All Leads to Growth : 10 August
Share from Your Overflow : 17 August
Making Space : 24 August
Tend with Love : 7 September
Embrace Your Essence in the Face of Adversity : 5 October
A Complete Practice with Carolina!
MODULE ONE What is Yoga?
Recordings of Live Sessions
Key Concepts and Reflection Questions
To help you prioritize
The Himalayan Tradition
Love all, hate none. Embrace all, exclude none.
Daily Prayers of the Himalayan Tradition
Prayers of the Himalayan Tradition
The Guru Mantra
The first of the daily prayers of the Tradition
The Wisdom Body
The Vedas, Sāṅkhya + Classical Yoga
What is Yoga?
Through the lens of the Himalayan Tradition
Sāṅkhya Yoga + Sri Vidya
Where do we come from, why are we here, where are we going?
The Kleśas
Our deeply cherished root causes of suffering
Aṣtau Aṅgāni
The eight limbs of yoga
Exploring Asana
A comfortable and steady seat
The Path of Tantric Yoga
A systematic approach to practice
Stage One of the Path : Purification
Preparing the body and the mind
Śaucha
a focused look at purity according to the Yoga Sutras
Complete Practice : Purify
Stage One on the Path of Tantric Yoga
Tutorial : Diaphragmatic Breath
Tutorial : Nadi Shodhana
Alternate Nostril Breathing
Using a Neti Pot
Practice Reflection
Knowledge Assessment
MODULE TWO Wise Progression
Recordings of Live Sessions
The Pavamana Mantra
Lead me from darkness to light
Kriya Yoga
Tapas, Svadhyaya + Ishvara Pranidhana
Tapas
Austerity destroys impurities
Svadhyaya
be in the company of bright beings
Ishvara Pranidhana
From trustful surrender to Ishvara comes samadhi.
The Impact of Successful Sequencing
Self-Inquiry
Vinyasa Krama
An Introduction
The Three Rivers of Knowledge
Tantra, Yoga, and Ayurveda
The Three Touchstones of a Tantric Hatha Practice
Tapas, Smarana + Vinyasa Krama
The Aim of a Vinyasa Krama Practice
It may not be what you think...
Principles of Sequencing
How to Sequence an Impactful Yoga Practice
Considerations for Sequencing a Complete Practice
an overview
The Five Essentials of A Complete Practice
Bhavana, Asana, Savasana, Pranayama + Meditation
Categories of Asana
Understanding the function of each Category
Template for a Complete Practice
A general recommendation
Additional Elements to Explore
Elements to enhance your experience of Vinyasa Krama
A list of Asanas
names + images of 215 asanas
What is Hatha?
from a traditional perspective
Tapas : Burning Through Resistance
Austerity destroys impurities...
Tapas : Self-Assessment
to determine an appropriate practice intended to help you 'shine'
Stage Two on the Path : Strength
Stage Two on the Path of Tantric Yoga
Systematic Relaxation : Independent Practice
Practice Reflections
Knowledge Assessment
MODULE THREE Anatomy & The Six Categories of Asana
Recordings of Live Sessions
The Saha Nāvavatu Mantra
Connecting with students and sages
Alignment in Asana
Thank you to Indu Arora
Ahimsa - Non violence
a life free from harm
The Bare Bones of Yoga
Exploring the skeleton
Anatomy for Yoga
with Paul Grilley
The Respiratory System
The beauty and potential of your breath
Anatomy of the Brain
Important bits to know
Light in the Spine
On Your Nerves
The control and communication center
Asana Lab : Extensions
category of asana
Asana Lab : Forward Folds
category of Asana
Asana Lab : Twists
categories of asana
Asana Lab : Backbends
categories of asana
Asana Lab : Laterals
categories of asana
Asana Lab : Inversions
categories of asana
Tutorial : Headstand + Shoulder Stand
posture lab
Complete Practice : Stability
Sthiram in Practice
Practice Reflections
Knowledge Assessment
MODULE FOUR The Beauty & Methodology of Tantra
Recordings of Live Sessions
Paraśakti Invocation
Invoking Sri
What is Tantra?
The Sublime World of Tantra
The Tenets of Tantra
Bhoga, Apavarga + Bhukti
Śakti Sādhanā
awakening the dormant fire within
Historical Overview of Tantra
For perspective
The Schools of Traditional Tantra
Kaula, Samaya + Mishra
The Path of Tantric Hatha Yoga : Moon, Sun, Fire
A progressive path
Engaging with the Moon
Resource: my studies with Yogarupa Rod Stryker
Engaging with the Sun
the dawning of higher awareness + expansion
Engaging with the Fire
Illumination + Absorption
The Role of the Breath
Inhales, Exhales, Retentions + Suspensions
The Tantric Approach to Meditation
Work with your mind, not against it
Introducing Bandhas
Building + containing vital energy
Developing Bandhas
Building and containing vital energy
Tutorial : Jalandhara Bandha
Containing our Prana
Tutorial : Uddiyana Bandha
Tutorial : Mula Bandha
Brahmacharya - Moderation of sense pleasure
Agni Sara
Practice Reflections
Knowledge Assessment
MODULE FIVE Your Subtle Body
Recordings of Live Sessions
Key Concepts and Reflection Questions
What are the most important bits to learn?
Santosha - Contentment
happiness without equal
What is the Subtle Body?
introducing the Sukshma Sharira
The Koshas
The Five Sheaths of Human Existence
The Nadis
The Channels through which Prana flows
The Cakras
Vortices of Prāṇaśakti
Cakra Awareness : An Independent Practice
Gaining Sensitivity to these Vortices of Energy
The Pancha Prana Vayus
Five 'Winds' of Prana
Additional Insight on the Vayus
The Vayus in practice
Prana Vayu Observation Technique
a diagnostic tool for insightful, impactful sequencing
Prana Vayus and Vinyasa Krama
Mantras, Mudras, Pranayamas + Meditations
Introduction to Kundalini
from the perspective of the Himalayan Tradition
The Reality Project
Independent Practice : 75-Breaths
Connecting to your Subtle Body through trustful surrender
Practice Reflections
Knowledge Assessment
MODULE SIX Prāṇaśakti & Prāṇāyāma
Recordings of Live Sessions
The Gāyatrī Mantra
Mother of the Vedas
Aparigraha - Non posessiveness
complete understanding of the 'why-ness' of birth
Svarodaya : Science of the Breath
Resource: The Practice of the Yoga Sutra, Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait
Pranaśakti
the inexhaustible elixir of life
Tantra's Take on Pranaśakti
Resources : Swami Rama & Yogarupa Rod Stryker
Avidya & Our Pranic Field
the veil that hides our inner light
An Overview of Pranayama
How to Practice Pranayama
the expansion of the life force
Cultivate Pranic Sensitivity
Refine Pranic Sensitivity
the seven preparatory pranayamas
Relaxation for Pranic Sensitivity
Resolving tension, revealing prana
Healthy Breathing
Sama Vritti
Establishing healthy heart rate variability
Ujjayi
Aligning with the Eternal
So'hum Pranayama
Tutorial : So'hum Pranayama
Attenuating the Pairs of Opposites through the Breath
Practice Reflections
Knowledge Assessment
MODULE SEVEN Playing with Prāṇā
Recordings of Live Sessions
Satya - Truthfulness
the siddhi of manifestation
Asana & Sequencing for Pranic Sensitivity
Cultivating Pranic Sensitivity
Introducing Bandhas
another way to harness prana
Introducing Mudras
Closing the energetic circuit
Tutorial : Vayu Mantras + Mudras
Harness the more subtle aspects of each of the pancha prana vayus
Pranavayu Kriya
The vitalizing/ internalizing force in the heart & head
Complete Practice : Pranavayu
Forward moving air
Samanavayu Kriya
The assimilating, centering and balancing force, located in the abdomen
Complete Practice : Samanavayu
Balancing air
Apanavayu Kriya
The descending, eliminative energy, located at the root chakra
Complete Practice : Apanavayu
The air that moves away
Udanavayu Kriya
The ascending force located in the throat
Complete Practice : Udanavayu
Upward moving air
Vyanavayu Kriya
The circulating force, located everywhere, including the heart, arms and legs
Complete Practice : Vyanavayu
Outward moving air
Vayu Balancing Kriya with Mantra & Mudra
Complete Practice : Balancing the Vayus
Practice Reflections
Knowledge Assessment
MODULE EIGHT Ayurveda & Developing Your Personal Practice
Recordings of Live Sessions
Vishve Deva Mantra
Mantra Homework
Svadhyaya - Self-study
be in the company of bright beings
What is Ayurveda?
The Science of Self Care
The Purpose of Ayurveda
Three primary purposes + gifts of Ayurveda
Sister Sciences
From Indu Arora
Elements, Doshas and Gunas
Prakruti + Vikruti
Finding Harmony
Discover Your Dosha
Take the Quiz to Determine Your Ayurvedic Constitution
Vata, Pitta, Kapha
Looking at the Doshas in more detail
Ayurveda's Influence on Yoga
How Ayurveda informs our sequencing
Healing the Doshas through Yoga
Balancing the symptoms of excessive Vata, Pitta + Kapha
Practice for Dosha Types
from Yogarupa Rod Stryker
Ojas, Tejas + Prana
Agni & Ama
The importance of digestive fire
Food + The Five Elements
Supporting yourself through food
Know + Heal Yourself through Ayurveda
Lifestyle + Diet Recommendations
Ayurvedic Recipes to Try
Kitcheri, Golden Mylk + Rasayana
Ayurvedic Self Care
Abhyanga : Warm Oil Massage
Worshipping your body, accepting and appreciating your physical form exactly as it is.
Practice Reflections
Knowledge Assessment
MODULE NINE Living Dharma
Recordings of Live Sessions
Asteya - Non stealing
Non-stealing
Om Gam Ganapatayay Namaha
The Bhagavad Gita
The Song of God
Our Deepest Fear
a poem by Marianne Williamson
Freedom + Fulfillment
The goal and gift of yoga
The Nature of Fulfillment
Lasting Fulfillment
Desire + The Soul
Excerpts from The Four Desires by Rod Stryker
The Purusharthas
For the purpose of the Soul
I Am...
Three words that express your essence
The Tree of Life
a blessing
I Thrive
Write a poem about your experience of thriving
What a Life!
Cheers to a life well lived
Make of Your Life an Offering
Working in partnership with the Divine
A Powerful Vision for Your Life
Embracing Limitless Possibility
Purposeful Planning
How Extraordinary
Let your loved ones weigh in
What's (Self) Love got to do with it?
Exploring Dharma
Our soul's innate desire is to thrive.
Connecting with Your Dharma
a system for gaining clarity created by Rod Stryker
Drafting Your Dharma Code
Contributed by Rod Stryker from his book The Four Desires
Conflicting Desires
Identifying our Vikalpas
I Can. I will. I Must.
Creating a Powerful Sankalpa
Let your shadow inform your light
Stepping Into Being Seen
Owning and Living Your Purpose
Practice Reflections
Knowledge Assessment
MODULE TEN Tantric Meditation & Mantra
Recordings of Live Sessions
Ishvara Pranidhana - Trustful surrender to the divine
From trustful surrender to Ishvara comes samadhi
Four Margas : For Living Your Yoga
Divine Love
a contribution by bell hooks
The Yoga of Love
From Discipline to Devotion
An Introduction to Bhakti
Wisdom from the Bhāgavata Purāṇa
Invoking the Sacred
Wisdom from Sally Kempton
An Experience of Bhakti through Yoga Nidra
With every breath, I breathe in God’s love
The Essential Bhavana
Tips on Mantra Sadhana from Sally Kempton
What is Mantra?
And why is it important?
Why Mantra?
The Word is the bridge
The Divine Word
Transcendental Truth that chooses to manifest in the form of the Word
Sanskrit
A Vibrational Language
So'hum
attending the rhythm of life
Preparing for Mantra Sadhana
Shedding our Impurities
The Importance of a Teacher
How can we receive revelation?
Closing Thoughts on Sustainability
as shared by Yogarupa Rod Stryker
Practice Reflections
