Yogatrotter Academy

17/03/2025

Co-teachers, soul sisters, best friends. Do you ever meet someone, and just immediately know that you’ve already spent lifetimes arm-in-arm?

I have no doubt Moana and I have been teaching and learning and growing together through so many incarnations. These past ten years have been a blast, Mietzi! Let’s keep going. Send ittt!

14/03/2025

Congratulations to our most recent Yogatrotter Academy 200hr YTT graduates! Proud doesn’t begin to describe it.

DHARMA comes closer: you are walking the walk, in total alignment with your purpose and your soul’s true nature. From Bali and beyond, keep going. We love you!

12/03/2025

We’re BLOWN AWAY by the final classes taught by this incredible group of teachers. I’ve said it before: most of my favorite yoga classes I’ve ever taken have been from YTT students during practicum. There is so much care, intention, and passion in these classes!

To the graduates: I hope you all never stop shining your light—the world needs you sharing this gift, and our hearts are so full as we watch you step into the role of teacher.

Photo Credit : .annesophie
Photo Credit:

11/03/2025

If you’ve been wanting to join us in Bali, and either can’t commit to a full month, or are already a 200hr yoga teacher, join us for the 6-day Gods of Yoga Retreat, a spiritual immersion into the magic of the Island of the Gods, October 25th-31st, 2025.

Whether you’re a yoga teacher interested in learning the stories of the gods and goddesses who gave our yoga poses their names, you’re a yoga enthusiast wanting to learn more about the spiritual origins of the practice, or you’re a seeker drawn to mantras and chanting practices like kirtan, this experience is a profound exploration of your soul and its connection to the divine. Mama Ati, our host and priestess in the sacred mountains of Sidemen, leads us in daily ceremonies and rituals to align with the energy of the universe.

We’ll explore the power of the gods and goddesses through story-telling, dance, and song. And we’ll embody these deities through the practice of yoga asana. This retreat counts for 50 hours of continuing education with the Yoga Alliance for yoga teachers. Join us this October in Bali!

10/03/2025

“Teach to the individual.” This was one of the key principles taught by the teacher of teachers, the father of modern yoga, Sri Krishnamacharya, who we honor through our lineage.

Our YTT students plan, sequence, and teach a one-hour asana practice (as well as a breathwork and meditation session) for their practicum, but it’s not just a general yoga class. They choose an individual (or a demographic of similar individuals, such as “surfers” or “office workers in their 40s” or “menopausal women”)—ideally people they actually plan to teach after graduating—and plan a class specifically for THEM. They consider questions like “how does this person’s lifestyle affect their posture? What is this person’s mental/emotional state? What do they hope to gain through the practice of yoga?”

Armed with those answers, every pose and every word is chosen with love, compassion, and intention for that individual. They recognize that Yoga meets you where you are, and acknowledges that you are already ENOUGH, exactly as you are now. And so teaching yoga is a great act of love and empathy—we teach not for ourselves, but for the other, to help others ease into greater comfort, acceptance, and peace within themselves. And in doing so, we recognize that there ARE no others—just union. One-ness. Samadhi. I wish everyone could experience this kind of intentional teaching.

Photo Credit: .annesophie

10/03/2025

“Teach to the individual.” This was one of the key principles taught by the teacher of teachers, the father of modern yoga, Sri Krishnamacharya, who we honor through our lineage. Our YTT students plan, sequence, and teach a one-hour asana practice (as well as a breathwork and meditation session) for their practicum, but it’s not just a general yoga class. They choose an individual (or a demographic of similar individuals, such as “surfers” or “office workers in their 40s” or “menopausal women”)—ideally people they actually plan to teach after graduating—and plan a class specifically for THEM. They consider questions like “how does this person’s lifestyle affect their posture? What is this person’s mental/emotional state? What do they hope to gain through the practice of yoga?”
Armed with those answers, every pose and every word is chosen with love, compassion, and intention for that individual. They recognize that Yoga meets you where you are, and acknowledges that you are already ENOUGH, exactly as you are now. And so teaching yoga is a great act of love and empathy—we teach not for ourselves, but for the other, to help others ease into greater comfort, acceptance, and peace within themselves. And in doing so, we recognize that there ARE no others—just union. One-ness. Samadhi. I wish everyone could experience this kind of intentional teaching.

07/03/2025

20/02/2025

Our YTT is guided by the “three sources of well-being,” the Balinese philosophy of Tri Hita Karana, as taught by our Balinese teachers:

1. Harmony with the Divine. We teach intentional Yoga with reverence for the great spiritual tradition. It’s not just “Warrior Pose,” but the pose of Shiva’s devotion to his beloved Sati. We visit his temples and leave sacred offerings, and in doing so, remember our own divinity.

2. Harmony with Nature. We meditate with the jungle, the palm trees, the sea—and after practice, we clean the beach.

3. Harmony between humans. Everything is grounded in the Yamas, the first of yoga’s 8 limbs, which teaches us to live a life of non-harming, truth, and peace amongst all beings. There is no hierarchy here—we’re all just walking each other home

15/02/2025

Learning anatomy can feel intimidating in yoga teacher training, so we approach it differently than most schools.

Instead of a cram-session anatomy module to memorize all the muscles, anatomy is seamlessly woven in to our asana labs every day, spread out throughout the entire training.

One morning, we might teach the anatomy of the shoulder joint, how to move the shoulder blades in cat and cow, and how to keep the shoulders safe. Then immediately after, each student tries cat and cow themselves with this new knowledge of their own body, observed and assisted by the teacher.

They then find their own words to describe what they’ve learned, so that right away, we can break into small groups to start practicing teaching cat and cow to others, from their own authentic teaching voice.

It’s anatomy concepts, directly experienced and felt for yourself, put into your own words, then shared with others. This is how real learning happens.

03/08/2024

My heart is so full knowing that these 8 new yoga teachers will be sharing their gifts with the world! It’s pure magic when a group of souls comes together for a check-in, and I’m honored and humbled when I get to be along for the journey ❤️ To these graduates, thank you for all you taught and shared this past month together—for your open-heartedness, your presence, and your care for one another. My soul feels refueled for having shared these days with you. Love you all!

18/06/2024

THE MOMENT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR | I've always believed the level 2 training should happen in India, the homeland of the practice. When the amazing moved to Goa to open after her YTT in Bali, I should've known it was a sign!

Toes in the sand, just like in Bali. Smoothie bowls and palm trees, just like in Bali. Steps away from the beach, steeped in spiritual tradition, surrounded by the gods and spirits, just like in Bali. With the full power of the Indian tradition, the colors, sights, and sounds of the culture--with local teachers whose roots go deep, cows in the streets and mantras in our hearts--we're going to India!

We're on a mission to find at least 8 teachers who are ready to commit by the end of the month to join us and become a 500hr RYT! March 3-31st, 2025. DM ASAP if you're feeling the call so we can gather the group and confirm!

Breakfast and room are included (other meals can be had at the many restaurants on Palolem Beach). We'll dive deep into yoga philosophy (especially the Bhagavad Gita and stories of the gods and goddesses from the puranas), teaching breathwork and meditation through the lens of the Yoga Sutras and the traditional Hatha texts, Ayurveda, yin yoga, prenatal and children's yoga, advanced yoga anatomy, hands-on assisting, advanced postures, mudras, mantras, and of course, kirtan.

This is what we need to re-inspire our teaching, to breathe the mystical heart back into our yoga classes, to connect on a soul level with every student.

Let me know ASAP if you're able to join! We only have space for 15 and hope to have 8 confirmed by the end of the month.

May all beings be happy

13/06/2024

Mantra chanting has always been the most powerful part of my practice. The freedom that comes from singing without reservation or judgment, in open-hearted devotion to bliss, IS the heart of Yoga. If you’d like to experience it for yourself, join me for a collaborative kirtan session at a week from today! Meet me under the tree at 3:15pm.

Sankirtana — collaborative kirtan, singing and making music together. Rather than a formal call-and-response style, everyone is encouraged to try an instrument (from drums, to tingsha bells, to shakers—and to sing when you feel moved to sing, harmonize if you feel called to harmonize, and dance if you feel inspired to dance. It’s the ultimate practice of BHAKTI—freedom and joy, devotion to the bliss of the universe, singing the names of the gods and the goddesses to tap into the god and goddess within you.

We do this practice every Sunday at from 12-1pm, and now we get to sing to the sea at Yogapalooza! UConn’s Avery Point Campus is the perfect backdrop for bliss, and you can get your tickets at the mysticchamber.org/yogapalooza

Thank you for creating this space—we can’t wait for Yogapalooza and the International Day of Yoga