about

YSI is a school that teaches how to achieve the ultimate goal of yoga: a life of love, wisdom, authenticity, fulfillment and purpose. YSI courses teach the yogic path as a lifestyle; a complete, daily practice that helps you step into your ultimate self, while honoring your every-day self,  and show others how to do the same.YSI trainings are among the few worldwide that reunite the "outer" and "inner" methods of asana, breath awareness, ethical actions, meditation, and wisdom. This powerful synthesis of physical yoga and spiritual understanding is referred to in scriptures as royal yoga or raja yoga and includes all eight limbs described by Master Patanjali, author of the Yoga Sutra. YSI yoga accesses all three bodies of being; gross (physical body) subtle (pranic body), and causal (ultimate body). Each asana class facilitates an experience of these bodies, including safe, expert guidance in physical practice, awareness of and instruction in feeling the subtle or energetic body, and finally dissolution in our ultimate nature. The YSI curriculum sources the oldest known Yogic scriptures, teaching an ancient, authentic lineage that traces back 2,500 years.

Our trainings incorporate the Tibetan Buddhist, Indian Yogic and Vedantic traditions as well as Kashmir Shivism, translated and presented by prominent scholars, and yogis. YSI teaches time-tested methods that have awakened countless people to enlightened states, while evolving the mind and body.  All our trainings incorporate the latest in developmental psychology, philosophy, physiology and nutrition, ensuring profound, transformational practices that are relevant to modern life.YSI offers a range of programs that vary in length and depth and cater to both new and seasoned students and teachers around the world. Courses are offered in person and online.  Our programs cover asana, philosophy and meditation instruction, and include courses that focus solely on philosophy. We also offer technical yoga teacher training through our 300-Hour Teacher Training program.

Please view our course offerings and formats in Our Curriculum, and browse the Schedule page to find out when courses are happening near you or online.


YSI Community Code of Ethics

Above all, YSI is a community of teachers who strive to care for and serve the world around us and all its inhabitants.  We believe that the actions of each individual matter to the world at large and therefore seek to cultivate a community of ethical and realized individuals that can support the worldwide community grow and develop.  To that end, we as teachers, teacher trainees, and administrators, agree to uphold the five following ethical commitments:

1) We undertake the precept of refraining from killing.
In undertaking this precept we acknowledge the interconnection of all beings and our respect for all life. We agree to refine our understanding of not killing and nonharming in all our actions. We seek to understand the implication of this precept in such difficult areas as abortion, euthanasia, and the killing of pets. While some of us recommend vegetarianism, and others do not, we all commit ourselves to fulfilling this precept in the spirit of reverence for life.

2) We undertake the precept of refraining from stealing.
We agree to not take that which does not belong to us and to respect the property of others. We agree to bring consciousness to the use of all of the earth's resources in a respectful and ecological way. We agree to be honest in our dealing with money and not to misappropriate money committed to charitable projects. We agree to offer teachings without favoritism in regard to student's financial circumstances.

3) We undertake the precept of refraining from false speech.
We agree to speak that which is true and useful and to refrain from gossip in our community. We agree to hold in confidence what is explicitly told to us in confidence. We agree to cultivate conscious and clear communication, and to cultivate care and honesty as the basis of our speech.

4) We undertake the precept of refraining from sexual misconduct.
We agree to avoid creating harm through sexuality and to avoid sexual exploitation or relationships of a sexual manner that are outside of the bounds of the relationship commitments we have made to another or that involve another who has made vows to another. Teachers with vows of celibacy will live according to their vows. Teachers in committed relationships will honor their vows and refrain from adultery. All teachers agree not to use their teaching role to exploit their authority and position in order to assume a sexual relationship with a student.

Because several single teachers in our community have developed partnerships and marriages with former students, we acknowledge that such a healthy relationship can be possible, but that great care and sensitivity are needed. We agree that in this case the following guidelines are crucial.

a) A sexual relationship is never appropriate between teachers and students.
b) During retreats, workshops, or formal teaching, any intimation of future student-teacher romantic or sexual relationship is inappropriate.
c) If interest in a genuine and committed relationship develops over time between a single teacher and a single student, the student-teacher relationship must clearly and consciously have ended before any further development toward a romantic relationship. Such a relationship must be approached with restraint and sensitivity - in no case should it occur immediately after retreat or workshop. A minimum time period of three months or longer from the last formal teaching between them, and a clear understanding from both parties that the student-teacher relationship has ended must be coupled with a conscious commitment to enter into a relationship that brings no harm to either party.

5) We undertake the precept of refraining from intoxicants that cause heedlessness or loss of awareness.
It is clear that substance abuse is the cause of tremendous suffering. We agree not to abuse or misuse intoxicants at any time. We agree that if any teacher has a drug or alcohol addiction problem, it should be immediately addressed by the community.