With Melanie Richards
And Guest Teachers BetsyAnn Baron (Fascia Anatomy) and Janine Maila (Chinese Meridian Theory)
November 19 through to November 23rd, In-person at Morpho Bleu
4260 Av Girouard 3rd floor, Montreal
Le matériel du cours est aussi disponible en français.
The course material is available in English and French.
Payment Info:
$885 ($750 + 18% taxes and service fees)
The course includes:
33 contact hours over 5 days with Melanie Richards and guests, in-person at Morpho Bleu
12 hours of pre-recorded Yin yoga practices with Melanie Richards (plus bonus practices such as guided relaxations)
Lifetime access to the course's online platform page with all of the practices, handouts and PowerPoint presentations in both French and English
33-page colour manual printed out in the language of your choice
HappyTree Yin Yoga Teaching Certificate recognized by the Yoga Alliance
Wednesday, November 19: 11 am - 6 pm**
Thursday, November 20: 12 pm - 6 pm (you are also invited to join Melanie's Yin and Gong class from 10:15 -11:15 am!)
Friday, November 21: 11 am - 6 pm
Saturday, November 22: 10 am - 6 pm
Sunday, November 23: 10 am - 6 pm
* There will be an hour lunch break on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Thursday, the break will be 30 minutes.
** Wednesday will consist of two workshops: Somatics and the Stress Response and Yin & Mindfulness Meditation. This is the only day with recorded lectures and practices for those who cannot attend in person. In-person attendance will be required for the four subsequent days.
We live in a very Yang society: fast-paced, stimulating, and goal-oriented. Even the yoga we practice tends to be very Yang in nature, filled with strong, flowing, repetitive movements that heat the body.
Yin yoga honours our profound need for balance with its long-held, relaxed stretches. These stretches encourage the release of deep tension from the body while teaching us to trust our intuition and go with the flow. As life speeds up, it’s no wonder this quiet, introspective practice is in such high demand.
Melanie is a pioneer of Yin Yoga in Montreal. When she opened HappyTree Yoga Studio in 2007, she expected the hot yoga classes to be the most popular. But to her surprise, it was her Yin classes that quickly took the lead, revealing a deep societal need for quiet, rest, and introspection.
Affectionately known by her students as “The Queen of Yin,” Melanie launched her Yin Yoga Teacher Training in 2013 and has never looked back. Many of Quebec’s leading Yin yoga teachers and studio owners began their journey with her.
She took her first Yin Yoga Teacher Training with Paul and Suzee Grilley (Paul being one of the founders of Yin Yoga) at Studio Lyne St-Roch. Years later, in a full-circle moment, Lyne St-Roch invited her back to her studio to lead Yin yoga workshops.
Melanie also offers Yin classes in french on the Mon Yoga Virtuel platform and has taught at Wanderlust Tremblant, Expo Yoga et bien-être, and in studios in the West Island, Magog, and Trois-Rivières.
Her trauma-sensitive approach to Yin goes far beyond stretching. It invites students to meet themselves - and their practice - with mindfulness, self-trust, agency, and compassion.
A key element of her trainings is the community they create: kind, empathetic individuals drawn together by a shared desire to explore and empower their Yin side, and to share this transformational, multidimensional, and profoundly healing practice with others.
If you feel called to this training, you're in the right place. In a time of intense change and uncertainty, the grounding practice of Yin yoga, and its heartful leadership rooted in peace, power, and purpose - has never been more important.
Yoga teachers and Yin yoga enthusiasts alike, are welcome to take this course! Whether your goal is to deepen your practice, accelerate your personal and spiritual growth, teach Yin yoga with ease and confidence or use the tools you learn to uplevel your existing yoga classes, this training is for you!
Yoga Philosophy
What is Yin Yoga?
Yin Yoga Principles
Finding Balance: The Yin/Yang relationship
The conscious and subconscious mind
Buddhist mindfulness philosophy as it relates to Yin Yoga
Anatomy
Anatomy of connective tissue with BetsyAnn Baron, founder of Baron Bodyworks
Somatics and the stress response as it relates to Yin Yoga. (NEW!)
Anatomy as it relates to Yin asanas and variations
The Five Yin Archetypes (NEW!)
Chinese Meridian Theory with Janine Maila, founder of Ayni Holistic Health
The Chakras
Techniques and Practice
Yin Yoga Practices
Analysis and practice of 20 + Yin yoga postures
Gong Soundbath and Tutorial (NEW!)
Mindfulness Meditation
Pranayama
Deep Relaxation
Affirmations
Teaching Methodology and Practicum
How to:
Create “The Yin Zone”
Teach deep and effective centerings and relaxations
Integrate Yin yoga themes into your classes
Sequence structurally and bio-mechanically sound Yin yoga classes
Use props and posture variations
Discovering your authentic voice
Use your voice and language as your most powerful communication and teaching tools
Plus, Group work, teaching practice and individual teaching feedback!
This training counts 40 hours of continuing education credits with the Yoga Alliance.
All folx are welcome to take part in this training! It is suitable for both yoga teachers and yoga students who wish to teach Yin yoga or simply dive deeper into the philosophy and practice of Yin yoga.
BIPOC partial scholarships of 20% off the regular price are available. Email melanie@happytreeyoga.com to inquire.
Website
Melanie truly teaches from the heart -so much so that the affirmations she plants resonate effortlessly. This enriching training empowered me to slow down and rest!
Melanie Richards is the founder of Yoga HappyTree Inc., creator and leader of Yoga teacher training programs, and a mental health advocate. For ten years (2007-2017), she owned and operated HappyTree Yoga Studio, known for its vibrant community and regularly voted one of Montreal's top five yoga studios by Cult Mtl.
Recently, Melanie received a Builder of Hope Award from The Douglas Foundation, recognizing her efforts and contribution toward establishing The Rebecca Joy Richards Award for Research in Eating Disorders. She also received a Quebec Notable Award for Social Entrepreneurship and has a TEDx talk on the power of intention setting (2014). In 2012, she was recognized by CTV's The Power of One for her work in the community with cancer patients and underprivileged youth.
Melanie is a 500-hour certified Hatha teacher, 200-hour certified Kundalini yoga teacher, and has sat multiple 10-day Vipassana silent meditation retreats over the past decade. Her teachers include Barrie Risman, Nischala Joy Devi, Nubia Teixeira, and her spiritual mentor, Lisa Lajoie, with whom she has led several local and international yoga retreats.
Melanie shares Yoga from her heart with relatability, compassion and enthusiasm, fostering a warm and inclusive learning atmosphere. She empowers people from all walks of life to take the path of Yoga back home to their hearts.
To learn more about Melanie, visit https://happytreeyoga.com/about