
Free intro class, talk and Q & A June 28 : Click to register.
Free intro class, talk and Q & A June 28 : Click to register.
This training is a yearlong journey of remembrance—a chance to slow down, listen deeply, and root your practice in the wisdom of living lineages.
Together we’ll explore yoga’s cultural, philosophical, and energetic foundations through embodied practice, shared inquiry, and experiential learning. This is a space where learning is alive, relational, and rooted in presence—transforming not only how we practice, but how we live.
We emphasize function over form and offer adaptable, intuitive practices for every kind of body. Breath, movement, stillness, and thought are explored as powerful tools for balance, healing, and self-understanding.
This training invites you into a living stream of wisdom—one that is carried in breath, story, body, and land. We ask: What does it mean to walk with wisdom that wasn’t born in this soil, but to carry it with respect, humility, and care?
We study yoga as preventative medicine and embodied presence. We honor tradition not through rigid form, but through attentive relationship—with each other, with the lineages we learn from, and with the land we live on.
Teachers / Facilitators
Nina Polo Wieja
Nina has been studying yoga for over twenty years and teaching for more than a decade. Her practice is rooted in the Sri Vidya tradition and shaped by years of study in other living lineages and wisdom traditions.
What draws her most is the way these teachings speak through the body, through breath, through story—and how they help us remember who we are in relationship with the land, with each other, and with the unseen.
She lives in Ojai, California, on the ancestral lands of the Chumash, where she cares for wild horses and the land they call home. These beings—strong, sensitive, deeply attuned—continue to be some of her greatest teachers, reminding her daily what it means to listen, to move from presence, and to live in rhythm with something greater than herself.
Her teaching is also shaped by a lifelong love of storytelling and mythology. She is drawn to the questions these old stories carry: What does it mean to live in right relationship? How do we meet both the sacred and the ordinary with reverence? For Nina, yoga is one way we learn to live those questions in the body. Above all, she is interested in how we root spiritual practice in lived experience—in the mess and the magic of daily life—and how yoga can be a path of care, both personal and collective.
Samantha Garrison
Samantha is a founder and the director of Light and Space Yoga, Ojai California. She also founded Yogala in Los Angeles. She is a yoga and meditation teacher and reiki master.
Samantha’s yoga practice emerged in 1999 from her early life studying ballet. For the past 25 years, she’s studied yoga and meditation of many styles believing deeply in the power of yoga as a holistic path to wellbeing.
While she appreciates myriad styles, simple, accessible, alignment based and deeply restorative practices - Iyengar, gentle, restorative, vinyasa, yin, meditation and somatic experiencing - are the base of her own practice and what she shares.
In her studios over the last 15 years, she has strived to create a welcoming, clear space for yoga of many styles and yoga’s complimentary practices for healing, depth, restoration, inspiration, vibrancy and community.
****Several special guest teachers to be announced.**

Training Structure
This training unfolds in three core modules, each rooted in a different energetic quality of practice: Brahmana, Langhana, and Samana. These are not just techniques or categories—they are rhythms of life, breath, and transformation. Through each module, we will explore the physical forms, subtle energetics, and philosophical foundations of practice, allowing the body to become a site of inquiry and integration.
The training culminates in a closing retreat in September 2026: a weekend immersion to honor the rite of passage into becoming a teacher. During this time, we will reflect, integrate, and step into the next chapter of our path—not as experts, but as humble carriers of wisdom, devoted to the living, breathing, ever-evolving tradition of yoga.
By the end of the training, you’ll carry an embodied understanding of practice that can meet your own needs—and the needs of your students—with clarity, care, and discernment.

What You’ll Learn
Asana Alignment & Variation
Learn functional alignment, pose variations, and the intelligent use of props for all bodies.
Supportive Touch & Adjustments
Explore both hands-on and verbal cues that prioritize consent, clarity, and support.
Art of Sequencing
Sequence classes according to Ayurvedic principles and the energetic flow of prana.
Energetics of Practice
Understand how breath, movement, and stillness impact the nervous system and subtle body.
Physical and Subtle Body Anatomy
Study the systems of our physical bodies. Explore chakras, vayus, koshas, and other energetic maps as teaching tools.
Teaching Presence & Space Holding
Cultivate voice, timing, and the art of leading with care and authenticity.
Yoga in Context
Ground your teaching in lineage, cultural awareness, and respectful transmission.
Business of Yoga
Practical tools and honest conversations about money, ethics, and sustainability.
Creative Integration
Use writing, storytelling, and ritual to deepen understanding and embodiment.
Relational Learning
Learn in community—through conversation, collaboration, and shared presence.

Training Schedule & Details
Dates:
October 2025 – June 2026
One weekend per month, plus a culminating retreat in September 2026
Monthly Weekend Sessions:
Fridays: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (in person or via Zoom)
Saturdays: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sundays: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
* Special guest teachers and workshops to be announced soon.
Weekend Dates:
October 10–12, 2025
November 7–9, 2025
December 5–7, 2025
January 9–11, 2026
February 6–8, 2026
March 13–15, 2026
April 17–19, 2026
May 1–3, 2026
June 5–7, 2026
Summer Integration Break – July & August
Time for reading, self-reflection, creative integration, and practice assignments.
Final Retreat Weekend:
September 25–27, 2026
A rites-of-passage weekend to mark your journey and emergence as a teacher.

Tuition & Registration
Regular Tuition: $3,200
Supporter Level: $3,600 (for those able to support others in the community)
Accessible Rate: $2,800 (limited spaces available)
Payment plans available.
We offer one 80% scholarship for a member of the BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+ community, in the spirit of equity and access within our learning container.

FAQ
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This training is for anyone seeking to engage with yoga as a living, breathing tradition—not just a set of techniques, but a way of being. Whether you intend to teach or simply deepen your practice, Yoga in Context is for those curious about how the postures (asana), breath patterns (pranayama), and meditations we practice on the mat can ripple into our everyday lives in meaningful, transformative ways. If you're drawn to a slower, more intentional pace of learning—one that honors history, context, and the wisdom of direct experience—this training is for you.
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Not at all. While this is a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training, many participants join simply to deepen their practice, reconnect with themselves, or study the philosophical and spiritual roots of yoga in community.
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Yes. This training is a rich opportunity to deepen your practice, revisit foundational concepts through a new lens, and engage with yoga as a living tradition rooted in context—lineage, land, and lived experience. If you’re already certified, you may find this training reignites your connection to the teachings and offers new perspectives to bring into your life and offerings.n text goes here
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Our approach draws from classical Hatha Yoga and Sri Vidya Tantra, guided by Ayurvedic wisdom and a deep respect for the roots of the tradition. Classes are slow and steady, with alignment-based, thoughtful movement and purposeful stillness. We explore both dynamic transitions and static holds to give each practitioner time to truly feel into the shape, breath, and energetic effects of a pose. It’s not about perfecting form, but about attuning to function, rhythm, and presence—on the mat and in life.
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Yes. Upon completion of the full program requirements, you will receive a 200-hour certification. While we are not affiliated with Yoga Alliance, our training exceeds their foundational requirements and prioritizes depth over bureaucracy.
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Yes. We emphasize function over form and honor the unique intelligence of every body. Modifications, prop use, and variations are core to our approach. This is a space where each student is supported in listening to and honoring their body.
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The training is held in person at Light and Space Yoga in Ojai, California, on land nestled within the Los Padres National Forest. Portions of the training also take place in nature, local cultural sites, or community spaces.
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This training is ultimately for you—your deepening, your integration, your path. We ask that students make every effort to attend all weekends, as this is a communal and immersive journey. However, we understand that life happens. You may miss up to two weekends with prior approval, and if you’re pursuing certification, make-up hours will be required to complete the full 200-hour program.
If certification isn’t your goal and you have a scheduling conflict, please don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re happy to explore creative solutions together.
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Yes—but it’s not the kind you’ll dread. Expect readings, journaling prompts, short reflections, and practices that invite you to integrate what we explore in person. It’s all designed to nourish, not overwhelm.
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Yes. We offer need-based scholarships, and payment plans are available to make the training more accessible. We are committed to equity and inclusion, especially for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ participants. If you require financial assistance you can note that in the application.
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Fill out our short application form with a few thoughtful questions about your path, interest, and intentions. Once submitted, we’ll review and be in touch within 48 hours.
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We do not provide meals, but there will be ample time for lunch breaks, and we encourage participants to bring nourishing food to share or enjoy on their own. Ojai has several local cafes and grocery options nearby. Tea and simple snacks will often be available on-site.
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Accommodations are not included in the training cost. However, there are several great options within walking distance of Light & Space Yoga, including: The Capri Hotel, Hummingbird Inn and Caravan Outpost.