UPCOMING
EVENTS
Emily Nichols Photography
Community Kirtan
@ Asheville Yoga Center
Last Wednesday of every month
7:00 - 8:30pm
Join us for an evening of inspiring Kīrtan and community with Michael Johnson and friends!
Open your heart with Bhakti devotion to enjoy the presence of community and celebrate the divine energy within. With music and devotion, we will create a space for sangha (community) with one another.
Everyone is welcome, no previous experience required.
All Donations will benefit the Asheville Yoga Center Teacher Training Scholarship Fund
Love of Wisdom Immersion: Exploring the Roots of Yoga Philosophy (HYBRID)
Online and In-Person @ Asheville Yoga Center
July 7-11, 2025
Immerse yourself in the philosophy and practice of Yoga by learning about the root texts and traditions from which it emerged. Yoga is an outlier among philosophical traditions on many fronts: it does not require any beliefs or dogma to practice, it is non-sectarian, it is already trauma informed and offers a unique method to recover from trauma so one can abide in the form of their choosing.
This course is open to all levels, and is not exclusive to those who are seeking Yoga Alliance credit.
Rekindling the Flame: 5 Day Yoga Teacher Tune-Up
In-Person @ Asheville Yoga Center
Sept 15-19, 2025
Continue to follow your heart, and thirst to evolve as a yoga practitioner and teacher. Our 300 hour program is designed for graduates of AYC and any other 200 hour program who wish to dive deeper and grow within more specialized areas of yoga and teaching craft study.
Refresh your teaching skills as well as your personal practice with this 5-day immersion led by AYC’s longest serving and seasoned teachers. Join us for an opportunity to upgrade your teaching tool-kit. Each 4-hour session will include a specific topic, a group discussion, and group teaching exercises with feedback to integrate the information.
The Art & Craft of Yoga Assists: Yoga Sparśana
In-Person @ Asheville Yoga Center
October 3-5, 2025
The art and science of Hands-on Assists is called Yoga Sparshana. It is part of yoga history to have competent and effective knowledge of adjusting your students so that energy can be freed up.
Please join Michael for this fun and informative weekend workshop to explore the art of Hands-on Assists. Exploring partner assists, alignment assists, as well as feel good assists, we will also play a bit with organic sequencing and theming. This isn’t just for teachers, but for serious students who want to immerse themselves totally with inspiring community and invigorating practices. Leave the weekend with practical resources to strengthen your confidence in alignment and technical skills, as well as being able to trust your intuition in “reading” body energy.
Learning objectives:
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- Consent (techniques like utilizing cards to indicate their current wishes)
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- Assessment of their foundation and their unique concerns
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- Stabilizing assists
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- Breathing with them while holding the assist
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- Alignment strategies that favor function over form
Teaching with Compassion, Empathy, & Skill:
Trauma-Informed Teacher Training Immersion
Online & In-Person @ Asheville Yoga Center
December 8-12, 2025
Many people in our communities have experienced trauma to a lesser or greater degree, and it's so important for yoga teachers to learn and practice skillful ways to create nourishing, nurturing spaces for students.
In this 5-day immersion, we will explore the latest scientific research on the mechanisms of trauma recovery with deep respect for the philosophy of Yoga as a non-dogmatic discipline that anyone can choose to practice.
We will take a deep dive into the anatomy of the nervous system, polyvagal theory, neuroception, heart rate variability, respiration, interoception, proprioception, interpersonal neurobiology and best practices for creating safety, connection and empowering your students.
Yoga, Meditation, and Neuroscience
Online & In-Person @ Asheville Yoga Center
December 12-14, 2025
One of the most difficult things we can do in life is to be fully awake and present for ourselves and for the people we love and care about. Join us for a weekend of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness practices that will help bring your body, mind, and heart into a state of harmony. This weekend will offer you a firm foundation in the traditional teachings of meditation along with insights from the latest research in contemplative neuroscience.
In this workshop you will learn:
• 5 Foundational Meditation Techniques
• Anatomy of the Brain and Nervous System
• How each Technique Changes the Brain Over Time
• How Polyvagal Theory Applies to Meditation