PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER

TRAINING MANUAL

volve hrough Love

by

Welcome
to the Pranashama Yoga
Training Manual
This manual is created as a supplement to the book Journey to Joyful, which
explores the science, philosophy and methodology of Pranashama Yoga as an
integrative approach to a holistic lifestyle and powerful healing journey. When you
embrace the aspects within yourself that exist in shadow/ darkness and allow them
to be brought into the light of awareness, there is infinite possibility for your life.
Please approach all learning with an open heart and mind. If you happen upon
something that doesnt resonate with your current belief structure, take a moment
to step back and explore the potential of all that exists, with an understanding that
there is no one way to expanding awareness. Many paths lead to the truth and it is
our joy and privilege to allow whatever arises for us to be new and fresh. Since our
perception creates our reality, let us be flexible in perception, just as we aim to be
in our bodies through the path and practice of yoga.
Hatha Yoga is the scientific Yoga Path that includes Yoga Poses, or Asanas, as a key
element to the attainment of liberation. Hatha Yoga is a multifaceted science for
healing the body, creating health and vitality, and restoring the natural flow of prana
(life force) to practitioners.
This manual is created both for yoga practitioners and teachers seeking to create
a personal home practice that can serve them wherever you may be. It is also a
perfect manual to follow in order to create sequences to teach yoga students. The
sequences in this manual are simple enough to learn and remember easily, while
being powerful enough to create considerable health benefits on all levels.
Yoga practice is best done when warmed up. So if it is winter or you are in a place
with a low temperature, you may have to generate some heat with your own
effort, energy and movement. In this case, feel free to move more quickly for a few
rounds of sun salutations to get the energy flowing, heat rising and your breath
moving through you.

Things to consider:

If you have been injured in the past, are healing/recovering

from an injury or surgery, or have any misalignment in your
body for any reason, I recommend you start slow. Watch a
few videos and observe the movement you need to be able
to achieve.
This being said, I also encourage you to get started moving, as
soon as possible. Nothing compares to actually getting on a
yoga mat and physically connecting with your Self in this way.
Always practice yoga on an empty stomach. Dont eat for at
least 1-2 hours before beginning. Be sure to hydrate yourself
both before and after, and minimally throughout the practice,
as needed.
Wear something comfortable made from stretchy material,
to ensure your optimal experience.
Be committed to staying with your breath from beginning to
end of practice.
Turn off your phone and find a quiet place free from
distraction that is both comfortable and inspiring with plenty
of room to move freely.
These practices are best when practiced in conjunction with
verbal instruction, such as with a live training, a DVD or video
instruction or audio training.

Sun Salutations
10

Rise and Shine with Yoga Surya Namaskar -

the Sanskrit words for this sequence, is best done
for several rounds and can be done as a warm
up or by itself as a complete practice.

6 PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

1.

Mountain Pose. Starting with feet

grounded into the earth, spread your
toes, lift your arches and root down
through the soles of your feet. Spine
long, crown of the head lifted to the sky.
Tilt your chin down slightly and tilt your
tailbone down toward the earth. Pull in
your lower belly and close your eyes.

2.

*Deeper back bend variation

Inhale reach your arms toward the

sky, palms together above your head,
interlace your fingers, drop your
shoulders down and back and lift your
heart (chest) to the sky. Gently arch back
while maintaining the routed foundation
at your feet as with mountain pose.

3.

Exhale forward bend, palms

reaching toward the earth,
neck is relaxed, crown of the
head toward the floor. Knees
straight as possible.

4.

Inhale step back into a low lunge. Placing

your left knee to the earth, shift your hips
forward, pull in your lower belly, tuck in
your front ribs and interlace your fingers
above your head. Gently arch back to
lengthen the hip flexors.

8 PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

5.

*Quad stretch with spinal twist

Exhale forward bend, both palms

to the earth on either side of
your front foot. Shift your hips
back, straighten your front knee
and reach toward your front foot.
Flexing the toes in toward your
face, pull the outer edge of your
foot toward you to stretch the
hamstrings, IT band and lengthen
the spine. Relax your neck and
breath. Step your right foot back
into plank position.

6.

Plank position, both palms are

directly under your shoulders,
spine straight, like mountain
pose horizontal. Engage your
core and as you exhale, lower
your body to the floor.

7.

Inhale press firmly into both palms,

drop your shoulders down and
back and engage your triceps, lifting
your chest into cobra pose. Gaze
is either directly forward or slightly
up if your neck and back flexibility
allow.

8.

Exhale press back to downward

facing dog. Palms pressing firmly and
evenly into the earth, fingers spread
wide, root down through the base
of the hand where the thumb and
the index meet at the wrist. Relax
your neck, allowing the crown of
your head to fall toward the earth.
Tailbone tilted toward the sky,
heals pressing into the earth. Knees
straight, lower belly engaged. Tuck in
your front ribs and breath.

10 PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

9.

*Extended forward
bend

Inhale step your left foot forward

between your hands (either lower
the knee or keep the back kneed
lifted for strength and power).
Either flat palms or finger tips
to the earth on either side of
the front food. Lengthen your
spine, pull in lower belly and
look forward. Tilt your tailbone
down and lift the crown of your
heard to the sky. Leading with
your heart, lengthen the right
hip extensors by lifting your back
knee a little higher.

11

10.

Exhale standing forward bend.

Inhale back to standing position. Samadhi mudra,

palms resting gently at the 2nd chakra close your
eyes and feel the peace within you.

5 Tibetan Rites
Discover the Fountain of Youth Tibetan Rites are a 2500 year
old sequence designed to be a short, effective practice that can
be done each day to ensure a healthy happy life.
You should start with 7 rounds of each Rite and work your
way up to 21 rounds. After you are able to master 21 rounds,
then if you wish to progress more, you should do several sessions of 21 rounds, throughout the day.

13

1.

Standing with arms spread out in a

T position, you have 2 options:
Full 360 rotation or modified
version which I refer to as the
Sprinkler. If you have a tendency
toward dizziness, opt for the
modified version to start.

14 PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

2.

Starting in downward facing dog

Move forward into a version

of upward facing dog with
the toes tucked under and
knees lifted.

3.

Starting in a Staff position. Seated with legs

straight, tailbone tiled down perpendicular
to the floor, spine straight, crown of the
head lifted, lower belly engaged, feet flexed.
Palms pressing on either side of your hips,
drop your shoulders down and back and
use the strength in your triceps, core and
quadricips to sit straight and tall.

Table or Inclined Plane

Starting in Staff Pose (above) root down
through the palms of the hands and
press your feet flat toward the earth. Lift
your pelvis and hips to the sky and look
up. Creating a 90 degree angle at the
shoulders, engage the core and lengthen
the spine.

15

4.

Inhale - Starting lying flat on your back, stretch

your arms straight behind your back, point your
toes away from you and lengthen your spine.

Exhale- Lift your legs toward

the sky and ground your lower
back into the earth. Engage the
core strength.

Reaching straight up toward the sky,

slide your palms along the earth, past
your hips and curl your chin in toward
your chest.

16 PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

5.

Starting kneeling with knees and shins

hip distance apart, lower your chin
toward your chest and relax your
neck. Tailbone tilted down, long spine,
balanced and grounded into your shins.

VARIATION - hands to your heals.

Inhale engage your quadricips as you

slid your palms down the back side of
your hamstrings. Tilting the sacrum (tail
bone) down, elongate the lumbar (lower
vertabrae) spine. Create space between
the lower vertabrae first to prevent
compression. Lift your heart toward the
sky and drop your shoulders down and
back to arch your thoracic spine. Head
can gently lay back or to protect your
neck, look up toward the sky. This is a
Camel Pose variaion.

Warrior
Sequence
Strength and Tone

18 PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

1.

Warrior 2 engage core,

ground down through the
feet. Pressing the back leg
straight, bend your front
knee 90 degrees. Sink you
pelvis toward the earth
and tilt your tailbone
down. Engage your core
and lengthen your spine.
Look forward and broaden
through the front of your
body, stretching your arms
out in either direction.

2.

Dancing(reverse) Warrior-
From Warrior 1, slide your
back arm down the back
leg and lengthen the side of
your body as you extend
the front arm up and over
your head, reaching toward
the wall behind you. Sink
the hips down and open the
back inner thigh while you
strengthen the front leg and
breath deeply.

19

3.

Side Angle Pose (modified version)-

Starting with wariior 2 leg positioning, place
your front forearm on the front thigh near
your knee, engage your core and square
your front shoulder perpendicular to the
floor. Extend your top arm over your heard
and stretch the side of your body.

Extended side angle pose - full

variation. Place your palm to the floor
on the inside of your frong foot, elbow
straight, revolve your torso toward the
sky and lengthen your side.

Inner Thigh Stretch - Place both palms directly

under your shoulders, with legs in warrior 2
position. Sink your hips toward the earth and
tilt your pelvis back toward the wall behind you
to lengthen your spine and deepen the stretch.
Engage your core and look down. Breath into
the inner thighs and hips.

Extended variation - reach to grasp

both ankles with your palms, ultilizing full
strength from your legs, low back and
core. Please only attempt this if you have a
strong back and legs, as you may strain or
create injury if you are not ready to try
the advanced techniques.

20 PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

Return to Plank Position.

Lower from plank position to Chatarunga, with elbows

bend 90 degree angles and squeeze your arms in toward
your side ribs. Engage your core and look down. Tuck
your toes under and create a flat plank youre your body,
shoulders, hips and legs all parallel to the earth.

Inhale to upward facing dog- Press the

palms firmly into the earth and lift your chest
toward the sky. Drop your shoulders down
and back and engage your triceps. Lift your
knees and hips slightly, while arching your
back. Look forward or upward, being aware
of your neck flexibility to prevent strain.

21

Exhale press back to downward

facing dog variation with splits. Lifting
one leg toward the sky, ground down
through the opporsite heal and
lengthen the hamstrings, opening the
hips and inner thighs toward the sky.
Point the top foots toes and engage
your glutes to get some length and
height. Neck is relaxed and palms
grounded into the earth, elbows
straight and parallel. Lengthen your
spine and breath.
Knee bent variation- sometimes
referred to as downward dog
scorpion. Bending that top knee,
pointing the toes toward the floor
to the opposite side. Revolve your
torso slightly and look up toward
your toes.

Side angle basic variation with

mudra to keep mind and body
centered and calm. Opens the
hips, inner thighs and strengthens
core and legs. Press the front
keep open to stretch deeper into
the inner thigh muscles. Keep your
core engaged and breath.

Inner thigh chops to loosen

the mucles. Great way to
create more flexibility and
reduce stress and tenstion
with this asian massage
percussion technique.

22 PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

Hamstring stretch variation.

Hips squared to the front of
the mat, flex your front foot
and draw your face in toward
your toes. Lengthen your spine
and tilt your tailbone back.
Relax your neck and breath
into the hamstrings.

Low lunge variation with

backbend (crescent moon pose).
Grounded into your front foot,
square your hips to the front of
the mat and engage your lower
belly. Interlace the fingers above
your head and leading with fire
hands to keep you centered and
aligned. Tilt your tailbone down
to lengthen your hip extension
muscles, tendons and ligiments.
Lift your heart and arch back.

23

Exhale step the back foot forwad

coming back to standing forward
bend to complete the sequence.

Finally returning back to

Mountain Pose, standing
position.

6 Pack Yoga Abs

For many years I tried just about everything and could never get my abs to
show. I was beginning to believe that it
was just not possible for my body and
about to give up. That was when a sports
coach gave me the secret advice that
changed my perception. She shared with
me the concept of bandhas, but at that
time, she didnt call it that. She just said,
you have to pull in your lower belly and
engage your core all the time. When
your driving, sitting, standing, working
out and all of your daily activities. This
will give your muscles the direction they
need to find their shape, form and tone.
So, I gave it a try. I pulled in my belly
and started to see results. Then I started

to apply this same technique while doing

actual workouts and the results rapidly
increased. This, in addition to fine tuning my diet, adding more protein and
learning how to engage these muscles
with conscious contraction techniques,
has lead to over a decade of tone 6 pack
abs that everyone always asks me about.
Many people have expressed interest in
learning these techniques so here I am
going to show you some of my favorite
strengthening and toning techniques. I
have many more that I can share them
all here with you, but these are a great
place to start.

25

1.

Starting in plank
position, please
remember to engage
your core and pull your
belly button toward
your spin

2.

Ground into your palms and

draw your right knee into
your chest. Chin in toward
your knee, engage your core
and pull your navel to your
spine. Lift the back of your
spine toward the sky and
tilt your sacrum toward the
earth. Take 5 breaths.

VARIATION
Knee to the outer
edge of your right
tricep to work the
obliques (outer abs).

26 PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

3.

Side Plank Sequence

strengthens your
shoulders, obliques,
core, and lats.

Star Pose

Vasisthasana

27

4.

Bicycle Abs Sequence

Repeat 20 times.
Grounded into the lower back, bend both knees and
interlace your fingers behind your head to support the
weight of your head. Lift your chest and shoulders off
the ground and with each exhale, revolve your torso,
pressing your armpit toward the opposite knees and
they come in toward each other and extend through
the opposte leg and foot. Move with control and
contract the core, pulling your naval to your spine with
each repetition.

28 PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

5.

Toe Touch, Sit and Reach Sequence.

Advanced Boat Pose.

Seated balance core strengthening.

Neck Healing
Sequence
Self Massage and Stretch
Many people ask me about the
journey to healing my neck after
several car accidents lead to the
loss of the curvature in my cervical spine. At the time of these
tragic events, I was completely
unaware of the long term repercussions of my actions and my
ignorance cost me many years
of therapy to restore my health.
Most people under estimate the
impact the spinal alignment can
have upon the health and vitality
of the body. Through many years
of self study and research, I have
come to understand that when the
spine is out of alignment, especially
the top bone positioned near the
skull, called the Atlas or sometimes called the mouth of God.
This seemingly simple bone, when
out of alignment, can be linked to
many common health concerns
including allergies, fatigue, aches
and pains in the body, digestive
disorders, skin ailments, mental disturbances, migraines and
much more. The reason for this
is the atlas, a small bone with a
hole in the center to allow the
brain stem and spinal cord to flow
freely from the base of the spine to
the brain- sends messages to the

entire body about how to behave

and function in all of our daily
operations. When the atlas is out
of alignment, it can block the flow
of neural transmission and essential fluids, which leads to poor
health functioning. Over time, this
blocked flow can result in chronic
or permanent health issues. If
caught early enough, it can be alleviated very simply and relatively
painlessly. My journey, in addition to the car accidents that lead
to this, included snow boarding
accidents, falling out of trees from
high branches and cliff jumping
from 80 foot rocks into lakes of
water as a care free child growing
up. At the time, I paid no attention
to the possible risks of my actions
and invincibly approached life as
if each day was my last. Those actions lead to the compounding of
my neck issues and ultimately to
the symptom sof allergies, digestive
issues, skin issues, fatigue and a
great deal of pain that I developed
in my neck, upper back and shoulders. The pain we feel in our bodies
is always a sign for us to take a
look deeper into this area and
explore what needs to be healed.
When we feel pain in any way,

whether it is emotional, mental,

physical or any other, it is our soul
sending us messages and when
we dont listen, the messages get
louder, more clear, more painful
and can eventually lead to the ultimate message of death. The following sequence is a portion of what I
used to heal my neck. These yoga
poses, self massage and stretches,
when combined with a regular
healing massage, sessions of upper
cervical chiropractic adjustments
and the right mindset of belief and
positive affirmations, can lead
to the restoration of your health.
I know it has for me. Although,
on this journey, I have come to
realize, there is no such thing as
perfect health with no ailments for
an entire lifetime, we can restore
as closely as humanly possible and
live a wonderful happy life free of
pain. Enjoy a few of these practices
regularly for optimum results.
A few moments in the morning,
throughout the day and/ or in the
evening will open up a world of
pleasure sensation in your body,
clarity of thinking in your mind
and openness in your heart.

30 PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

1.

Starting in a standing forward bend,

interlace your fingers behind your
head and draw your face in toward
your shins. Relax your neck and allow
the back of the neck muscles and all
the way down into the upper back to
stretch and release tension.
Take 5 breaths at least.

2.

Seated in a comfortable posiiton, place

your hands on either knee and round your
spine, pressing your back toward the wall
behind you and drawing your chin in toward
your chest. Spread through the upper back,
shoulders forward becoming concave in
the front of your chest to allow the muscles
between the shoulder blades to stretch
away from the thoracic spine. Pressing your
palms into your knees will create stability
for you to press deeper and stretch further.
Take a 5 breaths.

31

3.

From that same seated position, sukasana (easy

sitting pose) interlace your fingers behind your
back, making a fist with your hands. Drop your
shoulders down and back and squeeze your
shoulder blades together behind you. Sit up
straight and lengthen your spine. Pull in your
lower belly to engage the strength of your
core as you sit, this will provide stability. Lower
your right ear toward your right shoulder and
lengthen the left side of your neck. Press the
left shoulder down toward the floor while you
use the right hand to pull the left arm down
and back, to go deeper into the stretch. Lift
the chin toward the sky to stretch through the
front and side deeper.

VARIATION 1, repeat on the other side

and lower the chin to stretch deeper
through the back and side of the neck.

VARIATION 2 Using your left hand, press your

head to the left shoulder as you use the right
hand to press the right shoulder down and
toward the floor. Take 5 breaths.

32 PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

4.

Sitting with legs apart (or back in easy pose if this is not comfortable) lower your elbows to the
floor (or using a block or something if you cant bend this far). Prop your elbows on the floor and
press your thumbs into the muscles between your jaw bone and throat. This is where we store a lot
of tension built up in the neck and head. Just allow the weight of the head to sink into the thumbs,
called acupressure. Allow gravity to do the work and just breath through the tension and/or pain.
Walk the thumbs along this ridge of the chin and repeat this all the way from the tip of the chin to
where the jaw meets the skull near your ears.

Sitting in easy pose, place your

left hand behind your back on
the floor near your sacrum
(tailbone), elbow straight. Press
the right hand into the right
knee and twist to the left. Look
over your right shoulder, sit up
straight and exhale as you twist
with a long straight spine.

Other seated variation to open the hips.

5.

33

6.

Side view.

Starting in Rabbit Pose, Kneeling on

knees and shins, place the crown
of your head to the earth and roll
along the top of your skull, liftin your
hips into the air. Placing your elbows
flat on either side of your head to
stabalize, use your hands to knead
your shoulders in a massage to release
tension from the shoulders while the
neck muscles stretch. Try at least 5
breaths.

Counter pose, seated on shins

and keens, press your palms into
the floor and lift your heart to
the sky. Drop the shoulders down
and back. Allow your head to
lay back and stretch through the
front of your neck.

34 PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

7.

Sphynx pose is great for strengthening your lower back,

while creating flexibility in the mid and upper back and
neck. Keep the shoulders soft, while lifting through he
chest. Keep the lower body flat and ground through
the hips and pelvis to stabilize. Press into the palms and
forearms to lift the chest higher.

Deeper variation. Pressing the palms

into the earth, keep the elbows
slightly bend and lift the chest higher
toward the sky. Bend your knees and
point your toes toward the ceiling.
Ground through the pelvis and thighs.
Drop your shoulders down and back
and engage the strength in your lats,
and upper back. Gaze (drishti) is
slightly up.

Ending in Childs pose

to rest knees together,
tops of the feet on the
earth, palms by your
sides, spine is long,
forehead to the earth.
Relax your neck and
take 5 breaths like this.

Inspiration
Advanced Asanas
& Inversions

Headstand with eagle leg variation - front view

Headstand with eagle leg variation - back view

36 PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

Tripod Headstand Variations

Tripod Headstand

37

Scorpion Variations

38 PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

Full Wheel Advanced Variation

Forearm Wheel Variation

Forearm Wheel

39

Side Blank Transition To Wheel (Dancing Wheel) Variations

40 PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

Advanced Standing Backbend Variations (Standing Camel)

41

Advanced Side Plank/ Bound Variations

King Pigeon Variation

42 PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

Bound Camel

Advanced Camel Variations

Sages Pose

Double Warrior With Lotus Mudra

43

Standing Bow Pose

Twisted Dancers Pose

Dancers Pose

44 PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

Crane Pose (Advanced Crow Variation)

Front Splits Prep

Pretzel Pose

45

46 PRANASHAMA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL

Advanced Twisted Side Crow Variation

Advanced Twisted Side Crow

Twisted Side Crow Prep

Heavenly Spirits - Variation

47

Free Spirit Pose

Namaste!