melissa shalongo
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​
​2019 300-hr YTT 

"The Art of Effective Teaching"
​Destin Yoga Academy's 
300-hr Advanced YTT 
​Jan. 2019-Dec. 2019

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Module 1
​Yoga as Dynamic Movement
Jan. 2019 - April 2019
​100 hrs.  

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Module 2
​Yoga as a Healing Modality
May 2019 - Aug. 2019
​100 hrs. 

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Module 3
​Yoga as a Journey into the Self
​Sept. 2019 - Dec. 2019
​100 hrs.

Take one, take two, or take all three modules to be eligible for
​Yoga Alliance's 500-hr credential! 

  • Gain the tools necessary to distinguish yourself in the yoga community and to stand out in a crowded market. 
  • Commit to the highest standard in teaching excellence,  and invest in yourself and your students by continuing your education.​
  • Reconnect to your passion, discover your niche, and THRIVE in your career as an Advanced Level Yoga Educator!  
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With an impressive list of guest instructors from all over the country, this rigorous training is designed for those teachers who are committed to excellence in themselves and in their teaching. Submit your application now!
Find a sample schedule here and FAQ here. 
Download Application
trina altman module 1
mary richards modules 1 & 2
Ariele Foster Module 1
alana layne greenberg modules 2 & 3
shonali banerjee module 2
ginny thompson module 3
Tina Newell Module 2
Melissa Shalongo Modules 1,2 & 3
Our guest instructors include: Trina Altman, Shonali Banerjee, Ariele Foster, Alana Layne Greenberg, Tina Newell, Mary Richards, Melissa Shalongo, Ginny Thompson, and Stacey Vann!
Yoga as Dynamic Movement - 100hrs.
Module 1: Jan. - April 2019


  • movement literacy & experiential anatomy
  • functional movement vs. compensatory patterns 
  • asana laboratory: applying biomechanics and kinesiology  
  • injury proof asana: introducing variability and critical thinking into our practice    
  • anatomy informed sequencing and transitioning
Weekend Dates: ​​    Schedule:
Jan. 12
, 26-27                  Saturday, 8am -5pm
Feb. 16-17                        Sunday, 8am - 5pm
Mar. 9-10, 23
Apr. 13-14
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Module 1 - Yoga As Dynamic Movement
​

Our first training module considers yoga as a movement modality and is meant to provide you with a solid foundation in functional anatomy and kinesiology as it pertains to yoga asana. We will explore the musculoskeletal landscape and gain an experiential understanding of the body's architecture. We'll learn different roles muscles can play, specific joint actions, and how bones can best receive and transmit force or load. We'll become "movement literate", refining our verbal cues to allow for specificity and accuracy in our teaching.

​Thinking critically about asana, we'll learn ways to introduce variability and functionality into our classes. We’ll break down postures into their component parts and gain techniques to help keep our students safe and injury averse. We’ll also learn how to recognize and work with common imbalances and/or limitations that show up in our students and how to use corrective movement exercises to help improve muscle balance and joint function. We'll highlight the importance of
stability and strength to balance extreme ranges of motion, and we’ll tie it all together with an anatomy informed approach to sequencing and transitioning. Our first module will give you the confidence you need to teach inspired and effective classes. 

Lead Instructor: 
Melissa Shalongo, Jan. 12, and 26-27 

Guest Instructors:
Mary Richards, Feb. 16-17
Trina Altman, Mar. 9-10
Ariele Foster, Apr. 13-14

Required Reading:
Anatomy of Movement: Revised Edition by Blandine Calais-Germain

A Guide to Better Movement by Todd Hargrove

Recommended Reading:
Yoga Body by Judith Hanson Lassiter
Alignment Matters by Katy Bowman
Kinesiology: the Skeletal System and Muscle Function, (3rd ed.) by Joseph Muscolino
The Muscular System Manual (4th ed.) by Joseph Muscolino
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Weekend Dates:            Schedule:
May 4,18-19                             Saturday, 8am - 5pm
​Jun. 22-23                                Sunday, 8am - 5pm
Jul. 13-14
Aug. 10-11
, 24
Yoga As a Healing Modality - 100hrs. 
Module 2: May - Aug 2019
​
  • restorative yoga and the physiology of stress 
  • yoga therapeutics: working with chronic pain, anxiety, stress or injury
  • a trauma sensitive and informed approach to yoga
  • "Self-Awakening Yoga": somatic movement and the role of interoception in regaining trust in the body
  • sacred sound and the power of mantra​

Module 2 - Yoga as a Healing Modality


​Our second module looks at the role yoga can play in restoring the mind, body and spirit to wholeness. We’ll explore the physiology of stress and the impact our modern, 21st century lives have on our health and well-being. We'll learn specific restorative tools and techniques designed to help bring us back to our natural state of equilibrium and balance. We'll look closely at our complex relationship with pain and uncover what neuroscience has to offer us in terms of research. We’ll take a trauma sensitive approach to our teaching and discover ways we can help our students cope with grief or pain and create the sacred space necessary for transformation and healing.   

We'll also explore Don Stapleton's seminal work around “Self-Awakening Yoga" and learn subtle, yet powerful tools to unlock the wisdom of prana and increase our kinesthetic awareness. We'll learn the importance of cultivating "witness consciousness" and how we can integrate this powerful concept into our teaching and practice.  And, finally we'll raise our voices in sacred sound, adding depth and dimension to our teaching as we explore the powerful healing potential of mantra to create energetic shifts, facilitate change, and clear blockages.

Lead Instructor:
Melissa Shalongo, ​May 4, and Aug. 24th 

Guest Instructors:
Mary Richards, May 18-19
Tina Newell, June 22-23
Shonali Banerjee, July 13-14

Alana Layne Greenberg, Aug. 10-11
​
Required Reading:
Yoga as Medicine by Dr. Timothy McCall
Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma, by Dr. Peter Levine

Recommended Reading:
Self-Awakening Yoga by Don Stapleton, Ph.D.
In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness, also by Dr. Peter Levine
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D.
Yoga As a Journey into the Self - 100hrs.
Module 3: Sept. - Dec. 2019
​
  • an ayurvedic approach to yoga 
  • answering the call of dharma: an exploration of the Bhagavad Gita 
  • invoking the divine: an exploration of the Hindu Dieties
  • bhakti yoga and leading from the heart
  • yoga mehla: a celebration of SELF
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Weekend Dates:        Schedule: 
Sep. 7, 28-29                     Saturday, 8am - 5pm
​Oct. 19-20                          Sunday, 8am - 5pm
Nov. 2
, 16-17
Dec. 14-15


Module 3 - Yoga as a Journey into the Self

And lastly, in our third training module, we'll approach yoga as a loving process of Self-Inquiry. We'll consider our subtle, multi-dimensional aspects as we journey through consciousness toward our true, fundamental nature. Using ancient, tantric teachings to explore our subtle bodies, we'll learn ways to access and integrate these powerful parts of ourselves in order to align with the greatest good. We'll also use the epic tale of the Bhagavad Gita as context to explore our dharma or soul purpose in life and to refine our offerings so that they are a true reflection of our radical uniqueness.  

Finally, we'll learn ways to incorporate Ayurvedic principles into our teaching by exploring the time honored tradition of yoga's sister science. Through the integration of these two complementary disciplines we'll learn how to design classes based on the doshas or body-types and offer our students even greater depth of awareness and self-understanding. Lastly we'll explore the transformational potential of Bhakti Yoga and use the fuel of our emotions to reignite our passion to teach from the heart. “Yoga as a Journey into the Self" will give voice to our inner knowing, help us gain clarity and sense of purpose, and encourage us to look inside of ourselves for authority and expertise. Together we'll reclaim our capacity to experience ourselves as a deep, abiding love and awareness.

Lead Instructor:
Melissa Shalongo, Sept 7th, Nov. 2nd and December 14-15

Guest Instructors:
Stacey Vann, Sep. 28-29
Alana Layne Greenberg, Oct. 19-20
​Ginny Thompson, Nov. 16-17


Required Reading:
Bhagavad Gita by Ekrath Easwaran
Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing by Dr. Vasant Lad

Recommended Reading:
The Great Work of Your Life by Stephen Cope
Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution by Dr. Robert Svoboda
Yoga for Your Type by Vaidya David Frawley
Love by Leo Buscaglia

All 2018-2019 YTT will be held at Spice Health Studio

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​42 Business Center Drive
Unit 209
Miramar Beach, FL 32550

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Meet Our Instructors: 

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Trina Altman, BS, E-RYT 500, PMA-CPT, received her training through STOTT PILATES® and is an E-RYT 500. She’s the creator of Yoga Deconstructed® and Pilates Deconstructed®, which take an interdisciplinary approach to foster an embodied understanding of yoga and Pilates and their relationship to modern movement science. 

Trina has presented at Kripalu, the Yoga Alliance Leadership Conference and Yogaworks, among others. She also created and taught a Pilates continuing-education course for physical therapists and was part of the faculty for the Brain Longevity conference at UCLA. 

Trina was a finalist in the Next Pilates Anytime Instructor competition in 2017. Her work has been published in both Yoga Journal, Yoga International and Pilates Style Magazine.  Her book, Yoga Deconstructed®: Transitioning From Rehabilitation Back Into The Yoga Studio is slated to be published by Handspring Publishing in December 2019.

She works out of Los Angeles at Equinox and The Moving Joint. For more information on Trina and her online classes and courses, visit trinaaltman.com. Follow her on Instagram at: @trinaaltman & on Facebook at: Trina Altman Yoga and Pilates.

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Mary Richards, M.S., C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Mary began practicing yoga in 1992, and teaching in 2002. For over 10 years, Mary studied primarily in the Iyengar tradition with additional study in other lineages. In 2002, she attended her first workshop with Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D., PT. Mary felt an immediate resonance with Judith's work; she has studied regularly with her ever since. Mary assists Judith at various workshops around the United States and serves as her senior therapeutics and anatomy teaching assistant. Mary and Lizzie Lasater, M.Arch, yoga instructor and Judith’s daughter, also share a series on Lizzie’s YouTube channel entitled “Today’s Anatomy Question,” which features dialogue and demonstration of anatomical concepts and principles pertaining to asana. Mary, Judith and Lizzie launched their in-depth digital movement literacy course, experientialanatomy.yoga, in December 2017. They will launch a webinar-based back care course in July 2018.

​Mary's teaching and practice are informed by her deep, abiding interest in and study of anatomy and kinesiology. Mary has completed credited coursework with labs in anatomy, physiology, cadaver dissection, kinesiology and biology. Additionally, she graduates on July 23, 2017, with a master's of science in yoga therapy at Maryland University of Integrative Health. She has also completed volunteer observation hours at physical therapy facilities specializing in orthopedics and sports medicine. Mary is passionate about sharing her experience in yoga therapeutics and other healing modalities to help others cope with -- and ideally, prevent -- injury to the joint segments of the body, especially the weight-bearing joints of the lower extremity. 

Mary lives in the Washington, D.C. area, where she teaches syllabus-based yoga classes, sees clients privately, and trains bodyworkers, fitness professionals and yoga instructors in movement literacy and therapeutic techniques.

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Ariele Foster, P.T, D.PT, E-RYT 500 is a doctor of physical therapy, yoga teacher since 2001, founder of YogaAnatomyAcademy.com, and creator of the Yoga Journal online course Fascia Release for Yoga. Through YogaAnatomyAcademy.com Ariele runs the Online Yoga Anatomy Mentorship for yoga teachers and dedicated students of yoga, exploring how yoga asana can better align with individual anatomy, best evidence, and real-world function. Ariele’s physical therapy practice is founded upon treating the whole person. She uses hands-on manual therapy techniques along with precise, targeted strength training, myofascial release and neuromuscular re-integration to achieve optimal recovery for patients.

Her interdisciplinary yoga teaching, workshops, and retreats are grounded in the compassionate approach of Kripalu Yoga and her deep understanding of neuro-musculoskeletal well-being from working with thousands of patients.Ariele has completed yoga teacher trainings in Kripalu, Anusara, Therapeutics, Hatha Yoga and the tradition of Maty Ezraty / YogaWorks. She also serves as anatomy faculty for 90Monkeys.com, various yoga teacher trainings and is an ambassador for KiraGrace clothing.

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Alana Layne Greenberg, M.A., C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, YACEP Alana’s been exploring the fields of natural health, movement and human consciousness for almost 30 years with remarkable teachers in the global community. Through her travels she’s assembled a multi-modality “medicine bag” that synthesizes the wisdom of Hatha Yoga, Ayurvedic Medicine, Aromatic Medicine, Five Element Acupuncture, Chi Nei, Tsang, Jin Shin Jyutsu, Thai Nad Bo Rarn and Alchemical Healing. These holistic traditions, in addition to her Master’s degrees in Trauma Counseling and Education, are woven together into various offerings: experiential workshops and teacher trainings, hand-crafted aromatherapy products and personal counseling/healing sessions in her private practice.

In contemporary Yoga culture where certifications have meaning, she is certified as a Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) through the International Association of Yoga Therapists, an Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist (AYT) through the National Ayurvedic Medicine Association (NAMA), an E-RYT 500 Yoga Teacher through the Yoga Alliance (YA), and offers continuing education courses through both NAMA and YA. She is privileged to serve as an Advisory Board member of the BodyWise Foundation that works with healing trauma through Yoga and feels deeply honored to serve as the Director of Yoga Therapy Education at the Nexus Institute for Yoga and Wellness in Costa Rica.
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She’s most interested in and passionate about the alchemy of healing which is reflected in the way she teaches and creates space for transformation to unfold. Her hope is that her life energy, in some significant way, creates inner shifts, clarity of purpose, inspiration and empowerment that catalyzes both personal and collective evolution.

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Shonali Banerjee, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500 Shonali has been singing and dancing since she first wiggled her way out of the womb. From the moment she could reach the keys, she studied classical piano. She received her B.F.A. in Drama from Syracuse University in 1996. Upon moving to NYC in 1998, Shonali found solace, strength and profound expansion through yoga and chanting.  These practices supported Shonali while she was shifting away from the world of acting.  In 2002, after a bicycle accident, Shonali quit her stressful job in downtown Manhattan, and still recovering from injuries, completed Alan Finger's 500 hour ISHTA yoga teacher training program.  She became Director of ISHTA's Yoga Teacher Training programs. During this period, Shonali sang with a group of wise earth-honoring soul-seekers actively exploring chants from a multitude of traditions.

Shonali apprenticed as an herbalist in the Wise Woman Tradition furthering a long-standing connection to the natural world, aligning herself with the natural cycles of the seasons & the moon.  After moving to Paris, France in 2004, Shonali studied therapeutics & women's health with the illustrious TKV Desikachar and taught private yoga full time. In 2005, Shonali began teaching prenatal yoga.  Shonali relocated to Atlanta in 2010 and soon thereafter completed a second 500 hour training with the Pranakriya Yoga school and is now a certified Yoga Therapist.  Shonali teaches regularly at local yoga studios in Atlanta and offers private yoga sessions to any and all who are curious about yoga and it's healing potential. You'll find Shonali chanting mystical songs & harmonies in the vibrant Atlanta chanting community and until 2017 in a beautiful partnership called Mantra MA!  Shonali supports Centering Youth, a non-profit bringing yoga to under-served populations throughout Atlanta.

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Ginny Thompson, LPC, RYT 500 began practicing yoga during her graduate studies in 2009 as a way to manage academic stress and cultivate a greater sense of balance and connection within the body and mind. She completed her first teacher training at Sacred Thread Yoga in Atlanta, Georgia where she deepened her love for yoga and it’s direct channel to the spiritual realm. She continued her training at the Esalen Institute, the Kripalu Center for Yoga and the Yandara Yoga Institute in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Ginny seeks and shares inspiration through asana, mantra, meditation and breath. Her bhakti flows are a blend of creative and graceful movement intertwined with alignment and attention to detail.

​Ginny’s love for a heart-led practice has developed into a passion for allowing the inner wisdom of the soul to guide her practice, her teaching and her life. Her background as a psychotherapist serves as a support in assisting others in cultivating a greater sense of self-compassion and self-love through the joyful practice of yoga. An eternal student, Ginny is committed to exploring her yogic path on and off the mat, fully embracing life with an open heart. She enjoys sharing her passion for seeking and celebrating one’s true nature through the sacred practice of yoga. 
Ginny is currently grateful to be supporting the journeys of yogis practicing at the Yandara Yoga Institute in Mexico and Shambala Gatherings yoga retreat center in Sweden.
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Stacey Vann, KRI certified, E-RYT 500, RCYT, RPYT, YACEP, B.A. “Teacher of Teachers,” Stacey has been curiously exploring yoga since she was a child and completed her first yoga teacher training in Seattle, WA in 1997. She has been teaching yoga for over 20 years offering yoga classes for all ages from babies to grandparents. Stacey’s teaching style is infused with laughter, energy, and love. She encourages her students to attain wellness, joy and connection with a commitment to daily practice, self-care, and an attitude of gratitude.

Stacey Vann is a mother, Life Coach, doula, reflexologist, Young Living essential oil educator and founder of the Mahabhuta Yoga Festival, co-founder of Galactic Child Yoga, and is co-owner of Breathe Yoga and Wellness Center where she leads Yoga Teacher Training programs at her Registered Yoga School (RYS) in Pensacola, Florida. Check out her books here:
​
https://www.discoverlsp.com/mindful-meditation.html
https://www.discoverlsp.com/all-books/mindful-kids.html

https://www.discoverlsp.com/mindful-breathing.html 


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Tina Newell, E-RYT200, RYT500 instructing yoga to Tina means to meet people where they are in their body, in their life, on their journey. Her teachings are filled with a therapeutic approach full of gratitude and compassion for the ones sharing their practice with her, with gentle hands-on assists to help her students find alignment in their body and to be a companion on their journey. She likes to keep her practice light-hearted, but challenging and multi-level, to find whatever the edge is that day.

She received her 200 RYT training and certification with Yax Yoga Concepts for Hot Yoga and Hot Vinyasa. Her 300 hour training was at Asheville Yoga Center in North Carolina. She is certified for Yin Yoga (Shala Worsley), for Therapeutic Elements of Yoga (Joe Taft), and for Senior Yoga (Libby Hinesly). Additional certifications and workshops include Prenatal Yoga, Yoga for Cancer Patients, Restorative Yoga, Bhakti Flow as well as Yoga, Trauma and Psychology as well as Meditation.
She is an authorized Yoga Warriors International Instructor to help with the wounds of war breath by breath to work with combat veterans suffering from Combat and Operational Stress Reaction (COSR) or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

"The Art of Effective Teaching"
​Destin Yoga Academy's

300-hr Advanced YTT


Early Bird Pricing for all three modules:  
​
$3900 through December 14th

please submit a $500 deposit with application
​
**must be paid in full to receive early bird pricing


Individual Modules priced as follows
Module 1 - $1500
Module 2 - $1500
Module 3 - $1500
​
please submit a $300 deposit with application

Regular Pricing for all three modules:
$4200 starting Dec. 15th 

please submit a $500 deposit with application

Payment Plan option available for all three modules: 
quarterly payments of $925
​ 
or monthly installments considered on a cases by case basis

please submit a $500 deposit with application

APPLY
Photos from Altruisto, Rosmarie Voegtli, Pierce Martin, Oliver Kreis, Wonderlane, Informedmag
  • Home
  • PRIVATE INSTRUCTION
    • Individual
    • Small Group
  • Events
    • Upcoming >
      • Virtual Yoga Studio Sept. 2024
    • Past >
      • Strong Stable Shoulders Workshop - Oct.
      • Happy Healthy Hips Workshop - April
      • Wildwood Garden Yoga - April
      • 2023 Pain, Perception and Play Workshop
      • 2023 200-hr YTT April 2023
      • 2023 Liberate Your Pelvis Workshop - April
      • 2023 Liberate Your Pelvis Workshop - March
      • 2023 Sept. Wildwood Garden Yoga
      • 2023 Oct Wildwood Garden Yoga
      • 2022 200-hr YTT
      • 2022 300-hr YTT
      • 2022 Modern Yogi Workshop
      • 2022 Mahabhuta YogaVegFest
      • 2021 May Liberate Your Pelvis Workshop
      • 2021 April Liberate Your Pelvis Workshop
      • 2021 Mahabhuta YogaVegFest
      • 2020 Virtual Retreat
      • 2020 Modern Yogi Workshop
      • 2020 300-hr YTT
      • 2019 300-hr YTT
  • About
  • My Bookshelf
  • Blog
  • testimonials