Restorative Yoga Teacher Training

This restorative yoga teacher training is a three-day weekend at Transitions Yoga in Bismarck, North Dakota, led by Terra Scharnowske of Nomadic Winds Yoga with Transitions School of Yoga. It carries 20 hours of Yoga Alliance continuing education credit and is open to yoga teachers, yoga students and wellness practitioners who want to learn how to guide a restorative practice for themselves and for others.

Restorative yoga is a passive style, built on props and breath, with poses held for five minutes or longer. The training teaches how to set up those poses, cue them with your voice, and create the conditions in which the nervous system can shift from "go go go" toward "rest and digest."

What to Expect

The weekend runs Friday evening, a full Saturday and Sunday through mid-afternoon. Friday is 4:00pm to 8:30pm. Saturday is 9:00am to 6:00pm, and Sunday is 9:00am to 3:30pm, each of the last two days with a 1.5 hour working lunch.

The curriculum moves through these areas:

- The history and benefits of restorative yoga
- The physiology of stress and how restorative practice moves the body from a sympathetic to a parasympathetic response
- Physical anatomy, along with the energetic anatomies of the koshas, chakras and vayus
- The role of the teacher in holding a safe space and managing the room, the props and the students
- How to structure a restorative class, including building a sequence from a template the instructor provides
- Ways to invite relaxation through breathing exercises, calming strategies and meditation
- Additions such as guided meditation and yoga nidra, plus resources for continuing study

The studio is set with candles, incense and intention, and the pace is unhurried. Participants practice hands-on with one another and leave able to create, guide and practice a customized restorative sequence. Attendance at all sessions is required to earn the certification and the continuing education hours.

About Terra Scharnowske

Terra Scharnowske is a Registered Nurse by trade and has practiced yoga for more than 15 years. She is a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT 500) and a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP). Her own experience of a greater sense of self and well-being led her to teach, and she considers a teacher's training never really finished. She teaches restorative yoga as a therapeutic practice that helps students cultivate compassion for their own mind, body and spirit.

The Setting

The training takes place at the Transitions Yoga studio in Bismarck, North Dakota, a cozy space on N Washington Street. Participants enter through Door #6 beside Rustic Petals and follow the signs. Free parking is available. Home2Suites by Hilton and Hampton Inn are the two hotels closest to the studio, and an Airbnb is another option for those who want to see more of Bismarck during their stay.

Before You Go

The training is designed for new and experienced yoga teachers, yoga students, and health professionals, including nurses, doctors, psychotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, counselors, body workers, mind-body fitness instructors and health coaches. Teachers gain a new skill and more confident prop work. Students learn to practice safely on their own. Wellness practitioners explore how restorative poses can support clients living with anxiety, trauma or PTSD. The training is taught in English.

Included are expert instruction, a detailed manual, a workbook, class templates, props, and snacks and tea. The studio supplies everything needed, though you are welcome to bring your own props if you prefer them. Meals and lodging are not included, but the Saturday lunch break is long enough to eat properly.