For over three decades, every It’s Yoga® Teacher Training
has begun the same way.
With foundations.
Before sequencing.
Before teaching methodology.
Before advanced postures.
Breath.
Bandhas.
Dristi.
Alignment.
These are not optional refinements.
They are essential.
Now, for the first time, these foundational teachings are available as a standalone training.
Why This Is Essential?
In a modern yoga world saturated with choreography and performance, foundations are often assumed — not studied.
But without intelligent structure:
Practice becomes effort.
Movement becomes habit.
Intensity replaces precision.
Serious practitioners know:
What sustains you long term is not more poses — or practicing harder.
It is conscious practice.
Embodied wisdom.
Intelligence born from attention.
Larry Schultz, founder of It’s Yoga®, used to say:
“Consciousness in your practice gives you the intelligence to speak about it.”
When you truly pay attention — when you study the tools, refine the breath, and understand the structure — wisdom arises naturally.
The Essentials of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga offers the exact foundational teachings introduced in the first week of It’s Yoga® 200-Hour Teacher Training — the same lineage-based study that has shaped thousands of practitioners since 1989.
This is what makes a practice safe, effective, and sustainable.
What You Will Learn
Inside this structured training, you will refine:
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Structural Alignment
How to measure your shoulders and hips so you know precisely where to place your hands and feet.
This creates a safe, intelligent base for every posture. -
Intelligent Breath
How to coordinate inhale and exhale with upward and downward movement.
How to regulate tempo to calm the nervous system and steady the mind. -
Inner Strength (Bandhas)
How to engage subtle internal support that transforms effort into flow — creating clarity and direction both on and off the mat.
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Focus & Direction (Dristi)
How to refine your gaze and direct awareness inward and upward — cultivating higher levels of concentration and presence.
These tools are not theoretical.
They are embodied.
They change everything.
Rooted in Lineage
Included in this training is the original Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Manual by Larry Schultz, Founder of It’s Yoga®.
This was the first book written on Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga at a time when the system was still primarily transmitted orally.
Encouraged by his students — including members of the Grateful Dead — Larry documented the method so it could be preserved and shared with integrity.
When you study The Essentials, you are stepping directly into that lineage.
Who is this training for
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Practitioners who want to strengthen their foundation
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Teachers who feel called to refine their fundamentals
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Students considering Teacher Training
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Anyone serious about practicing yoga intelligently and sustainably
Your Investment
This is the same foundational material that begins every It’s Yoga® Teacher Training — now available independently for serious practitioners worldwide.
Lifetime access.
Structured teaching.
Immediate application.
A Personal Note
This training was filmed in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca — during a season of deep study, sunlight, and devotion.
My husband stood behind the camera as both student and producer, and together we captured the foundational teachings that begin every It’s Yoga® Teacher Training.
These are the same tools that have steadied thousands of practitioners since 1989.
They are simple.
They are precise.
They are essential.
If you feel called to strengthen your foundation, I would be honored to place these teachings in your hands.
And I truly hope to meet you someday — in the yoga room, on retreat, or somewhere along this shared path of practice.
With strength and love,
Marie
READY TO DIVE IN?
This training is offered by application + personal conversation to ensure it’s the right fit for you and the group.