THE ESSENTIALS OF ASHTANGA VINYASA
The foundations for a safe, intelligent, and sustainable yoga practice.
Breath · Bandhas · Dristi · Alignment
Learn why they matter. Understand how they work. Put them into practice.
For more than 30 years, every It’s Yoga® Teacher Training has begun with the foundations.
Before advanced postures.
Before sequencing.
Before teaching methodology.
Breath.
Bandhas.
Dristi.
Alignment.
These teachings shape how we breathe, how we move, where we place our attention, and how we support the body throughout the practice.
And yet, many yoga practitioners practice for years without ever being taught them clearly.
These aren't advanced teachings.
They are the essentials.
For the first time, these foundational teachings from the It’s Yoga® system are available as a standalone training.
Why This Is Essential?
You can practice yoga for years and still never be taught the foundations that make the practice work.
In more than two decades of teaching, I’ve worked with practitioners at every level. Again and again, I see people who love yoga and practice regularly, yet have never been clearly taught how to create Ujjayi breath, engage the bandhas, use dristi, or establish intelligent foundations through the hands and feet.
These details matter.
They affect how force moves through the body.
How the breath supports movement.
How attention is directed.
How strength and stability are created.
A long-term practice asks for understanding—not simply repetition.
The Essentials gives you the foundational knowledge to practice with greater awareness, intelligence, and confidence for years to come.
Larry Schultz, founder of It’s Yoga®, used to say:
“Consciousness in your practice gives you the intelligence to speak about it.”
When you pay attention—when you study the tools, refine the breath, and understand the structure—the practice begins to teach you.
The Essentials of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga brings together the foundational teachings introduced at the beginning of It’s Yoga® Teacher Training—the lineage-based study that has shaped the It’s Yoga system since 1989.
This is the foundation for a safe, effective, and sustainable practice.
Inside The Essentials, you’ll learn how to work with four foundational elements of the practice:
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Structural Alignment
Learn how to establish the foundation of a posture through the hands and feet, and how proportion and placement support intelligent alignment throughout the body.
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Ujjayi Breath
Learn how to create Ujjayi breath and coordinate the inhale and exhale with movement—using the breath to establish rhythm, steadiness, and awareness.
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Bandhas
Learn what the bandhas are, how to engage them, and how they create internal support, stability, and connection throughout the practice.
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Dristi
Learn how to use the gaze to direct attention, support concentration, and bring greater focus and presence to your practice.
Rooted in Lineage
Included with The Essentials is a digital copy of Larry Schultz’s original Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Manual, the foundational text of the It’s Yoga® system.
Larry founded It’s Yoga in 1989 and documented the practice so the teachings could be preserved, practiced, and shared.
The same foundational principles contained in the manual continue to inform how we practice and teach today.
When you study The Essentials, you are stepping into that lineage.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Everything you need to learn the foundations—and put them into practice.
✓ Foundational Video Teachings
A focused series covering Ujjayi breath, bandhas, dristi, structural alignment, and how these elements work together in practice.
✓ 25-Minute MDR Practice
A complete Minimum Daily Requirement practice led by Marie so you can experience and integrate the teachings in your own practice.
✓ Larry Schultz’s Original Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Manual
A digital copy of the foundational text of the It’s Yoga® system.
✓ Your First Month of Online Practice with Marie
Join Marie live twice each week for classes from the It’s Yoga studio—or practice with the recordings on your own schedule.
✓ Lifetime Access
Learn at your own pace and return to the teachings and practice whenever you choose.
$97 · Lifetime Access
Who is this training for
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Practitioners
You’ve been practicing and want to understand the foundations more deeply—not simply follow along wondering if you’re doing it “right.”
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Yoga instructors
You want to refine the fundamentals you practice and teach, and strengthen the understanding behind your instruction.
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Future teachers
You’re curious about Teacher Training and want to begin by exploring the foundations of the It’s Yoga® system.
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Anyone who loves the practice
You want a safe, intelligent, sustainable practice that can continue to grow with you for years to come.
LEARN IT. PRACTICE IT.
Understanding the foundations is the beginning.
The practice is where they become yours.
Your Essentials experience includes your first month of online practice with Marie and the It’s Yoga community.
Join two live classes each week from the It’s Yoga studio and begin putting what you’re learning into practice.
Join us live when you can. When life has other plans, the recording comes directly to your inbox.
This is where the teachings become practice.
Your Investment
The Essentials gives you the foundational teachings of the It’s Yoga® system—and a month to begin putting them into practice with us.
$97
Lifetime access to The Essentials.
Learn at your own pace.
Return whenever you want.
Your first month of online practice with Marie is included.
Two live classes each week + recordings delivered to your inbox.
Immediate access upon enrollment.
Foundations for a lifelong practice.
Lifetime access to The Essentials.
Learn at your own pace.
Return whenever you want.
Your first month of online practice with Marie is included.
Two live classes each week + recordings delivered to your inbox.
Immediate access upon enrollment.
Option to continue practicing with us for $33/month after the first month.
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