Shantarasa School of Yoga

Come and experience the living, breathing, joyous transformation genuine yoga practice facilitates.
Many are attracted to Yoga Teacher Training programs sensing, through the experience of their practice so far, that yoga opens doorways to profound states of being in a way no other…

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Come and experience the living, breathing, joyous transformation genuine yoga practice facilitates.
Many are attracted to Yoga Teacher Training programs sensing, through the experience of their practice so far, that yoga opens doorways to profound states of being in a way no other practice can.

The essence and goal of yogic practice is summarized by the famous sutra "sarva dukha nivritti paramananda prapti" which means 'the cessation of all suffering and the attainment of the highest bliss.'

Our practice of yoga and its instruction to others must have inherent within it this life changing and transforming power. In essence, the transmission and cultivation or unfoldment of potency, wisdom, and development of steady awareness beyond the play of opposites are the outcomes of fully embracing the guiding principles that yoga teaches. While our practice will produce healthy, balanced bodies and minds, the heart of yoga refers to the radical opening and transformation of individual consciousness described as 'self-realization'or 'moksha.'

'Shantarasa' is a Sanskrit word describing the quintessential peace and contentment that are the expressions of moksha and are the very qualities the dedicated practitioner of yoga can master. Shantarasa Yoga Dham offers an authentic exploration of the vast reservoir of priceless knowledge and wisdom that flows forth from the profound depths of the yogic tradition, an unbroken stream of more than 7000 years of the finest of human endeavor given to understanding the nature and purpose of life. And the Teacher Training Courses Levels 1 and 2 contribute to revealing yoga in its intended fullness. Through these vehicles each student finds her/his way to live a path that awakens and transforms at every level. Ultimately, authentic practice of yoga leads to a state that is unimpeded and completely free.

The Shantarasa Yoga Teacher Training Program will train highly competent teachers who understand the importance of an ongoing commitment to personal practice. As a teacher you will be equipped with the skills and personal experience to be a facilitator and mentor for others embarking on this path of self-discovery. This training program expertly guides participants through ongoing mentorship to a level of exploration and knowledge seldom available through ordinary means of study.

Travel to the heart of yoga with Shantarasa.

Please see below under 'Upcoming Yoga Events' for more details and information about the individual courses.

About Your Instructors and Principals of Shantarasa Yoga Dham
Claude PezetClaude was introduced to yoga philosophy and practice in 1971 while at university in the United States. He began training under the instruction of Ram Dass. After graduating in 1974 with a BA in art history and philosophy his deepening practice directed him eventually to meeting his spiritual master Swami Muktananda Paramahamsa. This encounter was a life changing event. The process of yoga which he had been intensively contemplating and practicing with rigour and discipline suddenly came alive from within. The various states and 'sadhanas' or spiritual practices began to arise spontaneously with great force and direction.

Claude continued to receive inner guidance and also direct personal instruction from Baba Muktananda until his passing in 1982. He experienced practicing and teaching as an ordained monk for a number of years, and more recently as a layperson. He has worked and taught the principles and sadhana of yoga extensively in Australia since his settling here in 1985. Claude and his partner Deborah are based in Adelaide and together established Shantarasa School of Yoga in 2007 as a vehicle to further expand their practice and also share a lifetime of experience and love of Yoga.

Deborah PezetDeborah has always had an innate understanding of the extraordinary possibilities we each carry within ourselves. Deborah was attracted to the art of contemporary dance as a potent vehicle for the creative expression and transformation of body and spirit from an early age. Having experienced the world of professional dance and the toll it takes on the body Deborah then discovered the therapeutic and body opening benefits of asana and meditation practice.

In 1978 Deborah encountered yoga and was immediately impacted by the immense depth of wisdom yoga reveals regarding the true resources held within every body and heart. At this time she met Swami Muktananda and received extensive direct personal instruction from him as to how to further develop her abilities through yoga. He directed her to train with traditional Hatha yogis in India where she resided training and studying intensively.

On her return to Australia she continued to instruct students and subsequently train teachers. She is a skilled teacher and a highly competent therapist with a vibrant private practice. She says "The finest of modern Western psychotherapeutic practice can be found embedded within the science of Yoga psychology. Here is a profound system for healing and actualizing the potential of the human body, mind, heart and soul. Yoga is the joyful art of soulful living and ultimate realization. There is nothing to compare with the yogic pathways for complete transformation and awakening."