This teacher training offers students in-depth skills to explore Yoga as a vehicle for vibrant health, self transformation,
and personal empowerment. Our curriculum includes a unique blend of alignment-based vinyasa
flow, a solid foundation in Hatha Yoga and 200 hours of instruction offered within a therapeutic framework.
The instruction will cover a wide range of Yoga techniques including Yoga postures, anatomy, relaxation, breath
awareness, pranayama, meditations to calm the mind, contemplations to transform limiting tendencies into life affirming
thought patterns, and the application of clear, anatomy-informed principles of alignment to create safety,
balance, and freedom in Yoga poses. Students explore concepts from Ayurveda, the Upanishads, Patanjali and the
Chakra System as frameworks for the application of Yoga as a journey towards radiant health and wellbeing.
The asana emphasis includes both level one/two alignment-based vinyasa flow sequencing as well as gentler and
restorative variations. Expect to practice asana from all category of poses including standing poses, hip openers,
forward bends, backward bends, twists, inversions, balancing, supine, seated and prone. Modifications for all levels of
practitioners are provided and all levels of abilities are welcome to attend.
Rather than offer standard sequencing or rigid methodologies, students are exposed to frameworks that inspire each
yoga teacher to adopt the practices, awaken their creativity and find their own authentic voice as a teacher.
Graduates of this program feel empowered to teach a variety of Yoga class types, including all levels vinyasa Yoga,
alignment-based classes, Yoga foundations, senior, gentle, and restorative.
Salvatierra, a private retreat in Costa Rica, is simply a spectacular venue for a yoga teacher training. It offers two yoga studios, the yoga deck with unparalleled views and a lovely indoor space with wood floors and windows on all sides. There are two pools on property, oceanside cabinas, a magical beach for morning yoga, and delicious, healthy food. The retreat itself is located on the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica and has been identified as one of the five blue zones on the planet.
This magical property recently changed ownership and changed their name from Zen Spirit to Salvatierra. The name Salvatierra is both a reminder to us all to do what we can to save our beloved Mother Earth and an invitation to step into a place of refuge and reconnect with our truest, most blissful nature.
Located away from the popular hustle and bustle tourist beaches, Salvatierra guarantees their guests a true retreat experience and the possibility to immerse in unspoiled oceanside beauty. There are no hotels or facilities other than private residences on Costa de Oro beach and the premise is set on a wonderful long flat gold sandy beach interrupted by river estuaries. You can enjoy world-class surfing as well as kayaking and bird watching in the mangrove, horseback riding and hiking to waterfalls, star gazing into the dark sky and much more. In short, it is a nature lovers paradise and the perfect location for a deep immersion into yoga away from the distractions of our busy world.
Certification as a RYT-200 with Yoga Alliance
A solid foundation in classical Hatha Yoga – including alignment based vinyasa flow and restorative yoga within a therapeutic framework.
An anatomy and biomechanically informed alignment system that helps to address common misalignments and keeps your students safe
Modifications and adaptations for all bodies, including special populations such as seniors, pregnancy, and those with injuries.
Gain insights into your (true) nature through the wisdom of Yoga and its philosophy
Explore breath work, mantra and meditation as tools to create vibrant health and wellbeing in your life
Learn the art of sequencing yoga classes that honors your authentic voice and meets the needs of your student population
Business of Yoga & How to Build Your Yoga Community
Learn to share the practices with others in a safe and powerful way
Build self-confidence and tap into your amazing potential in a supportive, nurturing environment
Train with highly experienced, knowledgeable and passionate yoga teachers and yoga therapists
Alison is a Trauma Informed IAYT Certified Yoga Therapist, Licensed Massage Therapist, and E-RYT 500 Yoga Teacher Trainer authorized with Yoga Alliance. It was the gift of chronic pain that brought Alison to her yoga practice in 1993. Through study & practice of all the limbs of Yoga, she found powerful tools to heal her body & mind. Her perspective on yoga as a holistic healing science inspires her to teach awareness of the physical, energetic, emotional, and spiritual elements in her classes & private sessions.
Liz Heffernan, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT is an international yoga teacher and Integrative Yoga Therapist. She draws from over two decades of personal yoga practice, 25 years of teaching and extensive training in the Hatha yoga systems of Kripalu, Integrative Yoga Therapy, Ashtanga and Anusara. She currently directs and leads Yoga teacher trainings and workshops in worldwide locations, provides unique one-to-one mentoring for yoga teachers wishing to improve their skills and delivery, instructs daily yoga classes and offers private therapeutic sessions.
Liz Heffernan, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT is an international yoga teacher and Integrative Yoga Therapist. She draws from over two decades of personal yoga practice, 25 years of teaching and extensive training in the Hatha yoga systems of Kripalu, Integrative Yoga Therapy, Ashtanga and Anusara. She currently directs and leads Yoga teacher trainings and workshops in worldwide locations, provides unique one-to-one mentoring for yoga teachers wishing to improve their skills and delivery, instructs daily yoga classes and offers private therapeutic sessions.
Peggy Profant, C-IAYT Yoga Therapist, E-RYT 500, and Certified Anusara Yoga Teacher, is a playful, passionate and adventurous spirit who is on a lifelong path of Yoga.
Her approach blends the ancient wisdom of yoga with biomechanically sound alignment to help her students become more firmly anchored in their true, radiant self. She first discovered Kripalu yoga and changed the course of her life in her formative teen years.
Liz is the Founder and Director of Soma Yoga Institute, a world-wide, in-person and online yoga teacher training school that embraces a therapeutically-oriented, heart-centered approach. These programs, heralded by many as truly inspirational, combine modern day biomechanics and research driven science with ancient teachings and serve to teach adaptive Yoga for all BODIES as a practice for vibrant health, self-transformation and personal empowerment.
Liz has trained extensively in the Hatha systems of Kripalu, Ashtanga, Anusara and Integrative Yoga Therapy.
In her work as a yoga therapist, Liz specializes in working with students with musculoskeletal issues as well as helping seniors age gracefully. She is highly skilled in adapting practices to meet the complex health challenges associated with aging. In collaborative partnership with Yoga 4 Brain Health she has co-founded the Memory Maintenance Yoga Teacher Training program that certifies Yoga teachers to help their communities delay the onset of memory loss related diseases through Yoga. Liz also serves as a faculty-mentor for the Kripalu School of Integrative Yoga Therapy supporting professionals on their journey to become yoga therapists.
Liz is known is for her ability to bridge the gap between the ancient perspectives of yoga and contemporary daily life. Her teaching weaves together philosophy, creative sequencing, clear alignment, mindful breathing, and compassionate self-inquiry to form a tapestry that reflects her heartfelt commitment to this transformative path.
Liz believes that the path of Yoga brings greater ease, not just to the individual, but to all beings everywhere, and ultimately uplifts planetary consciousness one conscious breath at a time.
It was the gift of chronic pain that brought Alison to her yoga practice in 1993. Through study & practice of all the limbs of Yoga, she found powerful tools to heal her body & mind. Inspired to help others, she trained at the acclaimed schools of White Lotus Foundation, Integrative Yoga Therapy, YogAlign at Kauai Yoga School, & Healing Hands School of Holistic Health.
Alison is an IAYT Certified Yoga Therapist, E-RYT 500, Massage Therapist, & Reiki Master. Her perspective on yoga as a holistic healing science inspires her to teach awareness of the physical, energetic, emotional, and spiritual elements in her classes & private sessions. She views yoga as a way of life that connects us with our innate inner wisdom, compassion and true identity as Love.
"Alison and Liz are joyful teachers. They really cared about us as both individuals and new teachers. I really enjoyed the attention to detail in everything. The precise language and thoughtfulness in the design of the curriculum was spot on. I loved the idea of safety first in the asanas and understanding the anatomy, this is key. Also, I have never meditated before coming here and did not expect to like it - who knew…I have become a meditator. I leave feeling prepared to teach and this is a direct result of everything Liz and Alison taught us. Thank you, Soma Yoga Institute, for preparing us to be successful." - Becky
Peggy Profant, C-IAYT Yoga Therapist, E-RYT 500, and Certified Anusara Yoga Teacher, is a playful, passionate and adventurous spirit who is on a lifelong path of Yoga.
Her approach blends the ancient wisdom of yoga with biomechanically sound alignment to help her students become more firmly anchored in their true, radiant self. She first discovered Kripalu yoga and changed the course of her life in her formative teen years in 1980.
Her first initiation into yoga was through Kripalu, and it gratefully changed the course of her life in her formative teen years. Yoga provided balance, self discovery, and restoration throughout her academic years in college as she completed studies in Environmental Education and Dance.
Peggy travelled to India to immerse in the practice of Ashtanga yoga where she met her life partner. Teaching yoga coincided with settling down, raising a family and becoming a massage therapist in 1998. Later Peggy pursued the rigorous path to become a Certified Anusara Teacher in 2004 and began to delve into more studies of the therapeutic aspects of yoga. Every class she teaches is a creative expression with meaningful and uplifting heart themes partnered with skillful sequencing and therapeutic alignment. Peggy is a thoughtful and encouraging Life Coach and mentor to many students and yoga teachers in her community and around the globe. It is her wish to empower her students, friends and colleagues to overcome obstacles to self love and allow each person to joyfully offer their gifts back to humanity. Peggy founded and operated a premier yoga studio in Arcata, Om Shala Yoga, for 10 years, and co-founded World Family Yoga leading family retreats in Costa Rica. She has been leading workshops, retreats and Yoga Teacher Trainings since 2005.
At Salvatierra the cuisine is delicious, healthy, locally sourced and organic when possible. Most of the fruits and vegetables are organically produced on the SalvaTierra farm. When purchasing outside of the estate, the chefs always privilege local organic products. Therefore, by buying locally SalvaTierra is helping the local Costa Rica community. In brief, it is a truly farm to table experience with seafood options. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free alternatives are provided to all students and included in the price of tuition. Students who have special dietary requirements are encouraged to let us know in advance as we will do our best to accommodate them.
A $500 USD deposit will reserve your space and will be applied to the full tuition price listed above. Deposits, tuition, and housing payments minus a 10% processing fee, are refundable up to 31 days prior to retreat start date. The 10% processing fee will apply to all refunds and this fee covers credit card charges and administrative processing fees.
Retreat costs (housing and food) are due three months prior to the start date of the program or within two weeks of registering and your final tuition payment is due no later than one month prior to the program start date. If you would like to discuss alternate arrangements or a payment plan, please feel free to contact us directly and we would be happy to work something out.
Fee-free transfers for documented health/emergency situations: If cancellation is necessary prior to the first day of the program due to documented health or emergency situations, a student’s deposit and tuition will be fully transferable to a future program with Soma Yoga Institute. In all other circumstances, due to the logistics involved in planning residential programs in retreat settings, we regret that we are unable to issue deposit/tuition/housing refunds 30 days or less prior to program start date. No refunds are issued on or after the program start date for any reason.
Tuition price includes housing, food, yoga teacher training tuition, a comprehensive 200 page Yoga Teacher Training Manual, six month access to our 200 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training content, an essential resource to support you as you move out into the world teaching yoga, as needed mentoring after the program ends (prices vary base on housing preference):
-Beach Cabina Quad Occupancy $3867 USD
-Beach Cabina Triple Occupancy $4147 USD
-Beach Cabina Double Occupancy $4350 USD
-Beach Cabina Single Occupancy $5697 USD
-Garden View Single Occupancy (Shared bath with one other) $5378 USD
January 5-22, 2024
August 1-18, 2024
December 1-18, 2023
Please book your flight to arrive at Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) or Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO). Transfer from and to the airport on the group shuttle is provided for a reduced fee (specified times only).
From Liberia International Airport:
Arrange to fly into the Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport (LIR) in Costa Rica. The group shuttle departs from the airport at 9:00am and 3:30 p.m. on arrival day (Jan 5/Aug 1/Dec 1) and returns to Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) for flights departing after 12:30 p.m. on departure day (Jan 22/Aug 18/Dec 18). Shuttle from Liberia to SalvaTierra Retreat takes approximately 3 hours. The group shuttle charge is $75 USD per person each way.
From San Jose International Airport:
Arrange to fly into the Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in Costa Rica. The group shuttle departs from the Adventure Inn (15 minutes from the airport) in San Jose at 10:00 a.m. on arrival day and returns departing SalvaTierra at 7:00 a.m. on departure day for flights leaving after 3:00pm. Shuttle from San Jose to SalvaTierra takes approximately 5 hours. Group shuttle charge is $100 per person each way. The Adventure Inn in San Jose is a great place for the first night with free airport shuttles if you are a guest and a large breakfast included in the price. You may book a room directly with them here: https://www.adventure-inn.com/. The shuttle will depart directly from this hotel and on the return take you directly to the SJO airport.