– WORKSHOPS –
Zoom links for online classes will be sent to you close to the Workshop date.
ADVANCED STUDIES PROGRAM 2026
Practice of Inverted Poses
with Rinat Fried
Mondays, Jan. 5 - Feb. 23 | 5:45 - 7:15 pm
8 classes / $265 ​​
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This class will focus on the practice of headstand, shoulder stand, handstand, and elbow balance. We will explore different ways to practice inverted poses in terms of sequence, modifications, and alternatives for those with injury and limitation. To pay Rinat, bring a check to the first class.
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Rinat Fried has studied Iyengar yoga in California since 1990. She is a 2011 graduate of the Yoga Room Advanced Studies Program. Her yoga mentors include Donald Moyer, Gay White and Mary Lou Weprin. To pay Rinat, bring a check to the first class.
ADVANCED STUDIES PROGRAM 2026
The Wisdom of Yoga
with Phid Simons
Tuesdays, Jan. 6 - Feb. 24 | 5:45 - 7:15 pm
8 classes / $265 (online)
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This course will introduce the principles and common themes of Indian philosophy, as taught in the Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita. We’ll apply the wisdom of these ancient teachings as a guide to self-understanding, more effective practice, and greater happiness. To pay Phid, bring a check to the first class.
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Phid Simons has studied Sanskrit, Vedanta, and Vedic chanting with traditional teachers in India and the U.S. for over 30 years.
She is a graduate of The Yoga Room Advanced Studies Program and teaches Sanskrit, chanting, and Vedanta in the Bay Area.
All interested students are welcome. To pay Phid, bring a check to the first class.
Yoga for Osteoporosis:
Learning Safe Adaptations for Traditional Poses
with Betty Aten
Saturday, Jan. 24 | 2:00 - 4:00 pm
$50
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Having Osteoporosis/Osteopenia means that your bones are more fragile, and puts you at greater risk of fracture. The spine, hip (femoral neck), and wrist/forearm are the most vulnerable areas. Not everyone has access to specialized yoga for osteoporosis classes that teach certain poses to improve bone density. This workshop will offer ways to safely adapt many traditional yoga poses, once thought to be off-limits, including twists and inversions. You’ll learn how to assess your personal fracture risk, and how to apply that awareness in any yoga class or for your personal practice.
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Betty has been practicing yoga for 26 years, became a certified Yoga for Osteoporosis teacher in 2016, and has been teaching specialized classes and workshops on the topic ever since.
Yoga & Your Vagus | Part II: States of Being
with Cator Shachoy
Saturday, Feb. 21 | 1:00 - 3:30 pm
$65 (hybrid)​​
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Open to all. No previous experience needed.
Learn how to balance the stress of life through shifting states of being with ease. What is the difference between the nervous system states of freeze, fight/flight/mobilize and rest & digest/relax? The Vagus is instrumental in switching between these states. This class will explore how to recognize which state you are in, and how to change states for greater health and well-being. Informed by neuroscience, you can learn to care for yourself wisely. Yoga and Mindfulness are powerful tools for nervous system regulation. We’ll learn quick reset techniques and practice a yoga sequence designed to support nervous system resilience. This workshop builds on material shared previously, and is open to anyone.
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Cator Shachoy, is the author of "The TMJ Handbook: A Therapeutic Guide to Relieving Jaw Tension and Pain with Yoga and Mindfulness", available from Shambhala publications. She has practiced yoga, meditation and craniosacral therapy since 1990. Cator has an inclusive private practice working with all ages and teaches workshops around the SF Bay and beyond. www.catorshachoy.com.
– INTENSIVES –
Winter Intensive 2026
with Mary Lou Weprin
Friday, Jan. 16 | 10:00 am - noon | 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Saturday, Jan. 17 | 10:00 am - noon | 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Sunday, Jan. 18 | 9:30 am - noon
$45 per class (take two or more)​​
on Zoom and in-person
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Our Winter Intensive Practice will include more vigorous poses in the mornings, such as Standing Poses, Headstand and Backbends, and quieter poses such as Restoratives, Seated Poses and Shoulderstand in the afternoons. It is an opportunity to immerse ourselves in balanced sequences which build upon each other over the three days. Participants should have studied at least one year in the Iyengar style, and be familiar with Headstand, Shoulderstand and various Backbends. Levels 2–5.
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Mary Lou Weprin has been teaching at The Yoga Room since 1980. As Co-Director with Gay White of The Yoga Room’s Advanced Studies Program, she continues the work she started with Donald Moyer in 1988 of training many of the Bay Area’s teachers. She also leads Intensives for out-of-town teachers to deepen their ability to observe and assist their students. She offers Practice Intensives and other workshops throughout the year, and leads workshops in the U.S. and Canada.
