What others say ...

I thought you may enjoy a little update from an LYP grad. The Living Yoga Program did so much more than teach me how to teach yoga, it instilled a love for the heart, wisdom and science of yoga.
~ Betsy C., Washington DC

Even as an experienced teacher, I learned new approaches to asana, subtle use of voice and breath, and invaluable lessons on modifications, prop use, and safe adjustments. Mostly, I was struck by the integrity of the trainers and the emphasis they placed on “walking the talk” of yamas and niyamas. I felt supported and nurtured throughout the challenging 9-day intensive. It was obvious that Charles, Donna, and Ellen wanted each of us to succeed, and leave the training as confident teachers.
~ Pam C., University Administrator, Austin, Tx

A student gives her classmates an update two days after leaving the LYP intensive:

"It's so great to hear that everyone is doing well and not letting go of the valuable changes that occured while we were together. Last night I taught my first yoga class since returning from the ashram and it was amazing! My students loved the class and I felt like I was completely in my element.
Thank you all for helping me gain more confidence in my teaching abilities- my students are already noticing the difference. I felt completely comfortable leaving my mat and helping my students feel great in the poses by adjusting them.
I feel as though my yoga teaching momentum is starting to take off- Horray! I am so blessed to have met you all. Thank you for all of your support and encouragement- you have no idea what a difference it has made!"
~ Lida, Biologist, St.Louis, Missouri.

More Testimonials...

The Living Yoga Program

The Living Yoga Program and The Texas Yoga Retreat, based in Austin, Texas, are the collaborative vision of Ellen B. Smith and Charles MacInerney. Both partners are registered yoga instructors and business entrepreneurs. They have trained and mentored hundreds of yoga students through the Living Yoga Program, an internationally-recognized 200-hour yoga teacher training certification course which they own and operate. Graduates of the Living Yoga Program teach yoga in 14 countries and 44 states. Charles and Ellen also operate the Texas Yoga Retreat, a bi-annual, locally-grown event featuring nationally recognized teachers from across the United States.

Our Vision Statement and the guiding force behind everything we do is Building A Caring, Diverse, and Empowered Yoga Community!

LYP FoundersCharles MacInerney, director, Living Yoga Program

Charles F. MacInerney, E-RYT-500, has been a fulltime teacher of yoga, meditation and mind/body skills since 1989. He teaches ongoing yoga classes in Austin, Texas, offers yoga workshops at studios around the country, and leads Yoga & Meditation Retreats as well as Yoga & Writing Retreats throughout the US, Mexico, Costa Rica and Guatemala. He is founder of Expanding Paradigms through which he regularly presents at National and International Conferences, and offers training for businesses, hospitals, education and government. He has written articles for numerous magazines including the Yoga Journal. Charles has created and run two Cardiac Yoga programs, for Seton Hospital and for the Austin Heart Hospital, and been keynote speaker for two Cardiac conferences sponsored by Seton Hospital, along with numerous other conferences around the country, most recently, the International Association of Yoga Therapy conference in 2014.

Charles is Co-Founder of the Free Day of Yoga, Living Yoga Teacher Training Program, and the Texas Yoga Retreat. Please visit his primary website at www.yogateacher.com, contact him by email or call Charles at 512-459-2267.

Ellen B. Smith, director, Living Yoga ProgramEllen B. Smith, M.A., E-RYT. Ellen is a certified Ananda™ Meditation Teacher and certified and registered Hatha, Vinyasa, and Restorative Flow yoga instructor. With a Master’s Degree in Spiritual Psychology and background as a diversity facilitator, she has worked for decades as a mentor to people of all walks of life. Her passions are teaching hatha yoga and Intuitive Mentoring, a name she coined to describe the unique coaching work she does. Ellen uses her own blend of deep listening, intuition, genuine praise, and quality resources to help others recognize and utilize their innately positive qualities. She has a passion for learning, and integrates information about yoga, qigong, health, longevity, disease intervention, nutrition, meditation, and psychology into sessions. She offers compassionate instruction with a touch of humor, honoring each student's abilities.

Ellen is Co-Founder, Director, and faculty member of two Austin, Texas businesses: the Living Yoga Teacher Training Program, a 200-hour Yoga-Alliance and Yoga-Register approved yoga teacher training program and the Texas Yoga Retreat , a bi-annual yoga event. She lives in Austin, Texas. Contact: email or 512-266-7926 (24 hr. voice mail).

Donna Belk, director, Living Yoga ProgramDonnaBelk (original co-founder of the Living Yoga Program) left the program in Charles' and Ellen's capable hands at the beginning of 2009 and will be greatly missed. Donna can now be reached through her websites, www.restorativeflow.com which is a style of yoga she developed called Restorative Flow Yoga and she offers a manual and training based on that style. She also offers consulting in the area of Conscious Death and Dying with a Yogic Perspective (www.consciouslivingdying.com). Donna has been studying hatha yoga and meditation for more than 25 years. She began teaching after becoming certified from Barbara Germenhausen of Yoga House in Austin, Texas, where she also assisted with yoga teacher training there. Barbara later moved away from Austin, but Donna was so impressed with the quality of the course that she created the Living Yoga Program based on her experience in the Yoga House program. Later Donna invited Charles MacInerney to become part of the business and then the substance of Living Yoga Program expanded greatly. Very shortly after that, Ellen Smith was invited to be a part of the business, and the program benefitted from her contributions as well.

Others who assist with Living Yoga Program

Juan Anguiano, E-RYT 500, ACE-CPT is dedicated to transmitting the Ashtanga Vinyasa
method according to the teachings of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India. Many years of practice and dedication have affirmed his confidence in the wisdom of learning Ashtanga according to abilities and not the demands of the ego. His teaching style illuminates the importance of setting and accepting limits in the practice so that patterns present throughout Ashtanga are understood and connected into an enjoyable harmony of movement and growth. Juan is a direct student of Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois and has been teaching yoga for 20+ years. He has established successful Mysore-style programs in Dallas and Austin, and teaches nationally and internationally. Juan has a degree in Athletic Training and is board certified in the state of Texas. 512-826-8538 [email protected]

tara whiteTara White has been a licensed massage therapist since 1994 and a certified yoga
instructor since 1997. She has taught at The Lauterstein - Conway Massage School since 1997 as a core instructor. The focus of her practice is injury rehabilitation and chronic pain management. Human kinesiology and postural alignment are one of her passions and she loves to apply this interest in her massage and yoga practice. She has extensive experience working with many different populations from elite athletes to the elderly. Tara is certified in prenatal massage and is a Reiki Master. Other modalities she has specialized in include Deep Massage the Lauterstein Method, Thai Massage, Cranio-Sacral Therapy, myofascial release, sports massage and many more. Tara takes a holistic approach to bodywork believing that the shortest route to a higher quality of life is to address both the structural and energetic aspects of a person, facilitating their journey towards a balanced and pain free life.

CharlotteCharlotte Jernigan, CAP (NAMA) is a certified practitioner with NAMA (National Ayurveda Medical Association). She has over 1700 hours of   Ayurveda study consisting of lectures, practicum, clinical observation and Sanskrit with Dr. Vasant Lad since 1991, including participation in over 900 client consultations. For the past twelve years she has worked with hundreds of clients in her private practice using diet, culinary and medicinal herbs, yoga, and the hands-on therapeutic modalities of Ayurveda including administering Purvakarma and Panchakarma. She completed intensive clinical studies in India with Dr. Lad in Pune and Dr. Sunil Joshi in Nagpur. In addition, Charlotte is an herbalist, a master gardener and she has more than 1000 hours of study of classical Jyotish and Vastushastra with the renowned Hart de Fouw. She is a graduate of High Desert Yoga Teacher's Training and taught Yoga from 1997-2004. Charlotte is an accomplished vegetarian chef and teaches “Cooking and Eating for Health and Vitality” according to the principles of Ayurveda. She has been in private practice for 15-years doing one-on-one counseling as well as teaching public and yoga-teacher-training classes in the fundamentals of Ayurveda, healthy lifestyle, proper digestion, nutrition, cooking and self-cleansing. She currently teaches Ayurveda cuisine and nutritional principles at the Natural Epicurean.

GudjonGudjon Bergmann (E-RYT 500) is the author of more than twenty books, including Baby Steps to Meditation, Living in the Spirit of Yoga, Know Thyself, Create a Safe Space and Yes! You Can Manage Stress. He trained with Yogi Shanti Desai and Sri Yogi Hari. From 1998 he has trained more than 80 yoga teachers and taught for over 6500 hours.

Born and raised in Iceland, Gudjon moved to the USA in 2010 and became a U.S. Citizen in 2013. He offers meditation courses, teaches yoga classes and writes from his home base in Kyle, TX. www.gbergmann.com www.babystepstomeditation.com

Chris ChanceyChris Chancey
Training/credentials/certifications:
·   Kinesis Myofascial Integration (KMI) Training
·   Board Certified Structural Integrator
·  Clinical Massage Therapy Program, Texas Healing Arts
·  Massage Therapy, Austin School of Massage
Specializations:
·  Structural Integration
·  Pain Relief/Injury Rehabilitation
·  Trigger Point Therapy
·  Deep Tissue Massage
·  Postural Assessment and Movement Reintegration
Statement of purpose: To bring the body into its optimal biomechanical structure so the client can feel more at ease in his/her body, experience more freedom of movement, relief from chronic pain and an improved sense of well-being.

 

Victoria Pennock, a nationally certified massage therapist, offers massages during the
Victoriaretreats, teacher’s training and intensives. She graduated from Sioux Falls Therapeutic Massage & Education Center (South Dakota) in 2003. She has worked with the Living Yoga Program since November 2009 with rave reviews. She specializes in Ortho-Bionomy (the use of gentle movements, comfortable positioning and compression to non-evasively allow muscles to relax), Deep Tissue & a very relaxing Swedish Massage. She received her National Certification (NCBTMB #563787-080) in December of 2008. . Specific issues can be addressed with a more therapeutic approach. The massage is catered to your needs, no two massages are the same. www.moonstarmassage.com


Revised 10-30-2009