Programs

5Day Morning Pranayama practice

September 8th – 12th, 6am-7am, $55 (online)

Here are some of the benefits of pranayama:
-Optimal gas exchange (O2 and CO2)
-Oxygenation of tissues thanks to breath retention
-Harmonization of metabolic rates and chemical balance of the body
-Clearness of mind and stimulation of the parasympathetic system
-Improvement of digestion and fortification of the immune system

In order to benefit from this program, it is important to participate in all 5 sessions.

Teacher: Mayavan has been a dedicated yoga practitioner since childhood. He holds a Master’s degree in yoga therapy and is the director of Yoga Salai, a community-based yoga center in Scarborough.

THE FOUR PATHS OF YOGA with Padmini

September 10th, Wednesday 6.30pm-8.30pm, $38

This workshop will provide an introduction to the Four Paths of Yoga and their benefits as well as the benefits of integrating the four paths to achieve balanced, holistic development of the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of life.

Karma Yoga (Path of Action)
focuses on performing one’s duties with integrity and dedication for the greater good, without expectation of reward.
Bhakti Yoga (Path of Devotion)
is a way to connect with the divine through love and devotion practices include chanting, prayer, and rituals.
Raja Yoga (Path of Body and Mind Control)
is a psychological approach that emphasizes discipline through practices that control the body, prana (vital energy), and the mind.
Jnana Yoga (Path of Knowledge and Inquiry)
follows the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta and involves self-reflection, contemplation, and study in order to understand the true nature of the Self.

Teacher: Padmini is an experienced Sivananda Yoga teacher who has been practising and teaching at the Yoga Centre for many years and is dedicated to supporting students in their practice by offering her knowledge and guidance.

Yoga and Meditation Workshop
Saturday, September 13; 1:00 – 3:00pm; $38

The practice of asanas (yoga postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises) prepares the body and mind for meditation by:

• Releasing physical and mental tension

• Improving posture

• Increasing  body and breath awareness

• Supporting the flow of energy

• Focusing and quieting the mind

This makes it easier to sit comfortably and turn attention inward during meditation.

In this workshop, we will practice asanas, pranayama, and meditation. You should be familiar with the basic asanas and pranayama, but no prior experience in meditation is required.

Teacher: Padmini is an experienced Sivananda Yoga teacher who has been practising and teaching at the Yoga Centre for many years and is dedicated to supporting students in their practice by offering her knowledge and guidance.

Weekend Yoga Retreat at Mansfield

Sept 19th-21st, 2025 (Fri-Sun)

Cost: $325  ($100 non-refundable deposit)

The retreat is held at the Mansfield Outdoor Centre, near Barrie, 1 1/2 hours north of Toronto, Ontario. Join us to experience the harmony, peace, and balance that yoga brings in a setting that invigorates the body and calms the mind. No previous yoga experience is required. The Center will organize a carpool. Everyone is welcome! The accommodation is at the main Field Center, in rooms with four beds. Below is the option for accommodation with cabins with ensuite bathrooms.

• Day program  (Saturday) $100    For the day program please register here
• Weekend program fee $200 (witout accommodation)    For the weekend program please register here

Accommodation (cabins with ensuite bathroom ) can also be booked directly with the Mansfield Outdoor  Center  (please check their website: https://mansfieldoutdoorcentre.ca/accommodation). The fee of $200 for the Yoga Retreat program is paid directly to the Yoga  Center.

For full SCHEDULE please check Retreat page:  https://sivanandacanada.org/toronto/weekend-yoga-retreat-ontario/

Ayurvedic Nutrition and Cooking Course with Dr. Sonal Bhatt

(Certificate of completion is awarded after successful attendance)

September 25th – November 16th ; Cost : $950  (24 teaching hours and 10 class Yoga pass)

Theory: Thursdays 6.30pm-8.30pm (25th Sept; 2nd Oct; 9th Oct; 16th Oct)
Cooking workshops: Saturdays or Sundays 1.30-4.30pm (26th Oct, 2ndNov, 8th Nov, 16th Nov)

We will meet each Thursday, 6.30-8.30 pm to learn theory and then each Saturday or Sunday, 1.30-4.30pm for cooking sessions.

This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of Ayurvedic nutrition and food combinations that promote health and digestion. Students will learn how to plan well-balanced, nutritious vegetarian meals made from grains, beans, vegetables, fruits, and seeds. dairy products, fat, spices and herbs, based on Ayurvedic principles.
Ayurveda, a traditional holistic, natural healing science of health from India, has been practiced for over 5,000 years and teaches us how to live a healthy, balanced life. Ayurveda emphasizes diet as the most essential part of a healthy life.

This course is open to everyone, including yoga teachers, yoga practitioners, and individuals seeking to adopt a healthy vegetarian lifestyle and learn about balanced food according to the principles of Ayurveda.

Course overview (theory):

• Learn a balanced diet based on Ayurvedic principles.
• The twelve Ayurvedic food groups.
• Sources and balance of the six tastes (shad rasa).
• Food combinations using Ayurvedic principles.

• Understanding of vegetarian proteins for the maintenance of
essential protein in the diet.
• Use of Ayurvedic herbs and spices to enhance and regulate
digestion.
• Importance of the concepts of Agni and Ama.
• Concept of fasting (Upvasa).
• Planning well-balanced, nutritious meals.

Cooking workshops overview:
• Menus will cover Tri-Doshic recipes for all body types.
• Recipes will be cooked using healing herbs and spices.
• Proper food combinations used to enhance the digestion.
• Preparation of nutritious sweets.

Introduction to Meditation

September 26th-October 24th, Fridays 6.30pm-7.45pm; $85

In person and Online

Meditation is an invaluable tool for emotional balance and peace of mind. This course will provide step to step guidance for starting a meditation practice. It is helpful for those who are just starting  as well as those who would like to renew their commitment to this practice.

Topics covered  include:

-What is meditation and what are the benefits?

-How to start a meditation practice: The three fundamentals.

-Meditation for beginners and tips for those who are returning practitioners

Teen Meditation

(ages 14-17)

September 27th – October 25th; Saturdays 11am-12 noon

Cost: by donation

The Teen Meditation Course helps teenagers learn how to manage their thoughts and emotions and introduces basic techniques for finding inner calm. The course includes simple meditation practices, and teens are encouraged to continue practicing at home. There will also be time for questions and open discussions about mental health topics that interest the group. No prior meditation experience is required. The course is open to all and offers a safe, supportive space to explore practical ways to improve and maintain mental well-being .

Teacher: Saraswati has been a long-time staff member of the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta organization and is the director of the Toronto Yoga Centre. She has led children’s and teen yoga camps and taught yoga and meditation to youth in various Toronto settings, including community agencies, schools, and youth detention facilities. Saraswati has a background in child and youth counselling and a long-standing interest in mental health support for children and adolescents.

Bhagavad Gita Course with Maheswari (ONLINE)

September 27th- November 15th (8 classes) ; Saturdays 1pm-2.15pm $120

Explore the profound wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, a foundational scripture of Vedanta philosophy, and embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth. Together, we will discuss selected verses, drawing inspiration to apply their timeless teachings on life, duty, devotion, and self-realization in our daily experiences. All levels are welcome to enrich their understanding of Yoga as a holistic way of life, finding clarity, purpose, and inner peace. Join us as ancient wisdom meets modern life, unveiling timeless truths for a more fulfilling existence.

Students will receive Zoom link for this course two days before the course start date.

Teacher: Maheswari has been teaching yoga and philosophy at the Sivananda Yoga Center and ashram for over twenty years . She is an experienced and compassionate teacher who connects with students of all levels.

Intensive Asana Class with Mayavan

September 28th, Sunday, 7am-10am; $55

(Intensive asana classes are offered once a month. To register for a package of 3 and receive 20% discount please click HERE)

Deepen your practice with an engaging three-hour class that combines practice and theory, taught by special visiting teacher Mayavan. Suitable for intermediate students, this class is an opportunity to challenge yourself and go further in your practice. And don’t worry: the time flies by! You will leave feeling uplifted and full of energy.

This class will allow you to:

• Fine-tune your practice, through personalized corrections
• Strengthen the legs, open the hips and mobilize the spine
• Tap in to more energy through the practice of Sun Salutations and dynamic asanas
• Increase overall strength and stability through standing poses
• Achieve steadiness and comfort in classical asanas
• Gain practical knowledge about the yoga practice and yogic lifestyle

Teacher: Mayavan has devoted his life to learning and teaching the art and science behind yogic practices. He has spent the past three decades in dedicated practice and service to his community. He holds a Masters in Yoga Therapy from Annamalai University in India and has earned the prestigious designations of Yoga Siromani, Yoga Acharya and Yoga Baskara. Mayavan is the director of Yogasalai, a yoga centre in Scarborough.

Integrative Approach to Fear and Anxiety with Saraswati

Saturday, October 4th 1pm-4pm; $50

Many of the challenges we face in daily life come from the way our minds interpret and react to experience. Both Yogic philosophy and modern psychology describe how unhelpful patterns of thinking can create suffering, and how we can learn to shift them.

In this workshop, we will:

• Practice simple breathing and meditation to calm and focus the mind, and explore why these tools help with inner transformation.

• Reflect on common patterns of distorted thinking, drawing from both Yogic wisdom and psychology, and examine how they contribute to fear, stress and disconnection.

• Learn the “cognitive triangle” – the interplay of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors – as a practical path for change.

• Practice reflections and exercises from both traditions to begin reshaping old patterns into more helpful ways of relating to ourselves and others.

Teacher: Saraswati has been a long-time staff member of the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta organization and is the director of the Toronto Yoga Center. She has taught Yoga to students of all ages for many years.  Saraswati also has a background in social work and psychotherapy, and she is happy to facilitate workshops focused on supporting mental well-being.

Headstand Workshop with Anantya

October 18th, Saturday, 1pm-2:30pm; $35

Headstand is the first of the 12 yoga poses practiced in our open class sequence.

This posture benefits the brain, spinal cord, and sympathetic nervous system, and strengthens the circulatory and respiratory systems.

If you are struggling with this pose, come for this workshop and receive additional assistance and support. We will review the eight steps for coming in and out of the pose safely and systematically and how to overcome common mistakes.

Teacher: Anantya has been a long time teacher who teaches regularly at Sivananda Yoga Center. He is able to connect with students of all levels and assist them in their yoga journey.

Meditation level 2

November 1st-29th; Saturdays 1pm-2.15pm;  $85

Meditation is considered the most important of all the Yoga techniques and is an invaluable tool for emotional balance and peace of mind.

In this course you will continue to be guided in your meditation practice and in creating a lifestyle conducive for successful meditation. You will thus be encouraged to bring your meditation practice in more areas of your life in order to build greater resilience, inner peace and focus, specially in these challenging times.

With Meditation 2:

• Learn how to better integrate meditation into your life
• Deepen your understanding of the nature of mind and thoughts
• Discover and overcome the various obstacles to meditation
• Mantra practice and how to find suitable mantra for personal practice

Suitable for students who have completed our Introduction to Meditation, or who are intermediate meditation practitioners.

The course is offered online and in person. Online students will receive Zoom link two days before the course.

Yoga for Fascia Stretch and Release with Padmini

November 8th,  Saturday: 1pm – 3pm

Cost: $38

Fascia is connective tissue in the body that supports muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, bones,
organs, blood vessels, and nerves. It plays a key role in flexibility, mobility, and posture.

In this workshop, yoga poses (asanas) will be held in a yielding and meditative manner for longer periods in order to stretch and loosen fascia in selected areas of the body. To enhance the benefits of the asanas, breathing exercises and a short meditation will also be included.

Benefits:
. improved mobility and range of motion
. improved flexibility
. improved circulation
. removal of blockages, which allows Prana, the vital energy, to flow more freely
. deep relaxation and inner stillness
. reduction in stress and tension

This workshop is suitable for yoga students of all levels.
Please feel free to bring your own blocks, cushions, belts, bolsters, and/or blankets.

Teacher: Padmini is an experienced Sivananda Yoga teacher with a special interest in Hatha Yoga. Padmini has been practising and teaching at the Yoga Centre for many years and is dedicated to supporting students in their practice by offering her knowledge and guidance.

Introduction to Meditation
Wednesday, November 12; 7:00 – 8:30pm; $35

Meditation can be practiced by anyone. With regular practice, it can have many benefits:
. reduced stress
. anxiety management
. improved focus and attention
. lowered blood pressure
. improved sleep
. improved memory
. emotional balance and peace of mind

In this workshop, you will learn about meditation, how to start a meditation practice, and how
to incorporate it into your daily life. It is suitable for beginners and a good introduction to our five-week meditation course.

Teacher: Padmini is an experienced Sivananda Yoga teacher who has been practising and teaching at the Yoga Centre for many years and is dedicated to supporting students in their practice by offering her knowledge and guidance.

Urban Hatha Yoga Retreat with Mayavan

November 23rd , Sunday 7 am-4.30 pm; $108