2 Week Deepening in Yoga Teacher Training and Spiritual Practice
Nearly 20 years of teaching yoga and 10 years focusing on teacher trainings. I have decided to create this unique two week condensed programme. This programme is for aspiring yoga teachers, whether you want to teach friends and family, or your larger community. It is also for those who already have a professional practice in wellness, fitness or complementary therapies and wish to add yoga to the services they offer. It is also for the seeker and lifelong learner who wishes to deepen their yoga practice both ancient and modern practices and further expand the consciousness and experience of spirituality with ritual, shamanism and sound healing. This is a 200hr hybrid Yoga Alliance Yoga Alliance Training
"Magic !"
An unforgettable retreat masterfully performed by Sunshine Ross who instilled in me the values of yoga in a gentle and at the same time designated way. A group on a human scale which allowed us to get to know each other more personally. Everything was perfect, the rhythm of the weeks, the class, the material supports, the quality of Sunshine's teachings and above all her kindness, her professionalism and her passion for teaching yoga which inspired us a lot. It went too fast! I recommend ths training with eyes closed.
- Clarisse D.
"Human Training"
This training has given me so much more than I expected! Magical encounters, interesting and captivating lessons. I'm going home with a desire to continue learning and sharing even stronger! THANK YOU 🙏
- Geraldine T.
Programme Details
Day 1 Monday - arrival day, welcome and orientation 17h-18h
Day 2 Tuesday -
8:00 - 9:30 Hatha- Vinyasa Class
9:30 - 10:30 Breakfast break
10:30 - 11:30 Meditation and Past Future Renewal Ritual Ceremony
11:30 - 13:00
Pranayama Session
Learning the Pranayama Techniques:
a. Diaphragmatic breathing
b. Full Yogic Breathing
c. Alternate Nostril Breathing (anuloma viloma pranayama)
d. Ujayyi Pranayama e. Kapalabhati pranayama
f. Square breathing (samavritti pranayama)
g. Bhramaree breathing
Practice Teaching the pranayama techniques
13:00 - 15:00 Lunch break
15:00 - 16:00 The Subtle Bodies, the energy system and chakras
16:00 -17:00 Energetic Healing and Sound Healing - deep release of blockages from the pĥysical body, mental body, spiritual body, astral body, karmic body, vibrational body and energetic body.
17:00 - 18:00 gentle yoga
18:30 19:30 dinner
Day 3 Wednesday -
8:00 - 9:30 Vinyasa Class
9:30 - 10:30 Breakfast break
10:30 - 11:30 Meditation and Pranayama Session
11:30 - 13:00 Tracing the roots of yoga.
Forms of yoga and styles of yoga
Sequencing yoga styles
Creating your own yoga class
13:00 - 15:00 Lunch break
15:00 - 16:00 A Closer Look at Ancient Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Tantra Yoga vs. Modern Postural Yoga
16:00 -17:00 Shamanic Journey to meet your power animal and circle sharing
17:00 - 18:00 gentle yoga
18:30 19:30 dinner
Day 4 Thursday-
8:00 - 9:30 Ashtanga Class
9:30 - 10:30 Breakfast break
10:30 - 11:30 Meditation and Workshop Healing Trauma sitting in the Body
11:30 - 13:00 Yoga Postures Asana Workshop
13:00 - 15:00 Lunch break
15:00 - 16:00 Yoga Postures Asana Workshop Practice
16:00 -17:00 Guided Meditation and Healing with trees and Gaia, circle sharing
17:00 - 18:00 gentle yoga
18:30 19:30 dinner
Day 5 Friday -
8:00 - 9:30 Kundalini Class
9:30 - 10:30 Breakfast break
10:30 - 11:30 Awakening the Chakras and Nadis: Meditation and Sound Healing
11:30 - 13:00 Yoga Anatomy: Understanding anatomic limitations, factors of flexibility and body types, biomechanics, creating a safe class and avoiding injury.
13:00 - 15:00 Lunch break
15:00 - 16:00 Yoga Anatomy: Understanding yoga and the Nervous System and Digestive System
16:00 -17:00 Shamanic Journey and Energetic Healing on the Vital Web and Physical Body
17:00 - 18:00 gentle yoga
18:30 19:30 dinner
Day 6 Saturday -
8:00 - 9:30 Hatha Class
9:30 - 10:30 Breakfast break
10:30 - 11:30 Meditation and Pranayama : Intention and Surrender, aligning with divine source
11:30 - 13:00 Yoga Teaching: Essentials of Teaching Methodology, Communication and Professionalism
13:00 - 15:00 Lunch break
15:00 - 17:00 Big Review Q and A
17:00 - 18:00 gentle yoga
18:30 19:30 dinner
Day 7 Sunday Day Off, Guided Tour of Lautrec during the summer
Day 8 Monday -
8:00 - 9:30 Hatha-Vinyasa Class
9:30 - 10:30 Breakfast break
10:30 - 11:30 Meditation and Pranayama, Energetic Healing Tune-up
11:30 - 13:00 The Power of Meditation and Consciousness: Meditation Techniques
13:00 - 15:00 Lunch break
15:00 - 16:00 Who Am I? Yoga, Maya, Atman Brahman
16:00 - 17:00 Oneness and One Heart, Energy Healing with Sound
17:00 - 18:00 gentle yoga
18:30 19:30 dinner
Day 9 Tuesday -
8:00 - 9:30 Vinyasa Class
9:30 - 10:30 Breakfast break
10:30 - 11:30 Meditation, Chakra Clearing and Balancing
11:30 - 13:00 Step by Step Sun Salutation and Vinyasa Workshop
13:00 - 15:00 Lunch break
15:00 - 16:00 Sun Salutation and Vinyasa Practice
16:00 - 17:00 Shamanic Journey: Portal to the Mountain meeting your upper world guide
17:00 - 18:00 gentle yoga
18:30 19:30 dinner
Day 10 Wednesday -
8:00 - 9:30 Ashtanga Class
9:30 - 10:30 Breakfast break
10:30 - 11:30 The Power of Sound: Chanting Workshop
11:30 - 13:00 Immortal Soul, Karma and Conditioning
13:00 - 15:00 Lunch break
15:00 - 16:00 Immortal Soul, Karma and Conditioning Continued
16:00 - 17:00 Karmic Clearing
17:00 - 18:00 gentle yoga
18:30 19:30 dinner
Day 11 Thursday -
8:00 - 9:30 Hatha Class
9:30 - 10:30 Breakfast break
10:30 - 11:30 Meditation and Healing : Vibrational Body and Relationship Compassion
11:30 - 13:00 Learning Through the Classic Books on Yoga
13:00 - 15:00 Lunch break
15:00 - 16:00 Wisdom Through Sanskrit
16:00 - 17:00 Jewel Healing of Your Biggest Issue
17:00 - 18:00 gentle yoga
18:30 19:30 dinner
Day 12 Friday -
8:00 - 9:30 Kundalini Class
9:30 - 10:30 Breakfast break
10:30 - 11:30 Meditation and Pranayama
11:30 - 13:00 Review and Q and A
13:00 - 15:00 Lunch break
15:00 - 17:00 Class creation project
17:00 - 18:00 gentle yoga
18:30 19:30 dinner
Day 13 Saturday -
Exams- detailed schedule to be announced
Day 14 Sunday -
Exams- detailed schedule to be announced
Day 14 Monday - Departure Day
Méthode Ross
Om gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhisvaha
(Go, go beyond go ever beyond into enlightenment) The Heart Sutra
Part of yoga practice is the practice of postures but that is not all yoga is. Some of the most highly realized yogis put very little emphasis on posture.
Yoga poses are for moving the energy of the body. It is about opening spaces in your body and letting stuck energy in the form of emotions, thoughts, even disease to flow through. Asana is used primarily for removing energy blockages and letting the energy flow through the nadis and chakras. Pranayama or breathing techniques help you manage energy and state of mind.
Yoga is not acrobatics or gymnastics or a performance. It is sometimes a dance but it’s a dance of life, you let the energy move you. Sometimes you hold the poses to go deeper into the soul. Once you get to know the soul deeply, you let go of it completely, then you arrive at yoga.
“The stopping of the thoughts in the mind is yoga.” Yoga Sutra, Patanjali first chapter second verse. Meditation is raja yoga. Raja means “king” which represents that it is the highest form of yoga. Meditation begins with awareness of the body (sensations), awareness of the mind, your thoughts and feelings then your energy. But meditation is not simply mindfulness practice or relaxation or hypnosis or trance.
First recognize you have a body but you are not your body, you have thoughts but you are not your thoughts, you have feelings but you are not your feelings. Then meditation becomes a tool for you to discover who you really are. This is not creating a new identity or a new story but the opposite. It is the falling away of identities and letting go of the story. You are a divine magical creation.
Méthode Ross
The yoga teacher training provided by Awake Space uses the Ross Method which primarily treats yoga as a spiritual practice and uses a combination of hatha, vinyasa, ashtanga and kundalini to train future yoga teachers. It also uses various relaxation techniques, mantra and meditation techniques as well as simply meditating with Presence.
Respect and knowledge of ancient traditions combined with modern methods and knowledge of anatomy and biomechanics are very important to the school. Its objective is to train holistic and multidimensional teachers.
VortexHealing®
Sunshine is a practitioner of VortexHealing® (Jewel Level) during the yoga retreat you will receive healing, clearing, strengthening and optimising for your physical body, emotional body, mental body, energetic body, etheric body, karmic body, astral body and spiritual body.
VortexHealing® is designed to evolve your energy system and consciousness. It is a powerful, holistic system of energetic healing from the Merlin lineage that bridges in Divine Energy & Consciousness to transform emotional issues and all aspects of the body's energy system, including the physical body. VortexHealing® releases one layer of egoic identity at a time facilitating awakening.
“VortexHealing®" is a registered service mark of the R. Weinman VH Trust. All rights reserved. Used here with permission. For more information on VortexHealing visit www.vortexhealing.org
Disclaimer: VortexHealing® is a complementary energetic healing tool. It is not a replacement for medical treatment. Please consult your physician for medical issues in addition to any complementary healing you receive.
Shamanic Journey & Sound Healing
As part of your own personal and spiritual evolution, we will be offering shamanic journeying and sound therapy. Shamanic journeying is a special guided experience that takes you deeper into your own soul and strengthens your centredness to earth. Sound therapy provides a healing and nurturing experience for the body, mind and soul.
Meet the Team at Awake Space
Stephanie Roy
Stephanie Roy is a passionate and dedicated certified yoga teacher based in the picturesque Dordogne region of France. With a robust foundation in yoga, she completed her 200-hour Hatha and Vinyasa training with Sunshine Ross of Awake Space in 2019, followed by intensive studies in Yin Yoga and Balances and Inversions. Through her group and private classes, Stephanie creates a nurturing environment that invites students to deepen their practice, cultivate mindfulness, and explore their true selves.
Drawing from her rich and varied background in ceramics, special education, and university research on the creative process, Stephanie uniquely integrates these diverse experiences into her yoga teachings. Her workshops are transformative journeys designed to promote self-discovery and holistic well-being. Each session encourages participants to delve into different aspects of their being, ultimately guiding them towards greater unity and balance. With Stephanie, you’ll not only find expert instruction but a heartfelt commitment to fostering personal growth and connection within the yogic community. Indulge in the harmonious experience she offers and allow yourself to thrive under her guidance.
Jeanne Pinson
Jeanne Pinson is a passionate yoga instructor who brings a well-rounded approach to her teaching. After completing her Yoga Teacher Training Course (TTC) in Delhi in 2020, Jeanne has been teaching various yoga styles, including Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, therapeutic, and pre/postnatal yoga. Her classes emphasize a harmonious blend of asanas, pranayama, meditation, and yoga philosophy, allowing students to explore the deeper layers of their practice.
Drawing on her ongoing studies in biomechanics, Jeanne incorporates mindful movement into her teaching, ensuring students develop both strength and body awareness.
Having lived in the UK, Australia, India, Belgium, and now based in France, Jeanne has a rich, multicultural background and teaches in both English and French. Her supportive, accessible teaching style appeals to students from all walks of life, whether they are new to yoga or deepening their practice.
As a co-teacher in this Yoga Teacher Training Course (TTC), Jeanne is excited to guide future teachers through the postural, philosophical, and meditative aspects of yoga, helping them build a strong foundation for their own teaching journey.
Ali Dolhova
Alya Dolhova: A Journey Towards Humanity Through Yoga and Healing
Alya Dolhova is dedicated to the transformative power of yoga and the connections it fosters among individuals. With a philosophy rooted in mutual growth, she believes, "I accompany people to be more human, and thereby I also become more human." This ethos drives her commitment to enhancing the quality of life for her students through her blend of over ten years of personal practice and five years of teaching experience.
Alya graduated as a Hatha Yoga Teacher with international certification in 2019. She integrates therapeutic techniques, breathwork, and exercise prescriptions into her classes, which include asanas and vinyasas. Drawing from the Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois methods, her approach focuses on postural alignment, core strength, and fostering resilience both on and off the mat.
Passionate about creating a nurturing environment, Alya encourages exploration and self-discovery in her students. She tailors her sessions to diverse needs, empowering others on their journeys toward health, happiness, and authentic connection. Each practice becomes a step toward personal transformation and a more compassionate world.
Greg Hartley
Greg Hartley: A Journey in Yoga and Spiritual Growth
Greg Hartley is a seasoned yoga teacher trainer with over 20 years of experience, specializing in Kundalini, Ashtanga, spiritual practice, and yoga philosophy. Known for his deep knowledge and empathetic teaching style, he has guided hundreds of students worldwide toward physical and spiritual wellness.
Greg’s yoga journey began in his early 20s when he traveled to India to study under revered masters in Rishikesh and Mysore. Immersing himself in Kundalini and Ashtanga practices, he spent years in the Himalayas, deepening his understanding of energy work, breath control, and meditation. A certified E-RYT 500 with Yoga Alliance, he has also studied yoga therapy and Ayurveda.
His workshops and teacher training programs across Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia are transformative. Greg combines breath, movement, and inner awareness, blending ancient wisdom with modern approaches. His classes incorporate yoga philosophy, chakras, and mindfulness, promoting holistic healing and self-discovery, continuing to inspire his students on their paths to personal growth and self-realization.
Sondra
Laoudi
Sondra Laoudi: A Journey to Harmony Through Yoga
Sondra Laoudi is a passionate advocate for balance and harmony between body and mind. Her diverse background includes dance, qi gong, martial arts, art therapy, and Feldenkrais, all of which fueled her quest for holistic wellness. In 2011, a serendipitous introduction to yoga during a dance class ignited her fascination. By 2013, Sondra immersed herself in a comprehensive yoga course taught in the pure Indian tradition, discovering that yoga offered a more profound and integrative practice than anything she had experienced before.
In 2016, she completed her Yoga Alliance certification. Sondra's teachings focus on the synchronization of movements and breath, offering gentle yet dynamic sessions tailored to each individual, ensuring accessibility for everyone. In 2020, she further expanded her expertise by training in pre- and post-natal yoga through the De Gasquet approach, enriching her practice for expectant mothers and new parents.
Sondra's commitment to personalized wellness makes her a beacon of inspiration for anyone on their journey to holistic health and self-discovery.
Sunshine Ross
Fondatrice, Formatrice, Masterclass
Sunshine is a senior yoga teacher, wife, mother and author of The New Yoga Sutra: Divine Grace.
Sunshine began teaching yoga in 2005 and founded the yoga school now called Awake Space in 2015. The yoga school was born in Leith, Scotland, and the following year a residential yoga retreat was opened in southwest France. In 2024, Awake Space will move to its new home Château de Montcuquet in Lautrec, France.
Sunshine first trained in Rishikesh in the traditional style of Hatha Yoga and has since trained in Vinyasa, Kundalini and Ashtanga. Sunshine has also received 8 years of formal training in Buddhism and has completed undergraduate studies in psychology. Sunshine is also a high level practitioner of VortexHealing® Divine Energy Healing (Ric Weinmann trademark)
She has traveled extensively with her husband Glen all over the world - Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Central America as an expatriate. They have two children, Ocean and Sky.
"Teaching is my profession. It's my dharma. I remember coming home from my first day of kindergarten and sitting my grandmother down, pretending she was my student and me pretending to be the teacher and teaching her the vowels and consonants. It's a past life. We have all been many things in our past lives. Somehow, I acquired the skill of teaching. I vaguely remember other past lives as a nun and also as a disabled person. This life, I happen to have a good body for yoga.
I teach the full spectrum of yoga because I honor the fact that we are all at different stages of evolution on the soul journey. We come to yoga for different reasons. Yoga is so broad that you can approach it from many different angles. For me, yoga is primarily a spiritual practice. Ross Method uses hatha, vinyasa, ashtanga and kundalini yoga with different meditation techniques. I use VortexHealing in trainings to help evolve the students' energy system and we will be using energy healing, sound healing and shamanism at the Chateau de Montcuquet for the personal development of yoga practitioners and future yoga teachers.
You can join Sunshine's private healing channel on What's App for free and paid healings here
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What Our Graduates Say
"I love Sunshine's peaceful presence and energy. She's very knowledgeable about the philosophy, postures, and anatomy of yoga. As a spiritual person, I especially appreciated practicing raja yoga (meditating), the chakras (energy channels), and the pranayamas (breathing exercises) along with the philosophy. I also admire teachers who respect the traditional ways and cultural roots. Thank you Sunshine for your teachings, your energy and your time. And thank you to you and your family for welcoming us in your home."
The Essentials
Please choose to book with us directly and not third party websites.
2024
Awake Space yoga teacher training
-
please note arrival day and departure day are written as first and last dates
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learning materials, lectures and manual are available in both languages
✨Formation Prof Yoga (français)
du 28 octobre au 11 novembre
du 18 novembre au 2 décembre
2025
✨Formation Prof Yoga (français)
du 6 au 20 janvier
du 27 janv au 10 fev
du 3 au 17 nov
du 24 nov au 8 dec
✨Yoga Teacher Training (English)
March 3-17
March 24-April 7
April 28-May 12
May 19-June 2
June 9-23
Jun 30-July 14
July 21-Aug 4
Aug 11-25
Sept 29-Oct 13
Kundalini and Shamanism Discovery Retreat
Retraite Découverte Kundalini et Chamanisme
April 9-12
June 25-28
Aug 6-9
Oct 15-18
Investment :
4 Day Retreat
Single Room private bathroom Є850
SIngle Room shared bathroom Є 750
Double Room shared bathroom Є550
2 Week Training
Single Room private bathroom Є2,299
SIngle Room shared bathroom Є 1,999
Double Room shared bathroom Є1,599
*** comprend les frais de cours, le matériel, l'hébergement et trois repas par jour. Veuillez nous contacter à l'avance si vous avez des besoins alimentaires particuliers
*** includes course fees, materials, accommodation and three meals a day. Please contact us ahead of time if you have special dietary requirements
** promotions do not apply to single room pricing
Getting Here
We are able to pick you up from Castres Train station. Don't hesitate to coordinate your arrival with us.
Flying
Castres Mazamet airport(DCM) - Paris
Our nearest airport is conveniently 20 minutes away by car - Castres Mazamet, daily flights from Paris Orly typically leave and return 3 times per day.
Toulouse Blagnac airport(TLS)
Located just over 1 hour from the Chateau is Toulouse Blagnac airport
Direct flights from these UK airports - London Heathrow/Gatwick/Stansted, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh
Many other cities have direct flights including - Dublin, Amsterdam, Madrid, Lisbon, Frankfurt and Brussels
Carcassonne airport (CCF)
This nearby airport is just under 1hr 20minutes from the chateau by road, regular direct flights from London Stansted, Manchester, Brussels, Dublin, and Porto on budget airlines make this a great option.
Trains
The best way to arrive by train is from Toulouse Matabiau train station. A bus leaves the airport every 20 mins (9.00 euro) it takes around 30 minutes to the train station.
Regular trains depart to Castres from fares as low as 10.00 euro one way and takes between 1hr - 1.30hr.
To Reserve your place:
Please complete the Є100 registration fee and complete the form here
