Kuṇḍalinī & Radical Yogic Embodiment | A 7-Day Immersion in the Subtle Science of Awakening

In the midst of our modern complexities, the ancient teachings of kuṇḍalinī offer not escape, but a profound return — a descent into the inner current of consciousness, where the raw power of life itself dwells in coiled repose. This immersive 7-day retreat invites you to engage directly with the subtle dynamics of yogic transformation through a contemplative blend of rigorous textual study, dedicated haṭha-based practice, and guided meditation rooted in the śākta-tantric understanding of embodiment.

In today’s spiritual marketplace, “kuṇḍalinī awakening” is a well-worn phrase — often reduced to vague energies or exotic spectacle. But within the classical traditions of non-dual Śaiva and Śākta Tantra, kuṇḍalinī-śakti is not a curiosity. She is the very principle of creativity and revelation, the dynamic pulse of consciousness (spanda) itself. This retreat seeks to recover the depth, nuance, and ethical import of these teachings — and to offer a somatic language and meditative pathway for practicing them in real time.

In an age of disembodiment, distraction, and spiritual commodification, the Tantric teachings of kuṇḍalinī offer an antidote. They call us back into the body — not as a site of limitation, but as the temple of transformation. This is not a promise of instant awakening, but an invitation into long-term intimacy with the processes of growth, subtle perception, and inner power. Radical yogic embodiment is not about bypassing the world — it is about engaging it from the depths of a most refined awareness. This retreat is a commitment to depth over drama, insight over image, and practice over performance.

Who This Retreat Is For:

Mauna, often translated as “silence,” is far more than the absence of speech. Within yogic and contemplative traditions, mauna is a sacred discipline — a vow of silence that invites a suspension of outward communication in order to listen more deeply within. By setting aside the social persona — the one who performs, explains, justifies, or seeks affirmation — we create a rare opening for subtler aspects of self-awareness to emerge. In this space of intentional quiet, the habitual movements of thought and emotion are gently slowed, revealing the deeper current of śakti, the consciousness-force at the heart of Tantric practice.

During this retreat, we will immerse ourselves in two extended periods of mauna, each lasting two and three days. These silent phases are not simply breaks from speech but sacred containers for the process of energetic attunement, subtle body awareness, and meditative receptivity. Participants are encouraged to clear their schedules and commit fully — not only to the live sessions, but to treating each moment of these days as part of the retreat. From preparing meals and walking to journaling and resting, your entire daily rhythm becomes an extension of practice. This full immersion allows the teachings and practices to integrate at a depth not possible when fragmented by external distractions or social engagement. Mauna, then, becomes not a withdrawal from life, but a deeper entry into it — through presence, simplicity, and sacred attention.

Sādhana is a Sanskrit word that literally translates as "means" or "instrument". Often understood by yoga practitioners simply as "practice," sādhana is an "instrument" for embodying the path of yoga that includes both study and subtle practice. Many yoga trainings and platforms often neglect the transformative foundation of deep sādhana, which can often lead to confusion and misunderstanding. You can reconnect more deeply with that spark of creativity within by nourishing a foundation of deep study and practice. Join us for an entire year — three eight-week periods of study, plus an annual virtual seven-day virtual retreat –– providing an opportunity for deep immersion and community. If you join us, you will receive immediate on-demand access to the Fall 2024 and Winter 2025 study recordings, and be able to join the Spring and Summer programming is live.

Learn more about the year-long 2024-2025 programming

Unlike other individualized self-help programs or yoga teacher trainings that provide superficial or limited solutions, Embodied Philosophy uses scholar-practitioner Jacob Kyle’s deep understanding of original yogic source materials – some of which are many centuries old – as he makes available to the wise and the curious, in easily digestible bites, that which until now have been relatively unknown teachings of the yogic wisdom universe. In addition, students learn from other famous yogic scholar-practitioners from around the world in a thriving and vibrant online community, where compelling discussions are had, connections are made, and friendships are formed.

What is the Sādhana School (SS)?

The Sādhana School (SS) is a comprehensive curriculum for those who are seeking wisdom and awakening. It is a learning laboratory that harnesses the deeper principles and philosophies of the yoga tradition for sustainable change at the personal, professional, and community levels.

The SS curriculum varies year to year. Attendees can elect to do a single 8-week sādhana, or sign up for the full-year’s curriculum. A full year includes three 8-week periods of study & the Summer virtual retreat. Participants engage in an immersive study of yoga's diverse traditions, commit to daily practice, and join guided discussions that explore the application of ancient wisdom to modern life.

Who should participate in the Sādhana School?

Is the Sādhana School live and is attendance mandatory?

Can I receive continuing education credits through the Sādhana School?

The Sādhana School will provide you with a deeply orientating encounter with yoga’s profound traditions of meaning and truth. Over the course of this experience, it is natural to feel inspired to become a vessel for the dissemination of yogic wisdom. Embodied Philosophy has until now hesitated to launch a Yoga Alliance-certified Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) program, but the state of affairs in the world and a newfound transformation of our cultural and spiritual awareness means that now is the time.

This optional deepening of the Sādhana School will provide you with all the Yoga Alliance certified skills to launch (or expand) your yoga teaching practice. We will equip you with little-known practices, techniques, and technologies, and we will train you to teach not just the physical postures of yoga (āsana), but (perhaps more importantly) the subtle yogic practices of breath, meditation, chanting, and visualization. The yoga teacher as we understand it at Embodied Philosophy honors the present paradigm of modern postural yoga, but expands and deepens the possibilities of yogic teaching by grounding this teacher training process in the practices, traditions, and sacred texts that are very often either unknown or largely ignored by the majority of yoga teacher trainings available today.

Over six immersive weekends scheduled over six months (January - June 2025), you will learn how to teach foundational āsanas (postures), learn about functional anatomy and physiology, principles and approaches to teaching methodology, and develop skills to thrive in a modern yoga business climate – both online and offline.

How does the Sādhana School count toward my Yoga Teacher Training?

What does it mean to be Yoga Alliance certified?

Do I need previous yoga experience to enroll in the 200-hour YTT?

Will I be qualified to teach yoga after completing the 200-hour training?

What certification will I receive upon completion of the 200-hour YTT?

Many yoga teachers operate in a bubble, with very little expert advice or support to help make the most of their offerings. Is it time to take stock of your existing business and to reIMAGINE the path that your yoga business is on? Do you need to think in fresh & innovative ways based on the current market environment in order to move your platform forward, or keep your business afloat? Do you have pressing business concerns or difficult questions that need to be answered? Or important, exciting decisions to make about your yoga business? Are you negotiating contracts, offers or opportunities on your own? If so, yoga business coaching is for you.

By joining Ava Taylor, you'll tap into over 15 years of experience negotiating, vetting and creating opportunities as well as launching, maintaining, and leveling up over a 1000 yoga businesses worldwide.

Is the coaching tailored to my specific personal and professional goals?

Who is yoga business coaching for?

How long is a typical coaching package?

Jacob Kyle is a meditation teacher, writer, philosophy educator, and the Founding Director of Embodied Philosophy. His guiding mission is to re-imagine the modern function of the yoga teacher in alignment with the teachings, texts, and traditions of yoga's profound history. He believes that by building a network of teachers who share a commitment to disseminating the deeper teachings and practices of yoga, we can build a world based on wisdom rather than ideology and divisiveness.

Jacob is a doctoral student at the University of Oxford, researching Abhinavagupta's Philosophy of Language and Meditation with advisor Diwakar Acharya. He holds an MPhil in Classical Indian Religions from Oxford (2023), an MA in Philosophy from the New School for Social Research (2017), and an MSc in Political Theory from the London School of Economics (2007). Jacob is a passionate advocate of Kashmir Śaivism and a devoted practitioner of the Śaiva-Śākta Darśana.

Integrating somatics, spirituality, and postural yoga in a unique multi-disciplinary offering
Becoming a therapeutic guide grounded and informed by philosophical wisdom teachings
Public speaking for community, corporate, or spiritual settings
Training future teachers to become embodied philosophers themselves
Developing curricula for use in childhood and adult contemplative education
Offering retreats that combine the rigours of philosophical knowledge with the depth of contemplative practices
Writing books and resources for the next generation of contemplative seekers and guides

Many yoga teacher trainings prepare you to facilitate a simple yoga class, but most will fail to help trainees craft a holistic vision for the future that extends beyond the modern yoga studio. The Sādhana School is where this journey begins, by transforming you into a vessel of yogic wisdom. By becoming intimate with yoga's diverse traditions and perspectives, you will locate and become knowledgeable about those niche areas of yogic truth that eventually will situate you to become an agent of contemplative change.

IAYT Approved Professional Development (APD) CREDIT You can easily submit the 36 CE credits for this certificate by locating the listing here and clicking on the course Verify Credits link. You will answer a few questions about your satisfaction with the course, upload your certificate of completion, and the CE credits will be posted to your profile. (Your course input is private. Any data shared with course leaders and Embodied Philosophy from IAYT will be de-identified and provided only in aggregate.)

Yoga Alliance This certificate program can be registered for continuing education credits with Yoga Alliance.

Students can expect around 4 - 6 hours per week of work throughout the program. Each week will have 2 courses, with 2 hours per session. Courses will include suggested & required readings, which will be provided ahead of time. In addition, there will be 3 separate, 90-minute Integration Sessions over the duration of the program. Integration Sessions will be a time to reconsider the material presented in the general lectures through conversation with a faculty member and through small group discussions with fellow students. Students are required to keep a private written journal of reflections (not submitted) responding to question on the course syllabi.