September 10 - October 17th 2026
Beyond The Mat
The mat is where the practice begins. Life is where it is integrated.
This is a real yoga education not another class. Over six weeks, guided by C-IAYT certified yoga therapists, you will learn the complete system of Ashtanga Yoga: the Yamas, Niyamas, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, and Samyama as living, applicable tools for how you actually move through life's challenges.
By the end of Beyond the Mat, yoga will no longer be something you do for an hour. It will be something you know how to practice with understanding, with intention, and with the ability to carry its steadiness into everything else.
Early Registration! Ends Aug 15th!
Use the mat as a laboratory for your life.
In this course movement, breath, and attention train the nervous system so the steadiness you practice becomes the resilience and self-trust you live by.
Yoga stops being something you do for 90 minutes. It becomes something you know how to practice.
By the end of this course, you won’t just ‘know’ the 8 limbs —you’ll use them to regulate your emotions, guide your decisions, and live with steadiness even when life feels chaotic on the mat and beyond.
Have you ever left a yoga class feeling like something was missing, but you couldn’t explain what?
The class was good. You moved your body, stretched, and maybe even felt calmer for a while.
But later that day, or the next morning, the same patterns returned. The stress. The reactivity. The sense of being overwhelmed by life.
Somewhere inside, you wondered if yoga was meant to offer something deeper than a good workout.
You've done nothing wrong, you were never taught that yoga was never meant to stop at the mat.
Here's what's actually happening: what most of us were taught in yoga class is asana, movement. The third limb of an eight-limb system. Asana matters. It's the laboratory. But it's one limb of eight.
The other seven, the practices that guide how we relate to the world, how we regulate from the inside out, and how we direct our own attention, are what allow what you feel on the mat to stay with you when you walk out the door.
Yoga should be more than a series of poses to move through. It's a practice where, in the spaces between the shapes, you cultivate intelligent strength, compassion, nervous system regulation, and the confidence to truly trust yourself. As you embody these deeper principles on the mat, they naturally begin to permeate every area of your life.
You'll find your communication with loved ones becomes clearer. Your body feels lighter, freer. You'll gain practical tools to navigate life's challenges with more stability and grace.
This is also why so many of us make decisions we don't follow through on. You decide to respond differently next time. You decide to make the call, set the boundary, start the practice. And then the moment arrives, and something else takes over.
That gap between what you intend to do and what you actually do isn't a willpower problem. It's a capacity problem. The nervous system pulls toward the familiar, and without practice, the familiar wins.
In Beyond the Mat, you build that capacity directly, through breath, through attention, through the steady repetition of choosing presence over habit. Not by trying harder. By practicing differently.
Train on the mat. Live the practice everywhere.
Beyond The Mat
Why This Approach Is Different
Most yoga classes teach you to follow instructions.
Beyond the Mat teaches you to understand what you are doing and why, so you can practice with full presence, make intelligent choices in your own body, and carry the intelligence of the mat into every area of your life.
The traditional path of yoga offers a complete framework for understanding the body, the mind, and the patterns that shape how we respond to life.
In Beyond the Mat, these teachings are presented through the applied science of Ayurveda Yoga and the lens of yoga therapy.
Rather than teaching philosophy as abstract ideas, we explore how these principles work in real life:
• How breath and movement influence the nervous system
• How attention and sensory habits shape our emotional responses
• How yogic principles support clearer decisions and healthier relationships
• How daily practices can create stability even during stressful times
This course is guided by C-IAYT yoga therapists, which means the teachings are grounded in both traditional yoga philosophy and modern understanding of the nervous system.
The goal isn’t to overwhelm you with information.
The goal is to help you experience how the full system of yoga can support the way you live.
Click the calendar below to download a full schedule!
Meet your Leader
Padma Shakti
Yoga Master
Padma Shakti is Founder and Director of Rasa Yoga School of Yoga and Ayurveda, Visible Belief Education Foundation and Bay Area Yoga Collective.
Padma holds a firm commitment that Yoga and Ayurveda are on the cutting edge for success and leadership development. Through her ability to effectively assimilate and disseminate the teachings of Yoga and Ayurveda she enables people to craft a life beyond just getting by, to live a full life - thriving and healthy - toward the absolute highest quality possible.
Padma Shakti is committed to the transformative power of community and seeks to demonstrate that through functional relationships you strengthen and empower not only yourself, but the whole of humanity.
Her ability and clarity to empower others is made possible by her study, training and love of these great beings: Dr. David Hoch, Lex Gillian, Reverend Karen Tudor, Sandra Summerfield-Kozak of International Yoga Studies, Rodney Yee, Shiva Rea, Dr. David Frawley, Dr. Stephen Phillips, Swami Atma, Master Jason Campbell and Yogarupa Rod Stryker.
There are many other masters and teachers to pay homage to as well, whether by lineage living now or before.
Padma's current studies and training are influenced primarily by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait.
But it wasn't always this way...
Padma's journey towards abundance is marked by courageous triumphs over personal challenges overcoming the shadows of depression, navigating co-dependent relationships, and persevering through physical injuries, from a severe IT Band and hip injury to a dislocated elbow, all healed through the transformative tools of Ayurveda Yoga. Having faced the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic as a business owner, Padma exemplifies the path of mastery, turning adversity into opportunities for growth and manifesting her vision.
Padma's story is a testament to the transformative power of Ayurveda Yoga, showcasing how one can rise above challenges, emerge stronger, and lead with wisdom and compassion. Through her lived experiences, Padma embodies the essence of the teachings she imparts, inspiring others to transcend their obstacles and thrive in their journey towards sovereignty and freedom.
Meet your Leader
Harena EkaBhakti
Yoga Teacher & Student Founder
Harena EkaBhakti (Heather) is Founder of Rasa Yoga School of Yoga and Ayurveda Ohio.
In 2014, Heather completed her 200-hour teacher training. Since then, she has gained extensive experience teaching a wide range of class types and styles, while earning her 500-hour certification. Currently, she is pursuing her E-200, yoga therapy and Ayurvedic Health Coach certifications. Dedicated to personal growth and learning, Heather is a perpetual student of yoga.
Heather takes immense joy in teaching various types of yoga and meditation classes. However, she harbors a special fondness for foundation classes that inspire and encourage students to remain inquisitive and curious. With a compassionate and nurturing teaching style, Heather strives to create a welcoming and supportive environment for her students, enabling them to explore their potential and experience the transformative power of yoga firsthand. Whether you are a beginner seeking a solid foundation or an experienced practitioner yearning for new challenges, Heather's classes are designed to meet you where you are and guide you towards your unique yoga journey. Join her on the mat and embark on a transformative voyage of self-discovery, healing, and growth.
But it wasn't always this way...
Harena’s journey toward building Rasa Yoga School has been shaped by resilience, devotion to practice, and a deep commitment to living the teachings she shares. Along the way, she has navigated profound physical and life challenges including recovery from a hip fracture and the demands of healing after a C-section, experiences that required patience, humility, and a renewed relationship with her body.
Through these moments, the practices of yoga and Ayurveda became more than philosophy. They became practical tools for healing, rebuilding strength, and cultivating steadiness during times when life felt uncertain. Her practice evolved alongside motherhood, cross-country moves, and the challenges of building and sustaining a yoga community.
Rather than waiting for life to become easier, Heather learned to meet each stage of life through practice returning again and again to breath, awareness, and the wisdom of the teachings. These experiences shaped her understanding of yoga not as perfection in the body, but as a living path toward balance, resilience, and self-trust.
Today, Harena shares these teachings through Rasa Yoga School, creating spaces where students can explore the same tools that supported her journey. Her work reflects the heart of Ayurveda Yoga using practice to navigate life’s challenges with clarity, compassion, and steadiness, and discovering the possibility of growth and freedom even through adversity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the dates of the Beyond the Mat Sessions?
Will the Sessions Be Recorded?
September 10 - October 17th 2026
Beyond The Mat
The mat is where the practice begins. Life is where it is integrated.
This is a real yoga education not another class. Over six weeks, guided by C-IAYT certified yoga therapists, you will learn the complete system of Ashtanga Yoga: the Yamas, Niyamas, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, and Samyama as living, applicable tools for how you actually move through life's challenges.
By the end of Beyond the Mat, yoga will no longer be something you do for an hour. It will be something you know how to practice with understanding, with intention, and with the ability to carry its steadiness into everything else.
Early Registration! Ends Aug 15th
