“Yoga is not a religion but a way of life, a practical science refined over thousands of years that
anyone and everyone can enjoy.”
~Yogacharya Oliver Black, founder of Golden Lotus Yoga Teachers Association



Golden Lotus School of Yoga 200 Hour Teacher Training Program
Golden Lotus School of Yoga’s 200-hour teacher training program is rooted in the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda and Self-Realization Fellowship.
Within this program, you will learn an in-depth study of yoga philosophy, meditation, asanas (yoga postures), pranayama techniques (life force control), personal sadhana (spiritual practice) development & refinement, physical and subtle energy anatomy, introduction to Ayurveda, develop and facilitate a yoga retreat, along with many in-person and virtual opportunities to practice teach, and so much more!
Joining the Golden Lotus School of Yoga will also offer you opportunities to establish relationships with like-minded yogis while learning and growing with one another. Mostly, it aims to offer guidance for deepening your connection of your true Self: divine oneness with the infinite omnipresence of Spirit. With your continued practice of hatha yoga, meditation and deepening your connection within your own Self, you can then guide others to do the same as a qualified yoga teacher through successful completion of the program.
Song of the Morning, A Yoga Retreat of Excellence
A yoga retreat where the timeless science of yoga is taught as a full and practical way of life.
Nestled on 800 acres of the Pigeon River forest in Northern Michigan, and home to our teacher training program, Song of the Morning yoga retreat provides an immersive, oasis of seclusion and peace to learn and deepen your Yoga practice.
Meet Our Lead Trainers
Our style is a gentle, traditional, meditative Hatha Yoga. All of our teachers have been initiated into Kriya Yoga, the sacred pranayama and meditation technique, brought to America by Paramahansa Yogananda. Our commitment to excellence and Self-realization is brought to every class that is taught.

David Krolikowski
David began practicing hatha yoga after college in 2012 as a way to stay fit and healthy. He soon realized that yoga was much more and through his commitment to the practice opened a door to read the Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda that showed him the deeper aspects of Yoga and meditation.
David was initiated into Kriya Yoga, a sacred scientific meditation technique taught by Paramahansa Yogananda through the Self-Realization Fellowship in 2014. He serves in many capacities at the Detroit Meditation Center of SRF. In 2015, he graduated from the Golden Lotus School of Yoga and began teaching hatha yoga at the Gilda’s Club of Metro Detroit in 2017.
David enjoys music and began learning the tablas and other forms of sacred music such as Yogananda’s Cosmic Chants on the harmonium as well as singing sacred works in a Chorale. David works at a Senior Living Community as an Accountant. He enjoys spending his free time at Song of the Morning and whenever he can visit the Self-Realization Fellowship in California.

Shannon Smith
Shannon offers a sensitive holistic approach towards teaching and healing through extensive training, intuitive guidance, and a deep commitment towards divine truth.
Her ever-evolving practice started as a toddler when her father introduced her to the foundations of yoga and spirituality; meeting Yogacharya Oliver Black (founder of GLYTA & Song of the Morning Yoga Retreat) in the late 1980’s. In the many years since that time, yoga and spirituality has become ever more deeply woven into the fabric of her life.
Shannon received her 200-hour yoga teacher training from LifePower Yoga in 2015, and furthered her study with an additional 1000 + hours of yoga teacher & yoga therapy training from Beaumont Hospital’s School of Yoga Therapy in Royal Oak, MI. She graduated with an accredited certification through the International Association of Yoga Therapists in 2019. In 2020, she graduated from Golden Lotus School of Yoga and received her kriya yoga initiation through the Self-Realization Fellowship in 2021.
Shannon has been working as a licensed massage therapist since 2011, and as a Reiki Master Level III practitioner since 2017. She’s worked with many hospitalized patients, offering yoga, massage and Reiki therapy in allopathic environments. Since 2019, she’s been living and serving at Song of the Morning Yoga Retreat in Northern Michigan.
Her aspiration is to help guide souls towards conscious realization of their true Self through uniting the clinical approach of the West with the spiritual foundation of the East.
Looking to start or deepen your yoga practice? Learn more about our teacher training program.
Curriculum
During your training you will learn the following
2023 Training Schedule
Our Golden Lotus School of Yoga is rooted in traditional yogic teachings yet aspires to be progressive while meeting our student’s needs. This is why we decided to change our program from all in-person sessions at
Song of the Morning to a hybrid of both in-person and virtual sessions in order to meet half-way with conveniences and honor the technology of the modern world. It is still very important to us for our students to experience the high vibrational energy which Song of the Morning Yoga Retreat has to offer.
May 19th – 21st (In-person)
June 2nd – 4th (Virtual)
June 16th – 18th – (In-person)
June 30th – July 2nd – (Virtual)
July 14th – 16th – (In-person)
August 11th – 13th – (In-person)
August 25th – 27th – (Virtual)
September 8th – 9th – (In-person)
September 22nd- 24th – (Virtual)
October 6th – 8th – (In-person)
October 20th – 22nd – (In-person)




Pricing
We offer flexible payment options that allow for trainees to receive discounts on lodging & meals. To find more information on the lodging options visit
songofthemorning.org.
It you have any questions, you can contact
david@goldenlotusyoga.org
Tuition
NEw Students
*Lodging & Meals Not Included
Returning Graduates
*Lodging & Meals Not Included
Discounted, All-Inclusive Lodging & Meals Rates*
Domes Dorm Package
plus tuition
Domes Private Room Package
plus tuition
Lodge Package
plus tuition
WHeelhouse Package
plus tuition
*The amount above includes a 18% discount for lodging & meals. To receive the all-inclusive rate, payment must be paid in full before the first session. Inquire for Lodge queen bed or Dome full or queen bed rooms. Meals included: Friday dinner, Saturday brunch & dinner, Sunday brunch.