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

About David

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

About Shannon

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

Asana Techniques

Students will learn how to teach the asanas using the GLYTA principles of executing them with emphasis on alignment, energy flow, breathing, awareness and benefits, as well as modifications including using a chair prop

Meditation Techniques

Students will learn how to practice simple forms of meditation and introduce them to their classes. The importance and benefits of meditation will be stressed.

Pranayama Techniques

Students will learn how to teach several forms of pranayama, their benefits and importance.


Methodology

Students will learn how to demonstrate, teach, and make adjustments to postures. They will further learn how to design classes and workshops, how to use voice, music, and silence.

Physical and Subtle Energy Anatomy and Physiology

Students will learn practical elements of the skeletal, muscular, organs, bodily systems, and chakras and how the asanas, pranayama and meditation effect them. Ayurveda, diet and nutrition will also be included in this area.

Yoga Lifestyle, History, Philosophy and Ethics

Much of this is covered in the SRF Lessons, however students will learn additional information including sacred texts. Special emphasis will be placed on working with the yamas and niyamas of Patanjali and self-development.

Marketing and Business Philosophies

Students will learn bookkeeping skills, advertising, starting a class, how to obtain a space, liabilities and insurance.

Practicum

Students will learn how to assist, adjust, and demonstrate, while practicing teaching in class on-site, giving and receiving feedback.

Karma Yoga Project

Students will select, organize, and report on a Karma Yoga project of their choosing in class. This will be a project worked on throughout training.

Introduction to Ayurveda

The sister science to Yoga and the most ancient system of holistic healing. We will learn about its foundational concepts and how it can be applied to your own life, and your classes as a yoga teacher.

Personal Sadhana Development & Refinement

Sadhana means spiritual practice. In order to maintain a healthy life and to be an effective yoga teacher, having a personal sadhana practice is invaluable. Within this program, you will be given the tools and guidance to create your own sadhana routine or how to refine an existing one.

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.

Tentative Dates

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
$ 2,000

*Lodging & Meals Not Included

Returning Graduates
$ 1,000

*Lodging & Meals Not Included

Discounted, All-Inclusive Lodging & Meals Rates*

Domes Dorm Package
$ 840 $ 730

plus tuition

Domes Private Room Package
$ 980 $ 852

plus tuition

Lodge Package
$ 1,820 $ 1,582

plus tuition

WHeelhouse Package
$ 2,940 $ 2,555

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.

Still unsure our teacher training is right for you? We’d love to speak with you in person.