YiA International School of Personal Transformation & Yoga

What will you experience during our trainings:

Personal growth

YiA Yoga believe that the heart and soul of the practice of yoga as a whole comes from within. YiA Yoga desire to inspire you to “be the change you wish to see in this world.” During the training, you will have the opportunity to reflect and connect with your highest self, the part of you that knows the sky is the limit, the part of you that sees the beauty within yourself and others, the part of you that makes your dreams, hopes, and visions a reality.
Spiritual connection

This training is designed to be suitable for people of all religious and spiritual backgrounds. YiA Yoga fully respect and honor individual belief systems. The aim is not to “convert” you into anything. It is rather to inspire you to be the best version of yourself. If you believe in a higher power, this training will connect you more to your own higher power and your highest self. Together, you will practice the power of love and gratitude, which cross all cultures, religions, and philosophies.

Creativity through Vinyasa

The primary type of yoga you will learn is Vinyasa yoga. It is one of the more creative types of yoga and is a perfect base for all other forms. If you can teach a Vinyasa class, expanding to teaching other forms of yoga is easy. Vinyasa can be soft and gentle or powerful and intense. It is whatever you want it to be. You as a teacher are able to express your creativity through the practice and personalize your class to express who you are and what you represent.

It is not a set sequence of poses that you follow every class. It is a beautiful dance that comes together through sun salutations. During the training, you will also expand your knowledge of the various forms of yoga by participating in Hatha, Bikram, Restorative, Partner yoga, Yin yoga, yoga therapeutics, yoga Nidra, Ashtanga, and AcroYoga.
Yoga anatomy and physiology

You will explore the relationship between yoga anatomy and physiology that will support you to guide your students in a safe and effective manner and will empower you to create well-rounded and balanced classes using peak pose sequencing. There will be an inside look on a collection of the most important foundational poses that together comprise the full range of the body’s expression to give you a better understanding of the movements involved using full-color, detailed anatomical illustrations.

Yoga adjustments

YiA Yoga believe that one key to being an exceptional yoga teacher is being able to support your students in their practice by taking their postures to their full expression safely. There will be a hands-on approach to teaching you, not only the anatomy of the posture, but how to get them into proper alignment using effective adjustment techniques.

You will also develop clear and concise communication skills, learn to fully observe your students in their practice, and communicate what they need to hear in order to deepen their own experience. Lastly, you will discover the beauty and power of body awareness through various meditations and exercises.

Leadership

Your ability to create change within yourself and in the world depends upon your courage, commitment, authenticity, and connection. By discovering your strengths and staying connected to your highest self, you will empowers others to do the same. There is no greater gift than allowing your light to shine as brightly as possible, as it inspires others to do the same.
Meditation

The founder and director of YiA Yoga, Kaytee Hoverson, credits much of her focus and success - both worldly and in the spiritual realms - to the practice of meditation and visualization using the law of attraction as a strong foundation. During this training, you will have the opportunity to dive into this magnificent, life-impacting, powerful practice with her, and learn how you can incorporate meditation and visualization into your own life assisting you in fulfilling your dreams and desires.

As you develop and expand your personal meditation practice, you will be inspired to guide your students to theirs.

Yoga philosophy

The practice of yoga goes back thousands of years, but has only exploded across the world just recently. You will look into the most significant historical yogic texts, giving you a deeper understand of the foundation of yoga and flow through time to bring you to the present moment of what is means to be a yogi in the 21st century.

Location

YiA Yoga is located in the small mountain town of Boquete, in the Chiriquí province of Panamá, which the westernmost province of the country bordering with Costa Rica. Due to its elevation (approximately 4,000 feet about sea level), Boquete enjoys spring-like temperatures year round, making this area the agricultural breadbasket of the country. YiA Yoga’s studio is located in downtown Boquete in the Plaza Los Establos shopping center on Calle 5A Sur.
Panama

Panama is the natural bridge that unites the Americas and has the greatest diversity of wildlife in Central America. Much of the land, over 1/3, is covered by National Parks with a variety of plants, animals, reptiles, birds, and a wide range of marine life.

Panama offers the complete travel experience with activities such as: zip-lining through the jungle, hot springs, horseback riding, mountain biking, amazing hiking, bird watching, white water rafting, fishing, rock climbing, repelling, surfing, cave exploration, snorkeling, four-wheeling, volcano treks and much more.

Above all else, the culture of people in Panama will amaze you and show you the kind of love and acceptance that will inspire you for a lifetime. They are the kind of selfless people that you can ask for directions and they will walk you to your location, even if they need to go the other way. Or the kind of people you meet on the bus and they invite you into their homes to share a meal after an hour of knowing you. The best way to describe them is open-hearted and they will make you not want to leave.
Boquete

The valley of Boquete is located in the western highlands of Panama at 1,200 meters above the sea level. Nestled amongst the country\'s most mountainous region, this peaceful town is situated between the Caldera River and Baru Volcano.

Surrounded by untouched tropical cloud forests, Boquete is just an hour and a half from unspoiled white sand beaches in the Pacific and 4 hours from Bocas del Toro in the Caribbean, offering yogi\'s plenty of opportunities to hit the beach during the weekend to enjoy the warmth of the sun and get to do some of the most amazing scuba diving, snorkeling, and surfing that they could imagine.

Boquete is safe, beautiful, inexpensive, and exciting. It can be easily accessed by 1 hour daily flights from Panama City to David (the country\'s second largest city), and then a 30-40 minute car or 1 hour bus journey from here.

The \"Valley of the Flowers and the Eternal Spring\" is home to 20,000 habitants whose cultural roots can be traced to Native Indians, Spaniards, Europeans and North Americans among other ethnicities. Its first settlers came from other areas of Panama, as well as other countries such as Switzerland, Sweden, Germany and North America.

All give shape to the cultural melting pot that Boquete is today. Most farms and houses still have architectural styles that are reminiscent of these other countries. On the sheer mountains that surround the valley live the Ngöbe Bugles, an indigenous ethnic group who are highly skilled artisans, famous for their colorful chaquiras (beaded necklaces) and \"nahuas\", traditional dresses.

Boquete is considered the ecotourism and adventure travel capital of Panama, you name it, Boquete has it. For extreme adrenaline, White Water River Rafting in the Chiriqui Viejo. For coffee lovers, Coffee Tours to coffee plantations and processing farms in Palmira, Palo Alto and Alto Quiel.

To admire the beauty of the tropical cloud forest, Zip Line Canopy Tours in Palo Alto. For a challenging trek and a chance to view both oceans from Panama\'s highest point, hike and camp to the top of the Baru Volcano. For the most incredible hike, challenge yourself to the Quetzals Trail footpath from Cerro Punta to the entrance of La Amistad National Park.

For a relaxing afternoon, you can soak in the Caldera Hot Springs. For you cowboys, you can go Horseback Riding through Caldera\'s valleys. To admire nature\'s abundance go for a Bird Watching Tour. For extreme sports enthusiasts there is Rock Climbing and Rappelling at Los Ladrillos in Bajo Mono.

During the weekend, boat trips and island hoping tours can be arranged to Bolaños or Gamez Islands in the Golf of Chiriqui. Panama\'s best surfing is just a couple of hours away in the world famous town of Santa Catalina and the most amazing scuba diving spots are found at Isla Coiba, which is also in Chiriqui\'s Golf. The Archipelago of Bocas del Toro is only a 20-minute flight away from David and offers a great taste of the Caribbean vibe.

The location of Boquete enjoys a sunny cool mountain climate, comfortable all year round, considered nearly perfect, with temperatures ranging between 60° to 80° F (16° to 28° C).

Boquete has several groceries, a farmer\'s market, and variety of fine dining featuring local and international cuisine. Please note that meals are not included in the cost of the training. YiA Yoga recommends that students be prepared to bring snacks to all class sessions. There are more restaurants per capita in Boquete than anywhere else in Panama. Boquete offers an array of gourmet restaurants offering a wide selection of international dishes including: Mexican, Italian, Peruvian, American, Chinese, Argentinian, Japanese, and of course delicious Panamanian. It also hosts adorable coffee shops and an abundance of delicious bakeries.

Arrival by airplane Please book your flight to arrive at Enrique Malek airport in David (DAV). Transfer from and to the airport is available upon request. Panama is just a short plane ride away if you are coming from the USA and cheap flights are available on a regular basis. Eight major USA cities offer direct daily flights to Panama City, Los Angeles, New York, Newark, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, and Orlando. You can also fly directly from Paris, Madrid, and Amsterdam and other locations around Europe. Panama City, Panama, and San Jose, Costa Rica are the same distance from Boquete, so it is suggested to check prices for both locations, although flights to David from San Jose are less frequent but if you plan to take the bus, San Jose may be the cheaper option. If you arrive in Panama City the flight to David is around 30 minutes. Arrival by bus If you decide to take the bus, it is about six to eight hours by bus or car. From David to Boquete is it about 45 to 60 minutes by bus, taxi, or a shuttle. Option one Panama City to David by private shuttle. YiA Yoga can arrange private shuttles from your arrival airport in Panama City directly to Boquete for 450 USD. You will walk off the flight and your very own bi-lingual tour guide will be there waiting for you with a sign with your name on it. No taxis, no airport transfers, no hassles. And you can make stops along the way whenever you would like. To book a transfer, email YiA Yoga. Option two Panama City to David. You will arrive to Panama at Tocumen International Airport (PTY) and to fly from Panama to David you have to go to Albrook \"Marcos A. Gelabert\" International Airport (PAC), which is about 45 minutes away depending on the time of day and traffic. You can take a taxi between Tocumen International Airport (PTY) and Albrook \"Marcos A. Gelabert\" International Airport (PAC) or spend a night in a hotel in Panama City and then take a taxi next morning to Albrook \"Marcos A. Gelabert\" International Airport (PAC). A taxi from Tocumen International Airport (PTY) to Albrook \"Marcos A. Gelabert\" International Airport (PAC) or to a hotel in Panama City should cost around 25 to 35 USD. A taxi from your hotel should not charge you more than 5 USD to take you to Albrook \"Marcos A. Gelabert\" International Airport (PAC) if you are staying within Panama City. The last flight to David from Panama City departs around 6:00 p.m., so if you land on Panama City after 1:00 p.m. plan to spend the night in a hotel in Panama City or take a bus to David. The last bus to David leaves Panama City at 3:00 a.m. You should allow at least 3 hours between landing at Tocumen International Airport (PTY) and getting to Albrook \"Marcos A. Gelabert\" International Airport (PAC) or bus station because of customs, immigration, and then the journey within Panama City. Option three Panama City to David by bus If you want to take a bus to David from Panama City, you first have to take a taxi from Tocumen International Airport (PTY) or from your hotel in Panama City to Albrook bus terminal. There, you will be able to catch a bus to David. Busses depart almost every hour so you should not have any problem with the schedule and you do not have to bother with reservations. The only dates when you will not be able to easily catch a bus is when it is a Panamanian National Holiday. The first bus departs everyday at 6:00 a.m. and the last one departs at 3:00 a.m. The bus ticket from Panama to David costs 12.50 or 15 USD per passenger depending if it is an express bus or not. Express buses are the fastest and depart at 3:00 p.m., 10:45 p.m., 12:00 p.m., and 3:00 a.m. Once you arrive at the bus terminal in David, you can easily take a connecting bus to Boquete for 1.45 USD from the same terminal. The last bus from David to Boquete leaves at 8:45 p.m. Panama City to David by rental car You may also rent a car in Panama City and drive to Boquete. This is a good option for those who feel comfortable driving in other countries, but may be overwhelming to some drivers. Rental cars are also available in Boquete. Budget has an office in the town center, so that may be the best option.