Lakshmi Voelker Chair Yoga Training
Lakshmi Voelker Chair Yoga Training
Llansadwrn, Llanwrda SA19 8NR, UK
Up to 20 in group
November 25 - 29, 2026
Retreat Highlights
- Five days of immersive group training
- Partner and small-group practice
- Self-study and reflective components
- Practical and written assessments
- One-to-one mentoring and personalised feedback
- A 200-page training manual (digital copy) and access to a video library
- Guidance in sequencing, adaptation, breathwork, and additional modalities such as acupressure and Do-In self-massage
- Daily meditation and shared practice
- Mouna (sacred silence) from 9pm until breakfast
- Karma Yoga as part of integrated learning
- Freshly prepared vegetarian and vegan meals
- Time for rest, reflection, journalling, and walking in the peaceful Welsh hills
About this Retreat
Liz is a Minded Yoga Therapist, teacher trainer, and co-founder of the social enterprise Accessible Chair Yoga CIC, dedicated to making the transformative practices of yoga available to everyone – especially those who may feel yoga is not for them. Her journey began in her fifties, during a period of serious illness and recovery that reshaped her understanding of movement, resilience, and wellbeing. Discovering yoga’s healing potential ignited in her a commitment to accessibility, adaptability, and inclusion.
Liz is passionate about training and mentoring teachers through Lakshmi Voelker Chair Yoga (LVCY) and cultivating a supportive community of chair yoga teachers dedicated to safe, inclusive, and empowering practice. She is known for an approach that blends evidence-informed teaching, therapeutic sensitivity, anatomical clarity, and warm, grounded presence.
Early in her teaching career, Liz encountered Lakshmi Voelker’s pioneering chair yoga method and immediately recognised its capacity to bring yoga to people who could not safely or comfortably practise on the mat. She studied directly with Lakshmi, deepening her training over several years, and was invited to become the official LVCY teacher trainer for the UK and Europe. This long-standing mentorship continues to inform Liz’s teaching and her dedication to passing on the method with clarity and integrity.
Liz specialises in chair and accessible yoga for people with Parkinson’s, dementia, osteoporosis, and mobility or cognitive challenges, and she is a regular lecturer for The Minded Institute in London. Her work spans community settings, care homes, clinical environments, and one-to-one sessions.
Her research plays a central role in her work. Liz is co-author of several peer-reviewed articles, including “Reduced Anxiety and Depression and Improved Mood in Older Adults Living in Care Homes After Participating in Chair Yoga” (Journal of Applied Gerontology, 2024) and “Care Home Residents’ Experiences of Participating in Chair Yoga” (Activities, Adaptation & Aging, 2025). She is also co-author of Get Fit Where You Sit: A Guide to the Lakshmi Voelker Chair Yoga Method (Shambhala Publications, 2023).
Julie is a Minded Yoga Therapist, yoga teacher, and trainee Integrative Yoga Psychotherapist with The Minded Institute. Her journey began with meditation during a time when she was seeking greater steadiness, clarity, and balance in her own life. Experiencing the profound impact of practice on her nervous system, emotional wellbeing, and sense of presence inspired her to train as a yoga teacher and later deepen into therapeutic work.
Her teaching style is compassionate, inclusive, and evidence-informed, blending movement, breathwork, relaxation, mindfulness, and reflective dialogue. Julie specialises in chair yoga as a safe, adaptable, and empowering way for people to move, breathe, and reconnect with themselves while honouring their unique needs.
Julie has over five years’ experience supporting people in addiction recovery, helping them reconnect with their bodies, regulate emotions, and develop practical tools for wellbeing. She teaches chair yoga in a care home specialising in dementia and shares yoga in community classes. Julie also trains yoga teachers in LVCY through one-to-one mentoring and assists Liz Oppedijk with teaching online and at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in the US. This breadth of experience has shaped her belief that yoga can and should be accessible to everyone, regardless of age, mobility, or life circumstances.
At the heart of Julie’s work is a focus on relationship, trust, and presence. She creates a supportive space where clients and students feel heard, understood, and guided back into regulation and self-awareness. Whether teaching in person or online, Julie’s mission is to help people rediscover balance, resilience, and connection through the transformative power of yoga.
Stephanie Shanti is a dedicated yoga practitioner and runs Shanticentre Training School, offering accreditation in advanced yoga trainings as well as bodywork modalities.
Her style is creative, light hearted and real.
She trusts in the yoga process and has experienced in herself as well as witnessed in thousands of her clients, the transformational effect of simple body and mind techniques from the wisdom traditions.
Stephanie Shanti specialises in accessible yoga, anatomy, and chakra philosophy.
She runs international retreats as well as being the founder of Shanticentre Retreat in Italy and offers Advanced Yoga Trainings in person there as well as online.
Fra is a Senior Yoga Teacher with over 1000 hours of Yoga studies under her belt (E-RYT 500 & YACEP), and a certified Yoga and Sound Therapist.
Her yoga practice started 20 years ago, and it is rooted in the Ashtanga Vinyasa tradition. Over time she explored other styles such as Jivamukti, Scaravelli, Integral Yoga, Yin, Yoga Nidra, and Lakshmi Voelker Chair Yogan (LVCY).
Fra is passionate about guiding students through holistic sequences rooted in the breath to develop physical and energetic strength, flexibility, increased vitality, renewed balance, and a focused mind.
Fra's varied experiences have led to a more fluid and non-dogmatic dimension in both her practice and teaching of Yoga (Asana, Pranayama, Meditation, and Yoga Nidra), rooted in her passion for the philosophy and holistic benefits of this ancient discipline. She has worked for one of London’s leading Yoga Teacher Training schools, both on RYT-200 and RYT-500 hour courses, where she has also written and delivered advanced modules in Yoga Philosophy, Asana, and Yoga Nidra. She is currently completing her specialisation in the LVCY Method in order to train teachers in collaboration with Liz Oppedijk and in Italy where she now lives.
Whether on the mat or on the chair, in person or online, Fra creates a safe and inclusive space where students of all levels feel nurtured and are encouraged to listen to their bodies in the present moment, modify according to their needs, and embody the practice from within.
Details of this retreat
For the first time, the Lakshmi Voelker Chair Yoga (LVCY) Teacher Training will be offered as a residential retreat at Mandala Yoga Ashram. Rooted in over 40 years of adaptive yoga tradition, this training offers you the skills and confidence to bring yoga to those who may otherwise be unable to access it – older adults, people with disabilities, those with limited mobility, and anyone for whom floor-based yoga is not available.
The Lakshmi Voelker Method
Created in 1982, the LVCY method is internationally respected for its clarity, structure, and adaptability. Its thoughtfully developed “Levels of Flexibility” system allows teachers to meet every student exactly where they are, ensuring that each practice remains both safe and empowering.
You will learn how to teach chair yoga in a wide range of settings, including community venues, healthcare, specialist groups, and private sessions, as well as adapting practices for wheelchair users and those with chronic health conditions.
What This Retreat Includes
Five days of immersive group training
Partner and small-group practice
Self-study and reflective components
Practical and written assessments
One-to-one mentoring and personalised feedback
A 200-page training manual (digital copy) and access to a video library
Guidance in sequencing, adaptation, breathwork, and additional modalities such as acupressure and Do-In self-massage
Required Reading:
The book, Get Fit Where You Sit: A Guide to the Lakshmi Voelker Chair Yoga Method by Lakshmi Voelker and Liz Oppedijk, is required reading for the course. This book must be acquired separately and is not included in the retreat fee.
Who the Training Is For
This retreat welcomes:
Yoga teachers and therapists
Healthcare and wellbeing professionals
Carers and support workers
Exercise specialists and community facilitators
(Those without a yoga teacher qualification will need to complete an 8-hour Basic Yoga Techniques prerequisite - not included in the retreat fee.)
"Thank you again for this very complete high-quality yoga training. … It gives room for my creativity to flourish in my classes, and I feel I have the tools to teach in a safe, accessible, and fun way from now on"
The Ashram Setting
Held in the serenity of Mandala Yoga Ashram, this training is enriched by the ashram’s living yoga tradition. During your stay, you will experience:
Daily meditation and shared practice
Mouna (sacred silence) from 9pm until breakfast
Karma Yoga as part of integrated learning
Freshly prepared vegetarian and vegan meals
Time for rest, reflection, journalling, and walking in the peaceful Welsh hills
Accommodation is in shared dormitory-style rooms, supporting simplicity, connection, and community.
Accreditation
This course is accredited by Yoga Alliance. For Minded Institute students, it forms Part 1 of the IAYT-approved Accessible Chair Yoga CPD Pathway and contributes towards professional development recognised by the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT).
The Lakshmi Voelker Method
Created in 1982, the LVCY method is internationally respected for its clarity, structure, and adaptability. Its thoughtfully developed “Levels of Flexibility” system allows teachers to meet every student exactly where they are, ensuring that each practice remains both safe and empowering.
You will learn how to teach chair yoga in a wide range of settings, including community venues, healthcare, specialist groups, and private sessions, as well as adapting practices for wheelchair users and those with chronic health conditions.
What This Retreat Includes
Five days of immersive group training
Partner and small-group practice
Self-study and reflective components
Practical and written assessments
One-to-one mentoring and personalised feedback
A 200-page training manual (digital copy) and access to a video library
Guidance in sequencing, adaptation, breathwork, and additional modalities such as acupressure and Do-In self-massage
Required Reading:
The book, Get Fit Where You Sit: A Guide to the Lakshmi Voelker Chair Yoga Method by Lakshmi Voelker and Liz Oppedijk, is required reading for the course. This book must be acquired separately and is not included in the retreat fee.
Who the Training Is For
This retreat welcomes:
Yoga teachers and therapists
Healthcare and wellbeing professionals
Carers and support workers
Exercise specialists and community facilitators
(Those without a yoga teacher qualification will need to complete an 8-hour Basic Yoga Techniques prerequisite - not included in the retreat fee.)
"Thank you again for this very complete high-quality yoga training. … It gives room for my creativity to flourish in my classes, and I feel I have the tools to teach in a safe, accessible, and fun way from now on"
The Ashram Setting
Held in the serenity of Mandala Yoga Ashram, this training is enriched by the ashram’s living yoga tradition. During your stay, you will experience:
Daily meditation and shared practice
Mouna (sacred silence) from 9pm until breakfast
Karma Yoga as part of integrated learning
Freshly prepared vegetarian and vegan meals
Time for rest, reflection, journalling, and walking in the peaceful Welsh hills
Accommodation is in shared dormitory-style rooms, supporting simplicity, connection, and community.
Accreditation
This course is accredited by Yoga Alliance. For Minded Institute students, it forms Part 1 of the IAYT-approved Accessible Chair Yoga CPD Pathway and contributes towards professional development recognised by the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT).
Schedule
5.45 Morning bell
6:30 Hatha class
8.00 Chanting & meditation
8:45 Breakfast
9:30 Karma yoga
11:00 Break
11:30 Morning session
13:00 Lunch & rest
15:45 Afternoon session 1 / Yoga Nidra
17:00 Afternoon session 2
18:15 Supper
19:45 Evening session / Satsang / Kirtan
21:00 Mouna (silence) until breakfast
6:30 Hatha class
8.00 Chanting & meditation
8:45 Breakfast
9:30 Karma yoga
11:00 Break
11:30 Morning session
13:00 Lunch & rest
15:45 Afternoon session 1 / Yoga Nidra
17:00 Afternoon session 2
18:15 Supper
19:45 Evening session / Satsang / Kirtan
21:00 Mouna (silence) until breakfast
Note: Schedule is approximate and may change
Getting Here
Mandala Yoga Ashram, Llansadwrn, Llanwrda SA19 8NR, UK
Accommodation
Large Dorm
A comfortably spaced six-person dormatory above the Sadhana Hall with personal storage space and access to communal bathrooms.
Small Dorm
A cozy four-person dorm with personal storage space and access to communal bathrooms.
3 Person Dorm
A comfortable three-person dorm with personal storage space and easy acces to shared bathrooms.
2 Person Dorm
A simple two-person dormitory with personal storage space and access to communal bathrooms.
Single Room
A comfortable single room with personal storage space and access to communal bathrooms.
Camping - Tent
A camping spot nestled into the beauty of the Ashram's surroundings. Access to all communal Ashram facilities, including hot showers, restrooms, drinking water stations, and dining/practice spaces are available.What to Bring: Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad/mat, and weather-appropriate clothing.
Camping - Van
A dedicated parking space for your van. Suitable for campervans, sprinters, roof-top tents. Full access to communal restrooms, hot showers, drinking water, and common areas are available. Please note that these are unpowered (dry camping) sites. No electrical hookups or waste dumping stations are available.Please bring chocks, as we cannot guarrantee a fully flat spot.
What's Included
- Three freshly prepared vegetarian meals daily, made with locally sourced produce
- Unlimited selection of herbal and black teas throughout the day
- Invigorating morning Hatha yoga classes
- Grounding morning meditation and chanting sessions
- 4 nights of peaceful, restful accommodation
- Restorative afternoon Yoga Nidra and Pranayama breathwork
- Evening Satsang (spiritual Q&A) and uplifting Kirtan
- Dedicated support and guidance from resident staff and course teachers
- Daily Karma Yoga practice integrating mindfulness into action
What's Not Included
- Travel to and from Ashram
- Visa expenses
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