Kaivalyadhama

Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute: Where yoga tradition and science meet

ABHYASA : Onsite Intensive in North America

Dates:
9th to 18th May 2025
Registration Deadline: 4th April 2025

12th to 21st September 2025
Registration Deadline: 8th August 2025

Abhyasa in the USA will be offered two times in 2025

This onsite practical course must be completed within two years after signing up for the online theory course.
Tuition fee and the location are applicable for the current year only.
Please confirm location, by contacting the persons listed below, before signing up for the online course. Locations are subject to change each year.

Minimum registration of 5 students is required to run the course so please DO NOT make travel arrangements prior to registration deadline.

2025 Abhyasa

The default venues are Binghamton NY and West Stockbridge MA

Instruction Dates – 9th to 18th May 2025

* The instruction starts at 7 am so please plan your travel accordingly.

Registration Deadline: 4th April 2025

Instruction Dates – 12th to 21st September 2025

*The instruction starts at 7 am so please plan your travel accordingly.

Registration Deadline: 8th August 2025

Tuition: $1300

Supplies Fee: $150 (Tracksuit and other supplies)

Students are free to arrange their own lodging and meals as soon as the course is confirmed which usually happens soon after the registration deadline.

Information on lodging and meals can be provided upon request.

Limited lodging may be available on a first come first serve basis depending on the location of the course.

Duration: 

Duration of the course is based upon minimum registration of 5 students (Exceptions can be made at the discretion of the teachers.)

It is not advisable to make travel and lodging arrangements before the minimum registration requirement has been met. Registered students will be notified shortly after the deadline date.

Qualifications for Admission:

Prospective students must be registered in the online theory portion of Kaivalyadhama Instructor Certification Course offered through Kaivalyadhama, Lonavala. They also must have:

  • Completed the Patanjali Lectures and Anatomy & Physiology Videos
  • Command of the English language
  • Personal asana practice
  • Some knowledge of Yoga History and the various styles of yoga
  • Physical and psychological Health Fitness waiver from your physician

Purpose of the Course:

The purpose of this course is to educate and evaluate teachers and students enrolled in the online training course, whether you are pursuing a career in teaching Yoga or seeking a tool for personal growth. The training follows the Kaivalyadhama Tradition of validating Yoga through scientific research and traditional Yogic texts.

Nature of the Course: 

The course is intensive in nature and completed onsite. It is available to men and women of all races, religions and nationalities. Interactive learning via group discussions and question/answer sessions will be held daily. The subject, Applied Teaching Methods, requires students to prepare lesson plans and teach practice classes. Seva hours (selfless service) will be earned by volunteering onsite.
Learn with an optimal “5 to 1 student-to-teacher ratio” in the quiet and beautiful yoga studio and setting.

The Teachers will travel to other locations to offer Abhyasa course if there is a willing host and enough interest. Please contact one of the teachers to learn more about offering a course in your area.

Course Contact:

For more information about the course, please contact:

Vartika Dubey – kdhamusa@gmail.com
607.624.6587

Carol Potts – carpotts@gmail.com
607.761.2158

Sample Schedule in the beginning of the course

7:30 am – 9:30 am – Morning practice class
9:30 am – 10 am – Light breakfast
10 am – 11:30 am – Teaching methods
11:30 am – 12:00 pm – Chanting Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras
12 pm – 3 pm – Lunch & Free time
3 pm – 4:30 pm – Afternoon Practice
4:30 pm – 5 pm – Tea break-seva
5 pm- 6 pm – Discussion

Each student is required to teach up-to three asana classes after their practice teaching classes. These teaching classes will be evaluated.

Sample Schedule when student starts preparing to teach

7:00 am – 9:00 am – Morning practice class
9:00 am – 9:30 am – Light breakfast
9:30 am – 12 pm – Anatomy of yoga poses
12 pm – 1 pm – Lunch and free time
1 pm – 2 pm – Lesson planning
2 pm – 3 pm – Practice teaching
3:30 pm – 5:30 pm – Applied anatomy of yoga poses
6:30 pm – 7 pm – Self practice

Students get course completion certificates by Kdham USA which will count towards Instructor certificates awarded by Kaivalyadhama India. The final decision to award teaching certificates rests with Kaivalyadhama Lonavala.

The Teachers

Dr. Vartika Dubey

Yoga philosophy & Teaching methods
Vartika Dubey is daughter of the Pranayama and Yoga Master, Sh. Om Prakash Tiwari and student of Swami Digamberji. Dr. Vartika Dubey was born into a lineage of Yoga masters. She has been teaching Yoga for 25 + years. Well versed in the scientific foundation of Yoga she lectures and gives workshops through out the country. She has also trained yoga teachers in Kaivalyadhama style of Yoga. The style has a strong foundation based on Science and Tradition. Vartika, waited for a long 10 years to get approval from her father, OP Tiwari to teach Pranayama .She considers this to be her priceless achievement.

Mercy Stewart

Asana practice & Teaching methods
Mercedes Stewart, CY.ED, CYAI has been a student of Shri O.P. Tiwari and his daughter Vartika since 1996. She received her training and certification from Kaivalyadhama in 2001. She has taught traditional yoga in a therapeutic style to include pranayama and meditation techniques, history, and philosophy for nearly 15 years.

Carol Potts

Anatomy of Asana
Carol received her certification from the Nosara Yoga Institute in Costa Rica, upon completion of a 200 hour (one month intensive) vinyasa style teacher training in January of 2008. Traditional Hatha Yoga Teacher In 2012 Carol completed the requirements for the 200 hour teacher training in traditional Ashtanga Hatha Yoga, per Patanjali, “Kaivalyadham style”, Lonavala, India. She studied for her teaching certification with master yoga teacher Vartika Dubey PhD, Endicott, NY. Carol has been a practicing Therapeutic Massage Therapist for 13 years.

Dr. Vartika Dubey

Yoga philosophy & Teaching methods
Vartika Dubey is daughter of the Pranayama and Yoga Master, Sh. Om Prakash Tiwari and student of Swami Digamberji. Dr. Vartika Dubey was born into a lineage of Yoga masters. She has been teaching Yoga for 25 + years. Well versed in the scientific foundation of Yoga she lectures and gives workshops through out the country. She has also trained yoga teachers in Kaivalyadhama style of Yoga. The style has a strong foundation based on Science and Tradition. Vartika, waited for a long 10 years to get approval from her father, OP Tiwari to teach Pranayama .She considers this to be her priceless achievement.

Carol Potts

Anatomy of Asana
Carol received her certification from the Nosara Yoga Institute in Costa Rica, upon completion of a 200 hour (one month intensive) vinyasa style teacher training in January of 2008. Traditional Hatha Yoga Teacher In 2012 Carol completed the requirements for the 200 hour teacher training in traditional Ashtanga Hatha Yoga, per Patanjali, “Kaivalyadham style”, Lonavala, India. She studied for her teaching certification with master yoga teacher Vartika Dubey PhD, Endicott, NY. Carol has been a practicing Therapeutic Massage Therapist for 13 years.

What our students have to say...

I attended the Abhyasa practice held in Binghamton NY and was very impressed by the quality of the program. The teachers are very knowledgeable and have a wealth of information. I have learned so much from this program. Dr Vartika Dubey did a great job of providing us with so much information- in just 2 weeks! It was truly an amazing experience, and I would highly recommend the Abhyasa to everyone. Even if you have previous experience with a different style of yoga, the yoga Abhyasa from Kaivalyadhama with its scientific approach will truly provide you deep insight into your yoga practice and will also give you the confidence to practice yoga not only for your own self practice, but also to teach yoga to the community. Many thanks to both wonderful teachers Carol Potts and Vartika Dubey for providing such an incredible program.

Tasneem Sihorwala

This training with Vartika Dubey and Carol Potts, is probably one of the most worthwhile things I’ve ever done for myself. It taught me to listen quietly to both my mind and body. The entire training experience is priceless because of the impact on your belief system as well as the bonding with your instructor, the Kaivalyadhama process and your classmates which will all be lifelong friends. There are not enough words to adequately describe how these experiences changed my life.

Victoria Kraus

It has been some weeks since we came back from our Abhyasa experience with Vartika Dubey and Carol Potts in North Carolina and the joy of those moments, the first time to instruct a class or the morning of graduation, are still with me. It’s impressive how some days only can be so learning intensive, at the same time that it is a calming, embracing and generous situation. From the moment we arrived, with different ideas of what Yoga was, until the departing moment, with the tranquility that this is just the beginning of an amazing life journey, we found kindness. This achieved environment of peace was the key element for us to be able to accept our own limitations, to bond with fellow students and to take in every advise, all the information and learning experience possible. I am sure to have found caring and amazingly knowledgeable teachers for life. There is so much gratitude to have the privilege to be part of this

Marcia Vaitsman