Retreat To Spirit Mentorship: Connect your yoga business to heart-centered service
Live, 3 month online mentorship
circle and training with
Pamela Stokes Eggleston & Amina Naru
Registration is currently closed. Get on our interest list!
Give us your email and we'll let you know when a new cohort of this course is forming.
We'll also send you some emails about compassionate leadership and mentoring from our Mentorship facilitators Pamela Stokes Eggleston & Amina Naru.
We will never share your information. Unsubscribe anytime.
Join Interest List
Does this sound like where you’re at right now?
I feel like my work lacks passion, drive, and authenticity. I feel stuck and stagnant.
I don't feel in alignment with my purpose (or I'm not even sure what my purpose is supposed to be).
I've taken trainings and workshops but feel unsupported and lost. I'm not sure how to skillfully apply what I learned when I returned home.
I feel like I have the potential to be great at what I do but something seems to be blocking my growth.
I'm too shy or too intimidating to others. And I measure my success based on what others think, and wish I could change that.
We hear from many yoga teachers and other wellness practitioners who feel left behind.
Most yoga practitioners and professionals tell us that they get little training in business, leadership, or communications. If you've left trainings and workshops feeling unsupported and unsure of what to do next, you're not alone.
It's not a personal failing or a lack of courage. Usually, it’s simply a lack of support and information about how to serve in a safe, equitable, and compassionate way.
Additionally, the connection between spiritual education and entrepreneurship has not been fully explored within other wellness mentorship programs.
We are shifting the paradigm. Mentorship is the answer.
With Retreat To Spirit Mentorship, we're here to connect your yoga business to the heart of the yoga teachings: service, social justice, and compassionate leadership.
Join us for a project-based mentoring program designed to connect your heart to your work.
Unlike most mentoring programs, we are interested in looking at how your work as a yoga or wellness practitioner can be expanded into a form of service to humanity. Through a clearer understanding of business, community-building, and marketing, we’ll support you in expanding your teaching and offerings, while filling your own heart.
Our work is based in yoga and social justice. We are committed to helping other teachers find a way to expand their offerings while staying true to yoga and to their work dismantling white supremacy. The challenge is finding the right balance of self-care, business strategy, and service.
This three-month mentorship program is project-based, which means you’ll start by clarifying a focus for our time together.
For example, this could be a relaunch of your yoga studio, starting a series of online workshops, or building an online community. Over the course of our three months together you’ll get a chance to build on that vision and formulate a plan to make it a reality.
March is for CREATING: We will focus on your vision and establishing self-care
April is for BUILDING: We will focus on business growth, marketing, and communications
May is for SERVING: We will focus on connecting your work with service and social justice
Why we created this mentoring circle
We are two African American women with a deep passion to assist in the paradigm shift that is taking place on our beloved mother earth. Spiritual evolution is rapidly awakening humankind and the necessary tools, education, and compassionate spaces for growth are often not accessible.
As internationally recognized leaders in the field of service and yoga with over 30 years of combined experience, we invite you to this mentoring circle to infuse more joy, peace, and happiness into your work life.
We created this mentoring program because we are committed to helping other teachers find a way to expand their offerings while staying true to yoga and to their work dismantling white supremacy. Our work is based in yoga teachings and social justice. The challenge is finding the right balance of self-care, business strategy, and service in these spaces.
You will learn
Community-building skills like how to create strong, valuable professional networks
To develop and grow business and professional acumen, including marketing and communication techniques
To understand cultural barriers as they relate to overall health and well-being, and to build a business that supports equity and social justice
To build business competence, compassionate leadership skills, and business integrity
To develop a grounded and spiritual connection through self-care practices
To develop strategic and tactical goals towards a purpose and/or passion as they relate to a career in yoga and/or wellness
To build a yoga career based in service
OUR PROMISE
Retreat to Spirit Mentorship will guide you to develop an impactful, distinctive, and successful yoga career that is based in yoga philosophy and ethics.
You'll leave knowing how to build a more sustainable yoga business, grow a strong professional network, and move forward with a mindset geared toward justice.
What our students are saying
I cannot wait to spend more time with them
“We all started as complete strangers, all came to the retreat alone and left as a very connected group due to the nature and expertise of Amina and Pam. I felt connected to spirit when I completed my time with them. Hell yeah. And you will too. I cannot wait to spend more time with them either in person or virtually. Calm. Non Judgemental, Safe.”
Karen Flynn, retreat participant
Life changing experience
“The content / outline of the retreat provided the perfect foundation for deeper one on one conversations. By the end of the week our small group felt like family! We will all stay connected and vow to return for the next ‘Retreat to Spirit’ event! Meeting Pam & Amina in Costa Rica was a life changing experience for me! I knew this was just the beginning and I wanted to continue working with them.”
Lisa Richards, Holistic life coach and functional medicine
Grateful to call them my mentors
“My name is Mojisola Edu and I am a disabled Army veteran. I have the honor of being mentored by two extraordinary women in my yoga journey. They represent all things wellness. They have guided me and expanded my perspective and knowledge of yoga. As a student, I have been able to see beyond asana and truly embody what serving the community looks like in yoga. They are with you every step of the way. I'm grateful to call them my mentors.”
Mojisola Edu, Army Veteran
COURSE OVERVIEW
Retreat To Spirit Mentorship is a 12-week LIVE online mentor circle.
Course Schedule March 3, 2022 - May 24, 2022
This learning experience includes:
Monthly 3-hour learning intensives. These sessions will be held the first Thursday of each month (March 3, April 7, May 5 from 6-9pm EDT/ 3-6pm PDT).
Weekly 90-minute mentor circles to get support and troubleshoot. There will be weekly 90-minute progress check-in sessions that include homework, journal prompts, discussion, and scheduled breaks (Tuesdays from 6-7:30 pm EDT/ 3-4:30pm PDT).
Thursday, March 3, 2022, 6-9pm EST
CREATING: Focus on your vision and self-care
During our first 3-hour intensive together, we will focus on developing vision and purpose including:
- Introductions of the facilitators and participants
- Creating community agreements
- Cultivating yogic practices that support the Creating phase
- Asana
- Meditation
- Self-Inquiry and Svadhyaya Through Journaling
- Embodiment of Ahimsa
- Pranayama
- Clarifying your business goals
- Creating a mandala to guide your spiritual and mental practice
- Why a strong foundation matters
- Maintaining your personal contemplative practice
- Releasing what's not serving you
- Honing in on your purpose and passion
- Applying tools for your business with Leading from the Outside by Stacey Abrams
- Monthly guest speaker
Week 1
Clarify your goal
March 8, 2022
6-7:30pm EST
What current passion project are you working on? You will create a list of what makes your heart sing, explore what problem it will solve, and if it's business-worthy.
Week 2
A firmer foundation
March 15, 2022
6-7:30pm EDT
Working on yourself is the first step – self care, self inquiry, and self reflection. All service work must be rooted and grounded in tenets of self-care and a conscious relationship with yourself. You cannot pour from an empty cup.
Week 3
Letting go of what's not serving your purpose
March 22, 2022
6-7:30pm EDT
What is getting in the way of YOU stepping into your “personal legend?” This week we will examine how samskaras can be holding you back from creating your best life.
Week 4
Solidify the circle: practice, purpose, passion
March 29, 2022
6-7:30pm EDT
Sealing the cypher with a rooted passion and purpose. Now that you're clear on your project and purpose we focus on practices for sealing the foundation.
Thursday, April 7, 2022, 6-9pm EDT
BUILDING: Focusing on business growth and marketing
We will focus building upon current business knowledge and capacity including:
- Examining business models
- Cultivating yogic practices that support the Building Phase
- Asana
- Meditation
- Self-Inquiry and Svadhyaya Through Journaling
- Embodiment of Ahimsa
- Pranayama
- Building business acumen and savvy
- Examining stages of group development
- Building a community instead of just a brand
- Solidifying new networks and relationships
- Applying tools for your business with “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz
- Monthly guest speaker
Week 5
Business models for community-based growth
April 5, 2022
6-7:30pm EDT
In this week, we will explore how traditional business models can be tweaked for community care and development, and in particular, how these models can help communities thrive.
Week 6
Marketing & communications
April 12, 2022
6-7:30pm EDT
How to use marketing to create your business acumen and stamina. We will also unpack your relationship with marketing and communications as it relates to your realized passion.
Week 7
Building a community instead of a brand
April 19, 2022
6-7:30pm EDT
Building community by using the stages of business development. This is an important step towards connecting your purpose with the community.
Week 8
Solidify new networks
April 26, 2022
6-7:30pm EDT
During this time, we will learn how to create and nurture new business networks and collaborations. This is a critical component of any business venture and passion undertaking.
Thursday, May 5, 2022, 6-9pm EDT
SERVING: Focusing on social justice and service
We will focus on serving community as it relates to supporting and growing your inner circle, including:
- Expanding your inner circle
- Cultivating yogic practices for the Serving Phase
- Asana
- Meditation
- Self-Inquiry and Svadhyaya Through Journaling
- Embodiment of Ahimsa
- Pranayama
- Understanding your position and privilege
- Connecting to your mission
- Expanding your foundation
- Developing a Strategic Plan
- Aligning with Skill in Action by Michelle Cassandra Johnson
- Monthly guest speaker
Week 9
Expanding the inner circle: understanding position and privilege
May 3, 2022
6-7:30pm EDT
We will dive into the understanding position and privilege in your work and life. This is of vital importance when working in service and in community.
Week 10
Expanding the foundation - connect to your mission
May 10, 2022
6-7:30pm EDT
Here’s where we support and grow your foundation by fully connecting and resonating with your mission.
Week 11
Sustaining your inner circle
May 17, 2022
6-7:30pm EDT
In prior weeks, we’ve built upon the cypher you have created. Here is where we cultivate a solid grounding for the inner circle so that it is rooted in community.
Week 12
Sustaining the foundation
May 24, 2022
6-7:30pm EDT
Building upon resilient relationships, networks, and inner circles, we will wrap these components all together. In our final week, we will focus on securing your foundation with a strong business strategy to guide the way.
Books
These books will be used in the program. Purchase is not required but highly recommended as we will refer to each for our monthly calls. Some of the journaling and homework will come from parts of each book.
Skill In Action
2nd Edition - Revised & Expanded
by Michelle Cassandra Johnson
About Your Mentors
Amina Naru
Amina Naru (she/her) is the co-founder of Retreat to Spirit, owner of Posh Yoga LLC in Wilmington, DE, and immediate past co-executive director of national non-profit Yoga Service Council. Her professional expertise is in the field of yoga service for communities, juvenile detention centers and adult prisons since 2013.
Amina is a contributing author to the YSC Best Practices Series, Best Practices for Yoga with Veterans (YSC/Omega, 2016) and Best Practices for Yoga in the Criminal Justice System (YSC/Omega, 2017). She has served as the project manager for Yoga and Resilience: Empowering Practices for Survivors of Sexual Trauma (YSC/Omega) published by Handspring May 2020. She was also the project manager for Best Practices for Yoga with People in Addictions and Recovery.
Amina has been featured in Yoga Journal, Yoga Therapy Today and on the J. Brown and Yoga Alliance podcasts. She served as Executive Director of the nonprofit Empowered Community and is the first black woman to implement curriculum-based yoga and mindfulness programs for juvenile detention centers in the state of Delaware.
Pamela Stokes Eggleston
MBA, MS, C-IAYT, E-RYT-500, YACEP
Pamela (she/her) is the Founder and Director of Yoga2Sleep, Co-Founder of Retreat to Spirit, and Adjunct Professor/Yoga Therapy Clinic Supervisor at the Maryland University of Integrative Health. She is a certified yoga therapist and meditation teacher with specialized training in plant-based nutrition, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), and trauma-informed yoga to work with service members, veterans, their caregivers, and insomnia sufferers. Previously serving as Co-Executive Director of the Yoga Service Council, she cultivated financial resilience and strategic partnerships for the organization. An avid yogini for over 20 years, Pamela was motivated to begin her teaching journey when she realized that yoga decreased her insomnia and reduced her knee osteoarthritis pain.
Pamela has an MS in Yoga Therapy from Maryland University of Integrative Health and an MBA from University of Maryland University College. She served as President of the UMUC Alumni Association. In addition, she is a contributing editor of Best Practices for Yoga with Veterans (YSC/Omega, 2016) and Yoga and Resilience: Empowering Practices for Survivors of Sexual Trauma (Handspring, July 2020), as well as researcher/author of Yoga Therapy as a Complementary Modality for Female Veteran Caregivers with Traumatic Stress: A Case Study (Maryland University of Integrative Health, March 2018), and Addressing Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms: A Yoga Therapy Case Study (Maryland University of Integrative Health, June 2019). Pamela serves on the board of the international nonprofit Accessible Yoga, the advisory board of Yoga Unify, the Grant Advisory Committee of the Yoga Alliance Foundation as a collaborative response to the impact of COVID-19 within the yoga community, and on the editorial board of the Journal of Applied Yoga Studies.
An accomplished consultant, advisor, published author and national speaker, Pamela has worked for numerous agencies including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Veterans Administration, the Department of Labor, as a yoga therapy intern for Johns Hopkins Medical Center, and as an advisor on Congress-supported publications centering on substance abuse, mental health, criminal justice and military and veteran family matters. Her work and writing have been featured with Yoga Therapy Today, Insight Timer, Meditation Studio, Gaiam, Military Family Life.Com, Military Spouse Magazine, Yoga Journal, Mantra Yoga and Health, Essence, the Huffington Post, and on Ellen and MSNBC.
Tuition for Retreat To Spirit Mentorship
We offer sliding scale pricing for this training:
- $425 Community Rate: For folks who need financial assistance
- $495 Sustainer Rate: Base cost of this course
- $565 Supporter Rate: For folks who can afford to pay a bit more, you'll enable community members experiencing financial difficulties to join at a lower rate!
You may also choose to split the tuition cost into three monthly payments. If none of these price points work for you, there are a limited number of partial scholarships available.
Apply for a Partial ScholarshipWhen you register for Retreat To Spirit Mentorship you’ll get:
- Access to your student portal, where you’ll have welcome messages from your mentors and tips to set yourself up for success
- 27 hours of live training with your mentors: a place to learn in community with others on this path
- Video archives with captions of all live content
- A rich resource list that we will build together in community
- Reflection prompts to deepen your learning
- 27 hours CEUs (after completion of the course content, you may submit your certificate for contact hours through Yoga Alliance if desired)
Please take a moment to consider the intention of our scholarship program and equity pricing structure, which was created in order to amplify training access for those who hold marginalized identities and those experiencing significant financial hardship. If neither of those qualifications apply to you, we ask you to please consider other payment options, including our payment plans, or supporting others in our community who have decreased access to financial resources by enrolling as a Sustainer or Supporter, if this is accessible to you.
What our colleagues are saying
Change agents
"Working with Pam and Amina has been a real pleasure. They are effective because they model an interpersonal perspective, emphasizing mutuality, a willingness to listen, open dialogue, clarifying values, surfacing and resolving conflict and building commitment to win-win objectives.
"They are transformational change agents who not only teach Compassionate Leadership, more important they model it. They are women of integrity and vision committed to uplifting whomever they serve, their clients, organizations, and the community at large,literally making the world a better place for everyone."
Gail Parker, Ph.D., CIAYT, RYT 500, YACEP, President of the Black Yoga Teachers Alliance
Highly recommend Pam & Amina
“Cultivating wellness during dynamic times is a difficult task. Pam and Amina provided learners an authentic space to explore their relationship to wellness as a lifelong practice rather than performative iterations through the course of a day. Learners responded to the authentic nature of Pam and Amina experiential learning framework and continue to ask them to be a part of their professional development. I would highly recommend Pam and Amina to any organization, team, or individual who is eager to explore wellness professionally and personally.”
Kwasi Boaitey, LMSW, SAP, CASAC-T, ACC, RYT-200, CP
The type of leadership that we need
"Heart-centered, ethically grounded, and willing and able to be tough-minded when necessary, Amina and Pamela offer precisely the type of leadership that we need to see much, much more of today.”
Carol Horton, Ph.D.
Who this course is for
Folks who crave guidance on how to skillfully apply what was learned in a workshop or training
If you’ve ever completed a training or workshop and felt unsupported or lost with the information received or how to skillfully apply what you learned when you returned home, you’re in the right place. If you ever felt like you had the potential to be great at what you do but something seems to be blocking the growth, this is the course for you. If you feel stuck or stagnant, you belong here.
Yoga teachers and therapists who want to explore mentorship through a yogic lens
If you have questions like…How do the yamas and niyamas apply to collective work in community? How can we shift the paradigm to offer instruction and tools for the application of the philosophies and teachings into work and personal life? How can we use self-care tools to infuse our networks and relationships? You belong here.
People who want to learn service in community
Learning how to serve and cultivate in community when systemic racism and social injustice are rampant, telling you that you are not enough, is incredibly exhausting. It’s unfair and quite frankly, unnatural. And sometimes, you need a helping hand to guide you towards purpose and liberation.
Community is where we blossom and sow the seeds of heart-centered purpose. When you join the Retreat to Spirit Mentoring Program, you will become a part of a community of acceptance, compassionate leaders, and conscious minded people just like you who strive to dismantle social injustice, accept their uniqueness, and use their passion to create a better world.
Yoga teachers and therapists who are tired of doing it “on their own” and working in silos
If you are sick and tired of working by yourself, trying to partner with folks who seem to only want to work in silos, or not getting that opportunity after you’ve put in the work because:
- you feel folks hinder your progress
- you get in your own way
- you feel reticent to jump out there
- you feel like you don’t have enough…..education, training, experience, whatever…
You can begin the work towards your passion and purpose TODAY. You belong here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be a certified yoga teacher to take this course?
I worry that I'm not ready for this. How do I know when it's the right time?
I feel bad spending money on myself. Should I invest in this course?
I am not sure if I have time for this.
I really want to do this work but Iām afraid of getting on a live Zoom call and saying the wrong thing in front of a big group.
Is this training all online? How does it work?
What if I can't make the live calls? Can I still take the course?
How long is the training?
How much time will I need to set aside each week for work outside of the live class sessions?
Do I need special equipment or software for the training?
How long do I have access to the training materials?
Can I share the videos, workbook, or other resources with other teachers who aren't in the course?
Can I earn continuing education credit or contact hour CEUs for this training?
How much does it cost?
Are scholarships available for the training?
Are payment plans available?
What if I need a refund?
What if I need help?
Be the first to know - join our interest list.
Give us your email and we'll let you know when a new cohort of this course is forming.
We'll also send you some emails about compassionate leadership and mentoring from our Mentorship facilitators Pamela Stokes Eggleston & Amina Naru.
We will never share your information. Unsubscribe anytime.
