PROGRAM
YOGA FOR CHANGE
Embodied Spirituality and Activism for Yoga Teachers
Provisional program
July 6-19, 2026
Amsterdam, De Nieuwe Yogaschool
MONDAY, JULY 6
07:00 – 9:00 AM
Integrated Yoga Practice
Pranayama, Meditation, Asana and Mantras.
Vikram Singh
9:00 – 09:45 AM
Breakfast
10:00 – 11:00 AM
Mapping the Territory
Welcome and Introduction to the Program.
11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Embodied Intention
Cultivating a Courageous Presence through Body, Breath and Mind-Body alignment.
Vikram Singh
1:30 – 2:45 PM
Lunch and Free time
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Practice, Reflect, Connect
Meditation, Restorative, Group Reflection.
Vikram Singh
4:00 – 6:00 PM
Ethics in Action
Traditional Yoga Philosophy and Conscious Living.
Vikram Singh
TUESDAY, JULY 7
07:00 – 9:00 AM
Integrated Yoga Practice
Pranayama, Meditation, Asana and Mantras.
Vikram Singh
9:00 – 9:45 AM
Breakfast
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Between Inspiration and Embodiment
Dharma/Adharma, Meditation and Sustainable Engagement. A Yogic and Personal Perspective.
Vikram Singh
12:00 – 1:30 PM
Bodies in Action
History of Social Movements. The Science of Social Justice.
Candida Vivalda
1:30 – 2:45 PM
Lunch and Free time
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Practice, Reflect, Connect
Meditation, Restorative, Group Reflection.
Vikram Singh
4:00 – 6:00 PM
Embodied Nonduality
Acting in the World Between the Timeless and the Temporary.
Bob Peck
WEDNESDAY, JULY 8
7:00 – 9:00 AM
Integrated Yoga Practice
Pranayama, Meditation, Asana and Mantras.
Vikram Singh
9:00 – 09:45 AM
Breakfast
10:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Wellbeing as Resistance
The body as a political and social territory. What it means to be truly embodied. Decolonizing our bodies. Rest as a form of resistance.
Dina Ghandour
1:30 – 2:45 PM
Lunch and Free time
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Practice, Reflect, Connect
Meditation, Restorative, Group Reflection.
Dina Ghandour
4:00 – 6:00 PM
Working Groups
THURSDAY, JULY 9
07:00 – 9:00 AM
Integrated Yoga Practice
Pranayama, Meditation, Asana and Mantras.
Dina Ghandour
9:00 – 09:45 AM
Breakfast
10:00 – 12:00 PM
Embodied Activism.
Yoga, Social Justice and Collective Liberation. Yoga, privilege, capitalism and systems of oppression. Spiritual bypassing. Community, ritual and collective healing.
Dina Ghandour
12:00 – 1:30 PM
Holding both Grief and Joy
A personal experience on how to be an activist yoga teacher.
Dina Ghandour
1:30 – 2:45 PM
Lunch and Free time
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Practice, Reflect, Connect
Meditation, Restorative, Group Reflection.
Dina Ghandour
4:00 – 6:00 PM
Theory and Practice of Compassion in Action
Elements of neuroscience, psychology and contemplation.
Candida Vivalda
FRIDAY, JULY 10
07:00 – 9:00 AM
Integrated Yoga Practice
Pranayama, Meditation, Asana and Mantras.
Dina Ghandour
9:00 – 9:45 AM
Breakfast
10:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Psychology of Activism
The “Activist Self”: motivation, burnout, and resilience.
Ethical communication and Boundaries-setting. The importance of Self-care and Forgiveness in activism
Gonzalo Brito
1:30 – 2:45 PM
Lunch and Free time
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Practice, Reflect, Connect
Meditation, Restorative, Group Reflection.
Gonzalo Brito
4:00 – 6:00 PM
Contemplation in Motion
The Heart of Christian Wisdom for Transformative Action.
Cynthia Bourgeault
SATURDAY, JULY 11
7:00 – 9:00 AM
Integrated Yoga Practice
Pranayama, Meditation, Asana and Mantras.
Rebeca Recatero
9:00 – 09:45 AM
Breakfast
10:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Mindfulness and Emotional Balance
Working with Anger, Fear, Grief, Frustration. Insights and Practices from Neuroscience and Psychology.
Gonzalo Brito
1:30 – 2:45 PM
Lunch and Free time
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Practice, Reflect, Connect
Meditation, Group Reflections and Exercises.
Gonzalo Brito
4:00 – 6:00 PM
Buddhist Psychology and Engaged Action
Buddhist Frameworks and Practices. Clarity, Non-Polarization and Equanimity to change the world.
Gonzalo Brito
SUNDAY, JULY 12
9:00 – 11:00 AM
Integrated Yoga Practice
Pranayama, Meditation, Asana and Mantras.
Rebeca Recatero
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Optional Q&A
MONDAY, JULY 13
07:00 – 9:00 AM
Integrated Yoga Practice
Pranayama, Meditation, Asana and Mantras.
Rebeca Recatero
9:00 – 9:45 AM
Breakfast
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Into the Depth of Your Purpose and Voice
Authenticity and storytelling to inspire and move. Voice as a tool for presence, connection and embodiment. Mantras / vibration as a way to raise our voice collectively.
Rebeca Recatero
12:00 – 1:30 PM
Animal Rights & Environmental Activism Through a Yogic Lens
Personal experience and vision.
Rebeca Recatero
1:30 – 2:45 PM
Lunch and Free time
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Practice, Reflect, Connect.
Meditation/Yoga Nidra, Group Reflection on Radical Dharma.
Candida Vivalda
4:00 – 6:00 PM
Real-Life Experiences and Challenges of Activists
TUESDAY, JULY 14
7:00 – 9:00 AM
Integrated Yoga Practice
Pranayama, Meditation, Asana (Trauma-Sensitive).
María Macaya
9:00 – 09:45 AM
Breakfast
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Understanding Trauma and Resilience
Psychological, Somatic, and Social perspectives on Trauma, Power, and Healing across generations.
María Macaya
12:00 – 1:30 PM
Posture, Movement and Breath
Neuroscience, Psychology, Nervous and Sensory System Regulation. Considerations for a Safe Practice
María Macaya
1:30 – 2:45 PM
Lunch and Free time
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Practice, Reflect, Connect
Meditation, Group Reflection and Exercises.
María Macaya
4:00 – 6:00 PM
Working Groups 2
WEDNESDAY, JULY 15
07:00 – 9:00 AM
Integrated Yoga Practice
Pranayama, Meditation, Asana (Trauma-Sensitive)
María Macaya
9:00 – 09:45 AM
Breakfast
10:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Yoga and Mental Health
Limitations and Opportunities. Trauma-Sensitive toolkit and Practices for Yoga Teachers
María Macaya
1:30 – 2:45 PM
Lunch and Free time
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Practice, Reflect, Connect
Meditation, Group Reflection and Exercises.
María Macaya
4:00 – 6:00 PM
Building an Impactful Entrepreneurial Ecosystem around a Conscious Business.
Keys to Creating a Supportive Environment and Projecting it Forward.
THURSDAY, JULY 16
07:00 – 9:00 AM
Integrated Yoga Practice
Pranayama, Meditation, Asana and Mantras.
Yogeswari
9:00 – 9:45 AM
Breakfast
10:00 11:30 AM
Purpose in Motion
How to build impactful Non-Profits and create sustainable change. Strategies, challenges, opportunities.
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Deconstructing an Activist Yoga Class
Ideas, Strategies and Tools for teaching with Radical Purpose.
Yogeswari
1:30 – 2:45 PM
Lunch and Free time
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Practice, Reflect, Connect
Meditation/Yoga Nidra, Group Reflection on Radical Compassion & Interdependence.
Candida Vivalda
4:00 – 6:00 PM
Working Groups 3
FRIDAY, JULY 17
7:00 – 9:00 AM
Integrated Yoga Practice
Pranayama, Meditation, Asana and Mantras.
Yogeswari
9:00 – 09:45 AM
Breakfast
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Conflict Resolution and Peace Building
Yogic + Buddhist perspectives applied to the work in humanitarian contexts.
Yogeswari
12:00 – 1:30 PM
Marketing and Communication for Change
Dismantling the current narratives. New paradigms of communication that breathe, beat, strike. Theory, case studies, practicals.
Gabriel Pena-Balleste
1:30 – 2:45 PM
Lunch and Free time
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Practice, Reflect, Connect
Meditation/Yoga Nidra, Group Reflection on Active Hope.
Candida Vivalda
4:00 – 6:00 PM
Real-Life Experiences and Challenges of Activists
SATURDAY, JULY 18
07:00 – 9:00 AM
Integrated Yoga Practice
Pranayama, Meditation, Asana and Mantras.
Yogeswari
9:00 – 09:45 AM
Breakfast
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
The Message as an Act of Resistance
Theory, case studies, practicals.
12:00 – 1:30 PM
Closing Session
Candida Vivalda + Gabriel Pena-Balleste
1:30 – 2:45 PM
Lunch and Free time
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Practice, Reflect, Connect
Meditation/Yoga Nidra, Group Reflections.
Candida Vivalda
4:00 – 6:00 PM
Working groups 4
SUNDAY, JULY 19
09:00 – 11:00 AM
Integrated Yoga Practice.
Pranayama, Meditation, Asana and Mantras.
Candida Vivalda
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
