Yoga Therapy for Posture and Core Health

ONLINE & IN-PERSON with Diana Meltsner, C-IAYT, ERYT-500, YACEP

$40 | $35 Early bird, exp. 5/17/26.

Please register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.

We appreciate advance registration.

Join Diana Meltsner, a certified yoga therapist, for an educational workshop exploring the relationship between posture, core function, and musculoskeletal health. We will examine how core stability supports balance, lumbar spine health, ribcage alignment, the reduction of shoulder and neck discomfort and more. The workshop will include lecture, guided practice, and discussion, with content adapted to participants’ interests and needs.

We will look at the anatomy just briefly and then in movement we will recognize and feel the different parts of our body being in or out of alignment in our posture, the inner core activation and core’s engagement works together with the rest of the body. This regained awareness can be applied to gentle yoga asana, advanced asana practice as well as body movement off the mat.

Topics will include:

  • the relationship between alignment, strength, flexibility, and patterns of tightness or weakness
  • postural organization with and without effective inner core engagement
  • compensatory movement patterns contributing to chronic pain and injury
  • progressive and gentle methods to retrain the body, to activate and strengthen the core
  • how much to practice to restore and maintain functional strength

We will practice a series of awareness-building and gentle strengthening exercises for the core and address common challenges. Practices will be done in a chair, standing, and on the floor. All levels are welcome.

This workshop will be recorded and available to all enrolled students for two weeks.


Diana Meltsner, C-IAYT, ERYT-500, YACEP, has been teaching a variety of classes and workshops since 2001 and since 2017 offers yoga therapy sessions privately and at Integral Yoga Therapy Clinic in San Francisco. She has over 15 years of experience in leading and co-teaching Yoga and Meditation teacher trainings. She has been working in the clinical setting for Kaiser Permanente since 2005 as a yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and health educator. Diana’s focus is on the healing aspects of Yoga on the mind as well as the body by applying the physical postures, practices of breath-control, mindfulness and meditation. Diana helps her clients to find the ability to move through life with increased ease, stress resilience, and intuition. Diana Meltsner works as a programs manager at Integral Yoga Institute, an urban ashram in San Francisco. dianameltsner.com

4-Day Yoga Retreat: Relax, Reflect and Rejuvenate

IN-PERSON with Swami Ramananda, Diana Meltsner & Astrud Castillo

Retreat begins on Thursday, August 13 at 5pm – Ends on Sunday, August 16 at 12:30pm

$795 Single room | $725 Early bird, exp. 7/23
$670 Shared room (price per person) | $600 Early bird, exp. 7/23
Active teacher discount 20%

Please register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.

We appreciate advance registration.

At Commonweal Retreat Center, Bolinas, CA. This in-person 4-day retreat will include a variety of Yoga classes for all levels of practice, workshops, meditations, inspirational evening programs—including kirtan with Astrud—healthy vegetarian meals, and free time for walks, resting, or reading.

Each day will also include Yoga Nidra practices to support deep rest and nervous system renewal. We will practice silent, walking and guided meditations as well as an end-of-day personal reflection practice to integrate the day’s teachings and insights and help us move more deeply into awareness.

We will observe silence from Thursday night until Sunday morning. In this spacious quiet, we can strengthen our inner connection to peace, find clarity of thought, and cultivate compassionate connection with one another.

We are blessed once again to gather at the Commonweal Retreat Center in Bolinas, known for the natural beauty of its oceanside setting and its location on sacred Native American land. Practicing Yoga in this powerful natural environment offers an opportunity to cleanse the body and mind of the stimulants and toxins we ingest through the mouth, eyes, and ears, and to renew our personal commitment to live courageously in the light of awareness.


Swami Ramananda, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco, C-IAYT, and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition who has been practicing Yoga for over 45 years. Ramananda offers practical methods of integrating the timeless teachings and practices of Yoga into daily life and transforming the painful aspects of human experience into steps toward realizing one’s full potential.
He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced-level Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco and offers a variety of programs in many locations in the U.S., Europe and South America. Ramananda co-developed the Stress Management Teacher Training program with Swami Vidyananda, has trained many teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings, and has taught mind/body wellness programs in many locations. He is a certified Yoga therapist and founding board member of the Yoga Alliance, a national registry that supports and promotes yoga teachers as professionals. He co-founded The Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI), which brings together individuals committed to working for social justice for all beings and for the care and healing of our natural world. His warmth, wisdom and sense of humor have endeared him to many.

Diana Meltsner, C-IAYT, ERYT-500, YACEP, has been teaching a variety of classes and workshops since 2001 and since 2017 offers yoga therapy sessions privately and at Integral Yoga Therapy Clinic in San Francisco. She has over 15 years of experience in leading and co-teaching Yoga and Meditation teacher trainings. She has been working in the clinical setting for Kaiser Permanente since 2005 as a yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and health educator. Diana’s focus is on the healing aspects of Yoga on the mind as well as the body by applying the physical postures, practices of breath-control, mindfulness and meditation. Diana helps her clients to find the ability to move through life with increased ease, stress resilience, and intuition. Diana Meltsner works as a programs manager at Integral Yoga Institute, an urban ashram in San Francisco. www.dianameltsner.com

Astrud is a celebrated kirtan wallah and yoga teacher currently living in Los Angeles. She has been sharing the art and practice of kirtan for over two decades and has toured throughout the U.S. and Europe sharing her passion for Mantra Meditation and Bhakti Yoga. Astrud teaches teachers in training the essence of Bhakti and basic harmonium skills. She has been teaching asana infused with Bhakti since 2000. “Astrud’s kirtans immerse the mind in a sea of sacred sound and melt open the heart” -Swami Ramananda. You can find her album Hari Om and other singles on Spotify, and all other music platforms.

Reason and Mystery; Two Lenses on the Same Reality, 7-day meditation course

Online

$54 | $47 Early bird, use promo code MEDITATE, exp. 3/30/26

Please register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.

Join Diana Meltsner—meditation teacher and teacher trainer—online for seven morning meditations and brief talks, held daily from Monday, April 6, through Sunday, April 12, 2026. These sessions will focus on developing meditation that integrates two perspectives: Analysis and Mystery.

A life lived solely in analysis becomes brittle; a life lived solely in faith becomes ungrounded. But a life that can move fluidly between these modes becomes flexible, resilient, and wise. Can our meditation hold both perspectives?

The Analytical Mode asks:

• What is happening right now?
• What is the process here?
• What is skillful or unskillful?

The Mystical Mode asks:

• Can I be with this without needing to know?
• Can I trust the unfolding moment?
• What if the deepest truths are felt rather than understood?

Kena Upanishad:
“It is known to the one who does not know it.
It is unknown to the one who thinks he knows.”

We will explore practices that cultivate both the intellect and the mystical heart:

• Meditation that develops a narrow focus—grounded in analysis, discernment, and clear seeing
• Open-awareness meditation rooted in faith, mystery, and living in the question

These practices foster different types of attentiveness. Each expands our perception of reality and reflects the brain’s dual hemispheric functionality, which supports complex cognition, balanced behavior, and true discrimination—viveka.

Meditation, talk, discussion, and sharing will be included. Some experience with meditation is required.

Diana’s recent blog on this topic.

All sessions will be recorded and shared with participants for later viewing on a daily basis.


Diana Meltsner, C-IAYT, ERYT-500, YACEP, has been teaching a variety of classes and workshops since 2001 and since 2017 offers yoga therapy sessions privately and at Integral Yoga Therapy Clinic in San Francisco. She has over 15 years of experience in leading and co-teaching Yoga and Meditation teacher trainings. She has been working in the clinical setting for Kaiser Permanente since 2005 as a yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and health educator. Diana’s focus is on the healing aspects of Yoga on the mind as well as the body by applying the physical postures, practices of breath-control, mindfulness and meditation. Diana helps her clients to find the ability to move through life with increased ease, stress resilience, and intuition. Diana Meltsner works as a programs manager at Integral Yoga Institute, an urban ashram in San Francisco. www.dianameltsner.com

2026-03-27T08:26:34-07:00February 17th, 2026|Tags: , , , |

The Integrated Neck: Anatomy, Yoga Therapy & Nervous System Support

Online & In-person
$35 | $27 Early bird, use promo code NECK, exp. 3/1/26

Please register in advance; a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.

We appreciate advance registration.

Structural Yoga Therapy • Functional Anatomy • Safe Mobility & Strength • Vagus Nerve Regulation • Energetic Aspects

If your neck is tight, tired, or always “on,” you’re not alone. Contemporary life places enormous strain on the cervical spine—and most stretching routines simply aren’t enough to create lasting change. This workshop offers a deeper, safer, and more holistic approach.

You’ll learn how the neck, shoulders, and upper back work together; how to stretch safely without overstressing delicate cervical structures; how to strengthen the right muscles for lasting relief; and how to feel and find the right alignment. We’ll also touch on simple, science-informed ways to support the Vagus nerve and calm the whole system. Subtle anatomy of the throat and its energetic flow will also be addressed.

Expect a blend of clear education, guided practice, and practical tools you can apply immediately. Space for Q&A, clarification, and personal adaptation will be included.

We will do both chair and mat practice, use a block, bolster or a couple firm bed pillows and look at how to support neck with neck rolls, blankets and pillows.

This workshop will be recorded and shared with enrolled participants for 2 weeks.


Diana Meltsner, C-IAYT, ERYT-500, YACEP, has been teaching a variety of classes and workshops since 2001 and since 2017 offers yoga therapy sessions privately and at Integral Yoga Therapy Clinic in San Francisco. She has over 15 years of experience in leading and co-teaching Yoga and Meditation teacher trainings. She has been working in the clinical setting for Kaiser Permanente since 2005 as a yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and health educator. Diana’s focus is on the healing aspects of Yoga on the mind as well as the body by applying the physical postures, practices of breath-control, mindfulness and meditation. Diana helps her clients to find the ability to move through life with increased ease, stress resilience, and intuition. Diana Meltsner works as a programs manager at Integral Yoga Institute, an urban ashram in San Francisco. dianameltsner.com

2026-01-12T22:15:40-08:00January 12th, 2026|Tags: , , , |
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