With Astrid Riddervold. A 50-hour yin yoga teacher training, a week long, in the mountains at Nøsen.
Overview
Yin yoga has been asked for more and more over the last ten or fifteen years, perhaps to balance the many more physical styles of yoga, other training, or the busy lives so many of us lead.
Yoga is about quieting the mind while we spread and balance the energies of the body, to improve physical and mental health. Unlike dynamic yoga, which works mainly on the muscles and on the mind, yin yoga invites two other things in: a deeper contact with the connective tissue, with the meridians of the body, and with a meditative stillness.
Instead of strengthening muscles and raising the heart rate as you do in physical (yang) yoga, yin yoga asks you to relax and give in to gravity. Seated and lying yin poses held for several minutes open a deep release from tension, and at the same time strengthen the organs, the mind and the body.
Who it is for
You teach or practise another tradition of yoga, or another form of training, and want to add a different practice to it.
You are a massage therapist or another kind of therapist and want more tools to offer your clients.
You are in the middle of life, feel the years knocking, and want to put health and the way you live first.
You have been to a few yin classes and found you want to do more of it and learn more about it.
You want to learn a practice for life together with your partner: take the training side by side.
You have practised a good deal of yin yoga and want more under your feet before you teach it to others.
The training
Almost every day opens and closes with a guided yin yoga class. There is no written exam. Each student is asked to write two yin yoga sequences during the week: one functional or on a theme of your choosing, and one following an element and a season, with the meridians behind it. Everyone who takes part is given a diploma.
Your teacher
Astrid Riddervold
Astrid was the managing director, main owner and founder of Puro Yoga, Oslo's oldest Ashtanga shala, for 17 years. Today Pernille Bønkan owns and runs it, but Puro is still Astrid's workplace and "second home". There she practises and teaches regular classes and private lessons in yin and ashtanga yoga.
She also runs yin yoga teacher trainings and workshops once or twice a year at Puro or, as this year, at Nøsen Yoga og Fjellhotell. She also offers yoga retreats in Sweden and France.
Astrid has learned from and been inspired by many trips to Mysore in India, by other schools and countries, and by all the teachers who have visited Puro Yoga over the years. Other sources of inspiration are her great love of nature in all its forms, and the activities that go with it, and body therapy, from her background as a massage therapist.
With age, and after 25 years of practising yoga and almost as many teaching, she cares more and more about following nature and the seasons. Not working against the body and mind, but accepting and listening to change, both outside and inside.
A range of rooms to suit your comfort and budget: choose the space that feels right for you, whether it is a cosy shared room or your own private sanctuary.
About Nøsen Yoga og Fjellhotell
Nøsen Yoga og Fjellhotell is a mountain retreat centre in the heart of Valdres, Norway, surrounded by breathtaking nature and peaceful hiking trails. We host yoga retreats, workshops and events all year round, offering guests a chance to slow down, connect with themselves and enjoy nourishing vegetarian meals in a warm and welcoming community.
About Back in the Ring
Our hotel is run by a dedicated mix of staff and volunteers, creating a unique and vibrant atmosphere. Some of our volunteers join us through Back in the Ring (BITR), a transformative program that supports people in rebuilding confidence, resilience and purpose after life’s challenges.
They take part in daily operations while developing practical skills, building community connections and engaging in personal growth activities. This means you may meet people from all walks of life, each contributing in their own way to the Nøsen experience.
We invite you to embrace the spirit of patience, openness and shared humanity that makes our community special.
