Restorative Yoga & Aromatherapy: Immersion and Teacher Training

Unwind with restorative yoga and aromatherapy in this in-person immersion and teacher training.

We live in a world of constant stimulation—endless to-do lists, pressures to produce, and a nervous system that rarely gets a true pause. Many of us are running on empty, caught in cycles of stress and exhaustion. We don’t just need rest—we need deep, conscious relaxation.

Restorative yoga offers exactly that. Unlike sleep, watching TV, or having a glass of wine, restorative yoga is an intentional practice of deep support and surrender—an invitation to slow down, reconnect, and allow the nervous system to shift from overdrive into a state of true restoration.

Additionally aromatherapy when added to the practice of restorative yoga can be used to deepen our experience and help down regulate our nervous systems. Our sense of smell is the only sense that goes directly to emotion and memory, bypassing the thinking brain.

In this course you will learn how essential oils can affect your nervous system, in an instant. Through scent inhalation and skin applications, you will learn simple effective modalities to expand your teaching practice. Specific oils focusing on nervous system regulation will be covered. From deeply calming frankincense to brightly stimulating rosemary, you will experience approximately 20 essential oils. Practical applications from drops to basic blending will leave you with a sense of confidence for sharing with your students. Understanding how to recognize authentically pure oils will help you buy with assurance.

Who is this training for?

This 28-hour training is open to anyone craving deep rest and those looking to share it with others. The training focuses primarily on restorative yoga (21 hours), with a 3-hour module dedicated to aromatherapy. Whether you're a yoga teacher wanting to incorporate restorative practices into your classes or someone seeking to better understand the science of relaxation, this training will give you the tools to experience and teach profound rest.

Through immersive practice and hands-on learning, you will:

• Understand the nervous system – how stress works in the short, medium, and long term
• Learn how restorative yoga rewires the body & mind for relaxation and healing
• Explore the power of breath – how it influences the nervous system and supports deeper relaxation
• Learn to set up & teach restorative postures using props and prop alternatives
• Experience a full restorative practice to integrate the teachings firsthand
• Gain confidence in guiding others through this deeply healing practice
• Learn how to use essential oils to deepen the restorative yoga practice

Topics Covered:

• The Nervous System & Stress – Understanding how stress functions and how to work with it
• The Breath & Relaxation – Mechanics of breathing and breathwork techniques to regulate the nervous system
• Foundations of Restorative Yoga – General guidelines, sequencing, and the art of inducing pratyahara (sense withdrawal)Working with Props – How to use blankets, bolsters, blocks, and alternative supports to create the ultimate restorative experience
• The Art of Stillness – Timing, sequencing, and setting up a deeply nourishing class
• How aromatherapy can be used to deepen our relaxation – its effects on our nervous system

This training is more than just learning how to teach – it’s about deepening your own relationship with rest, so you can guide others from a place of experience and embodiment.

If you’re ready to slow down, reset, and learn the art of true relaxation, join us.

Dates and Times: November 26 - 29, 2026,10 am - 5pm There will be a one hour break for lunch each day.

Investment: $1400 + HST

About Simone Nitzan

The experience of consciously and fluidly linking the breath and movement inspires Simone in her practice and teaching. Her personal practice informs her teaching, and she draws on elements of vinyasa, restorative yoga, yin yoga, science-based alignment and mindful movement in her classes. She believes practicing yoga leads to a meditative state and expands our awareness of ourselves. Her classes bridge awareness of the breath with the alignment of the body and mind.Simone is a mother, anatomy and yoga teacher, massage therapist and yoga student for life. She has been teaching since 2009 and has studied with a variety of teachers, including Judith Hansen Lasater, the mother of Restorative Yoga and her daughter Lizzie Lasater. Simone brings her expertise in anatomy and physiology into the yoga room, where she works to inform her students how to safely and sustainably work with their bodies through Yoga Asana, the breath and other energetic elements of the practice. She believes yoga can help heal physical and emotional injury, and she works with her students to find the unique practices that work for each of their body-minds.

About Chris Chanter

From the love of gardening in childhood, to herbal teas and eventually to essential oils, plants and the natural world have been a source of joy and inspiration throughout Chris’s life. As a young mother of three, she wanted a more plant-based approach to medicine. Starting out with teas and tinctures, then on to homeopathics her journey eventually led her to the vibrant, intense world of distilled oils. She trained as an RMT in 1986 and found it was an easy step to include aromatherapy into her practice. Eventually Chris knew she wanted scientifically based medical knowledge of the essential oils and this led to becoming an International Professional Aromatherapist under the tutelage of Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt, a Phd chemist who is a globally renowned teacher and writer. In 1996 she became a Visionary Craniosacral therapist and recently a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, the work of Dr. Peter Levine, a world renowned expert in trauma therapy. Finding yoga as solace and a refuge in her teens, her yoga practice has been a friend to lean on throughout her adult life.

Testimonials

Learning from Simone Nitzan was a wonderful experience, with the theoretical knowledge being just as engaging and insightful as the hands-on practice. She seamlessly explained how to apply complex concepts to real-life client work using helpful tips and fascinating facts. Having the freedom to capture photos and videos during the practical sessions was immensely helpful for recording postures and instructions for future reference. It's a fantastic immersion for any teacher or practitioner!

• Marina S.

I really appreciated the gentle pace of this restorative yoga training and the balance of theory and hands-on practice. My biggest takeaway was a deeper understanding of how restorative yoga supports the nervous system and creates space for intentional rest.

In a society where doing nothing often comes with guilt, this felt especially meaningful. The training helped me appreciate how rest allows us to notice what is happening within us, reconnect with our bodies, and feel more refreshed and connected to life. It’s something I’m grateful to bring into both my own practice and my teaching.

• Elena I.

Simone possesses a rare gift as a teacher: the ability to weave together a deep understanding of the anatomy and mechanics of each pose, a profound insight into the philosophy that serves as the foundation of this practice, and a warmth and relatability that make her teachings deeply relatable and accessible.

This training equipped me with the tools to support my students with greater confidence and compassion, while reminding me of the importance of caring for myself so I can show up more fully for others.

Can’t recommend Simone enough!

• Kate G.

Attending Simone's restorative yoga course confirmed what a powerful tool it is for both the mind and the body. I wish more people understood what an accessible pth it is to true rest and comfort. I recently heard the Italian expression "Chi va piano, va sano e va lontano," meaning whoever goes slowly, goes safely and goes far. I would encourage everyone to take restorative yoga classes, and learn what it's all about through Simone's expert guidance, and discover for themselves how much more efficient it is to make a little time for deep rest.

• Dana M.