The Foundations of Yoga:
Ancient Principles in Practice
For practitioners and teachers
who want to understand yoga from the inside out.
A speciality training weekend exploring the primary principles inherent in the Art of Planning Yoga Practices
Most people who come to yoga are taught what to do. Very few are taught why it works.
This weekend changes that.
The Foundations of Yoga: Ancient Principles in Practice is a live online weekend intensive that takes you back to the source, not to history for its own sake, but to the principles that make yoga function as a system rather than a sequence of poses. You will leave with a framework for understanding every practice you do or teach, and a set of tools you will use for the rest of your yoga life.
The course content and materials were developed with the guidance of Paul Harvey, who studied with TKV Desikachar in Madras for over 25 years and has taught and trained others in all aspects of yoga practice and theory for over five decades. Kate and Marc Plummer have studied with Paul for many years and continue to do so.
WHAT YOU WILL EXPLORE
Over two days you will cover the ground that most yoga training either skims or skips entirely.
The Yoga Sutras as a practical psychology Not an abstract philosophical text but a precise description of how the mind works and what yoga is actually trying to do about it. You will understand what yoga is, as defined by the tradition itself, and why that definition matters for every practice decision you make.
The relationship between Hatha and Raja Yoga Why these are not two separate things, what the Hatha Yoga Pradipika is actually saying, and how misunderstanding this relationship is at the root of much of what has gone wrong in modern yoga.
Asana: why sequencing is not aesthetic How and why postures are arranged in a particular order. Why counterposes exist and what they are actually doing. How to look at a sequence and understand its logic rather than simply follow it.
Breath in asana and pranayama Why breath determines the effect of a practice rather than simply accompanying it. How to use breath as the primary tool in practice design. Introduction to seated breathing practices and their application.
Modification as a principle Why intelligent adaptation is not about making things easier -- it is about maintaining the intention of the practice for this person, on this day, with this body. The difference between a modification that serves the practice and one that abandons it.
Practice planning from first principles How to design a practice that does what it is intended to do, for a specific person, with a specific purpose. The foundational skills that make every practice decision informed rather than instinctive.
WHO THIS WEEKEND IS FOR
This course is for you if you have been practising yoga for some time and sense that something important is missing from your understanding. You do not need to be a teacher. You do not need any prior knowledge of Sanskrit, philosophy, or the texts.
It is also for you if you are a yoga teacher who wants to understand the principles behind what you teach rather than simply deliver sequences with confidence.
It is probably not for you if you are brand new to yoga and looking for an introduction to practice. Some prior experience of yoga is assumed, not expertise, but familiarity.
The weekend is also suitable for movement teachers, healthcare professionals, and therapists with a serious interest in the tools and philosophy of yoga.
WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE
Ten hours of live teaching across the weekend, with Kate Plummer present throughout and Marc Plummer contributing to the teaching.
A 50-page colour manual covering the course content, which is yours to keep and return to.
A certificate of attendance.
Access to the recordings for 12 months after the weekend, so you can revisit anything that needs more time.
COURSE DETAILS
Format: Live online via Zoom
Dates: 4-5 October 2026 (further dates to follow)
Times: Saturday 9.30am to 4.30pm UK / 10.30am to 5.30pm Paris. Sunday 9.30am to 3.30pm UK / 10.30am to 4.30pm Paris
Price: €195 (approximately £168) Includes tuition, manual, and certificate of attendance. Non-refundable on booking.
WHAT COMES NEXT
This weekend is the entry point for everything else we offer at Phoenix Yoga.
For practitioners who want to go further: the Viniyoga Toolkit Foundation Course continues the study beyond this introductory course, exploring the tradition in greater depth.
For teachers who want to go further: the Advanced Study in the Viniyoga Approach takes the principles from this weekend and applies them to the full depth of intelligent teaching practice.
For those who want to teach yoga: this weekend is a prerequisite for our GOYA-accredited 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training.
ABOUT THE TEACHERS
Kate Plummer has been teaching yoga for almost twenty years within the tradition she was introduced to through the British Wheel of Yoga and developed through years of study with Paul Harvey. She has extensive experience in teacher training and development and was among the first independently appointed Viniyoga approach introductory course tutors in the UK. She continues her own study and development with Paul Harvey. Kate is present for every session of this course.
Marc Plummer is an experienced practitioner and teacher within the same tradition, with particular skill in guiding students toward a more precise and effective relationship with their own practice.He also continues his own study and development with Paul Harvey.
Paul Harvey studied with TKV Desikachar in Madras for over 25 years, travelling to study individually with him on more than 30 visits. For over five decades he has taught and trained others in all aspects of yoga practice and textual theory. The course content and materials draw directly on his teaching.
BOOK YOUR PLACE
Places are limited to ensure a quality experience for every participant.
The course costs €195.
If you have questions before booking, you are welcome to email kate@phoenixyogafrance.com or book a short call: Chat with Kate
By purchasing, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Refund & Cancellation Policy.
Digital products are non-refundable once accessed and include an immediate-access waiver under EU consumer law.
Course aims
To present a view of the Viniyoga approach to Yoga to help deepen our relationship with Yoga practice and study. The role of this training is to bring body, shape and depth to your relationship with Yoga.
They are offered with respect for the ancient source from which these Yoga teachings originated and their application to our modern age and culture.
Course content details
Course Topics total over 10 hours of tuition through:
Yoga Practice
Personal practice techniques and awareness skills to help refine your short term and long term Yoga practice.
Yoga Sūtra Psychology
Defining what is Yoga and its link to the Yoga Sūtra and the purpose of Sūtra.
Appreciating the core concepts that underpin this key Yoga teaching.
Exploring the basic structures and purpose to the four chapters.
Exploring some key Sūtra in the first and second Chapters.
Postures (Āsana)
How and why āsana are arranged sequentially.
Why and how counterposes are used within āsana practice.
Why and how we use the breath in āsana.
How and why we modify or vary āsana within our practice.
Learning to look into our practice with greater awareness.
Seated Breathing (Prāṇāyāma)
· Learning primary seated breathing techniques.
· Learning simple seated breathing practices.
Course Review and Home Study Guidelines
· Informal continuing guidelines of a practical nature through review, reading, questions for reflection and personal practice.