42 Day 300-Hour Tantra Yoga Arts Shamanism Teacher Training in Pichincha, Ecuador
Yoga Teacher Training Ecuador with Tantra and Shamanism
Are you ready to walk the tantric, yogic, shamanic, and artistic path to become your own guru? Join Durga's Tiger School in the majestic Andes of Ecuador is a SAFE sanctuary surrounded by nature.
Meet the instructors
Highlights
- Daily yoga practices and morning meditation sessions
- Mantra chanting, chakra, and pranayama
- Eligible to register with Yoga Alliance upon completion
- Heyoca, art, and Durga’s Tiger dance
- Tantric and shamanistic rituals and Temazcal ceremony
- Applied Tantric philosophy classes
- 41 nights accommodation
- Daily vegetarian meals
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Types
41 days with instruction in English
Accommodation
Facilities
- Environmentally friendly
- Fireplace
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Terrace
- Yoga shala
- Yoga studio
Casa Kiliku opens its' doors as an ashram where you will live in community, share meals, share spaces, karma yoga, and experience life at this unique ashram.
Every space is unique; the houses are built of materials from the volcano with bricks, adobe and wood. Enjoy time on the expansive terrace and chat with others or find peace in the hammock, reading or quietly meditating while the treetops dance in the wind. It is pure luxury to offer a retreat place in a rural environment at the edge of the ecological reserve, and so close to the center of Quito.
The Ashram is at peace with its' surroundings; a gathering house were a sustainable approach to living is encouraged. Accommodation will be in double or triple rooms in one of the eclectic houses. Each room is equipped with a bathroom and hot shower. A common kitchen and eating space is located off the terrace where you can share meals and enjoy the view.
Ashrams represent a return to a simpler way of living, sometimes much different from living in a hotel. The space sustains itself, each group comes together in a communal atmosphere; the expectation that everyone will pitch in with whatever needs doing.
Program
Before reading about this beautiful place, here is a little note about safety at the school and nearby places:
Durga's Tiger School for Tantra Yoga Shamanism is deeply affected by the current news regarding the situation in Ecuador. The reports about armed conflicts, especially in the coastal regions and near the borders with Colombia, are causing concern for many people abroad – they completely understand that. As long-term residents of this wonderful country, they would like to send you a personal and reassuring message.
Here, in Tumbaco and the Andes region, the situation is very different.
They are lucky that their school is located in between the Airport and Quito, in a calm and rural environment. They have lived here for over thirty years and know this area like the back of their hand.
They want to assure you: Their home and their school are not located in a conflict zone.
The peace and positive energy that define our work here in Tumbaco remain unchanged. The safety and well-being of their guests are always their highest priority.
With this certainty in their hearts, they continue to invite you with a clear conscience to be part of the Durgas Tiger experience. They look forward to welcoming you to their oasis of calm, to practice, laugh, and grow together.
This experience-based Yoga Teacher Training is rooted in Tantra, Yoga, Arts & Shamanism. It’s designed to guide you through a journey of self-discovery, embodiment, and conscious living. You’ll be immersed in a rich blend of practices that awaken and balance body, mind, and spirit:
- Tantra Yoga: deep, meditative Kaula Tantra Yoga rooted in conscious breath, acceptance, and enjoyment
- Hatha Yoga: active practice alone or with a partner for connection and alignment
- Tantric Rituals: guided ceremonies to connect with your sexual energy as life force
- Shamanic Rituals: guided ceremonies to connect with nature and ancestral wisdom. A Community Temazcal is part of the experience.
- Sacred Arts & Expressive Movement: dance and clowning as artistic expression and spiritual tools
The course at Durga’s Tiger School is more than a yoga teacher training, it is an intense transformational experience. In the Tantric perspective, you are all related through experience. These experiences in turn help you discover deeper, the true nature. Through this training, you may discover the barriers and blockages, unlock your potential to feel. When you start feeling, you realize everything is sacred, and from here you begin to dance with life.
Balancing Kaula Tantra Yoga practice, Shamanism, Theatre Arts techniques, and dynamic group work; the different aspects of the training help to realize a more profound self-encounter.
You will learn, not only to share the Yoga discipline from the heart but also to work energetically in connection with what is around you.
Ancient Tantric teachings meet Neo-Tantric practices; combined they lead you into a new way of relating with the world around you. You will learn concrete tools that you can easily integrate daily and then share with other people. Through experiential learning you will subtly break open the basics of Yoga Philosophy, yamas, niyamas and the eight-limb path in such a way that you will understand where they arise in your life and practice.
Saying YES to Durga’s Tiger School is a jump into trusting the flow of existence… are you in?
Team
The international team of passionate Yogis and teachers have over 60 years of experience and specialized in different fields. Together they effectively provide a safe space where your process is honored and guided.
You are a rotating team to keep the energy high and fresh in the trainings during the whole year.
"Durga’s Tiger School" YogaTeacherTrainings have been recognized several times for one of the top trainings worldwide for 200 and 500 hours.
Certification
Students who complete the training are eligible to register with Yoga Alliance as Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT®).
Sample Daily Schedule
The days are structured to create a powerful rhythm of self-exploration, community living, and spiritual embodiment:
- 06:30 – 07:30 Morning Meditation
- 07:30 – 08:00 Breakfast
- 08:00 – 09:30 Karma Yoga / self-atudy / free time
- 09:30 – 13:00 Morning classes
- 13:00 – 14:00 Lunch
- 14:00 – 16:00 Karma Yoga / self-study/ free time
- 16:00 – 19:00 Afternoon classes
- 19:00 – 20:00 Dinner
- *20:00 – 22:00 Night Labs (held 2–3 times per week)
Subjects You’ll Explore
All the subjects in the Teacher Training Course (TTC) support the understanding of the four pillars of Durga's Tiger School–Tantra, Yoga, Arts & Shamanism–and unravel the underlying connection between them in very unique ways. -The subjects are:
- Kaula Tantra Yoga
- Applied Tantric wisdom
- Nature spirit connection
- Artistic expression & clowning
- Intuitive Anatomy
- Psychology of chakras
- Durga’s Tiger Dance or ecstatic dance
- Hatha Yoga or Partner Yoga
- Meditation, pranayama & mantra chanting
- Talking stick circles
- Ayurvedic walking massage
Kaula Tantra Yoga: The Core Practice of the Training
Kaula Tantra Yoga is the foundation of the experience-based 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training.
This ancient yoga system has been passed down through a living lineage for over 5,000 years. The unique Kaula Tantra Yoga sequence they offer is transmitted directly from Bhagavan Shanmuka Anantha Natha at Shri Kali Ashram in India.
Kaula Tantra Yoga is an embodied, meditative yet deep practice that invites you into deep relaxation and pleasure and allows your body to make deep changes Students are guided to flow into each asana with softness and self-care, allowing the body to express itself without pressure or judgment.
From the third week we introduce the methodology of Kaula Tantra Yoga and start the practice teaching classes. Students will have the opportunity to teach in little groups or in pairs and of course with the presence of a teacher. All the practice teaching classes include a sharing circle to give and receive constructive feedback.
Applied Tantric Wisdom: A Path into Sacred Intimacy
This is a transformational journey into embodied Tantra, a grounded and sacred path of self-discovery, spiritual connection, and personal empowerment.
Held in a safe, respectful, and clothed environment, this immersive classes offers authentic Tantric practices focused on deep connection and personal growth without involving sexual intercourse. It's an invitation to explore Tantra not as a performance or technique, but as a living experience of presence, inner truth, intimacy and sacred sexuality.
We share guided group and partner rituals that help to recognize the divine in yourself, others, and everyday life. We work with senses, communication, massage, consent, techniques to move your sexual / creative energy and much more.
Nature Spirit Connection: A Journey into the Discovery of your Inner Shaman
- You will experience deep spiritual transformation through ancient shamanic rituals with or without the usage of power plants.
- Your journey into shamanism will begin with a powerful Community Temazcal Ceremony; a traditional sweat lodge ritual for energetic cleansing and spiritual rebirth.
Rooted in indigenous shamanic traditions, this immersive class guides you into an experience of self-connection,a space of inner wisdom.
During the classes you will discover your power animals and their unique spiritual messages, work with plant allies to support your spiritual journey, learn shamanic energy cleansing techniques for holistic well-being, explore the nature elements present in and outside of us.
Intuitive Anatomy: Listening to the Body’s Inner Wisdom
Awaken sensitivity, clarity, and embodied presence through conscious self-inquiry. Intuitive Anatomy is a subtle yet powerful class that explores the deep relationship between the physical body, emotions, and the mind. As a future teacher you will learn to observe and guide people into a practice of self-respect and listening.
Psychology of Chakras: Explore Your Story and Potential Through the Subtle Body
Discover how your life story is reflected in your chakras and learn to transform it. It is a deeply reflective and transformative class that blends chakra theory with psychological insight and embodied experience. Chakras are consciousness centers, they hold the emotional imprints, belief systems, and inner patterns formed across your life.
Each chakra represents a developmental stage we all move through as human beings: from grounding in the family system, through navigating relationships to finding personal truth.
Hatha Yoga & Partner Yoga – Active and Shared Complements to Kaula Tantra Yoga (As part of the 300-hour trainings, students experience either Hatha Yoga or Partner Yoga, depending on teacher availability)
At Durga’s Tiger School, Hatha Yoga and Partner Yoga are valuable practices that complement the experience of Kaula Tantra Yoga, offering different approaches into embodied awareness, balancing mind, body and soul.
- Hatha Yoga serves as an active complement to Kaula tantra Yoga, helping to move stagnant energy and build physical and mental strength through asana, pranayama, meditation, and yogic philosophy. It provides a grounding, structured approach that supports and enhances your understanding of yogic traditions alongside Kaula Tantra Yoga.
- Partner Yoga acts as a shared complement to Kaula Tantra Yoga, focusing on connection, trust, and presence with another. Using asanas from the Kaula Tantra Yoga series, you’ll explore the tantric principles of body communication, sensitivity, and energetic exchange, co-creating the dance of Shiva and Shakti.
Meditation, Chakra Dance, Pranayama & Mantra Chanting: Discover Stillness and Aliveness Through Different Techniques
Explore meditation in all its forms to awaken inner quiet and vibrant connection.
At Durga’s Tiger School, Meditation, Chakra Dance, Pranayama & Mantra Chanting classes invite you to experience stillness, presence, and inner clarity through a variety of accessible practices. Whether in sitting meditation, conscious movement, dance, or chanting, you explore multiple doorways to find your unique path to inner peace.
This class is rooted in the belief that meditation is not a one-size-fits-all practice. Instead, it is a journey of listening inward and discovering what brings you into your own center, into both quietness and aliveness. You will practice pranayama (breathwork), learn how to calm, energize, or balance your nervous system.
You will explore different styles of meditation; still, moving, use mantra chanting
Artistic Expression & Clowning: Step into Your Power as a Teacher Through Creative Transformation
Awaken your joy, spontaneity, and self-awareness as a yoga teacher through theater and sacred play. Artistic Expression is a unique and transformative class that fuses theater arts, and emotional healing.
As part of the Yoga Teacher Training program, this artistic experience offers a safe and playful space for self-exploration. You'll reconnect with your inner child, embrace authentic self-expression, and access your power as a yoga teacher.
Through movement, improvisation, and theatrical play, you will:
- Reconnect with your inner child and rediscover joy and innocence
- Recognize and transcend social conditioning that limits your authenticity
- Express emotions; joy, sadness, anger, fear, disgust, etc. through artistic rituals
- Explore clowning techniques to access intuition and transform it into creative action
Durga’s Tiger Dance & Ecstatic Dance
As part of the 300-hour trainings, students experience either Durga’s Tiger Dance or ecstatic dance, depending on teacher availability.
Both Durga’s Tiger Dance and ecstatic dance offer transformative, body-based practices rooted in tantric principles. The class is designed to awaken creativity, release stored emotion, and cultivate deeper inner connection. Each dance approach explores the power of breath, sound, and movement as tools for personal transformation and embodied wisdom.
Ayurvedic Walking Massage: Awaken the Body Through Ancient Touch and Energetic Alignment (Offered in 300-hour trainings which take place during the final 300 hours of 500-hour trainings)
- Experience the grounding power of this meditative, partner-based massage rooted in Ayurvedic tradition.
An ancient practice passed down through Ayurvedic wisdom, traditionally used to prepare warriors for battle and yogis for deep practice. Performed with the feet, this massage prepares the body for the yoga practice
This practice is done in partnership, offering a powerful way to give and receive while cultivating presence and connection. The rhythmic pressure stimulates vital Marma Points, softens the muscles, and enhances the flow of energy throughout the body.
Talking Stick Circle – Speak from the Heart in Conscious Community
the Talking Stick Circle is a sacred group practice rooted in indigenous wisdom and inspired by the ZEGG Community Forum in Germany. This space invites honest, heart-centered sharing and deep listening in a supportive, non-judgmental community.
Extras and weekend offers
Day trips to hot springs, the mountains, or to Otavalo Market, Ayahuasca or Aguacoya ceremony.
- Become a certified Yoga Alliance & Yoga Alliance International Yoga Teacher
- Connect with your sexual energy and channel it into heart-centered intimacy and spiritual connection
- Experience powerful Tantric and Shamanic rituals for personal transformation, and self-empowerment
- Feel held in a safe, supportive community where all emotions are honored and welcomed
- Explore the sacred in everyday life and rediscover the bliss available in the present moment.
- Work with your Kundalini Energy in tantric and yogic practices
- Embrace life as art, and yourself as the conscious creator of your inner and outer reality
This training is a joyful transformation to become a creative and powerful yoga teacher.
Say yes to your soul’s calling and trust the flow of existence.
Are you in?
Instructors
Daniela de Girolamo
Daniela was born and raised in Italy. Between 2005 and 2010, she completed her studies as an Ayurvedic massagist, Shiatsu operator and facilitator, Qigong master teacher. Between 2011 and 2012, Daniela traveled to India where she practiced Hatha yoga in Sivananda Ashram in Neyer Dam. She arrived in Ecuador in 2013 and started training in Tantra yoga with Iris Disse while assisting with the creation of Durga’s Tiger School. She is now a master yoga teacher in the school, giving classes in meditation and Tantra yoga. In 2016, she certified herself in Ovarious Breath and 100-hour pregnancy yoga.
Iris Disse
Iris Disse is the founder of Durga’s Tiger School. During her yoga teacher training, techniques from yoga, Tantra, shamanism, and art come together and create transformative processes. She is a master yoga teacher and has been teaching for 17 years, talking about topics such as love, spirituality, and sexuality at workshops, festivals, and the Andina University in Quito. Her Durga’s Tiger School is an internationally acclaimed institution for yoga teacher training. She is an author, actress, lecturer, and prize-winning producer of audio plays and documentaries in Europe and Latin America.
Wind Malin Disse
Wind Malin Disse was born in Berlin, Germany. He has been living in Ecuador with an exception. Wind's path as an anthropologist, artist, and certified YA and YAI yoga teacher, leads him to be seen as a cultural mediator, a bridge between worlds. He has been teaching traditional Tantra yoga in many workshops after having completed his 200-hour teacher training in January 2016 and finished his 500-hour in 2018. Since 2009, Wind has been learning about the shamanic tradition of the Cofán-A’i and ended up being accepted as an apprentice by the shaman Don Avelino Quenama.
Christoph Baumann
Christoph is a German actor, theatre director, and teacher based in 1984 in Ecuador. His theatre works made him travel through almost all countries of Latin America as well as Mexico, attending festivals and directing plays. His work as an actor in film and the internet opened his career to a vast audience in the Spanish-speaking world. After workshops in the Theatre Lab of Jerzy Grotowski in Wroclaw/Poland he studied in the Jacques Lecóq School for mime, movement, and theatre in Paris and attended during 3 years workshops with teachers of the Lee Strasberg School of Acting.
Jhoselyn Escobar
Jhoss is Ecuadorian. She lived in New York for many years where she obtained her Bachelor’s degrees in International Business and Studies as well as in French. Jhocelyn has worked with different NGOs being part of some projects with Unicef and the United Nations in New York. She did a Master’s degree in Rural Development in New Zealand. Here studied Reiki and earn some traditional Maori healing techniques. In early 2021 she became a 500-hour certified yoga teacher.
Bettina Steinle -Vossbeck
Bettina has two major areas characterize her life: Nature, horses, shamanism and healing are one area the other involves organizing, structuring and management. She's a horse wisperer on one side and worked in Asia and Africa in numerous (development) projects, managed statistics and financial management of a research and consulting company Enthusiastic about yoga, she not only completed the 4-year BDY yoga training but also numerous further yoga trainings. In 2005 she opened her own yoga school and teaches therapeutic yoga, pranayama, meditation and as a master also Reiki.
Migle Ruzinskaite
Migle has finished a 200H YTT in multi-style yoga and 500H YTT in Kaula Tantra Yoga at Durga’s Tiger School. She has been initiated into Reiki II. A few years of volunteering in Ecstatic dances, as well as assisting in shamanic Women Circles. Migle also had a wonderful chance to deeply connect with the Cacao Spirit when she was learning in a transformational Cacao farm in the South of Ecuador. Now she has joined the team to manage social media and online content as well as to give classes and co-lead teacher trainings.
Location
Durga's Tiger School for Tantra Yoga Shamanism is located in the skirts of Ilalo mountain, above Tumbaco village. Inside the walls of Casa Kiliku you will find an oasis of green and garden away from busy city life. Casa Kiliku is an artist space, each house constructed with eco-techniques, unique to each structure. The goal in building the space was to work with the land and natural desires of the terrain.
They are 10 minutes away from the village and 45 minutes away from the large city of Quito.
You will find the bus conveniently stops at the front door for a quick 15-minute commute to the village below. There, you have access to groceries, pharmacy, and fresh markets. Alongside the indigenous community, there are a host of international delights on the mountain: the Bio Market (where you can find organic produce, a cup of coffee and vegan treats), Café Arte (coffee, empanadas, fresh bread, and live music), and Villa Ilalo a friendly expat who opens his home (and pizza oven) to the neighborhood each Sunday for a live jam session.
Features
Activities
- Massage
General
- Dining area
- Environmentally friendly
- Fireplace
- Garden
- Hammock
- Kitchen
- Smoke-free property
- Special menu request
- Terrace
- Yoga shala
- Yoga studio
Food
During this training, you will enjoy three vegetarian and locally sourced meals daily. All meals are prepared with love mixing the Ecuadorian tradition with healthy and conscious recipes. Fresh fruits and vegetables are also available. If you have any food allergy or specific dietary need such as vegan or gluten-free, Casa Kiliku can provide a special menu for a supplement of 5 USD per day.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Other dietary requirements on request
Things to do (optional)
During your free time, you can explore the surrounding mountain side. Enjoy a coffee and a chat at Cafe Arte or catch a concert at night. You may choose to relax in the hammock, take a day trips to hot springs, a hike up the mountain, or a trip to Otavalo Market. The bio mercado is located on the other side of the ravine where you can find organic produce, fresh German bread, and vegan treats. After the course, there may be an opportunity (depending on interest) to work with local shamans and medicinal plants of the jungle or the Andes.
Many teachers specialize in a variety of healing arts and Durga's Tiger School for Tantra Yoga Shamanism is thus able to offer at an extra cost, including
- Abhyanga and Marmas massage
- Personalized qigong practices
- Reflexology
- Relaxing massage
- Tantric counseling about love, couple, and sexuality
- Zen shiatsu treatments
What's included
- All teacher training courses
- Eligibility to register with Yoga Alliance upon completion of the course
- Daily yoga classes
- Dance, art, and shamanism
- Mantra chanting, meditation, and pranayama
- Physiology, philosophy, yoga methodology lessons
- 41 nights accommodation
- 3 vegetarian meals per day
- Ecuador taxes
What's not included
- Day trips
- Extra massage sessions
- Work with a shaman and medicinal plants
- Yoga exploration laboratories
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Transfer not provided
Mariscal Sucre International Airport
13 km away from your destination
Driving directions from Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO)
- Enter after “Tola Chica” exit (the eighth kilometer).
- When you get to the bridge that connects with “Calle Carchi”, turn left.
- If you take the wrong exit and you enter from “Tola Chica”, you will find another bridge where you can turn back and follow a lateral street of Ruta Viva until the bridge that connects with “Calle Carchi”
Driving directions from Quito
- Enter in Tumbaco through the Interocenica.
- You will see Santa Mara supermarket on your right and then follow straight on for about one kilometer more.
- Turn right in the Guayaquil Street on the opposite site of Gasolinera Primax (gas station) by the Semaforo light.
- Drive towards the Colegio Pachamama.
- Cross a bridge over Ruta Viva Highway until you get to a big football field in Rumihuaico area (Comuna Leopoldo Chavez).
- Go straight up to the hill, after 100 meters, the street makes a Y split.
- Keep right (the opposite direction from Pachamama) uphill on the newly paved road.
- Follow one and a half kilometers more or less and on the right side, you see a blue house.
- Casa Kiliku is directly behind it.
- Look for the little sign that says Casa Kiliku lote 169.
Driving directions from the Ruta Viva
- Take the exit after “intervals” just after the eighth kilometer.
- This entrance does not have a sign since it is located between “intervals” exit and “Tola Chica” exit.
- It goes up to a bridge that connects with “Calle Carchi”.
- When you arrive up to the bridge, turn right and continue until you reach Rumihuaico football field.
- Enter in Tumbaco through the Interocenica.
- You will see Santa Mara supermarket on your right and then follow straight on for about one kilometer more.
- Turn right in the Guayaquil Street on the opposite site of Gasolinera Primax (gas station) by the Semaforo light.
- Drive towards the Colegio Pachamama.
- Cross a bridge over Ruta Viva Highway until you get to a big football field in Rumihuaico area (Comuna Leopoldo Chavez).
- Go straight up to the hill, after 100 meters, the street makes a Y split.
- Keep right (the opposite direction from Pachamama) uphill on the newly paved road.
- Follow one and a half kilometers more or less and on the right side, you see a blue house.
- Casa Kiliku is directly behind it.
- Look for the little sign that says Casa Kiliku lote 169.
Arrival by bus
From Quito, you need to go to Rio Coca station and take a bus to Tumbaco. You find public buses to Tumbaco until 6:30 p.m. every day, and from the village, you can get to Durga's Tiger School for Tantra Yoga Shamanism by taxi. You can also ask them for a pick-up taxi which costs 20 USD.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
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