Yoga Journal Conference San Francisco is back for three days of classes and workshops, many of which are special free events open to the public.

Be sure to also stop by the Yoga Marketplace products and services for healthy, balanced living, plus demos, acoustic music, community classes, AcroYoga flying sessions, and much more.

2016 Yoga Journal Conference | Free Events
Friday-Sunday, January 15-17, 2016
Hyatt Regency San Francisco, 5 Embarcadero Center
FREE events are highlighted below. Conference passes start at $80.

2016 Yoga Market

Shop the Yoga Market, where you’ll find 40+ indie, artisanal and national brands with the best in clothing, jewelry, and more with special discount offers, plus sessions of Children’s Yoga, Community Yoga and Acro Yoga in the Sangha Space. Enjoy free sampling of healthy, tasty snacks.

Market Hours

• Friday Jan 15th — Noon to 7:00 pm
• Saturday Jan 16th — 10am to 6:30 pm
• Sunday Jan 17th — 10am to 6:00 pm

2016 Free Classes

Friday, January 15

8:00am – 8:30am
Morning Meditation with Stacie Dooreck

1:00pm – 2:00pm
Sound Bath with Sound Meditation SF
Deepen your meditation practice with the use of sound and music. A “sound bath””uses gongs, crystal singing bowls, drums, chimes, flutes and more to deliver a delightful, meditative journey into the full spectrum of sound. Relax in savasana and let the vibrations wash over you.

5:45pm – 6:45pm
Yoga Market Fashion Show with DJ Dragonfly
The fashion show will showcase new products and clothes from Yoga Market partners and exhibitors.

Saturday, January 16

7:00am – 7:30am
Morning Meditation with Deborah Burkman

11:00am – 12:00pm
Kids & Family Yoga Class: Go with the Flow with Mariam Gates
Join Mariam Gates, director of Kid Power Yoga and author of Good Night Yoga: A Pose by Pose Bedtime Story, for a session of mindfulness and fun designed to develop confidence and a sense of happy ease in our bodies. This session will bring you through a kid-centered dynamic and flowing practice including The Good Night Yoga Flow.

1:00pm – 1:30pm
Sweet Medicine: A Journey of Sound and Song
Sweet Medicine is a musical project between Emily Lewis and Naia Jess Graham. Their sound is earthy, spirit-infused folk, with a side of soul wisdom. It is medicine music for all beings and for the planet.

1:30pm – 2:30pm
Community Class with Darren Main
In this one-hour session, join Darren Main for a practice of asana, pranayama and meditation. With a decidedly inward focus, this practice will highlight the connection between mindfulness mediation and hatha yoga—a connection that is often overlooked. For students not yet familiar with seated meditation, a simple technique will also be offered and students at every level of practice are welcome and encouraged to attend.

2:00pm – 3:00pm
Explore the Gold Standard of Teacher Training
Join YogaWorks for a Q&A session with trainers and alumni. Find out how 25 years of experience sets the YogaWorks training apart.

2:00pm – 3:00pm
My Best Playlist – Yoga Music Workshop
Join DJ Taz Rashid for a workshop on how to build a yoga music playlist. Learn how to breakdown your classes in a simple way, and easily build your favorite music into any practice whether it’s a high intensity vinyasa, or a mellow yin, or restorative class. DJ Taz will show you how to hone basic listening and intuitive skills to mix beats and make smooth transitions in your classes. You will walk away feeling more confident about your music selections, how to expand and use your music library efficiently and make your best playlists yet. Highly recommended for teachers, but anyone can attend.

2:30pm – 3:15pm
AHNU Yogasport 101: Intro to YogaSport
Join Corey Rubin for this fun and dynamic practice that combines yoga asana with resistance equipment and dynamic movement to jump-start your metabolism, activate your core, open your hips, and bring a smile to your face. Sneakers will be worn during class. Yoga mats are optional.

5:30pm – 6:30pm
Acro Yoga and Hooping Demo Hour
San Francisco duo Zach Kimsey and Lindsay Foreman bring you an action-packed acrobatic performance. Performing since 2013, their innovative style shows how graceful partner flow plays with an edgy dynamic element of circus acrobatics. Originally trained as a dancer, Effie Mantzouranis blends her skill and passion of dance into her hoop flow. Hoop dance has given her the gift of meditation and grace.

Sunday, January 17

4:30am – 6:30am
Kundalini Sadhana
Sadhana is a process to refine the human awareness, burn off old patterns, and clean out the subconscious. Elevate yourself from simple survival into a full celebration of life; not only to live each day, but to come alive while living. Engage yourself, others, and the world not out of fear, but from a state of love and bliss. Doing sadhana does not ward away all the challenges and changes of life, but it gives you the inner strength to meet the challenges with equal force from the inside. Then, at the boundary of the inner and the outer self, you will experience the infinite artistic creativity of God. Asana, movement, chanting, and meditation.

7:00am – 7:30am
Morning Meditation with Jasmine Tarkeshi

10:00am – 11:00am
Yoga With Dave Larot
Having practiced and trained in styles including Iyengar and Ashtanga, David’s classes have evolved into a deep, methodical and dynamic flow, while focusing the principles of alignment.

11:00am – 12:00pm
Relating Yoga with Marna Schwartz
A nourishing combination of self-awareness, care, expression, & embodied listening. Mixed level postures combined with intentionally and pleasurably relating with yourself and others. Not a standard yoga class

12:00pm – 1:00pm
Baptiste Yoga: Journey Into Power with Jen Silvera
Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga classes are powerful and energizing classes that will burn calories, strengthen and rinse your body, clear your mind and leave you with a sense of accomplishment. Join Jen Silvera, Certified Baptiste Teacher and owner of Baptiste Yoga San Francisco in the Presidio, for a 60 minute Power Vinyasa Yoga class that will challenge you to step up to your edge and empower you to fully express yourself on and off your mat.

1:30pm – 2:30pm
Community Class with Leah Cullis
Your Vibrant Life: It’s what you do daily, not occasionally, that makes a difference. Through adding in simple, practical daily rituals you can open and release blocked energy, feel more centered, uplift your daily routine and build a foundation to reach your health and wellness goals. Learn to harness the power of time-tested rituals and how to apply them to your life today. Understand the building blocks and learn prana practices to build your healthy, vibrant life. Discussion, meditation, and asana.

1:30pm – 2:00pm
Stats Every Yoga Teacher Needs to Know: Insights from the 2016 Yoga in America Study
Yoga Journal and Yoga Alliance have partnered to conduct the 2016 Yoga in America Study, which is considered the most comprehensive study of the yoga consumer market. Join Yoga Journal Editor in Chief Carin Gorrell and Yoga Alliance Chief Ambassador Andrew Tanner, E-RYT 500, as they share findings from the study to support yoga teachers into the future as they share the gift of yoga with the public. Learn about the growing yoga market, industry trends, and the best ways to market, promote, and reach new students. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain empowering insights to guide you and your teachings into 2016 and beyond.

2:00pm – 3:00pm
Yoga Revolution: Industry Trends to Stay on Top and How Yoga Alliance Supports the Growing Community
Presented by Yoga Alliance and Andrew Tanner, E-RYT 500 and Yoga Alliance Chief Ambassador
What will the future of our industry look like? Who will be practicing yoga and who and why will some teachers and studios be successful while others fail? How are current trends at the federal and state levels of government going to affect yoga teachers, and studios? What role should Yoga Alliance play in supporting teachers, studios, and the yoga-practicing public? Join Andrew Tanner for a presentation and dialogue on the role of Yoga Alliance, social credentialing, trends in the business, government regulations, educating the public and members and the future of yoga.

2:30pm – 3:30pm
Nature Flow with Heidi Hong
Join Heidi Hong in a playful nature centered yoga flow. Adventure to new depths and dive into a refreshing sense of beauty and deep connectivity with all the life that surrounds us. Nature or animal-themed attire is welcome.

5:45pm – 6:15pm
Peace Out: The Closing OM
Everything in existence is vibration. AUM / OM is the source, the unity of all things. It is the primordial, cosmic sound current, present at the beginning of creation and continuing to vibrate as the essence of all things. Join in for this special closing moment to gather and honor the energy of the weekend within and offer it back to the collective field. The closing practice will will include sankalpa (intention), dhyana (meditation) and chanting of the sacred mantra OM.