The Birth of Gold Yoga School

Forged from an intense desire to know, understand, and embody truth, Gold Yoga School is the result of 20+ years of contemplation, untying knots, and examining life’s biggest questions: who am I and how do I create a life worth living?

Gold Yoga School is rooted in the foundational teachings and living tradition of the Himalayan Institute approach to Hatha Yoga, Meditation, and Ayurveda.

This foundation includes:

• building a strong and well rounded asana (posture) practice

• systematic approaches to relaxation and embodiment

  These two pillars serve as the foundation for meditation, which leads the practitioner inward; this is where the real yoga begins.

Modern research and science is interwoven into our approach. We present a holistic view of yoga so that you, the practitioner, can engage with it as a living art and science. By the end of this training, you can expect to be able to hold these perspectives in your own consciousness and intelligently move forth as a modern seeker rooted in lineage.

We lovingly call this approach The Gold Method in which teaching becomes an ongoing practice for life.

Whatever your aim, we invite you to join us on the path: Maybe you’re interested in sharing Yoga with friends and family, deepening your own practice, or teaching weekly classes.

Gold Yoga School is not just where you learn to teach yoga, it’s where you learn to shine — from the inside out.

Training Curriculum

• The historical roots of Yoga

• Asana (Hatha and Restorative)

• Meditation and mantra from yogic and Buddhist traditions

• Relaxation Training

• Anatomy and Physiology

• Subtle Body Anatomy

Teacher Trainers

Lead Trainer

Francesca Gold is a deeply feeling yoga practitioner, teacher, yoga therapist, and scholar who has been teaching for nearly 20 years. She works to align her inner reality and value system with how she shows up in the world. She has a gift for guiding people through a journey of self inquiry to uncover their truest selves. Her teaching approach includes direct observation and responding in each moment to who is showing up in front of her. Her vision for the future of yoga is one that is rooted in deep reverence for its origins while adapting it to our modern world. She’s been teaching in teacher trainings around the country for over ten years and first co-led and organized a training in Ojai in 2015. Read more about Francesca here.

Qualifications

• Master of Arts in Yoga Studies w/ Post-Graduate work in Yoga Therapy

• Yoga Therapist Certification C-IAYT: #30404020 and E-RYT 500

• owner, founder of Breathe Ojai {Yoga Studio & Community Hall}

• initiated into the Sri Vidya/Himalayan Yoga Lineage in 2010

• voted ‘Best Yoga Teacher’ four years in a row in the Ojai Valley readers poll

Assistant Trainer

Melissa Arelleno is a thoughtful and sincere meditation and yoga practitioner and teacher. She’s the right hand woman for all things Gold Yoga School. She also leads restorative yoga and meditation modules in the 200 hour training. She is often in the room (zoom and in the studio) offering a peaceful presence and wise words.

Qualifications

• 200 Hour Teacher Training from Gold Yoga School

• 50 hour yoga philosophy certificate through Loyola Marymount University

• Current teacher at Breathe Ojai

Interested in registering with Yoga Alliance?

We have a path for that!

Gold Yoga School is pleased to partner with Loyola Marymount University (LMU) which offers an optional additional 50 hours of philosophy training. If you are interested in registering with Yoga Alliance, then this is the path for you!

Payment for the additional 50 hours of Yoga Philosophy goes directly through LMU. This means you will receive a total of 250 hours of training.

Link to Yoga Studies Website - Registration for this opens in 2026

50 Hours of Yogic Philosophy = Yoga Sutra (20 hours), Bhagavad Gita (10 hours), Samkhya (10 hours), Upanishads (10 hours).

Tuition

• Early Bird $3200

  • paid in full by February 1st, 2026

• Regular: $3400

  • paid in full by April 11th, 2026

• Payment Plan: $3600

  • $1200 deposit by April 11th, 2026

  • 3 payments of $800 on May 15, June 15, July 15

    Included in tuition:

  • weekly live zoom meetings on Tuesdays (replays available)

  • five Sunday intensives (6 hour days) - attend online or join in person at Breathe Ojai

  • 300+ page training manual

  • classes at Breathe Ojai with trainers and graduates of programs (classes with Francesca offered also via zoom)

  • video library of 60+ therapeutic yoga classes and pre-recorded lectures

  • for anyone interested in an in-person graduation in Pittsburgh, save the date for the weekend of August 8th and 9th!

  Both our studio and our training walks the talk of equity and access as foundational markers of their existence. We do offer a limited number of scholarships, based on financial need; please email us at goldyogaschool@gmail.com to inquire.