Yirser Ra Hotep (Elvrid Lawrence) is a master instructor of Yoga and the creator of the
YogaSkills Method™. He is also the most senior instructor of Kemetic Yoga in the United States
with over 30 years of experience practicing and teaching. Yirser was involved with the original
research and documentation of Kemetic Yoga along with master Instructor Dr. Asar Ha-pi in the
1970s.
Yirser has continued to research, document and expand on the foundations of Kemetic Yoga. He
has written extensively, lectured and led workshops throughout the United States, Africa and the
Caribbean, including Cuba. Yirser has been featured in publications such as Yoga Journal, Yoga
Chicago, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Parent, African Business and Culture to name a few. He has
also been interviewed and featured on WGN TV, ABC TV, NBC TV, CBS TV and has appeared
on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
Yirser was a pioneer in training children, their teachers and social workers in the in the science
of becoming calm and maintaining focus through his system called Internal Self Regulation or
ISR. Yirser first began to use ISR in 1979 working children at the Better Boys Foundation and
Chicago Public Schools. ISR incorporates deep breathing, focusing exercises and movements in
order to stimulate the nervous system to become calm.
In the 1980s Yirser applied his systems of ISR and the YogaSkills Method to the treatment of
substance abusers and those addicted to alcohol. As a social worker and therapist he has worked
with children who have been traumatized by abuse and neglected to overcome the debilitating
effects of their experiences to live whole lives.
In 2004 Yirser was given an award by the Easter Seals organization for his work with helping
children with physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities through his YogaSkills for Kids
program. This program has been replicated at Centers for New Horizons, Southwest Youth
Collaborative, Chicago Urban League, One Hope United and numerous public and private
schools throughout Chicago and other cities nationally and in Ghana.
Yirser has trained and certified over 100 Yoga instructors throughout the United States and has
been recognized for his innovative Yoga Therapy programs for pre-school children, school age
children and teens. Yirser holds a master’s degree in Social Service Administration from the
University of Chicago and has operated Groups Homes for abused and neglected youth, worked
as an administrator for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and operated
youth mentoring programs.
Through his consulting business, YogaSkills Stress Management and Wellness he has provided
services to major corporations, large social service agencies, Chicago Urban League, the city of
Chicago, state of Illinois and Cook County. He is a professor at DePaul University School for
New Learning where he teaches courses in Stress Management, Yogic Science, Comparative
Religious and Philosophical Systems, Cultural Diversity and the African American Family.
Yirser has facilitated workshops at Omega Institute and been a featured speaker at the University
of Illinois Chicago, Black Expo, Whole Life Expo and many community organizations
throughout the United States. He has lectured at the Yoga Society of San Francisco and traveled
to Cuba, Barbados, Jamaica, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zanzibar and Ghana to share his Yoga insights.
Yirser is a registered Yoga Instructor with the Yoga Alliance.
WHAT WE DO:
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YogaSkills specializes in providing state of the art Yoga, stress management and
wellness services in a precise and scientific manner in order to develop the whole person.
Instructional Yoga DVDs and Meditation CDs created and produced by Yirser Ra Hotep
Retreats and Workshops in exotic locations around the world including Jamaica, Egypt,
Barbados, Cuba, Mexico, Ghana and parts of Asia.
Yoga Teacher Training and Certification: We offer intensive trainings of 7 and 14 days
in tropical areas followed by on-going training in the states including a 200 hour format.
Yoga, Stress Management and Wellness Programs for Children, Teens, Adults, Business
Leaders, Social Workers and School Teachers. We train teachers, counselors and social
workers on how to incorporate calming techniques with the youth they work with.
Executive Stress Management Services: For Business we provide on-site Stress
Management, Wellness and Meditation services to increase productivity, profitability and
to reduce the costs associated with worker burnout, absenteeism and illness. For more
information go to www.executivestressmgt.com.
Vacation and Travel Services at very affordable prices:
www.yogaskills.worldventures.com
Self Development Training: Alchemy of Inner Empower: Alchemy is the ancient
system of self realization. We employ state of the art strategies and techniques that
allow you to re-charge, re-focus and re-orient your life on all levels.
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Our Partner Facilitators:
Wayne B. Chandler: www.waynebchandler.com
Dr. Sunyatta Amen: www.drsunyatta.com
Purusha Hickson: www.stretchforsuccess.com
Caroline Shola Arewa: www.shola.co.uk
Mela Berger: www.melaberger.com
African Genesis Institute: www.africangenesis2.org
To contact us:
Email: yirser@yogaskills.com
Phone: 888 599-YOGA (9642)
