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Yoga Teacher Training

Flexible approach

While Ashtanga forms the foundation, it’s important to keep an open mind and adventurous spirit, so we encourage you to explore and reflect upon many styles of yoga during the training.

Individualized instruction

Our classes never exceed 8 students, allowing for an intimate, personal training program for the serious yoga student to develop into a well-informed, keen-eyed, capable yoga teacher. 

Develop your confidence

Our mission is to help you develop a deep knowledge of yourself and your anatomy, gain a powerful sense of connection to the world, and enjoy peace of mind as you share what you love with others.

Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher 200-Hour

200 Hour RYT Training

Starts January | $550/month

Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher 500-Hour

Yoga With Spirit is an ashtanga-based yoga school. During the course of training, our students practice and commit the ashtanga primary series to memory, which will become the foundation of their practices.

This program focuses on the first four limbs of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga: Yamas and Niyamas, Asana and Pranayama. 

We feel it is important to keep an open mind and adventurous spirit with this practice. To that end, we encourage our students to explore and reflect upon many styles of yoga practice during the course of their training.

Our teacher training programs adhere to the Yoga Alliance standards for 200 hour and 300 hour RYT certifications.

Why Choose YWS For Your Teacher Training?

Traditionally, the practice of yoga has passed individually from teacher to student. It is only in recent years (from the perspective of this ancient practice) that large group teacher training programs have become the norm.

Counter to this trend, Yoga With Spirit offers an intimate, personal, individualized training program for the serious yoga student whose intention is to deepen his or her own practice while learning to become a well-informed, keen-eyed instructor.

Our classes never exceed 8 students, which allows for a high level of individualized instruction.

Our pledge to you is that you will graduate a confident and capable yoga teacher as a result of the hours of supervised teaching experience you receive in this program.

  • You will graduate with a deep knowledge of yourself — inside and out.
  • You will gain a powerful sense of connection to the world around you.
  • You will develop a new knowledge of your anatomy.
  • You will enjoy more contentment and peace of mind.
  • Ashtanga yoga will give you a sense of strength and power.
  • You will be welcomed into our authentic and warm community.
  • Learning to teach with us will give you the ability to express yourself clearly.
  • We’ll help you learn the joy that comes from sharing something you love with the world.
  • What is most valuable to us about our practice is that we live it — always.
  • Our mission is to help you develop your confidence.

A high quality program, caring, and compassionate teachers...

“This was a high-quality program implemented with the clear intention of maintaining and teaching yoga instructors in a professional, yet personal manner. Amy and Sharon are extremely well practiced and knowledgeable, but are more than that, caring and compassionate people who live yoga each and every moment.” — Sherri

What’s Included

On the mat

  • Practice Hours
  • Teaching Hours
  • Workshops

Off the mat

  • Anatomy
  • Philosophy
  • Written Work

ON THE MAT

The “On The Mat” section of our training is divided into practice hours, teaching hours, and workshops: 

Practice Hours

YWS teacher training students must accrue 55 supervised practice hours during the course of the training.

Teaching Hours

YWS teacher training students must accrue 10–15 hours of supervised student teaching as well as 5–10 hours of observation and assistant teaching. There are a variety of opportunities available for this:

  • Teaching in small groups within the asana workshops
  • Teaching in the YWS community class on Monday evenings
  • Teaching in the YWS donation class on Tuesday evenings
  • Teaching a class you form either at YWS or an off-site location

Workshops

YWS teacher training students are required to take all of the workshops listed below which focus on asana: alignment, assists, modifications, breath and drishti, and therapeutic gifts of each posture.

Asana Workshops

  • The Alpha and the Omega: Surya Namaskar and Savasana
  • Solid Foundations: Highlights of the Standing Series
  • Balancing for Everybody and Every Body
  • Making Friends With Your Hamstrings
  • Get Twisted
  • Seated Postures - It’s Not All About The Legs
  • Finding and Strengthening Your Core
  • You CAN Do a Split!
  • Dynamic Movement on Your Yoga Mat
  • This One is for the Hips
  • Opening Your Heart (and Mind) to Backbends
  • Turning Things Upside Down

Hands-On Assists Workshops

Finding Foundations in Assists for You and Your Student

Offering Your Student Assisted Range of Motion

Gaining Confidence in Challenging Hands-on Assists

The power of yoga extends way off the mat...

“The philosophy component of the Yoga With Spirit Teacher Training Program had the most effect on me and my practice because it taught me that the power of yoga extends way off the mat.” — KM

OFF THE MAT

Anatomy

YWS teacher training students will enroll in Yoganatomy’s online anatomy course. YWS will also hold 10, 60-minute anatomy review sessions over the course of the training program.

Humanities

YWS teacher training students are required to attend 16, 90-minute workshops which cover yoga’s guiding moral principles, the yamas and niyamas, The Yoga Sutras and other classics, as well as the business and ethics of being a yoga instructor.

Once the teacher training cohort has formed, the humanities and anatomy workshops will be scheduled on either Monday or Tuesday evenings.

Written Work

YWS teacher training students are responsible for reading and several written projects:

  • A reflection paper (1–2 pages) on each of the yamas and niyamas (prompts will be provided).
  • Maintaining a personal practice journal.
  • An ethics statement.
  • A personal teaching philosophy.
  • A final independent study project (topic to be determined over the course of the training program).

All training milestones must be met, and hours accrued, within 6 months of completion of the training workshops

The true heart of yoga...

“Amy consistently supported each of us with our learning and individual practice. Her passion for Ashtanga and for individuals to be healthy from a practice made this not only a program to share knowledge but what I feel is the true heart of yoga.”
— Lorelei

A life-changing program...

“I highly recommend this program to anyone wanting an in-depth and comprehensive study of yoga, as it was life-changing for me and allowed me to become proficient in ALL aspects of teaching yoga, especially in anatomy and adjusting.”
— Sherri

Amy is a guiding light...

“I had the most wonderful, life-changing and truly transformational experience in this program. Amy is a guiding light, helping us find our way and teaching from her heart and soul. I feel so lucky to have shared this experience with her and my fellow students.”
— Amanda

500-hour RYT training

During the course of training, our students practice and commit Ashtanga’s intermediate or second series to memory, adding to their foundational practice established in the 200 hour program. Students also learn to create vinyasa sequences based on the ashtanga series. The philosophy component of the program focuses on the meditative limbs of Ashtanga Yoga. Students are required to have completed YWS’s 200 hour program or must have a well-developed Ashtanga practice.

Details of the 500-hour training program are available on request.

    Ready to Dive Deeper?

    BEST VALUE!

    $3,000
    single payment

    The full amount of $3,000 will be charged now and must be paid prior to the start of your training

    $275
    x 12 months

    The first payment of $275 will be charged now - the remainder must be paid in full prior to receiving your certification

    A holistic structure...

    “The way in which the program was structured had the most effect on me and my practice. It was holistic in structure and we had plenty of intimate time with Amy who runs the studio. She follows closely to Ashtanga and anatomy books and then always the freedom for our final independent.”
     — Alexandra

    A gift to teacher training...

    “You are truly a gift to teacher training and life learning. I am so lucky that I found you - and that I decided to go for it, after just one class with you. Everything that I pass along and share with students, comes from all the teachings you have so patiently shared with me. THANK YOU AMY!”
    — Amanda

    A strong support system...

    “There was so much individual attention and an opportunity to learn the different aspects of yoga instruction one-on-one, as well as share with the other students in the class. Because the class was small, we also had an opportunity to get to know one another and share closely. This became a strong support system, which was helpful.”
    — Sherri