Yoga Teacher Training
Mandala Yoga Ashram has been conducting Yoga Teacher Training Courses (YTTC) for over 30 years. Our 2-year, 500-hour programme provides a comprehensive teacher training while also supporting participants to develop a strong foundation of personal practice and spiritual understanding.
Our current YTTC started in September 2023 and will run for 2 years. It will comprise 7 residential teaching retreats here at the Ashram interspersed with online teaching days, alongside closely guided continuous self-study and practice.
Next Training in 2026A World-Class Training
Our YTTC is highly regarded in the yoga world for offering an unusual depth and breadth of instruction. It provides a systematic training in how to teach all aspects of yoga, including meditation and yoga nidra. Our students also gain valuable exposure to Ashram life during residential retreats here, an experience which further enhances their practice and teaching.
The Ashram offers a gold standard of professional yoga teacher training, aimed at developing in participants both a genuine understanding of the practices and philosophy of yoga and a high competence in imparting their knowledge. The training will develop the skills and experience necessary to teach yoga to others as well as emphasising and promoting the deepening of each students' personal practice.
We train teachers to meet the needs and dynamics of 21st century western yoga classes whilst remaining true to the original spiritual depth of the classical yoga tradition. It offers an authentic training that is rooted in the timeless teachings of yoga.
About our YTTC
The Purpose of the Course
The purpose of the two-year course is twofold:
- To provide professional, comprehensive and quality training in all aspects of yoga teaching.
- To enable students to develop their own sadhana (personal yoga practice) in a systematic and guided way.
The course integrates the profound spiritual practices and development that lie at the heart of yoga. The emphasis is on awakening the faculties of each student, thus developing the capacity to transmit yoga to others on a profound level. It creates high quality teachers who have undergone their own process of self-transformation, who teach from the depth and passion of their own experience of the yoga practices.
The Aims of the Course
This course aims to:
- provide a comprehensive training in many aspects of yoga and meditation so that course graduates will be capable of providing professional, responsible and high quality teaching to their students
- give students a deep understanding of the essence of traditional yogic techniques and philosophy, their practical application, and how they can be taught in a western yoga class
- motivate and inspire students to undergo a transformation in their understanding and perception of themselves, others and life in general
Course Objectives
By the end of this course all students will:
- have expanded and developed their own practice of yoga so that they are fully competent and experienced in all the techniques which they will need to impart to others
- have the knowledge and ability to teach the practices safely according to the needs of their students, and have acquired sufficient knowledge of anatomy and physiology and how to relate this to hatha yoga practice
- have acquired a grounding in the philosophical bases and spiritual aspects of yoga and their application to everyday life in the Western world
- demonstrate their capacity to effectively plan, deliver and evaluate a yoga class
Course Prerequisites
All applicants for our 500 hour YTTC should have:
- at least three years practice of yoga
- a desire to share the benefits of yoga through teaching
- an openness to profound change on a personal level and an aspiration to deepen the understanding of one’s Innermost Nature
- computer proficiency, including confidence with email, internet, Zoom, word processing, insertion of images into documents, working with tables, and access to printer and scanner
Course Commitments
Students will be expected to:
- practise for a minimum of one hour daily throughout the course, following prescribed course material including asana, pranayama, meditation and yoga nidra
- undertake and complete on time the required course work both in the Ashram and at home, throughout the course
- attend a regular and suitable weekly yoga class throughout the course
- attend the residential seminars at the Ashram, and the online teaching days. A minimum of 80% attendance is required, and ideally much closer to 100%
- teach their own regular weekly yoga class(es) in the second year of the course
Course Contents
The course covers:
- asana (physical postures), counter poses, modifications, benefits and precautions, including practicing safely to avoid injury and for different medical conditions
- pranayama (breath control) - exploring all the main pranayama or breathing techniques
- the 4 bandhas (psycho-physiological locks) and selected mudras (symbolic body positions and hand gestures), practised alone and in conjunction with pranayama practices
- shat karmas (cleansing practices) of hatha yoga
- meditation - practicing several methods to explore the nature of mind and the subtle body
- yoga nidra - deep meditative relaxation, and also basic relaxation practices
- yogic energy centres and pathways (chakras and nadis)
- mantra yoga - many selected mantras will be shared
- karma yoga - meditation in action, or skillful efficient action in the present moment
- applied yogic philosophy such as Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita and selected Upanishads
- Ashram living, including periods of mouna (silence), havan (fire ceremonies), satsang (questions and answers), yogic festivals and the ethos of Ashram life.
- first aid
- specialised areas such as an introduction to teaching pregnant women, and a trauma sensitive approach to teaching yoga
- the practicalities of setting up a yoga class, working for an organisation or being self-employed
- lesson and course planning
- class management
- an in-depth yoga-related project of choice in the 2nd year
Course Tutors
The course benefits from being taught by a highly trained team of tutors, each with different areas of expertise and passion.
Swami Krishnaprem
Swami Krishnapremananda will deliver teachings on pranayama, meditation, yoga nidra, professional studies and the application of yogic philosophy.
He is a graduate of the Ashram 1999-2001 TTC and has been teaching on all the subsequent TTCs until the present day, evolving into becoming the course director in recent years.
He knows first-hand, and through seeing the transformative affect on so many students, the profound value of the TTC, not just in producing quality yoga teachers, but more importantly awakening a depth of inner change and growth.
Swami SatyaDaya
Swami SatyaDaya, whose spiritual name means 'Wisdom in Compassionate Action’, is the Director of Mandala Yoga Ashram.
SatyaDaya completed the Mandala Yoga Ashram teacher training course in 2007, having moved into the ashram in 2005. A senior teacher within the Ashram since 2015, he is truly inspired to share the extensive teachings of Yoga, Tantra and Advaita as the means to awakening us to the realisation of the spiritual dimensions of our being.
He will be contributing to the teachings on asana, pranayama, meditation and the application of yoga philosophy.
Tulsi
Tulsi is a qualified Satyananda teacher and has been teaching for over 20 years. Tulsi has been teaching on teacher training courses since 2010 including the last Ashram YTTC.
Tulsi is passionate about sharing the teachings of yoga in a way that is accessible and relevant to all whilst maintaining the core values and essence of traditional yoga practice.
She has spent many years working in prisons, mental health and special needs environments and this experience informs her teachings. Tulsi will be contributing to the teachings on asana, pranayama, meditation, yoga nidra and professional studies.
Further Info
Course Dates
Course Costs
Application Process
Course Texts and Downloads
Ashram Views
Our Residential Retreats & Online Courses
Residential Retreats
Our residential retreats offer high-quality teachings with an emphasis on the cultivation of direct insight, a supportive group field, and opportunity to spend time in the energised sanctuary of the Ashram.
Online Courses
We offer two kinds of online course: live courses broadcast via Zoom, and self-study courses provided through our own online portal. Both are excellent ways to access our teachings from anywhere in the world.
Free Yoga Teachings
In addition to our retreats and courses we offer an extensive free library of high-quality teachings. The library contains a wealth of articles, videos and audios on the philosophy and practice of yoga, advaita and tantra. We believe that genuine spiritual teachings exist for the benefit of everyone, and that money shouldn't be an obstacle to anyone accessing these teachings.
Explore the library
Online Satsang
Join Swami Nishchalananda on Zoom for one-hour satsang sessions. These free sessions usually take place twice per month. Register below to receive invites.
Ashram Sangha
The Ashram Sangha is our new online hub, a space for us to support all those who feel a connection with the Ashram, its teachings, and its vibrant yoga community.
Ashram Shop
In our online shop you can find books and yoga booklets written by Swami Nishchalananda, as well as beautiful malas strung here at the Ashram.
