Teacher Training

Turn the yoga practice you love into an opportunity to express your unique talents, build confidence in your abilities, and connect with others who share your passion.

You’ll come out with confidence. What I got from Pranalife training was confidence. It was thinking, "Maybe I can do this?" and then graduating and teaching for the first time and knowing, "I CAN do this, and I LOVE this."

~ Carolynne Willis, Pranalife YTT Graduate

From Lead Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) Instructor and Pranalife Yoga Founder Asia Nelson

I created Pranalife Yoga Teacher Training because I saw too many people spending thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours on teacher training only to come out lacking the confidence to be successful, to be the teachers they want to be. After talking with many of them I knew they needed to develop their credibility through more hands-on experience, practice and feedback, and a better understanding of yoga and the art of teaching.

Pranalife Yoga's small training classes (max 25 people) give you the guidance, confidence and experience you need to develop a great practice, build a great career, and have the time and energy to enjoy all of your life passions.

Asia Nelson, MA Communications Design & Certified Advanced Yoga Instructor
Pranalife Yoga Director & YTT Lead Instructor

It's pretty simple, really: It's about creating great experiences with yoga. It's also pretty profound what an impact you can have when you know how to do it right. Since 2008, Pranalife Yoga has been training people who want to go deeper with their personal and professional yoga practices. Our yoga teacher training (YTT) graduates have great careers doing what they love. They're successful because they know how to do it right.

Not sure you want to teach? No worries, sign up for our "YTT Lite" - Yoga Intensives are sections of the training opened to non-YTTs as workshops. Do any that interest you. Consider them a deeper yoga immersion, one workshop at a time. If you decide later that you'd like to teach, these Intensives can count toward that goal.

We've seen this training make good practices great, draw out the best in teachers, and transform lives. We'd love to have you be a part of it.

Pranalife Yoga Teacher Training provided me with an invaluable foundation for my yoga teaching career and sense of confidence for leading that only Asia can inspire. Although that process occurred three years ago, Asia is still motivating and encouraging the growth of my career.

The entire experience of YTT was life altering in the most positive of ways, and I thank my lucky stars for Asia and Pranalife Yoga each time I step onto my teaching mat.

~ Kris Lekin, Pranalife YTT graduate

In every Pranalife Yoga Teacher Training course, you will:

explore yoga postures (asana) and breath work (pranayama) of the Ashtanga vinyasa style of yoga in-depth, through research and practical experience
learn how to do and teach any posture safely by understanding each posture's purpose
develop a sense of trust and safety in yoga that's well-founded in easy-to-understand study of Anatomy (how we're built), Kinesiology (us in motion), and Biomechanics (how external and internal forces act on us).
receive leadership coaching on how to authentically incorporate yoga into your life and teaching style using the eight-limbed philosophy of the Yoga Sutras
discover the art of designing great classes by using intelligent sequencing principles while integrating your unique style
get extensive, hands-on practice with teaching tools such as adjustments, modifications, learning to read a room, and guiding the energy of a class
be given plenty of opportunities to teach with one-on-one feedback, thanks to our intimate class sizes (capped at 25 people)

We base our teaching on research and practical experience, and teach it in a way that's clear and immediately useful to you. You'll build confidence to teach, adjust, and explore your unique talents through hands-on practice and feedback. We keep our training classes smalll so that we can dedicate time to helping you discover the strengths that make you a stand-out leader in your yoga classes and beyond. You will finish certified to lead vinyasa ("flow") based classes anywhere in the world.

I will never forget YTT. It has contributed to massive changes in my life. I feel like you bridged this gap between my regular life to something beyond that.

~ Kimmi Luu, Pranalife YTT graduate

For all the people in the area who think you’re going to travel and it’s going to be a big deal, we have a treasure. We have a brilliant teacher here in Kitchener-Waterloo. You don’t need to go to Toronto.

~ Carolynne Willis, Pranalife YTT Graduate

Certification Requirements

Prerequisites

We highly recommend you have at least one year of consistent yoga practice (at least once a week, for at least 60 min/session) or three months of intensive yoga practice (three or more times a week) before beginning Pranalife YTT. Once you've sent us your application, we'll review it and may contact you for an interview to clarify your individual preparedness for the course.

In order to receive Pranalife YTT 200 hr Teacher Certification, you must complete all of the following in full:

1. Three Pranalife Yoga Modules (60hrs each)

2. The Three Foundational Pranalife YTT workshops (4hrs each)

3. Assisting in 10 60min classes, under the supervision of a certified instructor.

Course Design

YTT Modules and Workshops run in spring, summer, and fall terms. You can begin any time with any module and finish according to your schedule within one year of starting. Spring and fall Modules are full days on Saturdays + one weeknight for six (6) weeks, and the summer Module runs as a week-long intensive: 10hrs/day for six (6) days.

You're welcome to take Pranalife Yoga training for your own interest, even if you’re not considering becoming a teacher. Sections of the YTT are taught as workshops open to anyone as Yoga Intensives. Check out the Yoga Intensives workshop schedule.

When you've completed your 200 hr Basic Certification, Pranalife Yoga's Advanced Certification provides you with the personal mentorship you need to take your yoga teaching career to new heights. These additional 300 hrs provide you with career coaching, one-on-one support for your continuing study, and more opportunities to practice under the guidance of an experienced leader.

See the 2013 Yoga Teacher Training Schedule

It sounds like a lot of time, sounds like lot of money - but it’s worth it. I spent years in university getting a degree that was supposed to mean you come out and you get a job. I spent 120 hours with Asia on the mat doing teacher training and it has done me more good in 120 hours than years of school.

~ Suzie Fountain, Pranalife YTT Graduate

Pricing

Pricing for Pranalife Yoga Teacher Training and Yoga Intensives, as well as for classes, corporate and private sessions can be found here.

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We love to spoil our subscribers (can you tell?)

Here's a quick peek at teacher training moments with some of our past graduates and guest instructors like Master Anatomist Blake Martin (see Asia's interview with Blake). Other guest instructors have included Ahimsa Yoga's JP Tamblyn and Back Biomechanics Specialist Dr. Stuart McGill (see McGill's Macleans article featuring Asia), and many more.