No need to venture outside of the United States to find quality Yoga Teacher Training in some blissful place surrounded by nature. Here are 5 of the best 200-hour YTTs based in the US to help you deepen your practice and achieve your yoga goals.
Yoga Teacher Training in Cape Cod (Photo: Book Yoga Retreats)
The yoga lifestyle and the industry around it are booming in the United States, with as many as 36 million Americans on the mat regularly. Much of that widespread success is thanks to the pioneering founders of New York schools such as Jivamukti and Lotus Flow, but also to the charismatic LA teachers gaining a devoted following with online platforms. More and more qualified yoga professionals are sharing their knowledge in dedicated Yoga Teacher Trainings in stunning and relaxing locations around the country.
Although many yogis choose to travel as far as Asia in search of a deeply spiritual and authentic experience for their 200-hour teacher training program, the International Yoga Alliance-approved courses in the US often are run by some of the country’s most experienced and inspiring teachers. From inner-city havens to beachside sun salutations, forest cabin meditation to desert stargazing, there’s an ideal YTT setting for everyone; all that’s left is to immerse yourself in the practice on your path to becoming a certified yoga teacher.
15-Day 200-Hour Inspired Yoga Teacher Training in Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, California
Kootenay Yoga School YTT in Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, California
Sprawling over five acres (2.02 hectares) and surrounded by palm tree groves and stacked boulders, the Desert Sage House is a unique and whimsical sanctuary where the high Mojave Desert meets the low Colorado Desert. It’s the perfect place to embark on your YTT journey without distractions. Kootenay Yoga School’s program goes in-depth into 45 traditional yoga poses in an energizing vinyasa style, but also into more relaxing practices such as restorative and nidra (sleep yoga). There will also be extensive training in how to lead meditation sessions, as well as yogic philosophy and Ayurveda. Best of all is the sunset outdoor practice, of soothing muscles in a open-air hot tub. From US$3685 / 15 days
Reserve via BookYogaRetreats.com
15-Day 200 Hour YTT Ocean View Studio, Cape Cod
Ocean View Studio in Cape Cod (Photo: Book Retreats)
This restored old beach house with ocean views on Nauset Beach is an idyllic setting for a 200-hour YTT in Cape Cod. Within a small group, two daily classes and three daily in-depth teaching labs take place on the sun-kissed deck, directly on the sand, or in the clean and light-filled indoor shala. With beach-facing balconies aplenty, you may well wake up to the sound of the gentle waves. Organic vegetarian meals, smoothies, juices and snacks, prepared daily by Harmony Yoga School’s in-house holistic chef, will ensure you feel nourished inside and out. From US$4497 / 15 days
Reserve via BookRetreats.com
15-Day 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Course in Florida, USA
YTT with Shri Yogi Hari in Miramar, Florida (Photo: BookRetreats.com)
This YTT offers a rare opportunity to study under a revered Indian guru with an impressive yoga lineage, without traveling farther than sunny Miramar, Southern Florida. Ideal for those who wish to delve deeper into spiritual traditions and yogic philosophy, this immersive course is led by Shri Yogi Hari, a Sivananda guru with more than 60 years of experience, who teaches hatha-based postures in the Sampoorna style (the yoga of fullness), along with pranayama, meditation, mantra chanting and yogic philosophy. Yogi Hari’s ashram is a peaceful and secluded sanctuary of green, with plenty of shaded nooks for meditation or study, with simple and minimalist but comfortable rooms and shared accommodation. The sojourn includes an excursion to Fort Lauderdale Beach for sunrise meditation, yoga and brunch. From US$4200 / 15 days
Reserve via BookRetreats.com
15-Day Hybrid Empowered Vinyasa 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training, North Carolina
Empowered Vinyasa YTT in North Carolina (Photo courtesy of BookRetreats.com)
In a pristine, light-filled beach house just two blocks from the water, Wilmington Yoga Center’s intensive training takes place in the coastal town of Carolina Beach. Nature abounds, and you may find yourself practicing asanas or revising yogic philosophy between a hike and an invigorating SUP paddle board session. Or you may prefer to relax in the cosy yet minimalist white beach house decor. Most classes will be led by studio owner and experienced teacher Heather Metzler, who created the Empowered Vinyasa 200-hour teacher training. In addition to a two-week immersion in situ, the program includes a component of pre-recorded teachings as well as Zoom meetings with the professor. From US$4800 / 15 days
Reserve via BookRetreats.com
17-Day 200-Hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training in The Dalles, Oregon
Yoga Teacher Training surrounded by nature in The Dalles, Oregon (Photo courtesy of BookYogaRetreats.com)
In Oregon, the natural scenery is your playground, and this vast 40-acre country property bordering the Mount Hood National Forest is no exception. With its panoramic mountain views, there is plenty of space for contemplation, meditation and personal growth during Pure Yoga Retreats’ YTT program. All within a cosy, communal shared country house experience from which you are likely to forge lasting friendships with your fellow yogis, a maximum of 10 students nonetheless ensuring a tailored and personal approach to learning. The course includes meals for the first three days, with all kitchen amenities necessary to prepare more healthy food throughout your training. Hikes, picnics, barbecues and art classes are among the activities that will enrich down time between vinyasa classes led by Shannon Red Cloud (one of Oregon’s most engaged and community-minded yoga teachers). From US$4000 / 17 days
Reserve via BookYogaRetreats.com
18-Day 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training near Yosemite National Park in Midpines, California
Innersea Yoga Academy YTT near Yosemite National Park (Photo: Book Yoga Retreats)
The wilderness of this mountain resort in the Sierra Foothills of Midpines, outside the western entrance to Yosemite National Park, will invigorate your yoga practice during this 200-hour YTT. Daily yoga, meditation, philosophy, anatomy and teaching methodology classes will be interspersed with daytrips to Telegraph Mountnain, hikes through Yosemite and a guided fauna and flora tour. The most adventurous yogis can enjoy extras like rock climbing, white water rafting or even skydiving – but if that’s a little too extreme you may prefer to opt for a massage or sound healing therapy in the nearby town of Mariposa. From US$3500 / 18 days
Reserve via BookYogaRetreats.com
30-Day 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course in Woodbourne, New York
Sivananda Ashram and far, Uptstate New York (Photo: Book Yoga Retreats)
If you’re hoping to delve deeper into the spiritual side in your yoga teacher training, Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm is a non-profit organization based in upstate New York, offering a generous monthlong cursus grounded in traditional Gurukula and Indian monastic practices. You will be encouraged to keep mobile phone usage to a rather liberating minimum, observe silence at night, and take part in the satsang morning ritual of meditation and chanting from sunrise. Founded in the 1970s and tucked away in the lush mountains of the lush Catskill mountains, The Yoga Ranch represents one of the oldest yoga trainings in the West and is based on complete immersion, 100 Hatha asanas and variations, deep relaxation and postural alignment. From US$2400 / 30 days
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28-Day 200-Hour Intensive Yoga Teacher Training in Boca Raton, Florida
Zen Den YTT in Boca Raton, Florida (Photo: Book Yoga Retreats)
This practical and very hands on course is designed for those hoping to teach as soon as possible after completing their 200-hour certification. The cursus includes peer-to-peer teaching from day one, as well as an introduction to the business side of yoga. All this alongside the all-important elements of Ashtanga-inspired Vinyasa and Sivananda Hatha flows, anatomy, adjustment, meditation, philosophy and the art of teaching. Situated close to the white sand beaches of Boca Raton in East Florida, your accommodation features a hot tub, saltwater pool, a juicer for optimum nutrition throughout the training, bicycles for exploring the area in your free time. From US$3080 / 28 days
Reserve via BookYogaRetreats.com