Ananda Yoga® Teacher Training
Ananda Yoga® Teacher Training
A Spiritual Approach to Yoga:
RYT 200-hr Certification in 1 Month
July 5 – Aug 4, 2024
July 5 – Aug 4, 2024
Embark on a Personal Journey of Transformation and become a Certified Yoga Teacher
If you are dreaming of personal growth and a deep dive into learning and teaching Yoga, Ananda Yoga® is the teaching center for your perfect getaway for a soul-affirming retreat and an outstanding learning experience.
Ananda Yoga® is not just about mastering yoga postures; it’s a gateway to rediscovering yourself, taking time for yourself, and learning the profound deeper and truest teachings of Yoga.
For over four decades, we have guided souls and trained many yoga teachers on this beautiful path of awakening that delivers abundance and joy to the world.
RYT 200-hr Certification Training
In Person Location: The Expanding Light Retreat, Ananda Village, CA
- 200 hours of live classes & workshops
- 250 page manual
- 3x/day wholesome vegetarian meals
- 2x/day yoga & meditation
- Personal feedback from faculty
Who You Are Meant to Be
Welcoming Seekers of All Paths
“From Joy I Came, For Joy I live, in Sacred Joy I Melt Again.”
– Paramhansa Yogananda.
Ananda means ‘Bliss’. Yoga means ‘Union’.
You are meant in life to find this union of body, mind and spirit. As you explore learning to teach Ananda Yoga®, you will find a greater connection to yourself, your purpose, and your ability to confidently share this with the world.
We follow the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, the great Yogi Saint who came to America in 1920. Yogananda wrote the all-time spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi. Yogananda’s direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda, founded the Ananda Spiritual Community over 50 years ago. We have been teaching the deeply rich and inspired Ananda Yoga®, founded by Kriyananda, for over 40 years.
Your Transformative Experience Awaits
What Our Students Say
“I thought you’d have to go to India to learn yoga at this level!”
“Ananda Yoga® was a course in how to live. It not only taught us how to teach, but how to deepen our own practices so that we become what we are teaching.”
“At my first [teaching] class after the yoga teacher training retreat, one of my students said to me, ‘you are different. I want what you have.’”
Free Zoom Info Session
Wednesday, May 1 at 5:30 PM Pacific Time
Join this introductory session to meet the instructors and learn more about Ananda Yoga Teacher Training.
A Sanctuary for Your Soul
Our Unique Beautiful Campus: A Haven of Peace and Learning
Nestled within the serene foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California lies Ananda Cooperative Spiritual Community, an intentional yoga and meditation-based community for more than 50 years. Our delightful campus is a sanctuary where you can explore, learn, and grow during your available time outside of the program of yoga teaching seminars.
Immerse yourself in Ananda Village community spiritual services, meditate in the deeply inspiring World Brotherhood Temple of Light, and find solace at the peaceful Crystal Hermitage gardens with endless spacious views over the Middle Fork of the Yuba River.
Accommodations: Your Retreat, Your Way
Simple Comforts for an Unforgettable Journey
Step into a sanctuary where simplicity meets serenity. For 50 years, our yoga community has thrived on profound ideals and the transformative journey within. Our accommodations, designed with simplicity, cleanliness, and functionality in mind, offer you a unique retreat experience.
From the grounding option of setting up your own tent amidst nature, to the communal spirit of sharing a twin room with shared bathrooms, to embracing a bit more solitude in a spacious ensuite room with a private bath, we invite you to choose the space that resonates with your heart.
Join us, and find your perfect haven for your month-long yoga teacher training and inward exploration, all within the embrace of our vibrant and deeply inspiring cooperative spiritual community, Ananda Village.
AYTT was a course in how to live. It not only taught us how to teach but how to deepen our own practice so that we become what we are teaching.
AYTT was a course in how to live. It not only taught us how to teach but how to deepen our own practice so that we become what we are teaching.
— Trina, North Augusta, SC
—Trina, North Augusta, SC
Our Promise to You
Leave us with Yoga Certification, Confidence, and Joy
Receive a Yoga Teacher RYT 200-Hour Certification, and be ready to safely and confidently share the gift of yoga.
Every graduate can register with the Yoga Alliance as a Registered Yoga Teacher. Every graduate will have the unique and highly regarded yoga teachings of the great yogi-Master, Paramhansa Yogananda.
You will learn not only how to teach the 30 asanas, but also how to draw upon each pose’s unique physical, energetic, and spiritual benefits.
Know how to plan a yoga class, how to structure the class, what sequence of postures and guided spiritual activities to include, be able to teach one-on-one or a group, and teach to students of all walks of life – including knowing ‘accessible yoga’ for those who need special assistance.
You will dive deep into anatomy and physiology, safety considerations for your clients, and how to adapt postures for unique needs.
This includes special lessons about the chakras, kundalini, pranayama, and the beginning steps towards kriya yoga if you desire.
The Energization Exercises promote mental and physical relaxation, and teaches us the dynamic control of life force and will power.
Fill your knowledge and connection to the deeper levels of teaching yoga through studying the source teachings, including the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Bhagavad Gita, and the 8 Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga.
Through immersion in a spiritual community of yogis, you will be supported to integrate the teachings of yoga into your daily life. You will also study the principles of a yogic diet and learn yogic techniques, such as magnetism, affirmations and energy tools, to help you live life with purpose in alignment with your highest Self.
Through daily practice and study of yoga, you will have the chance to reconnect with your inner self and find harmony within. You will take home with you newfound joy and confidence to share your special gifts with the world.
| Week 1 | 9:30 am – 12:30 pm | 2:30 – 4:30 pm | 7:30 – 9:00 pm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Introduction to Ananda Yoga and Neutral Poses | Yoga Lifestyle Energization Workshop | |
| Tuesday | Standing Poses 1 | Meditation: The Central Technique of Yoga | Perspectives on the Yoga Tradition |
| Wednesday | Forward Bends | Anatomy & Physiology 1 Practice Teaching 1 (5:15 pm – 6:30 pm) | |
| Thursday | Standing Poses 2 | The Source Teachings of Yoga | The Yogic Science of Affirmation |
| Friday | Backward Bends 1 Sharing Circle (12:00-12:30) | Anatomy & Physiology 2 | |
| Saturday | Inversions 1 | Practice Teaching 2 | Kirtan |
| Sunday | Sunday Service | Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 1 |
Retreat Accommodations
Each guest room includes air conditioning, heating, carpeting, towels, and bedding. Fresh linens and towels are available weekly – no daily maid service. A limited number of queen-sized beds are available. Wi-Fi is available for all guests except those in cabins or tents. Limited handicap accessibility.
Deluxe: Harmony House
Standard: Serenity House & Cabins
Tents and RVs:
“At my first class after the yoga teacher training retreat, one of my students said, ‘You are different. I want what you have.’ To me that is the best testimonial of my Ananda experience.”
“At my first class after the yoga teacher training retreat, one of my students said, ‘You are different. I want what you have.’ To me that is the best testimonial of my Ananda experience.”
— C. S., Fresno, California
— C. S., Fresno, California
Meet Your Instructors
Melody, E-RYT 500, directs the Ananda Yoga Teacher Training and Restorative Yoga Teacher Training online programs.
She is a Certified Ananda Yoga Therapist, C-IAYT and a trained Prenatal Yoga Instructor. Melody has been practicing the teachings of yoga since the age of 14, and began teaching at age 17. She loves to help her students experience the depth of Ananda Yoga and Meditation.
She will be the main asana instructor for this course and will support you every step of the way in becoming a confident yoga teacher. It is her joy to serve you!
Darshana, E-RYT 200, became interested in meditation and found the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda and Swami Kriyananda in 2009. Since then, she has been applying them in her own life and sharing them with others.
Darshana moved to Ananda Village in 2011 and graduated from Ananda Yoga Teacher Training and Ananda Meditation Teacher Training in 2012. She is currently studying to become a certified yoga therapist.
Darshana teaches meditation and yoga philosophy.
Karen, E-RYT 500, is a Certified Ananda Yoga Therapist and has been teaching yoga since 2003. Originally from Texas, she directed and operated successful yoga studios in Dallas for over 13 years.
Karen has experience working with students of all levels in studio, privately and corporate settings. She loves to mentor teachers and help them discover their unique gifts while strengthening their self-reliance and positivity. Karen will be a lead asana instructor for this course while encouraging and assisting you throughout this journey!
Arya Cheng, RYT-500 & E-RYT 200, is a gifted yoga and meditation teacher, and wonderful kirtan (spiritual chanting) leader. She is passionate about sharing yoga as a tool for managing stress, transformation and healing in body, mind and soul.
Her journey as a yogi started at age 14, when she attended Ananda’s Living With Spirit Program and experienced first hand the transformative effects of yoga and meditation.
Arya currently lives at Ananda Village and serves as an Ananda Yoga Instructor for the Ananda School of Yoga and Meditation and support staff for the Karma Yoga Program.
In this training, she will be a lead asana instructor and here to encourage you to shine your light!
Nayaswami Gyandev McCord, E-RYT 500, is the Director of the Ananda School of Yoga & Meditation. Gyandev has an advanced certificate in online teaching methodology, is the Director of Ananda Yoga worldwide, and is a co-founder of Yoga Alliance.
A member of the teaching staff at the Expanding Light Retreat for more than 30 years he is well known internationally for his profound ability to share the teachings of yoga asana, meditation, yoga philosophy, and the joy that comes from living a yogic lifestyle.
Mangala, E-RYT 500 and C-IAYT has a background in a variety of healing modalities including Nursing, Ayurveda, Yoga teaching and Yoga Therapy practice and teaching. She currently serves as the Director of the Ananda Yoga Therapy Training program. She has been a RN, Nurse Practitioner for many decades and has been involved in assisting residents of Ananda Village for over 30 years with health and illness-related situations, and also with the process of dying. She also serves as a teacher, spiritual counselor and minister. She enjoys helping people to find positive ways to cope with and even thrive with challenges presented by illness and dying. Mangala is an Ananda minister.
Nicole DeAvilla, E-RYT 500 and C-IAYT has taught yoga teachers for over 20 years, and has taught regular Ananda Yoga classes since 1984. She has a background in sports medicine and chiropractic physiotherapy. Currently she teaches private classes as well as a Master Yoga Class for Yoga Teachers. Nicole is an active member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) and is a contributor to their journal and several other publications. She has taught Master Classes for the International Yoga Therapy Conferences.
Tracy, E-RYT 500 and C-IAYT, received her yoga and meditation training certifications from Ananda beginning in 1993, and soon after completed massage therapy (LMT, BCTMB), personal training, and Pilates certifications.
She enjoys teaching and sharing therapy at YMCAs, schools, hospitals, and a home studio. She helps lead an Ananda Midwest Meditation Group and yearly retreats and is an Ananda minister. It was her blessing to help teach the first AYTT in India, and now assist with AYTTO. She looks forward to infusing your study of anatomy with energy and joy, experiential learning, and its many practical applications!
Jitendra Guidon, Director of Online with Ananda’s Online Outreach ministry and a certified Ananda Meditation instructor and Ananda Yoga Teacher registered with Yoga Alliance (E-RYT 200).
Jitendra is originally from Rhode Island, where he helped lead the Ananda Yoga and Meditation Center and aided in spreading the path of Self-realization in Boston and New York City. He has taught meditation in diverse settings including yoga studios, government agencies, colleges, high schools, rehabilitation centers and more.
FAQs
We recommend that you have a regular hatha yoga asana practice, whether in a yoga studio or online classes following the instruction of a teacher, or on your own. If you don’t already have this practice, email or call us at 530-478-7524 to talk to one of our expert teachers to answer your questions to see if this program is right for you at this time. We encourage you to join our online weekly Ananda Yoga Classes to prepare for our Yoga Teacher Training Course.”
Click here to view all-inclusive prices.
- Required: develop a regular Hatha Yoga practice.
- A month before the program begins, you’ll be given access to the AYTT online course webpage. There you will find additional assignments (video presentations, reading assignments, and self-quizzes), which you’ll have access to throughout your stay with us. Expect to spend 1-2 hours each week during your 4-week stay, completing some online assignments. We encourage you to get started on these assignments early as your schedule will be busy while on campus.
Absolutely! One of the highlights of this professional training program is having instructors spend quality time giving you personalized feedback. We will be closely watching your progress within the course so that you can take the appropriate steps you need—as an individual—to become a confident, knowledgeable, and conscientious yoga instructor.
Our Level 1 and Level 2 programs are registered with Yoga Alliance and 200 and 500 hours. Every Ananda graduate can register with the Alliance as “Registered Yoga Teacher.” We believe that, in time, this Registry will lead to more yoga teaching opportunities for you.
More important, Ananda’s is the only training in the highly regarded yoga tradition of Paramhansa Yogananda. We’ve spent more than 25 years making our YTT into a first-rate expression of that tradition – a dynamic blend of professional training and personal growth.
If the literature and graduates’ testimonials don’t tell you enough, please call to talk with one of our program staff, or talk to a graduate near you.
To receive certification as a Level 1 Ananda Yoga Teacher, students must:
- Attend all required classes and activities: morning and afternoon classes 6 days per week, evening classes 3-4 nights per week, 1-2 classes on Sundays, and a number of additional guided practice sessions that are not shown individually on the sample schedule.
- Satisfactorily complete all reading assignments, written assignments on each of the first 2 weekends of the program, and a short in-class quiz at the end of the course.
- Demonstrate the skills and attitudes of an Ananda Yoga teacher. This includes satisfactory performance in the student teaching sessions.
- Agree to follow the Code of Ethics for Ananda Yoga Teachers.
- Pay all course fees in full.
Ananda Yoga is about adapting the asana to the person, not forcing the person to do something inappropriate for his or her body. In this spirit, you need to be able to do the asanas covered in this course in ways that are appropriate for your own body and health conditions.
This may mean modifying some of the asanas, perhaps significantly in some cases, but only rarely does it mean not doing any version of the asana at all. However, you will need to know how to teach all the asanas covered in this course.
Not at all. We sincerely respect all spiritual paths, and we welcome anyone who gives that same respect to our tradition, whatever his or her path may be. Of course, you should realize that AYTT takes place in the context of Ananda’s spiritual tradition, which emphasizes the time-honored approach of yoga as a tool for the Divine Quest.
Participation involves practicing a variety of yoga techniques associated with Ananda’s tradition, such as meditation and chanting as well as asana and pranayama.
Yes. This course takes place within the tradition of Paramhansa Yogananda and his direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda. Participants should be open to learning and teaching this approach to yoga postures and yoga philosophy. Those who come from a different tradition—or no tradition at all—should register as far in advance as possible in order to learn and practice those techniques before the course begins; we will send those links to you before the course web page opens. Then your course experience will unfold much more naturally, and your teaching and personal practice will benefit much more.
Please note: We do not ask that you discontinue your current yoga practices if they are different; we simply ask that you do the practices that are required for this program.
You must arrive for the opening session at 7:30 pm on the first day of the program. Plan to depart after lunch (12:30 pm) on the last day. Better still, arrive early for a day or two of Personal Retreat to get rested and completely ready for the experience (this is especially important for those traveling a long distance).
Also, please consider a day or two of Personal Retreat after the program. It’s a perfect way to begin to “digest” the transforming experience of the training, and it will smooth your transition back to your usual lifestyle. Many students have wished they’d planned ahead for this, since airline reservations often cannot be changed without extra cost.
Yes, most graduates do. In AYTT, you’ll learn to teach about 40 asanas and pranayama techniques, as well as how to combine those practices into safe, effective, enjoyable yoga classes for beginning students.
Yes. Ananda’s Level 2 AYTT is registered at 500 hours with Yoga Alliance. It consists of 300 hours of training beyond Level 1, offered in a modular format, with modules lasting from 2 to 12 days. For more details, see the full requirements for Ananda Yoga teachers.
- If you cancel or reschedule at least 21 days before your scheduled arrival, $200 of your deposit remains as a credit for one year, and $100
is forfeited. If you cancel or reschedule with shorter notice, the entire deposit is forfeited. - If you cancel after arrival, the cost of room and board for 2 nights will be forfeited and you will receive a refund on the remainder of your tuition and room and board, upon return of the program manual.
Graduate Testimonials
By completing the Ananda Yoga® Teacher Training, you will be equipped to live yoga beyond the mat and bring its light into the lives of others.
Begin Your Transformation Today
Join Us in a Journey of Heartfelt Learning and Discovery
At Ananda Yoga®, we deeply believe in the power of yoga to transform lives—not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally. You’re not just learning yoga postures; you’re embarking on a journey to awaken your soul, to find joy and peace within, and to bring that light into the world. Take time for yourself in this month-long on-campus training to relax your soul, learn your teaching craft, and return home with greater meaning and purpose.
Ananda Yoga® Teacher Training
Online Pre-Course, 1 Month Intensive In-Person
Bonus Online Feature: A month before the program begins, you’ll be given access to the AYTT online pre-course webpage. There you will find preparatory resources and information to review before you arrive.
