Are you looking for more than a physical experience of yoga?
Do you want to teach a meaningful approach to yoga that can help your students feel connected to a greater reality and experience peace and joy within?
Based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, Ananda Yoga helps you move, attune and uplift your energy to find harmony in body, mind, and spirit–and most importantly–step into your highest soul potential.
We welcome certified yoga teachers to join us in this training to learn new tools to guide your students in finding their own healing, strength and happiness through yoga practice.
Cost: $560 tuition + accomodations
Location: The Expanding Light Retreat, Ananda Village, CA
Wednesday May 1 at 5:30 PM Pacific Time
Join this introductory session to meet Director Melody Hansen and learn more about Ananda Yoga Teacher Training.
“If you are looking for a course that incorporates spirituality and mental development beyond asanas in yoga, this is the place for you. You will be introduced to the teachings of Ananda Yoga in a very warm and professional way.”
“If you are looking for a course that incorporates spirituality and mental development beyond asanas in yoga, this is the place for you. You will be introduced to the teachings of Ananda Yoga in a very warm and professional way.”
— Maja B., 2022 Graduate, Germany
— Maja B., 2022 Graduate, Germany
The purpose of Ananda Yoga is to help you develop a greater connection with God or any form of the divine that resonates with you through the following tools:
“Five stars to this training; I thoroughly enjoyed the teachings of Ananda Yoga. It certainly was intensive, full of great content, super helpful feedback, and I felt supported every step of the way. I recommend this training to anyone seeking a spiritual style of Yoga.”
“Five stars to this training; I thoroughly enjoyed the teachings of Ananda Yoga. It certainly was intensive, full of great content, super helpful feedback, and I felt supported every step of the way. I recommend this training to anyone seeking a spiritual style of Yoga.”
— Grace P, 2022 Graduate, AR
— Grace P, 2022 Graduate, AR
Immerse Yourself in Spiritual Community
An effective yoga teacher needs support to walk the talk. Join your magnetism with like-minded yogis from all around the world who also want to help and uplift others.
This immersive training is based at Ananda Village, an intentional spiritual community based on the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda.
Students are able to develop a personal connection with fellow students and instructors through:
Our past graduates come from France, Canada, Sweden, Austria, and within the United States. California etc.
Learn to Teach Spiritual Yoga
While some paths focus primarily on asana alignment, safety, and calisthenics, Ananda Yoga uses several techniques in addition to the asanas to raise one’s level of energy and awareness so that body, mind, and soul are harmonized.
Ananda Yoga has proven itself to be a practical and effective way to grow spiritually.
Ananda Yoga practices include:
Pursue Advanced Yoga Teacher Training
Any Yoga Alliance RYT may transfer into Ananda’s Level 2 certification (RYT 500) after completing the Bridge to Ananda Yoga program.
Level 2 certification explores the deeper aspects of Ananda Yoga®, with a focus on meditation, yoga philosophy, pranayama, asana, refinement of teaching skills, and personal spiritual growth.
Required Level 2 Courses:
Level 2 Electives:
“I always wanted to learn yoga, not just to have a healthy body, but also to grow spiritually. Here I learned how to use Yoga for my spiritual growth.”
“I always wanted to learn yoga, not just to have a healthy body, but also to grow spiritually. Here I learned how to use Yoga for my spiritual growth.”
— Andreas S., 2022 Graduate, Austria
— Andreas S., 2022 Graduate, Austria
All our instructors practice yoga and meditation daily and are disciples of Paramhansa Yogananda who make it a priority to live the teachings.
Melody, E-RYT 500, directs the Ananda Yoga Teacher Training and Restorative Yoga Teacher Training 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, RYT 500 and C-IAYT, 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 has been a certified Ananda Yoga and Meditation instructor since 2012. She is an Ananda Yoga therapist and a minister. She serves with Ananda School of Yoga and Meditation as manager and certification programs coordinator. She also teaches asana, meditation and yoga philosophy online and in person at The Expanding Light Retreat.
Arya Cheng, 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.
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!
Nayaswami Pranaba has been an Ananda member and minister for over 30 years. During this time he and his wife, Nayaswami Parvati, have served in many Ananda colonies in the U.S., and in Assisi, Italy.
Pranaba has directed the membership training program at Ananda Village and has coordinated Ananda’s Meditation Centers and Groups. He now manages Ananda Sangha Worldwide, Ananda’s outreach ministry. He also travels frequently, bringing Yogananda’s teachings and inspiration to Ananda devotees nationwide.
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 (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.
Mangala 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.
To participate in this training, you’ll need to have completed a 200-hr YTT program from a RYS (Registered Yoga School).
Submit an application for the program and enroll as soon as possible so that we can send you the pre-course online assignments, which are designed to provide you with a foundation of understanding of Ananda Yoga before you begin the course.
You can also check out the Ananda School of Yoga and Meditation YouTube channel to follow asana routines and guided sadhanas and the Ananda Yoga Level 1 Instructional Library to familiarize yourself with the 31 asanas and corresponding affirmations covered in this course.
Yes, there is an online course page and pre-course assignments that you’ll be given access to as soon as you enroll. The online assignments include asana instructional videos, reading assignments, and self-quizzes to complete before we meet in-person.
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.
Yes. All of the classes taught by instructors who are E-RYT 500 or E-RYT 200 certified will count towards Yoga Alliance CE hours. There will be 40 CE hours for this course.
After completing the Bridge program you’ll be able to teach Ananda-style yoga. You can receive full certification either by completing our Level 1 (200-hr) YTT program or by completing Level 2 (300-hr). See Level 2 requirements here.
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 Bridge to Ananda Yoga 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.
Refund Policy: If you cancel 14 days or more before the start of the program, your payment will be refunded, less a $150 processing fee. If you cancel within 14 days of the start of the program, then 50% of your payment will be refunded, and the remainder will be forfeited. If you cancel more than 14 days after the start of the program, the full program cost will be forfeited.
“From this course I learned lots of ways to bring more joy to my practice and my teaching of yoga asana, plus many more ideas on how to teach a range of students, online and in person, and to keep my own practice interesting and challenging.”
“From this course I learned lots of ways to bring more joy to my practice and my teaching of yoga asana, plus many more ideas on how to teach a range of students, online and in person, and to keep my own practice interesting and challenging.”
— Denise R., 2022 Graduate, CA
— Denise R., 2022 Graduate, CA
Eligibility: For all certified RYT 200-hr yoga teachers.
Yoga teachers of other styles and paths often want to transfer into Ananda’s Level 2 Yoga Teacher Training after they’ve experienced the gentle power of Ananda Yoga. If you are a Yoga Alliance RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher), you may transfer into these programs once you’ve completed Bridge to Ananda Yoga, which will give you a strong foundation in the practice and teaching of Ananda Yoga.
Format:
Complete the online course and attend all required Ananda YTT classes for days 1-10, Monday through the following Wednesday morning.
Attend the following special classes just for Bridge students during these 10 days:
Plan and Teach an Ananda style class with team mates on Tuesday afternoon.
On Wednesday morning you will prepare another Class Plan for an Ananda-style yoga class that you will teach after you return home. This class plan will be reviewed with other Bridge students and one of the Bridge instructors.
Complete two written homework assignments and all online assignments.
Please note:
Your first Ananda certification comes with completing the Level 2 YTT. Bridge to Ananda Yoga does not result in certification, nor does it enable you to advertise that you are teaching Ananda Yoga.
A Continuing Education Certificate (suitable for Yoga Alliance) will be sent to you once you have satisfactorily completed all requirements.
Morning Classes: Core content on asana instruction
Afternoon Classes: Yoga philosophy, specialized topics, practice teaching sessions
| 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 | A Broader Perspective on Yoga | Meditation: The Central Technique of Yoga |
| Wednesday | Forward Bends | Practice Teaching 1 | Bridge: How to Teach Ananda Yoga Part 1 |
| Thursday | Standing Poses 2 | Yoga’s Source Teachings | The Yogic Science of Affirmation |
| Friday | Backward Bends 1 Sharing Circle (12:00-12:30) | Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 1 YTT Sadhana 1 | Finding Happiness Movie 7:15p (optional) |
| Saturday | Inversions 1 | Bridge: How to Teach Ananda Yoga Part 2 | Kirtan |
| Sunday | Sunday Service | Bridge: Intro to Team Teaching |
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:
Bridge to Ananda Yoga® starts the afternoon of the first date listed and ends with lunch on the last date listed.
Check-in is anytime between 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. at our Front Desk.
It’s ideal to arrive before 4 pm if you are able to. That way, you can join in the afternoon session of yoga and meditation, which begins at 4:45 pm.
If you need to arrive here after 5 pm, that’s fine, but it helps us if you let us know at 800-346-5350.
Your room will be available by 3:00 p.m. Dinner is at 6:30.
We can also put aside a dinner for you if you need to arrive after 7 pm.
The first gathering of your group is after dinner at 7:30 pm.
The program ends with lunch on the last date at 1:30 pm.
Please see:
Dates: July 5-19, 2024
Location: The Expanding Light Retreat, Ananda Village, CA
All-Inclusive Cost (tuition+accomodations/meals):
| Tent/RV | Standard Shared | Standard Private | Deluxe Shared | Deluxe Private |
| $1,455 | $1,953 | $2,850 | $2,479 | $3,876 |
Can’t take Bridge to Ananda Yoga in-person? Apply today for Bridge to Ananda Yoga Online.
