Ananda Yoga® Teacher Training
RYTT 200-Hr Certification
Sept 5, 2026 - May 9, 2027
A spiritual yoga teacher training based on Paramhansa Yogananda's teachings of Self-realization
If you’re ready to make a meaningful shift in your life with the transformative power of yoga and meditation, Ananda Yoga Teacher Training could be just what you are looking for.
Guided by experienced instructors and supported by a spiritual community, you’ll complete the program feeling energized, inspired, and ready to live and teach the profound gifts of yoga.
Community Immersion
Yogananda Lineage
Spiritual Yoga
Imagine...
- Diving deep into a style of yoga that is spiritually focused and integrates the body, mind and soul, rather than just a physical workout.
- Learning and practicing yoga and meditation techniques from an authentic spiritual tradition.
- Being immersed in a community that shares your values and supports your spiritual growth.
- Developing mastery over your thoughts, energy, and reactive process to be the highest version of yourself.
- Creating deep connections and meaningful friendships.
Free Zoom Info Session
Recorded August 1, 2026
Sign up to learn more about this program and the instructors.
A Transformative Journey of Learning, Living and Sharing Yoga
Modular Format: Online / In Person
Asana and Pranayama
Online: Sep 5 – Nov 22, 2026 (12 Weeks) OR
Hybrid: Sep 5 – Oct 17, 2026 (7 Weeks Online) + Oct 21 – 28, 2026 (7 Days In Person)
- Learn the alignment mechanics, benefits and affirmation of 31 Hatha Yoga asanas (postures).
- Explore making your yoga practice a vibrant living, inner experience rather than a purely physical or mental exercise.
- Shift from striving to force your body into the perfect pose to finding the right variation of the pose to help you attune to the deeper energetic experience available.
Practice Teaching and Mentoring
Build confidence to share Ananda Yoga
Online: Jan 9 – Mar 6, 2027 (9 Weeks) OR
Hybrid: Jan 9 – Feb 13, 2027 (6 Weeks Online) + Mar 17 – 22, 2027 (5 Days In Person)
- Practice teaching in a supportive environment with personalized feedback to refine your skills.
- Learn to utilize yoga science and your intuition to best serve your students and yourself as a whole person— body, mind and spirit.
- Take specialty classes to strengthen your teaching presence, voice, energy, and magnetism
Anatomy & Physiology
Online: Self-Paced + 1 live class on March 13, 2027
- Understand key muscles and joints and how they support safe, effective yoga practice.
- Discover how yoga influences the nervous system to promote deep relaxation and healing.
- Learn to adapt asanas for student safety, comfort, and individual needs.
The Higher Teachings of Yoga
Online: Apr 3 – May 1, 2027 (5 Weeks)
- Dive into the 8-Limbed Path and Yoga Sutras of Patanjali to understand yoga as a pathway to self-realization.
- Discover the deeper meaning of the Bhagavad Gita to live with clarity, purpose, and spiritual strength.
- Learn about energy, the astral body, and the chakras—and how to apply this wisdom in your life and teaching.
What Makes Ananda Yoga Unique?
Ananda Yoga’s meaning and aim is “Union with Divine Joy.” The purpose of Ananda Yoga is to help you experience higher awareness beyond the senses and develop a deeper connection with a greater reality through the following tools:
- Affirmations
- Working with subtle energy
- Asana variations to fit individual needs
- Meditation Techniques
Testimonials
Meet Your Instructors
Nayaswami Gyandev McCord 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.
Nayaswami Diksha McCord is a senior faculty member of the Ananda School of Yoga & Meditation in Northern California, serving as the Director of the Spiritual Counseling Training, and as co-director of the Ananda Meditation Teacher Training program online. She has been meditating for more than 30 years, and training meditation teachers for more than 20 years.
A powerful and dynamic woman of great warmth and humor, she is gifted in both intelligence and intuition. Diksha brings a broad background to her teaching—from physical wellness to Ayurveda to profound spiritual understanding. Above all, she awakens in her students their own inner wisdom and the will to make positive changes in their lives.
Darshana, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, became interested in meditation and found the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda and Swami Kriyananda in 2009. At that time, she was still immersed in the fast-paced world of corporate life. The yogic practices resonated with her deeply, offering a sense of calm and inner stillness that had been missing amidst the busyness of daily life—and opened the door to a new path, both inward and outward.
Inspired by these teachings, Darshana became a certified Ananda Yoga and Meditation instructor in 2012. She is also an Ananda Yoga Therapist and a minister and brings years of dedicated practice, study, and service to her teaching.
Today, she serves as manager and certification programs coordinator for Ananda School of Yoga and Meditation, where she supports and mentors students on their own transformative journeys. She teaches asana, meditation, and yoga philosophy both online and in person at The Expanding Light Retreat, always with warmth, clarity, and a deep love for the yogic path.
During this training, Darshana will be your meditation and yoga philosophy instructor. She’ll support you in understanding the deeper teachings of yoga and help you integrate the essence of Raja Yoga into your own life and your future teaching.
Saraswati, 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.
Saraswati 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.
Saraswati will be a lead asana instructor for this course while encouraging and assisting you throughout this journey!
Arya is a certified RYT-500 and E-RYT 200 yoga and meditation instructor who finds deep joy in holding space for others to connect with their higher Self and experience inner transformation.
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 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.
Nayaswami Gyandev McCord 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.
Nayaswami Diksha McCord is a senior faculty member of the Ananda School of Yoga & Meditation in Northern California, serving as the Director of the Spiritual Counseling Training, and as co-director of the Ananda Meditation Teacher Training program online. She has been meditating for more than 30 years, and training meditation teachers for more than 20 years.
A powerful and dynamic woman of great warmth and humor, she is gifted in both intelligence and intuition. Diksha brings a broad background to her teaching—from physical wellness to Ayurveda to profound spiritual understanding. Above all, she awakens in her students their own inner wisdom and the will to make positive changes in their lives.
Saraswati, 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.
Saraswati 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.
Saraswati 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.
In this training, she will be a lead asana instructor and here to encourage you to shine your light!
FAQs
Ideally you should have practiced some form of Hatha Yoga and/or Restorative Yoga before taking this course because you’ll go much deeper if you aren’t brand new to the practice; however, this is not required.
For those seeking certification, you need to have already completed a 200-hr yoga teacher training program (ideally from a Registered Yoga School) and meet the course requirements. Inquire for more details.
Absolutely. All are welcome! This course does takes place within the tradition of Paramhansa Yogananda and his direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda. The universal teachings of Self-Realization are easily applicable to all walks of life.
If you’re interested in exploring Restorative Ananda Yoga more and you want to get to know Melody Hansen before committing to the entire program, you’ll receive $25 off of this training when you purchase Restorative Ananda Yoga for the Chakras: A guided experience of the chakras for deep rejuvenation.
No. Everything will be provided for you at The Expanding Light Retreat where the program will take place.
This course is part of the Ananda Yoga Teacher Training Level 2. If you’d like to become a certified Ananda Yoga teacher, see Level 2 requirements here.
Certificates are given to those who have been approved for the “Yoga Teacher Track” and who have met all of the requirements for certification. If you are a certified Ananda Yoga teacher already, your certificate will say “Certified Restorative Ananda Yoga Teacher.” If you decide later to become a certified Ananda Yoga teacher (by completing our Level 1 or Level 2 training), we can upgrade your restorative certificate to “Ananda Yoga” certified. If you are a RYT, you will also receive 21 continuing education hours through Yoga Alliance upon completion of this course.
Ananda Yoga® Teacher Training
Yoga in the tradition of Yogananda
Format: 4 modules (to be completed between 8 months and 2 years)
Begin with Module 1 on September 5, 2026
Tuition: $2995 (pay in full ) or $500 deposit +8 monthly payments of $340
Total Cost: tuition above + accommodations* for any modules you choose to take in person.
*Accommodations (including meals): $157/night (shared standard) and $218/night (private standard)
