200-Hour Kripalu Yoga Teacher Training

Overview

AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY AWAITS YOU

Establish the foundation of your practice or deepen your skills to become the yoga teacher you were meant to be. Our comprehensive certification programs are designed to empower, nurture, and support you on your path. Now with our online 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training, there's a new way to inspire your students and provide tools for personal growth.

WHY STUDY AT KRIPALU?

With more than 45 years of experience in training yoga teachers, Kripalu knows that the most authentic teaching comes from deep personal experience. As a Kripalu graduate, you will head into the world confident and ready to begin your teaching journey. You leave our 200-hour training with all the skills you need to lead safe, empowering, and grounded Kripalu Yoga classes. You also learn how to offer modifications, posture options, clarification of contraindications, and how to create a complete series of classes with progressive levels of difficulty. 

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with more than 1,000 reviews

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

Asana. Learn the 20 foundational asanas (postures) and how to create engaging, compassionate, and rewarding sequences for both online and in-person teachings.

Pranayama. Learn the five core pranayama (yogic-breathing) techniques and enable students to experience body-mind integration and purification through yogic breathing.

Yoga philosophy. Gain a deeper personal relationship to yoga philosophy, with an emphasis on integrating Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and the teachings of Swami Kripalu.

Principles of anatomy and physiology. Focus on safety, joint movement, range of motion, and a functional understanding of skeletomuscular systems and structures.

Relaxation and meditation. Gain skills for centering yourself and your students. Create a safe space for fostering inward focus, guiding meditation, and cultivating deep relaxation (Savasana).

Curriculum

The 200-Hour Kripalu Yoga Teacher Training certification includes both a solid grounding in technical skills and the development of an empathic, intuitive approach to teaching.

Graduates of Kripalu Yoga Teacher Training are in great demand for their in-depth knowledge, clear instruction, intuitive insights, and ability to guide students to the experience of inner peace that is the true essence of yoga. Kripalu Yoga teachers range in age from their 20s to 80s and can be found in community yoga studios; in urban and rural areas; in schools, prisons, and hospitals; and at workplaces from the United Nations to Cirque du Soleil. Because Kripalu supports individual inquiry and expression, the places you find our teachers are as varied as the teachers themselves.

The Kripalu teaching model incorporates many tools and techniques that guide students through their own journey as a teacher, allowing each graduate to emerge with a tool bag of foundational skills and knowledge. Kripalu graduates are prepared to take their teaching career to a wide variety of populations and environments.

Kripalu Yoga Tools and Techniques

Your training starts with an introduction to some of the hallmarks of the Kripalu methodology, including

  • A grounded approach to the ancient practice of yoga adapted for modern practitioners
  • Natural alignment based on safe movements of the joints and muscles for all the asanas
  • Breathing exercises and the philosophy of pranayama
  • An overview of the ancient traditions that most strongly influenced Kripalu Yoga: Vedanta, Sankhya, Tantra, and Tantric Hatha Yoga.

As an approach, Kripalu Yoga emphasizes

  • Safe alignment in warm-ups, postures, and pranayama positions
  • Empowering students to determine their own limitations
  • Off-the-mat applications of yoga practice, including skillfulness in action
  • Musculoskeletal anatomy specific to the asanas and pranayamas taught in this program
  • Self-awareness.

Content Hours

Minimum content hours (as determined by Yoga Alliance) include

Techniques: Instruction in Yoga Asana, Pranayama, and Meditation 100 hours
Teaching Methodology 30 hours
Anatomy and Physiology 20 hours
Philosophy/Ethics/Lifestyle 30 hours
Practicum 15 hours
Other 5 hours
Total 200 hours

Dates and Costs

200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training | On Campus | December 3–February 24, 2024 (Two 12-Day Sessions) Register Now
200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training | On Campus | April 14–June 14, 2024 (Two 12-Day Sessions) Register Now
200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training | On Campus | July 14–August 9, 2024 Register Now
200-Hour Global Majority Yoga Teacher Training | Hybrid | August 23–December 8, 2024 Registration Coming Soon
200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training | On Campus | September 8–October 4, 2024 Registration Coming Soon
Online 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training | Online | November 1, 2024–March 1, 2025 Registration Coming Soon 
200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training | On Campus | December 1, 2024–February 7, 2025 (Two 12-Day Sessions) Registration Coming Soon

Daily Schedule

Whether you train with the Kripalu Schools on campus or online, you benefit from a unique immersion experience. Under expert mentorship, you develop tools to cultivate health, create community, and encourage a quest for knowledge.

Student and Faculty Testimonials

Student Brian H.

There are literally hundreds of yoga teacher trainings, but I knew exactly what I wanted.

Student Patricia D.

I went to Kripalu to celebrate life on my 30-year anniversary of being cancer free.

Student Michael B.

Most people speak of how they found yoga, but yoga truly found me.

Frequently Asked Questions

ONLINE TRAININGS

Is the curriculum different for the online versus the campus training?
There is no difference in the curriculum. However, there is additional one-on-one mentoring with Kripalu Faculty made available to our students taking the training online.

How will the trainings be shared?
All sessions of the training will be held by Zoom video call. Links, passwords, and more information will be shared once you are registered in the training.

Will I have access to my teachers or fellow students for questions as I learn?
Our online trainings include many opportunities to learn and practice with your fellow students in partners and in small groups. Faculty have office hours available for one-on-one meetings throughout the training to offer extra support.

ON CAMPUS TRAININGS

Am I required to stay at Kripalu?
While you are not required to stay at Kripalu during your training program, the residential aspect supports both the curriculum and your ability to fully participate in the rigorous schedule. This training is designed to give you time away from the regular day-to-day demands of your life and allow you to be in an environment that fully supports a yogic lifestyle. The immersion experience, which our teacher trainings are known for, brings your training to a depth that would otherwise be unattainable. In addition, by staying at Kripalu, you will facilitate the development of lifelong connections with fellow students.

Will I have an opportunity to participate in activities at Kripalu during the training?
Due to the intensive nature of this program, it may be difficult to participate in other Kripalu evening events or receive Healing Arts services. Healing Arts sessions may be scheduled on your arrival or departure days. There will be some evenings off during which you can schedule Healing Arts or attend an evening concert or other event. Please wait to receive your program schedule at the beginning of your training before booking Healing Arts appointments.

Can I invite friends and family to graduation?
Graduation takes place on the final morning of your 200-hour training and is only open to program participants. After the ceremony, there is an informal reception that friends and family are welcome to attend.

GENERAL INQUIRIES

Are there any prerequisites for the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training?
A prerequisite of at least one year of yoga experience with a regular practice of any form of hatha yoga for at least 40 minutes per day, four times a week for six months, helps ensure that the full benefits of this immersive training are experienced.

Is there a written test that must be passed for certification?
Throughout the training, you will be evaluated verbally and in writing on the material presented. These evaluations are designed to ascertain where you need additional study or support. Your certification is not contingent upon these evaluations. The practice-teach sessions are the determining factor for whether or not a student will graduate. Being able to successfully and safely deliver a complete Kripalu Yoga class to a group of your fellow students is a requirement for certification.

How much time will I need to study outside of the program schedule?
Each day there will be reading assignments to support your learning within the program. The amount of time this reading takes will depend upon the assignment and the individual. There may also be time needed outside of the program session to prepare for your practice teaches.

Is there credit for training completed outside of Kripalu?
For the 200-Hour Kripalu Yoga Teacher Training, the curriculum is predefined and comprehensive: it needs to be completed in its entirety for you to become a 200-Hour Kripalu Yoga teacher. Therefore, we are not able to transfer credit or hours from other programs toward this training.

Still have questions?
For more information about Kripalu Yoga Teacher Training, call 413.448.3152 or email kripaluschools@kripalu.org.

Apply

Admissions to the programs are determined on a rolling basis. Given high program demand, a maximum number of students per training, and limited housing availability, we strongly recommend that applicants submit applications as soon as possible (two–four months prior to the program start). Trainings typically fill to capacity about one month in advance.

We rely on information provided in the application to make informed decisions about your capacity to fully participate in and benefit from all aspects of the program. Please answer the questions honestly and completely. The Kripalu Schools do not discriminate in admissions, administration, or educational policies with regard to race, ethnic origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, creed, or religion.

Application Process

  • Review information on program dates, costs, faculty, curricula, certification criteria, and general information about Kripalu on our website.
  • Complete the appropriate application for the program for which you are applying in its entirety, including the short-answer questions. Be sure to indicate your preferred program dates. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Kripalu reserves the right to require a phone interview or take other steps to supplement your application, if needed, in order to arrive at an informed admissions decision.

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