Yoga Teachers with Chronic Pain: 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training

It has been said that anyone with a body and a mind can practice yoga. Yoga practices include breath, meditation, relaxation, mindfulness, applied philosophy, and movement that can be adapted for anyone's physical mobility. Yoga reduces suffering through these practices and is especially beneficial for managing chronic pain. If you are a person living with pain, you might have found yoga to be transformative and you might want to become a teacher to bring that experience to others. Unfortunately, yoga teacher trainings are usually not accessible for students with chronic pain. They involve long hours of sitting on hard floors and lots of very physical yoga practice without room for necessary adaptation. For anyone with fatigue, stiffness, inflammation or disability, becoming a yoga teacher may seem out of reach. We want to change that.

We believe that yoga belongs to all of humanity, regardless of diagnosis or disease. Here's what we're doing to help people with chronic pain conditions bring the teachings of yoga into our communities and the world:

1. The program is fully online, so you don't have to travel or sit on a yoga studio floor. You can make yourself comfortable wherever you are.

2. Live sessions are "come as you are". You might be in bed, lying on the floor, stretching as you listen, or sitting with a heating pad. We expect you to show up, and you will be welcomed exactly as you are from week to week.

3. All live sessions are recorded so you can go back and review if you were feeling fatigued, experiencing brain fog, or needing to rest while others were engaging in yoga practice.

4. All practices will be adapted for everyone in attendance and you will learn how to teach adaptive yoga practices. Every practice will be an opportunity to explore, for yourself and your future students.

5. You will be in charge of your own learning and your own practice. While there are competencies you have to achieve, you are an adult learner and can make your own choices about how to engage with the material for your own best interest.

6. Classes are held for just 4 hours per week over the course of a year, giving you time to reflect and apply the teachings in your own life and practice, rather than being overwhelmed with material.

7. Our faculty are experts in chronic pain science, disability rights, applied yoga philosophy, and accessible yoga practice.

8. You are part of a cohort of learners who understand the lived experience of chronic pain and will serve as a supportive community throughout the process.

9. If you have a major life event and can't truly continue with the training, we will pause your monthly payments and let you join the next cohort wherever you left off.

10. We are open to your ideas about how to make this work for you and are eager to learn about what you need to be successful in becoming a yoga teacher.

There are 50 sessions of 4 hours each. You must be live (come as you are. No expectations) for 80% of class time. All sessions will be recorded. Written summaries are required for the missed session. 

If you have considered being a yoga teacher but didn't think you could get through the training while taking care of yourself, this 200-hour yoga program is made for you. Please feel free to contact us with any questions at [email protected].