• Overview of the history and development of Yoga throughout the ages
• Study of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – the ancient teachings considered to be the “Heart of Yoga”
• The application of these ancient teachings for modern living
• Introduction to other classical teachings of Yoga

• Applied western anatomy and physiology
• Subtle yogic physiology and energy systems of prana, nadis, kundalini, chakras and mayas

• Asana (yoga postures)
• Pranayama (breathing techniques)
• Meditation
• Mantra, sound and visualisation
• Principles of yoga practice
• Attendance at general yoga classes
• Development of a guided personal yoga practice
• Professional mentoring
• Optional retreat experience

• Yoga practice planning and development
• Teaching group classes
• Teaching private classes
• Assisting teaching and supervised teaching practicum
• Residential Teaching Weekend

With our focus on yoga tailored to individual needs, The Yoga Institute’s Yoga Teacher Training course gives you the foundations for post-graduate training in Yoga Therapy.

• In-person classroom-based training days 

• Pre-recorded online content 
• Live webinars

• Guided home study

• 8 mentoring sessions
• Includes development and guidance of student’s personal yoga practice, study supervision, mentoring as a trainee teacher, and supervision of assisting & teaching practicum

• Average of one class per week, throughout the course
• At The Yoga Institute or other suitable Yoga centres

• In addition to attendance at general Yoga classes, students will have a personalised home yoga practice developed and guided in individual mentoring sessions
• This may include asana, pranayama and meditation
• Plus a written journal for guided self-reflection

• Assisting, supervised and independent group teaching experience through practicum programme
• One-on-one personal practice case studies

This course is led by Senior Yoga Teacher, Yoga Therapist, Registered Psychologist, PhD Graduate and Course Director, Michael de Manincor.

Michael is joined by an incredible faculty of senior yoga teachers and yoga therapists. Learn more about our faculty: The Yoga Institute Faculty

Come enjoy Saturday morning yoga with us!

The flagship class in our Cammeray studio is our Saturday morning class at 7:30am, lead by a rotation of our highly-respected faculty members, including Michael de Manincor.   You can come meet members of our training and mentoring faculty at this Saturday morning class. No booking is required.  Simply drop-in ($25 cash casual visit).  See the Cammeray Yoga Timetable for more details. 

Yes, this course is registered with Yoga Australia.

Yoga Australia Registered Course

Yoga Australia has determined that the minimum training requirement to become a registered yoga teacher in Australia and be eligible for full membership of the association, requires a yoga teacher to have completed at least 350 hours of training over a minimum of 1 year.

Recognition

• Completion of our 500-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course (500hrs) meets all the requirements to become a full member (Level 1) with Yoga Australia.
• This qualification gives you eligibility for professional indemnity insurance.
• Completion of certain modules from the 500-Hour training will give you course credits toward the postgraduate Yoga Therapy Training Course with The Yoga Institute.

• It is desirable (but not essential) that you have been practicing Yoga regularly for at least two years, and have a commitment to further study and practice of Yoga in the tradition of T Krishnamacharya.
• As Yoga is designed for the needs of each unique individual person, there is no requirement for particular levels of fitness or ability to do Yoga postures.
• This program includes intensive periods of study and Yoga practice, and require dedication and commitment to self-discovery through Yoga.
• Acceptance into the course is subject to the discretion of the course director.
• If you have undertaken related studies, recognition of prior learning (RPL) can be explored with the course director.

Our approach to Yoga is based on the world-renowned teachings from the tradition and lineage of T Krishnamacharya (often described as the ‘father of modern yoga’) and his son TKV Desikachar.

The focus is on integrating all aspects of yogic practice including asana, pranayama, meditation, mantra, mudras, philosophy and psychology, and adapting all practices to the individual.  The emphasis is on applying the ancient wisdom and practices of yoga to the challenges of modern lives.

As Krishnamacharya said: “Yoga must be made to suit the individual, not the individual to suit the yoga.”

To gain certification and registration as a Yoga Teacher, a variety of assessments are required. These include demonstration of knowledge, competencies and skills relevant to each course unit; commitment to regular personal Yoga practice; and competence in skills required as a Yoga Teacher.

Minimum of 80% attendance is required for completion of all courses. In special circumstances, alternative arrangements may be made with the course director to meet the requirements of the course. For those who wish to participate in a course for their own personal development and experience of Yoga, and do not wish to be certified as Yoga Teachers, no formal assessments are required.

Some people get nervous at the prospect of assessments. But you can relax.

Firstly, by writing down your understanding of various topics, you not only get a chance to receive feedback from our highly experienced panel of teachers (helping you know if you're on the right track), but this simple act of writing and journalling can be an incredibly powerful way to process information and really cement your learnings. 

It's one of the reasons we don't offer a super-intensive training programme all squeezed into consecutive days or weeks; our Teacher Training programme integrates into your real life, giving you time and space to reflect. We want you to have a chance to process information, practice things at home and allow new knowledge to be retained well.  

Secondly, we will give you suggested due dates to help keep you on track, but if you need more time to complete an assessment, we give you this flexibility to work through assessments at your own pace.  We know people learn better when relaxed! 

Completion of this course gives you eligibility for a range of further post-graduate training including Pre-and-Post Natal Yoga, Advanced Pranayama, and more Sutras Studies with Michael.  Plus, existing yoga teachers can progress to our  highly respected Yoga Therapy Training post-graduate course. 

Yes. There are 3 required texts:

1. The Heart of Yoga by TKV Desikachar 
2. Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews (2nd or 3rd edition)
3. Our in-house Asana manual which is available for purchase when you begin your studies.

We love to aim for a sweet spot of somewhere around 10-20. This means you learn from each other and have some fun, but we can still give people quite a personalised training experience, with plenty of attention and care. 

Our 500-hour course is a part-time course, blending into your regular life. We want students to weave yogic practices into their lives for the long-term, and our course helps you practice this, all the way through. 

Our Friday and Weekend training group intakes begin in February each year, and our third intake (referred to as the 'Hybrid' group) generally begins around May.   

All 3 intakes have contact hour classes (either online or in the studio) until around November or December.   

It is possible to finish the entire diploma in the same calendar year if students wish. 

However, because our course has a significant practicum component. as well, some students choose to take a slightly more relaxed pace and are still working through the practicum component of their studies into the following calendar year.   This is absolutely fine!  

In fact, you have up to 2 years to complete the requirements of your diploma studies.  

If you have not completed your diploma studies in 2 years, your mentor and our course director Michael, will work together to see if there are components you would benefit from reviewing again in order to graduate.   

For previous students who did not quite finish: Contact us for a chat. 

Time in between classes is a valuable time to allow information to 'drop' so you can process it retain it in your long-term memory. 

It's also when you will do personal practices, nourishing yourself in your own journey, and practising different techniques at home, so you can come to us with questions in the classroom.  

You will need access to a computer or laptop so you can access readings and other materials at home in between classes. We use the user-friendly learning portal, Teachable.  

Let your family/housemates grow accustomed to you needing a quiet space for yourself on a regular basis to go deeper in your journey. 

Ideally you will have a yoga mat for home use too.    

Late enrolments are generally possible into intakes that have already commenced (size allowing). 

In many ways, missing the first day(s) is no different to missing a day later on in the training programme, and here at The Yoga Institute, we have a multi-layered support system in place to help students who have to miss a day here or there.   We know this will happen, this is life!

In addition to direct access to the teachers and course director, you also have a dedicated mentor and a study buddy.  We make it easy to catch up if you are unable to join us on occasion for your scheduled class. 

If your preferred training group intake has already begun, call for us a for a chat.  We can help you determine how best to catch up and find solutions for you.  If enrolments have closed because the group is at a size where we prefer to cap class size, we can add you a waitlist for a potential start later on.  Your input can help guide us around whether we need to open another group for enrolment.  

You will be warmly welcomed and supported through this big step in your yoga journey. 

We are proud to be a training centre that has been training people to become yoga teachers for two decades.  Not even the pandemic has stopped us from being here to keep the river flowing, to keep helping people learn to be beacons in the service of others. 

We will stay in close contact with you in the lead-up to your course commencement and throughout your training. 

You will choose one of three intake groups in which to commence your training: Fridays, Weekends or our Hybrid group (slightly higher ratio of online learning).  In reality, you can mix and match across all 3 timetables as you need.  

Our Friday group comes to our Cammeray studio every fortnight (with a few breaks). 

Our Weekend group comes to our Cammeray studio for a Saturday and Sunday one a month. 

Our Hybrid group starts out online and then later in the year comes to our Cammeray studio for a few visits. This group particularly appeals to people who may not live in Sydney but wish to study with us. 

All groups come together in a monthly evening webinar, and also at our popular yoga retreat weekend (around October). 

You will be given access to our learning platform,  Teachable, where you can access materials at home in between classes.  

You will also be matched to one of our amazing mentors for one-on-one support and guidance.   

Our Cammeray premises are welcoming, cosy and simple, with a home-like quality. We don't try and make our premises look like a page from Vogue Living, yet so many of our students tell us when they come to our premises, they feel like they have "come home".  We put our energies into providing an authentic and transformative experience for students. 

We keep our premises cleaned and sanitised for your protection and we love seeing students bonding, laughing and sharing a cup of tea in our cosy lounge and kitchen area. People continually tell us about the uplifting energy they feel in our beautiful Cammeray studio, describing it as their "happy place". 

Timetabled classes last until around November, and it is possible to complete all requirements in the same calendar year.   However, some people like to take more time completing the assessment and practicum components of our course, and this is absolutely possible. 

You can read some of our students' comments here

No.  The Yoga Institute does accept students outside Australia (who have obtained appropriate visas via another channel), however we cannot assist with international study visas. 

I want to learn more about:

The Yoga Institute

Mentoring Component

Online Yoga Anatomy Component

What Graduates Say

Studying yoga can be of benefit to anyone, and students do not have to know for sure if they would like to teach at the conclusion of the 500-hour course.   

(If you're unsure if you would like to teach, you may also like to consider our 100-hour course if you prefer to start with a smaller commitment) 

Unlike some other training courses which rush students through to receiving a certificate, both our 100-hour and 500-hour courses are part-time and stretch over time, allowing you to benefit from:

 - Time to really process and cement learnings 

 - Time to practice certain techniques at home to embody what you're learning, and then re-group with mentors or classmates for unpacking these learnigs and debriefing 

 - Time to do readings, watch videos and progress through assessments designed to cement learnings, at your own pace through our online learning portal 

The net effect of this approach is that students receive so much more than an exciting download of new and fascinating information.  They see how these learnings show up in their own body and in their own lives, leading to cases of personal transformation.

This is the power of yoga. 

A new self emerges that is never the same person that started the course.  Outlook on life is altered.  Relationships with others improve. Qualities like resilience, compassion, equanimity, presence and calm are all increased.  

We passionately believe that any Teacher Training course that focuses on providing a certificate as fast as possible without holding space and time for people to blossom and grow, should be questioned.   

Yoga teachers have an enormous mantle of responsibility in this rapidly-changing and often confusing and frightening world, to act as educator and guide to empower other people in their holistic health (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual).   

The world needs many careers, and exercise instructors are one of them, helping people improve one corner of their health.   But a yoga teacher offers people a chance to learn how to create change and transformation on many levels, not just physical.  And to be an authentic yoga teacher, we need to meet and confront ourselves first.   This is what a quality yoga course will offer you.  

Course fees cover a 2-year period, Year 1 being the first calendar year you commenced Teacher Training.    

If it has been more than 2 years since you commenced Teacher Training with us, you can contact us for a discussion and we can propose a way forward for you.