Yoga Teacher Training
200-Hour Vinyasa-Based Yoga Training
October - May: 9 weekends over 8 months
ENROLLMENT OPEN for Program beginning in October 2024
Your Path to Becoming a Phenomenal Yoga Teacher & Practitioner
The Southeast’s most studied teachers will be your humble and strong guides through out the program. 8 months of unlimited yoga at 1/2 price are included in this program giving you complete access to all of our many talented and knowledgeable teachers.
Yoga Training Info Session Dates
An opportunity to meet some of the teaching staff, learn more about our program and determine if this program is a good fit for you. Tap on the Session below that best fits your schedule.
Sunday August 25th, 12:30 – 1:15PM In Person
Grow Your Practice, Share the Gift of Yoga
Feel called to bring the transformative power of yoga into the world? Savannah Yoga Center’s 200-hour yoga teacher training is for committed practitioners who seek personal growth and a way to integrate compassion into their leadership at home, at work, and within their communities.
Speaking and acting with compassion and confidence requires a deep inner strength. This 200-hour teacher training is steeped in vinyasa, the basis of physical stability, a courageous heart, and mental fortitude.
This in-person, hands-on training will take place at Savannah Yoga Center in downtown Savannah, Georgia. Organized 9 weekends over the course of 8 months, it provides an immersive and flexible learning experience. Enrollment is open to all students with a love and curiosity of yoga and a passion to deepen their understanding of the practice.
This vinyasa teacher training prepares participants to teach yoga, though an aspiration to teach isn’t mandatory. Committed practitioners will benefit from expanding their knowledge of the lineages, history, and philosophy of yoga. Training participants will also cultivate a practical understanding of hands-on and verbal assisting, sequencing, basics of biomechanics, anatomy, Ayurveda, chakras, and Sanskrit.
Graduates of our teacher training programs tend to build lifelong friendships with their peers. They also find that our 200-hour training bolsters life transitions, from retirement and career changes to fulfilling creative dreams. When you enroll in this 200-hour training, you join a community of open-minded people devoted to connection and transformation.
Savannah Yoga Center is committed to community well-being and social equity for all, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ folks included. We strive to work across boundaries and build bridges so everyone can thrive
Starting October 18, 2024 - May 18, 2025
Your yoga training program takes place over 9 weekends in 8 consecutive months.
This is a hands-on, vinyasa-oriented program.
We’re limiting enrollment to 20 students so that every participant receives ample support.
We expect spots to fill up rather quickly, so don’t delay on your registration.
Your Presence Counts
How you show up for sessions is a direct reflection of your commitment to yoga. The quality of your presence matters, as does your respectful approach to accepting and offering feedback.
In this teacher training you have an opportunity to practice 2 key principles of yoga, truth (satya) and nonviolence (ahimsa). Everyone participant is a contributor to the learning community. We are all responsible for creating an atmosphere of warmth, studiousness, and transformation.
While we encourage creativity and inventiveness, we also honor all yoga masters past and present. We will pay reverence to those who have gifted the world with the enlightening practice of yoga.
Yoga Training Info Session Dates
An opportunity to meet some of the teaching staff, learn more about our program and determine if this program is a good fit for you. Tap on the Session below that best fits your schedule.
Sunday August 25th, 12:30 – 1:15PM In Person
What to Expect
This Yoga teacher training takes place over 9 weekends in 8 consecutive months. It is intentionally designed for flexibility, empowering people with fuller schedules to complete the training. We will cover a lot of ground over training weekends, with breaks sprinkled in each day.
Program schedule: (subject to change)
- Fridays, 6:00pm-9:30pm
- Saturdays, 12:30pm-8:00pm
- Sundays, 12:30pm-6:30pm
This vinyasa-based training is hands-on. Studies show that teachers who assist are more skilled in creating a safe, nourishing environment for students. This training will teach you you’ll the how and why of trauma sensitive, appropriate, boundary-respecting assists. If you’re not comfortable with giving and receiving hands on assisting, this teacher training won’t be a good fit for you.
Participants will be expected to pass quizzes, write 1-page essays, and evaluate classes at Savannah Yoga Center and/or other studios. During the final month of training, students must submit a research paper (5 – 10 pages) and give teaching demonstrations on the last weekend
This is a professional development program. It is challenging work, physically as well as mentally. You will be building strength through sun salutations, which are foundational to your own spiritual stability and the capacity to hold space for others. With its emphasis on sun salutations, this 200-hour training cannot accommodate major injuries or mobility needs.
Successful completion of this Yoga teacher training will earn you a 200-hour certificate. Participants who finish the training will be eligible to register with Yoga Alliance and begin teaching. Graduates interested in pursuing a 300-hour certification will have obtained the necessary prerequisites to continue with more advanced studies.
The 200-Hour Training Path
Your training weekends are thematically centered on the 7 chakras:
Virus caveats: If social distancing is mandated, we may need to reduce the number of participants. In that case, we’d ask for volunteers to opt for another 200-hour training. Should a shelter-in-place disrupt the training schedule, we’d postpone the program and apply your tuition towards a future 200-hour training. See the Tuition & Payments and FAQs sections below for more details.
The program opens with a warm welcome. We’ll get grounded in the program flow and expectations. From there, we’ll dive into meditation, seated postures, sun salutations, and props usage. You’ll get an introduction to the chakras, Yoga Nidra, and variations vs modifications.
Discern all 8 limbs of Yoga, and the importance of applying the Yamas and Niyamas in daily life. Lessons on anatomy and standing postures will reflect rootedness. Student teaching begins this weekend. We’ll explore Ayurveda, moon salutations, and yoga during menstruation.
You’ll start acquiring some basic sequences. Relevant sequencing topics will include: pregnancy yoga, Yin Yoga, the bandhas and koshas, creative yoga poses, and essential anatomy for hip/sacrum-oriented asana.
This weekend reveals the relationship between sun salutations and power vinyasa. Anatomy-wise, you’ll be focusing on the core and strength-based work/poses. We’ll also discuss yoga for seniors and sample some Bhakti Yoga.
Keeping the heart-space open is a key aim in yoga. You’ll experience embodying this ideal through backbends and restorative yoga, along with chanting. Students will practice verbal assisting. We’ll cover yoga for children too.
You’ll be discovering how to hone your own teaching voice (even if you don’t want to teach, this work is invaluable and required). Our physical practice will focus on shoulder stands and basic arm balances. This weekend will demystify Sanskrit.
By this weekend, you will have steadily progressed in your sequence-building skills. You’ll up your game a bit with inversions. At this stage, it’s time to fold in the meditation aspect of yoga, along with ethical considerations.
This is our final learning weekend. We’ll be talking about wisdom and inner guidance. To foster group creativity, we’ll hold a round-robin class. We’ll also explore the power of silent practice, along with Yoga Nidra. All forms, journals, and written papers will be due, including your 5 – 10 page research paper.
In this culminating weekend, you’ll be doing the final written exam (multiple choice, with fill-in answers) and 2 teaching demonstrations. The research paper you submitted in Weekend 8 will be returned to you. We’ll close the training with a special ceremony. All graduates will receive a 200-hour certificate.
Required Materials
We use several books throughout the program, and these texts will be a major part of your lifelong practice. In support of chakra balancing, we will also be using essential oils and crystals.
Savannah Yoga Center offers a bundle discount for the required books, essential oils, and crystals. Your enrollment confirmation email will include a special code/link so you can order the bundle from shopordinarymagic.com, our metaphysical boutique/webshop. (prices as of 2022)
- Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness, by Erich Schiffmann, $17
- Light On Yoga, by B.K.S Iyengar, $20
- Bhagavad Gita, the Stephen Mitchell translation, $14
- The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, by Sri Swami Satchidananda, $17
- Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice, by T.K.V. Desikachar, $20
- The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation, by Thich Nhat Hanh, $15
- Two other books will be added: Anatomy + Teaching
The following books are not required reading, but they will enrich your practice and should occupy some space in your personal yoga library:
- Wheels of Life: A User’s Guide to the Chakra System, by Anodea Judith PhD, $23
- Health, Healing, and Beyond: Yoga and the Living Tradition of T. Krishnamacharya, by T. K. V. Desikachar with R. H. Cravens, $24
Try to have all of your materials ready by the first weekend, as you’ll be diving right in. You will be able to buy materials on-site, though we can’t guarantee a full stock of supplies.
Tuition & Payments
ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN for October 2024 Program!
Please make sure you’re ready to commit to this 200-hour yoga teacher training before enrolling in the program. All tuition payments are made through our online studio software, Momence.
October Program Tuition: $3500
$2995 if paid in full before September 1
Payment plan option:
Make a $400 deposit to reserve your spot (this amount goes towards your total tuition). Thereafter, you will be billed in 5 payments of $620 with each payment automatically debited via ACH on the first 5 Wednesdays of each program week. Set it and Forget it!
You may pay your $400 deposit via Momence or through Venmo
@Kelley-Boyd-SavYogaCtr. Our payment plan is not available through Venmo however.
Military spouses:
You may qualify for free tuition from MyCAA, which grants educational benefits up to $4,000. MyCAA is a career development and employment assistance program offered by the military for military personnel and their spouses. (MyCAA may not be used for those wishing to AUDIT the program.) To sign up for this program via MyCAA, you must make a deposit of $199 by Oct. 1, to hold your spot and is fully refundable within 2 weeks of Savannah Yoga Center receiving the full tuition payment from MyCAA. This deposit is nonrefundable if the student withdraws from the program once the student is given access to the online program platform. We’ll provide you with a form that you must submit for MyCAA for tuition payment in full.
Late payments: A $25 late fee will apply to payments made after the due date. Without exception, access to training weekends requires settling payments/late fees.
Refunds: Refunds: Savannah Yoga Center is an independent, locally owned studio. Thanks for understanding that we cannot issue cash refunds. Consideration of moving your tuition to one of our other programs can be requested. A refund of less $500 will be issued to your SYC Momence account if you cancel more than 30 days before the program start date. No account refunds will be issued for cancellations made within 30 days of the program start date, or once the program begins. In the case of low enrollment, natural disaster, or viral outbreak: Savannah Yoga Center will move any tuition paid to that point into the student’s SYC Momence account, where it can be used for classes, memberships, or future programs.
Virus caveats: This is an in-person, hands-on training. We have intentionally designed this program for maximum flexibility, which is why we hold it on weekends for local participants. If social distancing is mandated in the run-up to the program, we may reduce the number of accepted participants. Should a viral outbreak disrupt the training schedule, will postpone the program and apply any tuition you’ve paid to that point towards the program reboot.
Yoga Training Info Session Dates
An opportunity to meet some of the teaching staff, learn more about our program and determine if this program is a good fit for you. Tap on the Session below that best fits your schedule.
Sunday August 25th, 12:30 – 1:15PM In Person
“I loved the diversity of the program. It gave me insight into all aspects of yoga.”
Simone
“This program allows people to grow their practice, and it makes them conscious of the things they do to make their practice safe and comfortable.”
Brittany
“The instructors are remarkable—very inspiring, full of love and devotion. I will never forget this experience!”
MR
“Yoga is a light, which once lit will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter the flame.”
– B.K.S. Iyengar
Meet the Faculty
Our expert faculty holds over 10,000 hours of combined training, practice, and apprenticeship. They are deeply committed to their yoga lineages and sharing their knowledge with you. Each instructor will be your humble, encouraging guide throughout the training.
Kelley Boyd, co-lead teacher + program director
E-RYT 500, YACEP
As the founder of Savannah Yoga Center, Kelley directs all yoga teacher training and programming. She has been practicing for over 20 years and teaching yoga for nearly 20. Her teaching style is creative and lighthearted. Her offerings include but are not limited to: holding space, sequencing, hands-on and verbal assisting, chakras, and making sure everyone is happy.
Katy Keyes
Katy Keyes graduated from SYC’s very first teacher training program in 2008. She is now ERYT-500 with Yoga Alliance and a Certified Yoga Therapist with IAYT. She teaches Functional Yoga to seniors, cancer survivors, and students of all levels. She studied Ayurveda and Primordial Sound Meditation with the Chopra Center in Carlsbad, CA. Katy is also a Licensed Massage Therapist and AFAA Certified Personal Fitness Trainer. She is a Certified Instructor of the Heather Lyle Vocal Yoga Method. Katy enjoys guiding students to feel empowered by reaching their own potential.
Alexandra Mitchell
Alexandra Mitchell obtained a Bachelor’s in Human Resource Management from Auburn University. She decided to pursue her holistic path after profound changes when she graduated with her 200-hour Intensive Yoga Teacher Training from Savannah Yoga Center in 2013, where she currently teaches weekly yoga classes. She graduated valedictorian of her class with her Massage Therapist license in 2015. She expanded her learning into sound healing with Acutonics, animal therapy with equine massage and Evolutionary Astrology. Alexandra will be sharing yoga asana, chanting, meditation and more.
Carol Morrissey
BSN, MHN, E-RYT500, YACEP
Carol has been teaching Yoga, movement, meditation and breath work full time for more than 20 years.
Carol holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, a Masters in Holistic Nutrition and has logged well over 1400 classroom hours of study in yoga, therapeutics, biomechanics, somatics and fascial release training. While Carol appreciates many forms of Yoga her teaching is informed by her deep studies of biomechanics, love of anatomy and appreciation of the human form and its endless variability. She will be sharing biomechanics, anatomy, yoga asana and more.
Veenu Sharma
Veenu is from India, where yogic spiritual practices were always a part of her culture and have influenced her since childhood. She holds a 3000-hour yoga certification, and she also earned a postgraduate degree in Yoga Science, along with an MBA in Marketing and IT. Veenu taught yoga in India and Hong Kong for several years, and she will be teaching philosophy, yoga asana, chanting and more.
Omkari Williams
For over 30 years, from her career as an actor to her work as a political consultant, along with her creativity and life coaching, Omkari has been helping others shape and share their stories for maximum impact. She uses all that she has learned to help people find their most effective way of being an activist. “Right now we need all hands on deck,” she says. Omkari will be guest teaching a Zoom workshop on equity and inclusivity within yoga communities.
Stephanie Jones, co-director + lead teacher
E-RYT 500, YACEP
SYC holds a special place in Stephanie’s heart, as it is the home of her very first role as yoga teacher. Stephanie will be sharing Trauma Informed Yoga, Meditation, Ritual and Meditation.
Frequently Asked Questions:
This is a vinyasa-based yoga teacher training. It both emphasizes and builds upon the asana aspects of yoga. Participants will be moving through pretty rigorous sun salutations. If this approach doesn’t suit you and you want to deepen your practice, we recommend starting supplementing your learnings with a restorative-oriented program.
Some knowledge of and experience with yoga asana is needed. This training is ideal for passionate + curious students eager to deepen their knowledge of yoga and advance their existing physical practice.
A desire to teach yoga is not required. This 200-hour teacher training will equip you with the skills and understandings to expand your yogic horizons, whatever your aims may be.
You sure can! Essential makes for a great refresher program. Please note that if you already hold a 200-hour certificate, these 200 hours will not count towards a 300-hour certificate. Per the Yoga Alliance, the 300-hour certification is a separate training with more advanced modules.
All sessions are held at our studio in downtown Savannah. This training is ideal for those who live within a 50-mile radius and can easily travel to/from the studio. However, Savannah is also full of amazing and affordable Airbnb’s if you’re up for the weekend stay in Savannah.
You’ll need to purchase some books, an essential oils starter kit, and a chakra crystal set. Please see the Required Materials section above for details.
We’ve made this program as flexible as possible (we get it: life happens!). You can miss a maximum of 12 hours. Additional absences would necessitate a conversation about the best next steps. We’d likely ask you to join a later program, with any tuition you’ve paid up to that point fully credited towards that training. You’d be required to start from the beginning of that program so you could participate in creating a culture of trust within your cohort.
We offer discounts for early sign-ups as well as a payment plan. We also offer 1-2 need-based scholarship. Military spouses may qualify for full tuition grants from MyCAA. Please see the Tuition & Payments section above.
We have intentionally designed this program for maximum flexibility, which is why we hold it on weekends for local participants. If social distancing is mandated, we may reduce the number of accepted participants. Should a viral outbreak disrupt the training schedule, will postpone the program and apply any tuition paid to that point towards the program reboot.
Savannah Yoga Center is an independent, locally owned studio. Please refer to the Tuition & Payments section for more details.