220 HOUR YOGA TEACHER TRAINING
October 17, 2026 - February 7, 2027
2026 SCHEDULE
9 Weekends 9:00 am-6:00 pm
October 17, 18, 24, 25
November 14, 15, 21, 22
December 12
January 9, 10, 16, 17, 20, 2027
January 30, 31, February 6, 7, 2027
6 Weeknights 6:00 pm-9:00 pm
October 21
November 11, 18
December 9, 16
January 13, 2027
Bonus offering: Havan (Fire Ceremony)
October 4 1:00-4:00, or Spring date TBD
All above Live sessions also available as Zoom Livestream or Recorded
Additional Practicum hours may be set as needed for final teaching
Additional Required Attendance: 10 Practices with Mary
Wednesdays 9:00-10:45 am: In-person, Livestream, or by Recording
Mondays 10:00-11:45 am: Zoom Livestream or by Recording
To Register go here:
Body, breath and mind
When body, breath and mind are united as one -
that is the state of yoga,
the ground of thriving,
the seed of transformation!
BODY: We cover the nuts and bolts of the physical practice of asana in a clear, thorough, and systematic way – anatomy, alignment, cuing, sequencing, adjusting, effects of poses – to be able to safely and joyfully offer a group class that leads students to a better place from where they started.
BREATH: We investigate breath as the link between body and mind to discover the integrating power of prana, the life force. As we learn to shape the breath, we grow our capacity to skillfully shape both our physiology and mind.
MIND: We experience meditations that grow out of the skillful sequencing of asana and pranayama to reach a new level of perception that blossoms not from the thinking mind but from embodied experience.
Why this training?
This 200 Hour Teacher Training is the entry point to mastering your own yoga practice, while learning to share it with others in a way that brings you joy and transforms lives.
Yoga is much more than a physical discipline. It is the science of awakening and sharing your unique gifts in a way that leads to ever greater thriving in your life.
Body, breath, and mind are the most incredible tools for our quest. Our journey will emphasize skillful integration of these 3 tools to move us towards greater wholeness and vitality. In the end, it is less about finding ripped abs or even inner peace, and more about healing and transforming ourselves on all levels - body, mind and heart - into the brightest beings possible. We then effortlessly reflect that brightness back out into the world through all that we do.
In this journey of self-discovery, challenging one’s own personal practice on all levels of one’s being is the essential foundation. From here we step onto the path and begin walking!
This training is:
Grounded in Lineage - a Sri Vidya tradition of the Himalayan Masters
A Tantric approach that skillfully works with prana to uncover our hidden potential, heal our wounds, find an inherent source of joy, and become a light to the world
Easily adapted to various styles of yoga, with lots of opportunity to practice teaching in a supportive and mentored environment, allowing each person’s unique spark to shine through
A sweet balance of working with body, breath and mind in an integrated way
Led by an accomplished and passionate teacher, Mary Johnston-Coursey: Mary brings expertise from 45 years of teaching yoga, 50 years of meditation practice, 25 years as a professional dancer, with an MFA in dance, certification in Yoga Therapy through I-AYT, certification in Vishoka Meditation, Level 3 Teacher with AYC, former faculty of the school of ParaYoga, and ongoing study with Pandit Rajmani Tigunait - a master teacher within a lineage.
Available to all interested students, whether your goal is to teach yoga or to deepen your own understanding of practice. All are welcome.
How does this training compare to others?
This is not a pot-luck. This program offers clear and systematic principles of sequencing that can be creatively applied to any style of yoga you choose without limiting its potential for transformation. You will gain in-depth knowledge of what you are offering and why, rather than a more shallow understanding of many varying approaches.
This course is informed by principles of yoga therapy and alignment-based practice to support safe and effective teaching
We are not trying to reinvent the wheel, but rather drawing upon time-tested wisdom. The lineage of the Himalayan Masters offers a systematic approach that has grown out of an ever-flowing stream of knowledge, over 2,000 years old
We teach the physical practice interwoven with breath and mental focus, all in service of a deeply spiritual approach to yoga that is geared towards self-transformation, and is also fully compatible with any religious belief
The clarity of our approach allows it to be adapted to fit all bodies, all abilities, all populations
Teachings are spread out over 5 months to support comprehensive integration of material
We systematically introduce the Tantric science of working with prana for awakening and transformation. Tantra has the largest toolbox. The techniques work!
This program includes more hours of direct contact with the teacher than most programs (count them...)
Topics covered include:
Anatomy/kinesiology, alignment principles, functional movement
Cuing, use of voice, hands on adjustments
Contraindications for practice, dealing with emergencies in class
Categories of poses and their energetic effects - sequencing for energetic effects
Prana Vayus and the asanas
Energetic anatomy - chakras, nadis, kundalini shakti, prana shakti
Teaching groups, adapting to mixed populations
Dance of Consciousness and Matter - prakriti, purusha, guna, dosha
Pranayama practices and their effects
Meditation - a systematic approach supported by Tantric tools
Kriya - A Tantric approach to meditation
Designing practices around a theme
Lots of practice teaching!
On teaching contemplative practices - savasana, pranayama, meditation
History and Study of the Yoga Sutras and its application to life
Bhagavad Gita and Dharma - finding our purpose in life
Yoga philosophy and worldview
Mantra - healing for the soul
Ayurveda - the sister science to yoga
Getting started as a teacher, survival as a yoga teacher
Expert mentoring and ongoing guidance
Sangha - like-minded community
Requirements for Certification
At least one year of practicing yoga before training begins in order to receive certification as a Yoga Instructor through American Yoga Council.
Completion of all sessions, either through attendance or recordings. Missed in-person sessions must be okayed by instructor. Recorded make-ups must be documented by a journal entry.
Satisfactorily complete all assignments:
readings + written prompts
practice teaching in class and with partners outside of class
journaling prompts
Energetics quiz, Sutras quiz