Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course July 2027

This Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course is a four-week residential yoga teacher training at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on Paradise Island, Nassau, in the Bahamas. It is a 200-hour yoga certification for people who want to teach, and also for anyone ready to live inside the discipline of ashram life for a month. Students live, study and practice in a traditional ashram setting, following the gurukula approach rooted in the guru parampara tradition. The course is taught by the senior staff of the Yoga Retreat, with guest presenters joining the evening satsangs. The kirtan programs that overlap with this session are led by Acharya Mangalananda, Jordan Loder and Mirabai Moon.

What to Expect

The days follow a set rhythm. Morning satsang begins at 6:00 am with meditation, chanting and a lecture, or a silent walk. Asana and pranayama class runs from 8:00 to 10:00, followed by brunch. Midday brings a Bhagavad Gita and chanting class from 12:00 to 1:00 pm. The main lecture, on yoga philosophy and psychology or on anatomy and physiology, runs from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Asana teaching techniques fill the hours from 4:00 to 6:00, then dinner. Evening satsang runs from 8:00 to 10:00 pm with meditation, chanting, a lecture, concert or special event. Gaps in the day are for free time or karma yoga, which is an hour of selfless service daily.

The curriculum covers Hatha yoga and pranayama, including the twelve foundational postures, kapalbhati and anulom vilom. It also covers Raja yoga and meditation, Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, Jnana yoga and Vedanta, yoga anatomy and physiology, yoga nutrition, and kriyas such as neti and nauli. Teaching practice is hands-on: you guide classmates through asana, make physical adjustments and adapt postures for different needs.

Students have one day off each week. Morning and evening satsangs and karma yoga still apply, but the rest of the day is open for study, the Well Being Center, optional Yoga Vacation workshops, or time on the beach and in the gardens. The schedule is rigorous by design, and attendance at all activities is mandatory.

Evening satsangs during this session include three guest programs: a summer kirtan on love and devotion with Acharya Mangalananda, a program on yoga and the art of forgiveness with Frederic Luskin, and Kirtan of the Awakened Heart with Jordan Loder and Mirabai Moon.

About Mirabai Moon

Mirabai Moon is a yoga teacher who leads Mystical Kirtan, a devotional chant practice she describes as a passionate embrace of the Divine Essence right here, right now, in your embodied, human form, just as you are. She tours North America and internationally, sharing chant music and sound healing in yoga studios, healing centers and festivals, and she teaches harmonium workshops. Her recordings include the Gayatri Mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum and Govinda, along with songs recorded with the harmony singers The Levins.

The Setting

The ashram sits on Paradise Island in Nassau, among palm trees, gardens, the bay and the beach. Accommodation is priced by type. In July the options include a private single room with air conditioning, and the dormitory, which is a shared room for eight in the Main Building. Tent options are not available in July. Two vegetarian meals are served each day, brunch and dinner. Guests fly into Nassau Lynden Pindling International Airport, and ground transport from the airport is available at an additional cost.

Before You Go

There are no prerequisites. Yoga is presented as a path for everyone, wherever they begin. On completion of the course and exam, students receive the Yoga Siromani certificate from the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers, and the course is accredited by Yoga Alliance at the 200-hour standard for Registered Yoga Schools. The manual is available in several languages on request.

The course fee includes the course and manual, thirty days of ashram accommodation, two vegetarian meals a day, and two pairs of white yoga pants and two yellow t-shirts. Airfare, required books and a kriya kit (both available on site), laundry supplies and Bahamian VAT on lodging are extra. Bring a yoga mat, a watch with a second hand, a meditation cushion, toiletries, a swimsuit and sunscreen.