The Yard 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training

The Yard 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training is a Yoga Alliance certified yoga teacher training at The Yard Yoga in Toronto, Ontario. It runs across eleven intensive weekends and is open to anyone who wants to teach with purpose, understand the systems that make yoga work, or simply carry their practice off the mat and into daily life. The Yard studies yoga through imagination, geometry, theory and play, and the curriculum reflects that, drawing on Yogic and Taoist philosophy alongside Katonah Yoga®.

What to Expect

The training meets on weekends: Friday evenings from 5 pm to 9 pm, then Saturdays and Sundays from 12:15 pm to 6:45 pm. Scheduled breaks fall between blocks, and the final weekend is the exam weekend. Because the in-person hours are a priority here, the team asks that everyone be present, though if you have to miss a session they will work with you case by case.

The curriculum covers:

- Asana: practising and teaching postures with attention to alignment, breath and intelligent sequencing.
- Anatomy: how the body moves and adapts, including muscles, joints and safe movement patterns for all bodies.
- Philosophy: ancient texts and teachings, and how they inform modern life and teaching.
- Katonah Yoga®: geometry, Taoist theory and archetypes as a map for movement and creative teaching strategies.
- Pranayama and meditation: foundational breathwork, nervous system awareness, and building a personal meditation practice you can learn to guide for others.
- Yin and restorative yoga: guiding long-held, meditative postures that target connective tissue and energetic pathways, and supportive classes that promote release.
- Sequencing and teaching skills: designing classes with clear structure and purposeful progression, and finding your voice from day one to graduation.
- Adjustments: verbal and hands-on approaches that prioritize consent, comfort and empowerment.
- Ethics, equity, diversity and inclusion: holding safe, supportive spaces, and anti-oppressive teaching grounded in care, with attention to bias and accessibility.
- The business of yoga: building a sustainable teaching path, finding your niche and setting boundaries.

Expect occasional homework, such as class planning, readings and studying for the final.

The Teachers

Samantha McGrenaghan teaches sequencing, methodology, cueing, business and Katonah Yoga®.

Nya Daley leads mobility, ethics and anti-oppression.

Tash Francesca teaches pranayama, meditation and restorative yoga.

Tori Lovegrove leads yin and meditation.

Rachel McLean teaches anatomy.

Tracy DePass teaches Ashtanga.

Hana Lukac teaches philosophy.

Before You Go

All levels of practice are welcome, and the team will meet you where you are. You do not need to plan on teaching: graduates are certified whether or not they choose to, so the training also suits those who want to deepen their own practice.

Included are The Yard Yoga training manual, a 200 Hour Certification recognized by the Yoga Alliance, 25 class credits to use during the training, and a community of people to practise with. HST is added to tuition. A select number of BIPOC scholarships are available, and the organizers are glad to answer questions before you register.