Master Level 500 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh

The Master Level 500 Hour Yoga Teacher Training at Tattvaa Yogashala in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, is a 55-day residential course for yoga teachers who want to go beyond their first certification. It is taught in English in the Ashtanga and Hatha traditions and is built for people who already hold a 200-hour qualification and want advanced asana, deeper philosophy and more practice teaching. On completion, graduates are eligible to register with Yoga Alliance USA as RYT 500.

What to Expect

The course covers advanced asana, meditation and yoga nidra, pranayama, kriyas, mudra, bandha, yoga philosophy, and anatomy and physiology. The asana syllabus follows the Ashtanga sequence, from the Surya Namaskara variations through to arm balances, backbends and headstand variations. Breathwork includes advanced kapalabhati, nadi shodhana, bhastrika, ujjayi, bhramari and sheetali, among others.

The theory side draws on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita, Samkhya and Vedanta, the six Indian philosophies, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and the basics of Ayurveda and naturopathy. Teaching methodology and alignment work cover cueing, hands-on adjustment, contraindications, props, sequencing vinyasa flows and building toward a peak pose. You also practice teaching to your peers while lead teachers observe and give feedback, and there is space to talk through the problems you meet in your own teaching and practice.

The days have a steady rhythm:

- 06:30 to 08:00: pranayama, meditation and mantra chanting
- 08:30 to 10:15: Ashtanga Vinyasa asana, Mysore style or led class
- 10:30 to 12:00: breakfast, free time or study
- 12:00 to 13:30: yoga principles, philosophy and Yoga Sutra lectures
- 14:00 to 15:00: yoga nidra and rest
- 15:00 to 16:00: workshop, study time or guest lecturers
- 16:00 to 18:00: asana practice, the art of adjustment and body alignment
- 18:30 to 19:30: dinner
- 20:30 to 21:30: silence meditation

From 21:30 until morning the school observes Mauna, a held silence that closes each day.

The Setting

The training takes place at Tattvaa Yogashala in Rishikesh, and participants stay at the ashram. Accommodation is either a single private room or a double shared room. Two full meals are served each day, along with a daily snack and tea. The food is organic and sattvic, prepared according to Ayurvedic principles.

Before You Go

This is an intermediate to advanced course. Applicants should have practiced yoga regularly for at least six months, hold a 200-hour teacher training certificate from a Yoga Alliance USA registered school, have a flexible body and sound knowledge of the basics. Good physical condition, attendance at every session and a working command of English are expected.

The fee includes:

- Tuition for the full 55 days
- Single or double shared accommodation
- Two full meals a day, plus a daily snack with tea
- Excursions and activities set on the itinerary

It does not include meals outside those provided, transport to and from Rishikesh, personal expenses, or travel and trip insurance, which students are advised to arrange themselves. A deposit reserves a place, and the balance is due on Orientation Day. The course fee and deposit are non-refundable, so insurance against unforeseen cancellation is worth arranging.

Recommended reading includes The Yoga Mala by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in Swami Venkatesananda's translation, The Heart of Yoga by T.K.V. Desikachar, and The Science of Breath by Dr. M.L. Ghorole.