3 Week 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Vinyasa and Ashtanga Yoga on Lefkada Island, Greece
Yoga Teacher Training Greece
This listing has one of the 10 most popular offers available in Greece
Don’t get confused by the name "yoga teacher training." Alpha Yoga School's yoga teacher training courses are not only designed for yoga teachers. They are designed for those who like dynamic styles of yoga, want to improve their practice, get inspired, build healthy habits, and learn about the deeper aspects of yoga and its philosophy. Should you wish to teach after this course, you will be equipped with all the teaching and sequencing skills to teach Vinyasa yoga classes.
Meet the instructors
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Highlights
- Vinyasa yoga and Ashtanga yoga morning classes
- Yoga studio with sea view and high quality yoga equipment
- Eligible to register with Yoga Alliance upon completion
- Yoga philosophy so that you become a better person off the mat
- Meditation techniques that you can use in your daily life to maintain calmness
- Hands-on adjustments so your future students will praise your great adjustments
- Delicious brunch, snacks, and dinner included for all the days of the training
- 21 nights accommodation in luxurious villas with a sea view
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Styles
Aktion National Airport (US$ 105 per person)
Athens International Airport (Eleftherios Venizelos Airport) (US$ 82 per person)
Accommodation
Facilities
- Hot tub / Jacuzzi
- Swimming pool (outdoor)
- Air-conditioned rooms
- Dining area
- Kitchen
- Terrace
- Yoga studio
- Car rental
- Free parking
- Free Wi-Fi
- Internet access
- Laundry
- Wireless internet
The retreat center consists of four luxurious stone villas, each one having three bedrooms. Each villa can accommodate 3-6 guests in either single or shared twin and triple rooms. Each room has its own ensuite bathroom, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and luxurious Coco-Mat mattresses so that you can sleep like a baby. Each villa has a fully equipped kitchen, its own private pool, and a spacious terrace with an amazing sea view.
There is also a laundry machine in each villa so you can wash your own clothes at no cost.
Options
- Single: 1 double bed (180 cm x 200 cm)
- Shared twin: 2 single beds (100 cm x 200 cm)
- Shared triple: 3 single beds (100 cm x 200 cm)
Program
Certification
Students who complete this training are eligible to register with Yoga Alliance as Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT®).
Overview
Live believing that yoga teacher training is something not for you and it will cost you this:
- you won't learn how to practice yoga on your own, anytime, anywhere, correctly, and safely.
- you won't improve your practice
- you won't be able to distinguish an experienced teacher from a less experienced one (aka bad one)
- you won't create healthy habits that stick with you
- you will miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
Most people struggle with how to do yoga right or better.
Alpha Yoga School have created a yoga training that helps you to start and grow your yoga practice. When you are clear about how to do yoga safely and correctly, you can finally do it anytime, anywhere, and without depending on others.
If you feel overwhelmed about which yoga school and yoga style you should choose for your foundational or advanced yoga teacher training, you are not the only one. Everyone is.
- Traditional yoga schools can leave you full of knowledge but lacking the teaching skills to share it.
- Modern yoga training programs can teach you advanced postures but without the traditional foundation that underpins them.
- Finding a yoga school that does both and exceptionally well, is rare.
Alpha Yoga School learned the hard way so that you can learn the smart way in one training.
Since 2014, Alpha Yoga School has spent over 3,000 hours training hundreds of yoga teachers. Although that number is impressive, it is not the quantity that you should be impressed by. It is the quality of Alpha Yoga School students. This is what they are most proud of.
Years ago, they made the decision to stop teaching classes in yoga studios and dedicate all of their efforts to creating the most comprehensive yoga teacher training possible. To become specialists. To teach the teachers. And that is exactly what they have done.
Alpha Yoga School have intentionally taught and studied yoga in India, the USA, and Europe. Why? So they will teach you the ancient lineage of Ashtanga yoga and the modern style of Vinyasa flow yoga, with great emphasis on balancing both. Not many yoga schools quite nailed this.
As well as devising the best curriculums, they are also obsessed with transformation. Alpha Yoga School loves to witness the changes in Alpha Yoga School students' practice and in their mindsets. Seeing the graduates teach what they love and having their students love what they teach.
Recognized certification so that you can teach worldwide.
All Alpha Yoga School programs are registered with Yoga Alliance U.S.A. and Yoga Alliance Professionals U.K.
If you wait for everything to fall into place, you may be waiting a lifetime.
Transformation requires change and change requires action.
Ask yourself. If you pass on this opportunity, postpone the decision, and do nothing, a year from today, will you hear praise for how much this yoga training had changed you? Will you have a solid yoga practice, feel fit, and teach your clients and friends a healthy lifestyle?
Probably NOT. You will still wish for it and want it but you won't have any of it.
Face it. Most of what you need is action, instruction, and encouragement.
The universe likes speed. Don't delay. Don't second guess. When the opportunity is there, when the impulse is there, when the intuitive nudge is there, ACT! That's your job.
Alpha Yoga School new yoga teachers (200-hour YTT) begin their careers with confidence that only competence and skill can provide. Their advanced yoga teachers (300-hour YTT) leave with a new level of sophistication. Through honing their craft and refining their technique, they leave with clarity and certainty of their value.
This 200-hour yoga teacher training in Vinyasa Flow and Ashtanga yoga is a foundational course designed for all yogis who have an inquiring mind and love yoga.
It is ideal for serious yoga students who wish to deepen their existing practice, want to become teachers, and anyone who wants to learn about philosophy and spirituality. Alpha Yoga School also welcomes “stiff” students, students suffering from an injury or other health challenges, and they encourage their attendance! Pregnant women are welcome in their 2nd trimester.
If you love learning, have a body, and can breathe, this training is for you.
You will study with a team of 3 dedicated teachers and the class is limited to 20–25 students to ensure you get the attention you deserve. Come as a practitioner, leave as a teacher!
You will obtain a solid self-practice based on Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.
Aside from being the foundational practice of modern-day yoga (Power yoga, Vinyasa Flow, Jivamukti, and Rocket are a few practices that stem from the Ashtanga Vinyasa and the lineage of Tirumulai Krishnamacharya), Ashtanga works with a set series of postures that open, align, strengthen, and purify the body.
The postures are linked together through flowing movements guided by the breath rather than a teacher. This ability will allow you to take your practice away from the studio and will enable you to practice on your own anytime, anywhere.
This training is recognized by Yoga Alliance USA & UK and focuses on three educational categories: the practice and theory of yoga, yoga philosophy and Ayurveda, teaching skills, and the art of adjustment.
Upon successful completion, graduates may teach yoga ANYWHERE globally and register with Yoga Alliance USA and UK as registered yoga teachers (optional).
By the end of the course, you will obtain the skills, tools, and confidence to teach Vinyasa Flow yoga.
You will have many opportunities to teach yoga to your fellow students, giving and receiving constructive feedback. Alpha Yoga School strongly encourages each student to discover and develop her/his unique style and voice as a teacher. They do not create a monologue of how and what the teachers should say in their classes.
The yoga training at a glance
- Vinyasa yoga and Ashtanga yoga in the morning asana classes
- Alignment break-down for 51 yoga poses
- Modifications, variations, and use of props
- Hands-on adjustments techniques (a module which you will not find in other 200-hour courses)
- Teaching skills so that you can learn how to teach and dive straight in after the training is over (how to give verbal instructions, how to demonstrate poses)
- Break down analysis of Vinyasa classes that are taught to you in the mornings (a technique which you will not find in other 200-hour courses)
- Yoga philosophy so that you can be a better person off the mat
- Pranayama and meditation techniques for you to learn how to practice yoga in your everyday life
- Yoga anatomy: functional anatomy applicable to yoga practice so that you can learn the human body and create safe classes for your students
- Common injuries and how to avoid them
- Teaching your fellow students and receiving constructive feedback
- Workshops for more complex and challenging poses.
- The business of yoga, yoga career, and marketing
Ashtanga yoga
"Ashtanga" means eight limbs. These limbs are laid out by Sage Patanjali in his "Yoga Sutras" and provide systematic steps that internally and externally purify the mind and body so that one may better connect to the divinity within themselves.
Practicing Ashtanga yoga means practicing these eight limbs. Asana, or yogic posture, is the third limb and one that has become most familiar in the present age. Asana lays the foundation for the rest of the limbs to unfold and the Ashtanga Vinyasa method uses this as its starting point.
Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga prescribes a set sequence of postures linked by the breath. Through the practice of free-breathing, postures (asanas), and gazing points (Drishti), one slowly gains control of the senses and mind. Over time, with repeated practice and devotion, it unfolds into a moving meditation, awakening a sense of subtle awareness.
The mind becomes calmer, and slowly, you can clear away the clutter that gets in the way of clarity. When this happens, the light of yoga begins to shine. This is the transformational beauty of the practice. Through this practice, no matter your starting point, results will emerge.
Vinyasa yoga
Vinyasa yoga, sometimes called Flow yoga, is a contemporary style of yoga where students move freely from one pose to another using breath. It offers variety and freedom to choose from many poses, thus being unpredictable and creative. No two classes are alike.
You will enjoy Vinyasa yoga every other morning. Alpha Yoga School will design the morning Vinyasa classes to complement the theory they will cover in the afternoons.
Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned practitioner looking to finally take a swing at teaching, the best place to begin is now.
Teaching methodology
You will learn essential sequencing principles to create your own Vinyasa Flow classes. You will look at:
- The difference between sequencing for more experienced students and beginners
- Different types of Vinyasa classes:
- How to demonstrate asanas including reasons to demonstrate, when, why, do's and don'ts
- How to hold the seat of a teacher and the energy of the class
- How to project your voice
- How to modify asanas
- How to work with an open level class
- How to give verbal instructions
There will be lots of practical teaching, planning, guidance, and feedback on improving and enhancing these skills.
You will observe, teach, and receive constructive feedback from your fellow students and teachers.
Morning asana classes
The asana curriculum is equally split between ashtanga and vinyasa, meaning that you will practice three Ashtanga and three Vinyasa classes per week.
The Ashtanga classes will progress gradually, while the Vinyasa classes will usually include pranayama, warm-up, sun salutations and variations, basic, intermediate, and advanced yoga postures, postural alignment, deep relaxation techniques, and chanting.
Alignment and hands-on adjustments
You will have regular opportunities to practice hands-on adjustments with feedback from your teachers and peers. Alpha Yoga School will examine each of the main postures of the --Ashtanga yoga primary sequence in terms of:
- Correct key alignment and aim of each pose
- Common misalignments of yoga poses
- Misconceptions and tendencies
- Modifications using props
- Advanced variations
- Hands-on adjustments
Workshops
Every two to three days, there will be workshops where you will break down complex postures like lotus, headstand, jump back and jump through, and Chaturanga Dandasana. Alpha Yoga School teaches baby pre-requisite steps that include preparation exercises, appropriate warm-ups, and requirements for full posture. These classes will bring safety, awareness, and mindfulness to your practice and teaching.
Anatomy
In these classes, you will explore functional yoga anatomy and how to safely deepen your practice through your vehicle of exploration, the body. You will learn about the skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems through a comprehensive breakdown of the various regions of the body most applicable to the practice.
Through hands-on, practical application, you will investigate the different types of connective tissues, experience the movements of the joints, and connect with your fascial body. You will leave with a more profound understanding of both your own body as well as your students.
Philosophy
Yoga philosophy is interwoven throughout the course. In this module, you will explore what yoga really is—its meanings, significance, and practices. You will investigate the roots of the practice, the Vedic tradition, while simultaneously embracing the beauty of the present moment.
Together, you will travel back in time to explore Vedic culture, myths, and mantras, and then continue down the evolutionary paths of both classical and modern yoga practices. You will be introduced to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and the Bhagavad Gita, gaining both traditional and contemporary insight into their commentaries, while exploring the lifestyle and ethical guidelines of yoga.
Come as a practitioner, leave as a teacher.
Daily Schedule
- 07:00 - 07:50 Pranayama and meditation
- 08:00 - 10:00 Ashtanga Vinyasa / Vinyasa yoga asana class
- 10:00 - 11:00 Breakfast
- 11:00 - 13:00 Anatomy / philosophy on alternating days
- 13:00 - 15:00 Free time / light lunch
- 15:00 - 16:45 Alignment of asanas, hands-on adjustments. Teaching methodology
- 16:45 - 17:00 Break
- 17:00 - 18:00 Students teaching each other / workshops
- 18:00 - 19:00 Restorative yoga / Yin yoga / evening activities / free time
- 19:00 - 20:00 Dinner
- Saturday: classes until 13:00
- Sunday: Day off / self-study
Your instructors
Joanna Vladescu
Joanna started practicing yoga in a studio in Athens in 2005. Unwilling to miss class, she knew that she had found a beautiful practice, both physically and mentally.
Since 2009, she has completed workshops and advanced studies with first-generation teachers of Ashtanga Vinyasa lineage, including Manju Jois, David Swenson, Eddie Stern, Laruga Glaser, Kristina Karitinou, Rolf Naujokat, David Garrigues.
She completed teacher training in Ashtanga Yoga and Advanced Vinyasa Yoga in Goa, India. She completed a 50-hour teacher tune-up course with Noah Maze.
She is dedicated to her Ashtanga practice, always looking for a teacher. When she's in India, she continues her studies with Regina Ehlers. She practices and teaches primarily Ashtanga, Vinyasa yoga, and handstands. She likes to inspire people to adopt Ashtanga as a therapeutic method of self-transformation and self-discovery.
In her class, she emphasizes the bandhas and breath, which allow us to make our practice more than just physical exercise. She gives modifications for all body types, as she believes yoga is for everyone and everyone has his/her own limitations. The yoga pose is not about how it looks, but how it feels.
She is funny, caring, inspiring, and gives full attention to her students. She will take your practice to the next level with precise verbal and hands-on adjustments. Joanna is a Thai Massage Therapist and has a degree in Economics.
Martin Sittek
Martin started practicing yoga regularly in 2008 once he realized that it brought peace, relaxation, and balance to his otherwise sedentary and stressful lifestyle. Starting first with traditional Hatha yoga classes, he later transitioned to more dynamic styles of Vinyasa yoga.
Inevitably, he developed a curiosity about other aspects of yoga. He quit his job and traveled to India in pursuit of an overall practice of yoga. He never looked back.
After completing 200-hour Ashtanga yoga teacher training with Sampoorna Yoga India, he attended 200-hour Hatha yoga teacher training at Mahadevi Ashram in Guatemala. He learned the art of adjustment and alignment from Kamal Singh during 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at Tattvaa Yoga Shala Rishikesh.
In 2018, he completed a 40-hour Ashtanga yoga teacher training course with David Swenson in Italy. David is one of only a handful of Westerners to have learned the full Ashtanga system as originally taught by K. Pattabhi Jois. Martin attended workshops with David Robson at Purple Valley in Goa, India.
He continues his studies with Regina Ehlers, certified by K Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore, India. Martin understands the challenges of deepening a yoga practice through years of dedicated personal experience. He uses this knowledge to help his students learn.
Martin has a great sense of humor. He facilitates, encourages, and inspires his students with his devotion and knowledge. Martin has a Master's Degree in Thermal Engineering and a diploma in International Business and Management.
Instructors
Joanna Vladescu
Joanna is the founder of Alpha Yoga School. Since 2009 she has completed 3 teacher training courses, 2 advanced courses, and numerous workshops with first-generation teachers of Ashtanga Vinyasa tradition: David Swenson, Eddie Stern, Chuck Miller, Kristina Karitinou, Rolf Naujokat, David Garrigues, Manju Jois, Regina Ehlers, Laruga Glaser, and Noah Maze. She is funny, caring, inspiring and gives full attention to her students. She will take your practice to the next level with precise verbal cues and amazing hands-on adjustments. Joanna has taught in more than 20 yoga teacher training courses.
Vishesh Arora
My yoga journey commenced four years ago, during which I completed a 500-hour Teacher Training Course (TTC). Subsequently, I began teaching Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and in-depth Yoga Anatomy both online and in-person, consistently engaging with my students. To date, I have trained over 600 individuals. Throughout my journey, I have participated in numerous workshops focused on Arm Balances, Backbends, Hip Openers, and Yoga Anatomy, attending sessions in diverse locations such as Greece, Spain, India, and Thailand.
Sudha Iyer
Sudha's yoga journey has been one of constant self-discovery. She was born and raised in a Hindu Brahmin family where asana, yogic scriptures, mantras, and devotion were an integral part of daily life. However, it took her living in the West and regular mat practice to appreciate and value what she had taken for granted in her childhood. Yoga made her realize that all change starts from within, embodying the phrase ‘when things change inside you, things change around you’. That’s when Sudha's practice came full circle; she decided to transition into a mindful and conscious lifestyle.
Location
Explore the practice of yoga while living the good life of Greece. Lefkada Island is located in the Ionian Sea and is connected to mainland Greece with a 50-meter long bridge. Lefkada is a popular travel destination nicknamed “the Caribbean of Greece.” Its turquoise waters, iconic beaches, whitewashed villages, and natural wonders will connect you with the true meaning of yoga while you relax and recharge.
Urania Villas Retreat center is a true paradise on earth. This hillside retreat bestows an immediate feeling of tranquillity and peace that will make your Yoga Teacher Training a rich and unforgettable experience. Immerse yourself in yoga practice while enjoying stunning views of Ithaca Island, the mythical home of Ulysses.
Minutes away from an exclusive private beach, you can’t think of a more luxurious destination to explore the practice of yoga.
Distances
- Vasiliki village, 3.5 kilometers
- Preveza/Action Airport (PVK), 60 kilometers
- Ioannina National Airport (IOA), 176 kilometers
- Athens International Airport (ATH) - 6 hours with the shuttle bus
Food
Breakfasts, snacks, and dinners are included in the price on all days, even on your days off. Urania, the owner of this retreat center, cooks all the meals herself, putting all her love into planning and cooking healthy, creative, and delicious meals for you. Her food cannot be described in words; you just have to taste it yourself.
One of Alpha Yoga School's students described it pretty well: "It feels like Christmas here every day."
Breakfast
Breakfast consists of eggs, porridge, Greek yogurt, honey, fruits, homemade marmalades, rice cakes, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cheese, juice, tea, and lots of coffee.
Snacks
Snacks can include a tortilla, soup, leftovers from the previous dinner or hummus spread.
Dinner
Dinners include soup/starter, salad, legumes, rice, greek dishes, and homemade desserts (Urania cooks too many desserts).
Vegan and gluten-free
The vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, or any other special menu costs 100€ per person for the whole course. Let Alpha Yoga School know in advance if this is your choice.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Dinner
- Snacks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Lactose Free
- Other dietary requirements on request
Things to do (optional)
- Boat trip to neighboring Islands
- Massage
- Rent a car for your days off: Porto Katsiki Beach is a famous beach, and you are lucky enough to be just a 15-minute drive away. Students can rent a car at the weekend and visit this beautiful beach. It is one of the best 10 beaches in the world
What's included
- 21 nights of accommodation of your choice in luxurious villas (twin, triple or single)
- Daily breakfast, snacks, and dinners for all the days of the training
- Drinking water
- Tuition fee
- Student manual
- Yoga studio with sea view - priceless
- Certificate to register with Yoga Alliance (upon successful completion of the practical and written exam)
What's not included
- Transfer to and from the airport can be arranged by Alpha Yoga School
- Travel insurance
- Flights
- Personal expenses
- Other activities (boat trip to other close islands, which is around 50 EUR and totally worth it)
- Renting a car to go to Porto Katsiki beach
- Vegan / gluten-free meals can be provided for 100 EUR on top
- Lunch
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Ioannina National Airport
122 km
Transfer not provided
Aktion National Airport
38 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 105 per person
Athens International Airport (Eleftherios Venizelos Airport)
303 km
Transfer available for additional US$ 82 per person
Arrival by airplane
Book your flight to Preveza Airport / Aktion National Airport (PVK) and Alpha Yoga School can arrange to pick you up from there at an extra cost.
If you book your flight for Athens Airport (ATH), you have to arrive before 2 p.m. on the first day of the training. A private shuttle bus will pick you up from the airport around 3 p.m. and bring you directly to the yoga center. The duration of the journey is around six hours. Book your return flight on the last day of the course after 3 p.m.
The same shuttle bus will pick you up from the yoga center at around 6 or 7 a.m. on the last day of the course and will drop you off at Athens Airport around midday or 1 p.m. Therefore, you need to book your return flight ideally after 3 p.m.
The cost of the shuttle bus depends on the number of students. One way could cost around 50 - 70 EUR per person.
The closest airport to Lefkada Island is Preveza / Aktion Airport (PVK), located 60 km from the yoga center. From this airport, a taxi to the retreat center costs approximately 90 EUR and this can be arranged by Alpha Yoga School. If more students arrive at this airport, you can share a taxi with them.
The next closest airport is Ioannina Airport (IOA) which is located 176 km from the yoga center.
Check for the availability of both airports. As the courses in Lefkada do not take place in high season you might not find flights to these airports every day.
Arrival by bus (not recommended)
This is the least convenient way of getting to the yoga center and Alpha Yoga School cannot provide support to students who choose this option.
- From Athens Airport, take bus X93 and get off at the last bus stop. This ride takes approximately 60 minutes. Walk to the main bus station called KTEL. Address: Street Kifissou 100, Athens.
- Take the bus that goes to Lefkada island. The duration of the bus ride is about 5,5 hours. The buses depart from Athens four times per day.
- Take a taxi to Urania's Retreat Center, about 60 minutes.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 16.94% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookYogaTeacherTraining.com. All major credit cards supported.