22 Day 200-hour Intensive Autumn Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training in Andalusia, Spain
Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training in Spain
The Frog Lotus Yoga (FLY)'s 200-hour teacher training in Spain is a skillfully refined, polished, and comprehensive program designed and perfected over the last 20 years to empower you to teach yoga professionally and embody the yogic teachings in your daily life. Upon graduation, you will be certified to teach inclusive, creative, and intelligent Vinyasa flow classes, with an emphasis on alignment, form, and safety.
Meet the instructors
Highlights
- Mentoring and support throughout the training
- Pranayama and meditation practices, anatomy, and alignment
- Practice and theory of asana
- Eligible to register with Yoga Alliance upon completion
- Over four hours of own teaching practice, with feedback from classmates and teachers
- Lesson on how to start and run your own yoga business
- 21 nights accommodation at the beautiful Suryalila Retreat Centre
- 3 delicious daily organic meals prepared by a chef
Skill level
- Intermediate
Types
20 days with instruction in English
Accommodation
Facilities
- Sauna
- Fireplace
- Kitchen
- Yoga shala
- Outdoor shower
You will study at Suryalila Yoga Retreat Centre, which offers a variety of accommodation options. From van life area, glamping tent, or shared dorm to luxurious and private room options, you can choose the accommodation that suits your budget and needs.
There are a host of on-site facilities, including 24/7 access to the saltwater pool, an eco-sauna, delicious vegetarian meals lovingly prepared by professional chefs using fresh produce grown in the garden, beautiful yoga shalas, and cozy accommodations to suit a variety of budgets.
Nominated as one of the Best Yoga Retreats by Yoga Journal 2019, Suryalila Retreat Centre is a stunningly beautiful yogic retreat center with all-inclusive facilities in the heart of Andalusia. Located in an old renovated olive farm, its name is Sanskrit for “cosmic play of the sun” and will be hosting the Frog Lotus Yoga Teacher Training.
Magnificent yoga hall: The Om dome
This is a state-of-the-art yogic hall inside a beautiful geodesic dome that resembles a Nepalese temple. You will exercise every day during your three-week yoga teacher training overlooking a massive bay window, one of Suryalila's best views of beautiful rolling hills and a ruined monastery.
Don't hesitate to also use it for self-practice during your yoga teacher training course!
Other shalas: Ganesha yoga shala
Ganesha is a beautiful yoga hall with a wood and beam ceiling and wood floors that students will use during the training program. It has windows on both sides, which allow for plenty of light and airflow. There is also an attached balcony with beautiful views of the hills of Andalucia.
The Moon Shala
The Moon Shala is a wonderful organic structure located at the olive grove. The floor is made from local pine, the wooden high ceiling resembles the inner structure of an umbrella, and beautiful murals grace the walls. The atmosphere inside feels like the building itself is a breathing, living organism that welcomes yogis.
Shakti Boutique - Fabulous yoga shop
Find everything that you will need to enhance your yoga lifestyle during your teacher training in the beautiful Shakti Boutique. The yoga props, clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, and gifts will give you the opportunity to take a little bit of this paradise back home with you.
What you will find:
Yoga clothes and gear
- To find beautiful and unique yoga clothes, look no further.
Gifts and jewelry
- Whether you’re looking to treat yourself or your loved ones, you’ll find something special in Suryalila's beautiful collections of jewelry and gifts.
Luxury snacks and wine
- While enjoying your yoga teacher training, you can treat yourself to delicious organic snacks.
All accommodations include three delicious daily organic meals and the use of the retreat center facilities such as the saltwater pool, eco-sauna, and yoga shalas, mats, and props.
Saltwater swimming pool
Relax and rejuvenate in the natural saltwater pool between two teacher training sessions. The pool is set amidst stunning and vast vistas of the beautiful Spanish countryside. Summer months in Andalucia average at around 30º Celsius, so taking a dip in the pool during your free time can be a very regular event!
Eco sauna
Enjoy the rejuvenating and detoxifying effect of the cozy sauna for small groups, built out of completely natural materials. The saltwater swimming pool is right next to it, so you can take advantage and refresh yourself in the pool even during the winter months - perfect for self-care!
Pagodas and hang out areas
Relax, contemplate the expansive views or glorious sunsets, and hang out during your yoga teacher training in one of the several lovely pagodas and hammocks under the olive trees and numerous artfully placed benches. Use them to rest and in a process of self-inquiry during your yoga instructor course.
Room options:
Private deluxe double room with ensuite bathroom (private room)
- King-size bed and ensuite bathroom
- Sitting area and fireplace
- Fridge and tea station
- Private outside patio
Private double room with ensuite bathroom (private room)
- Queen-size bed and ensuite bathroom
Double room with private bathroom in shared house
- Private room in shared house
- Queen-size bed and private bathroom
- Shared living room and kitchen
- Outside patio and shared in-house washing machine
Double or twin room with shared bathroom in shared house
- Private or shared room in shared house
- Double or separate twin beds and shared bathroom
- Shared living room and kitchen
- Outside patio and shared in-house washing machine
Double or twin room with shared sitting area (private or shared room)
- Double or separate twin beds and shared bathroom
- Shared sitting area with a stunning view of the sunset
Double or twin room with external bathroom in eco-building
- Private or shared room in eco-building
- Double or separate twin beds
- Separate and shared bathroom
- Outdoor showers with open tops and eco-toilets
- Stunning views of Andalusian hills
Glamping yurt (private or shared yurt)
- Double or separate twin beds
- Separate and shared bathroom
- Outdoor showers with open tops and eco-toilets
Dorm rooms with single beds (shared dorm)
- Single bed and shared bathroom
- Individual closet
- 4-bed dorm
- 8-bed dorm (female only)
Van Life Area
- Outdoor parking space:
- Access to electricity and water for the van
- Separate and shared bathroom
- Outdoor space
Program
With the arrival of autumn and with winter fast approaching, this October 200-hour YTT will give you a chance to look back on the year so far and reflect on how far you've come.
It is an empowering and transformative experience that will give you an opportunity to replace what no longer serves. Enjoy warm days between the cooler mornings and nights at this very special time of year.
Certification
Students who complete the training are eligible to register with Yoga Alliance as Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT®).
Learning outcomes
- Gain an awe-inspiring and liberating understanding of the history and philosophy of yoga and Vedanta; transform your fundamental relationship with life in a profoundly positive way.
- Enhance your ability to practice and teach yoga in a sustainable, functional, and well-informed way; understand the anatomy of movement as applied to yoga and learn how to body-read and modify accordingly.
- Develop your ability to practice and teach yoga in an intelligent, creative, and informed way; learn skillful cueing and how to adapt for different levels - Suryalila provides a safe environment to practice teaching!
- Teach inclusive, creative, and intelligent Vinyasa flow classes, with an emphasis on alignment, form, and safety.
- Deepen and advance your own practice, experiencing fresh, challenging, and inspiring sequencing with precise instruction.
Frog Lotus Yoga International's teacher training in Andalusia, Spain will empower you to teach yoga professionally and to get a strong grounding in Eastern philosophy.
FLY teacher training consists of an intensive step-by-step course including contact hours, readings, reflections, and assimilation activities, as well as interactive sessions that will build community, bring the teaching from your FLY program to life, and support you to become a good teacher!
Develop your teaching skills surrounded by like-minded people and witness your progress as you go through day-to-day asana practices. You will take on a life-changing journey toward your inner happiness!
Highly effective training
FLY has trained over 3,000 teachers through more than a hundred yoga teacher training courses over the past 21 years, resulting in a skillfully refined, polished, and up-to-date comprehensive course.
4+ hours of teaching practice
Practice makes perfect! Leave the training confident and ready to teach, having taught for over four hours, including two 75-minute classes, with compassionate critique from students and teachers.
What is FLY Vinyasa yoga?
FLY style is a focused, creative, and intelligent flow style, with an emphasis on alignment, form, and safety. It can be easily adapted to different levels and different tempos.
What is unique about FLY style?
A FLY flow class opens with a seated pranayama technique and continues with a long, thorough warm-up of all the major joints in the body. The warm-up is usually performed either seated or supine, or a combination of both.
This is followed by various creative standing flow sequences, then inversions, then seated sequences, interlaced with Vinyasas and finally, a guided Savasana and an inspiring quote.
The atmosphere created in the classes is focused, meditative, and joyful. FLY will instruct descriptive and poetic cueing into poses and solid alignment cues whilst holding the poses. The classes can either have a general theme, including a little of all the different categories of poses, or they may be thematic, with a deeper focus on one specific area of the body.
FLY classes intelligently weave together elements of all of the different styles of yoga that founder Vidya Heisel has studied, including Iyengar, Ashtanga, Hatha, Forrest, and Kundalini yoga. They will also always offer lots of options and modifications of poses to suit all levels and adapt the class to work for various limitations and injuries.
Safety and longevity are of prime importance in FLY's teaching. They instruct safe and effective hands-on assistance and keep up with the latest information on anatomical safety.
Alignment-based flow
In many styles of flow, there is little attention to alignment given. The teacher may just call out poses, count breaths, or simply say, ”Inhale….exhale….” FLY thinks that when the students are not provided with enough verbal guidance, it can contribute to bad execution of poses and possibly injury.
At FLY, they skilfully give as much information as they can to practitioners when they are moving in and out, as well as when they are holding poses. This helps the students to correct their own alignment and begin to get an understanding of the mechanics of each yoga posture.
Safety
Injury is fairly common when practicing Ashtanga, Hatha, or flow yoga, mainly because one moves quite fast, and challenging poses like Chaturanga are performed repetitively. If the practitioner doesn’t have the strength, body awareness, or knowledge of the proper alignment of the poses, he or she might be doing the pose incorrectly in a way that is injurious.
At FLY, they make every effort to instruct correct and safe alignment of all poses and to correct anyone who is doing anything potentially injurious. They skilfully offer options and modifications interwoven in the practice, so students can adjust to their own level within the context of the class.
Level
It is possible to teach all levels and you will have the skillset to do so on completion of your yoga teacher training course. Some suggested class levels are:
- Gentle flow
- Easy flow
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- All levels
What other styles would you be prepared to offer after taking the FLY training?
Since FLY instructs the poses individually, this will prepare you to be able to teach a simple Hatha yoga interdisciplinary class as an alternative to a flowing style. You will also be given the tools to prepare a gentle Restorative class and a prenatal class.
What you will learn:
Philosophy
Learning goals: Gain an awe-inspiring and liberating understanding of the history and philosophy of yoga and Vedanta, and transform your fundamental relationship to life in a profoundly positive way.
- History of yoga
- 8 limbs of yoga
- Subtle body system
- Living yoga on and off the mat
- Understanding your nature
- How to be happy and free
Anatomy
Learning goals: Enhance your ability to practice and teach yoga in a sustainable, functional, and well-informed way; understand the anatomy of movement as applied to yoga; and learn how to body-read and modify accordingly.
- Anatomy foundations
- Understanding movement
- Injury prevention
- Stretching and reflex arcs
- Nervous system
- Breathing and bandhas
Asanas
Learning goals: Develop your ability to practice and teach yoga in an intelligent, creative, and informed way, and learn skillful cueing and how to adapt for different levels. FLY provides a safe environment to practice teaching!
- Asana alignment and form
- Modifications and variations
- Assisting and adjusting
- Sanskrit names of poses
- Making yoga accessible
- Safety and longevity
Teaching
Learning goals: Teach inclusive, creative, and intelligent Vinyasa flow classes with an emphasis on alignment, form, and safety.
- Inclusive skillful cueing
- Qualities of a great yoga teacher
- FLY class sequencing
- Pranayama's benefits and how to teach it
- Prenatal and Restorative sessions
- Start and run your business
Practice
Learning goals: Deepen and advance your own practice by experiencing fresh, challenging, and inspiring sequencing with precise instruction.
- 16 intermediate masterclasses
- Guide meditations
- 4+ hours of student teaching practice
Course structure
This will be an intensive, three-week, in-person course. You will be supported and mentored throughout the course.
- 9-hour time commitment per day
- Course material and assignments will be studied in your own time during the day
- 30-minute office hours a day
Requirements
A minimum of one year’s yoga practice and reasonable competence are required to take the 200-hour Frog Lotus Yoga Teacher Training in Andalusia, Spain. You will also be required to be in good health, physically and mentally. Please note that this is will be a yoga teacher training intensive.
Required books to purchase for the yoga teacher training
- The Key Muscles of Yoga: Scientific Keys, Volume I by Ray Long and Chris Macivor
- Inside the Yoga Sutras by Reverend Jaganath Carrerra (read this book in your own time)
- Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer (read this book in your own time)
What's more?
Pre-YTT package
When enrolling in the Vinyasa yoga teacher training, you will gain access to a pre-training package created by the lead teachers to help you embark on your yoga journey before you arrive. Each month, you will receive an email that will enable you to explore new content to prepare yourself for this 200-hour YTT.
- 6 months of monthly content
- 2 articles on yoga
- 2 talks and one interview on resilience, meditation, and yoga
- 2 training manuals
- Music inspiration
- 6 Vinyasa and one Restorative yoga classes
- Onboarding and preparation checklist
- Easy way to book your transfer and accommodation
Post-YTT booklet
Upon graduation, you will receive a post-training booklet to support your journey after this high-quality training. You will also gain access to exclusive discounts, opportunities, and guidance towards new trainings, as well as online lifetime access to the whole content of your yoga teacher training.
Additionally, as a FLY graduate, you will be entitled to join a live training as a refresher with no additional course fee.
- Graduate affiliate program
- FLY graduates community
- Graduate discounts and opportunities
- Refreshers for free
- Possibility to get lifetime access to the content of your YTT
- Additional learning material (books, links, and videos)
- More music, poems, and quotes
Why FLY: Inspiring training that outshines expectations
Expert teachers
Frog Lotus Yoga has been successfully running high-standard and comprehensive YTTs for over 20 years. Learn from senior teachers, including FLY founder, Vidya Heisel.
Unique and safe style
Practice an inclusive, intelligent, and creative Vinyasa style anchored in both tradition and modernity, and develop a thorough understanding of anatomy and safe alignment principles.
Comprehensive YTT
Learn all aspects of practicing yoga to nurture a happy and healthy life. Feel empowered mentally and physically, as well as be confident, knowledgeable, and ready to teach. Become a great teacher.
Eastern philosophy
Deepen your understanding and tap into the benefits of Eastern philosophy and deep yogic knowledge in order to nurture a happy and healthy life.
Magic of Suryalila
Experience a magical retreat center designed to host and enhance your training. Enjoy the majestic Om Dome, saltwater pool, and eco-sauna. Eat delicious organic vegetarian meals, all made with love.
Supportive family
Feel guided and supported by the team in all aspects of your FLY journey and become part of a warm and compassionate worldwide community that values you.
Sample schedule
- 07:00 - 09:30 Meditation and yoga practice
- 09:30 - 10:00 Breakfast groups
- 11:00 - 13:30 Morning session
- 13:30 - 14:00 Lunch
- 15:30 - 16:00 Office hours
- 16:00 - 19:00 Afternoon session
- 19:00 Dinner
The different yoga teacher training sessions of the day will cover philosophy, history, teaching methodology, posture clinic, or anatomy. Office hours are face-to-face, one-to-one interviews with FLY's experienced teachers to answer any questions that you may have.
Tuesday and Friday afternoons will be free for excursions, rest, or self-study. The middle Tuesday of the training will be a full day off.
Instructors
Vidya Heisel
Vidya is an internationally-renowned master yoga teacher with over 45 years of teaching experience as well as a deep and experienced knowledge of yogic philosophy and meditation. She studied and taught for six years in India. Her early yoga teachers include Patricia Walden, Rodney Yee, Ana Forrest, Larry Schultz and Leslie Kaminoff. She founded Frog Lotus Yoga International in 2000. She has trained thousands of yoga teachers and led over a hundred 200-hour yoga teacher training. After teaching around the world, she created her own yoga retreat centre: Suryalila, in Andalusia southern Spain.
Katrina Petney
Throughout her life Katrina has been fascinated by the human body and mind. A combination of science, philosophy, yoga, and meditation guide and inspire her professional and personal life. Her background in biochemistry, biology, education, and yoga, along with her interest in mindfulness, neuroplasticity, and the body-mind connection, serve as the foundation for her teaching.
Location
The training will be held at Suryalila Retreat Centre, nestled in the foothills of the Sierra de Grazalema mountain range and home to the magnificent Om Dome. It's a wonderful place to nurture and support Frog Lotus Yoga International's students on their yoga journeys.
This three-week intensive 200-hour yoga teacher training in is sun-kissed by the Spanish mountains, making it the perfect environment.
Food
Gourmet vegetarian cuisine
Suryalila prides itself on their outstanding vegetarian food. Meals are delicious, diverse, and beautifully presented, using all-organic and mostly locally sourced ingredients. They are also working towards supplying more and more of the produce needs from their own organic garden!
Vegetarian kitchen
The Suryalila kitchen specializes in gourmet international vegetarian cuisine, using the freshest seasonal, locally sourced organic fruits and vegetables available. Eggs are gathered daily from their own happy chickens. They also regularly accommodate vegan, gluten-free, and non-dairy diets, so if you have any special dietary restrictions, just let them know.
Amrita Cafe
Amrita Bar is a vibrant addition to the retreat center. They offer a menu of cold-pressed organic juices, scrumptious smoothies, delicious snacks, kombucha, and health-conscious hot drinks such as spicy Indian chai, vegan bulletproof coffee, ceremonial cacao, mocacao, and golden milk, which contains a super healthy blend of spices.
Indoor and outdoor dining
Suryalila also believes that where you eat is almost as important as what you eat! They provide dining tables both indoors and outdoors so that you can eat in the large, beautiful dining room or enjoy your meal al fresco, watching the stunning sunsets over the Andalucian hill towns.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
- Alcoholic beverages
- Detox juices
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Organic
- Other dietary requirements on request
Things to do (optional)
- Excursion trips in Andalusia
- Treats and drinks at the Amrita Café
- Shakti Boutique - an fabulous onsite yoga shop
- Spa treatments
- Suryalila Cookbook - full of vegetarian and vegan dishes to delight your taste buds
Spa treatments
At Suryalila Yoga Retreat Centre, they always have highly trained and insured massage therapists in residence for both warm and caring massages. Treat yourself and recover from the yoga teacher training with Thai yoga, deep tissue, or Ayurvedic massages (extra charge).
Thai yoga massage
Thai yoga massage is an ancient healing art with origins in Ayurvedic medicine, yoga, and Buddhism. It has evolved into a unique and magical combination of deep stretching, rhythmic compression, soft tissue manipulation, gentle rocking, energy balancing, and acupressure.
Deep tissue and Ayurveda massage
The Ayurvedic massage is considered an integral part of traditional Indian medicine. Ayurveda means knowledge of life. It improves blood circulation by eliminating toxins and re-establishing the balance of body, mind, vitality, and emotions, allowing the patient to release tension and relax, leading to their physical well-being, serenity of mind, and harmony.
What's included
- Eligibility to register with Yoga Alliance upon completion of the course
- 200-hour training program
- 1 training manual
- 3 exams
- Access to a pre-training package to help you prepare for the training (to which you will have access for life)
- Post-YTT booklet
- Access to the FLY community and network
- 21 nights accommodation
- 3 daily organic meals cooked by the chefs
- Use of the retreat center facilities
- Saltwater swimming pool
- Eco-sauna
- Yoga shalas
- Yoga mats and props
What's not included
- Flights
- Transfers
- Treatments
- Excursions
- Extra food and drinks from the café
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Transfer available for additional US$ 93 per person
Jerez Airport (La Parra Airport)
41 km away from your destination
Transfer available for additional US$ 186 per person
Málaga Airport
98 km away from your destination
Transfer available for additional US$ 116 per person
Seville Airport
75 km away from your destination
Driving directions
If you wish to drive to Suryalila or make your own travel arrangements to get there, please find the address below. You can easily find the retreat center on Google Maps or Waze:
- Suryalila Retreat Centre, Cortijo La Fabrica, Pago de Pajarete, 11650 Villamartin, Cádiz, Spain
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Seville Airport (SVQ), Jerez Airport (La Parra Airport) (XRY), or Málaga Airport (AGP). Transfer from these airports is available at an additional cost.
Arrival by shuttle
You can arrange a shuttle pick-up at Villamartin or at your airport of arrival. There will be an additional charge for the shuttle, which will be paid directly to the driver in cash on arrival: 100 EUR from Seville, 80 EUR from Jerez, 160 EUR from Malaga, and 20 EUR from Villamartin.
Frog Lotus suggests, if possible, trying to arrive early to mid-afternoon so that the driver can coordinate to share the shuttle service with other trainees and split the cost. One week before the training, they will ask for your flight information.
You will have to fill out the transfer form at least 48 hours before your arrival.
Arrival by bus
If you prefer to arrive by bus, check the online timetables from your city of arrival to Villamartin. From Villamartin, you will need to arrange a transfer to Suryalila.
GPS coordinate
The GPS co-ordinates for Suryalila are:
- 36.47’14,6″N – 005.35’57,1″W
Please note that you will need to arrive on Saturday at any time by 20:00 at the latest. The training will start on the following morning, Sunday, at 07:00 and finish with breakfast on the Saturday of the third week. You will be able to organize a shuttle service to an airport or a bus station at any time during your stay.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
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