21 Day 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course at Lake Atitlan, Sololá, Guatemala

Certification

Students who complete the training are eligible to register with Yoga Alliance as Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT®).

About this retreat

The Mystical Yoga Farm, located near Santiago Atitlan, is unlike any other location School Yoga Institute offer. Truly disconnected from the outside world, step into this self-sustainable permaculture farm and learn what it’s like to be one with nature as you connect to the land. The farm is an off-grid spiritual sanctuary focused on healing, transformation, and empowerment! Join this unique setting while you gain the knowledge to become a world-recognized Yoga Alliance certified yoga teacher!

This Mystical Yoga Teacher Training curriculum is influenced by Peruvian Shamanism, providing students with a unique and spiritually driven course that goes beyond just a certification. Called by the energy of Lake Atitlan, the volcanoes and mountains, spirits, and each other, School Yoga Institute invites you to come to evolve on your spiritual and yogic path.

As an organization, School Yoga Institute are very selective about the locations where they choose to host their teacher training programs. They believe that the environment in which you learn has the potential to enhance your overall experience. It’s important to be mindful of the impact we have on the places we visit. With that in mind, School Yoga Institute always make an effort to collaborate with eco-friendly retreat centers that recognize and prioritize sustainability.

In Guatemala, School Yoga Institute have partnered with a sustainable center that works hand in hand with the land. Protecting and preserving our one precious planet.

200-hour daily schedule

Schedules may vary

• 06:00 - 09:00 Guided meditation, pranayama, or asana
• 09:00 - 10:00 Breakfast and self-sadhana
• 10:00 - 11:00 Spiritual lesson or intention of the day
• 11:00 - 12:00 Yoga Sutras or yoga anatomy
• 12:00 - 14:00 Snack and self-sadhana
• 14:00 - 15:00 Special topics
• 15:00 - 18:00 Art of teaching and art of touch
• 18:00 - 19:00 Dinner and self-sadhana
• 19:00 - 20:00 Satsang (sacred circle)

Core curriculum

During the 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training program you will:

• Work through the traditional Peruvian Medicine Wheel in a process of self-inquiry, discovery and personal transformation.
• Learn to teach two Asana sequences: Sadhana Vinyasa and Sadhana Hatha flows, as well as guidance on creating your own unique sequences.
• Live the yogic lifestyle, deepening your Sadhana, personal spiritual practice.
• Incorporate daily meditation, Pranayama, and Asana.
• Explore the art of teaching through interactive daily workshops and learn through peer-teaching starting day one.
• Participate in daily Satsang, evening gatherings. Learning traditional Kirtan chants from India and the rest of the world.
• Participate in traditional ceremonies: full-moon ceremony, new-moon ceremony, letting-go ceremony,
• Traditional Andean gratitude ceremony (despacho), and/or cacao ceremony, and other traditional ceremonies.
• Study yoga anatomy and physiology and incorporate these principles into your own teaching and practice.
• Study selected yoga sutras in depth
• Learn the foundation and historical background of yoga philosophy
• Explore chakras, Bandhas and energetic anatomy in theory and in application to your personal practice and your teaching.
• Study Ayurvedic philosophy and medicine, while studying and living the yogic diet
• Practice advanced Pranayamas
• Experience Kriyas, yogic cleansing techniques
• Focus on integrating yoga into your life through daily spiritual lessons
• Receive an introduction to conscious business and discuss ways to bring Yoga to the marketplace
• Learn and integrate holistic health modalities such as massage, energy healing, nutrition, and other forms
• Upon completion of the course, participants who demonstrate skill competency and complete 200 hours of classwork, will receive a certification for completion of the curriculum. This will enable you to register with Yoga Alliance as a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200).

Why choose Guatemala for your yoga teacher training

Besides the beautiful scenery and the nice, amazing community around the lake, the area is home to many indigenous communities, so you will have the opportunity to learn about their traditions, visit their local markets, and be part of their traditions.

This area offers a wide range of activities, like some hikes to Volcan San Pedro or Volcan Atitlan, and many places to visit, like Santiago Atitlan: Santiago Atitlan, one of the largest indigenous Mayan communities on the lake, San Marcos, a small and tranquil village located on the lake, Panajachel, with a lively market, restaurants, traditional Mayan crafts shops or Santa Cruz, a small village only by boat.

As you can see after reading this, Lake Atitlan offer a mystical and unique experience, where in one place you will find culture, natural beauty, and an authentic yoga experience.

In-depth meditation techniques and practice // meditation

“Prayer is you speaking to God. Meditation is allowing the spirit to speak to you.” Deepak Chopra

The primary purpose of meditation is the opportunity to sit as a witness to your divine self. The practice of meditation allows one to recognize, calm and even influence the fluctuations of the mind. During your 200-hour yoga teacher training you will establish a daily meditation practice, and explore different techniques of meditation to deepen your own connection and understanding of divine self giving you the tools to confidently guide others in meditation practices. Beyond the practical application of meditation you will also learn the physiological, mental and philosophical science that promotes a regular meditation practice.

Experience of different pranayamas techniques // pranayama

Prana: Life Force. Yama: Observance. Pranayama observance of Life Force – Observance of Breath. You breathe intuitively, yes? Yet becoming an observer of the breath develops a deep relationship to the root of your being. In the YTT you will maintain a consistent breath awareness practice which will offer you the opportunity to drop in with yourself and give you the tools to deepen your practice. An understanding of Pranayama is essential in deepening your yoga practice, throughout this training you will discover the philosophy of pranayama as well as be guided through different techniques, tools, and anatomical awareness that will inspire your practices and teaching moving forward.

Daily asana practice // asana

What is commonly termed yoga actually refers to asana. Asana, meaning posture, is the physical movement aspect of the practice. During this training you will learn 2 yoga flows 1 Hatha and 1 Vinyasa containing over 75 postures and 3 main styles of Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation). In the daily Asana practices and Asana Labs you will become familiar with these asanas, their variations and alignment answering any questions that have accumulated while practicing on your mat. Through the dedication of building your own experience of the physical expressions of postures and learning the foundations of movement you will learn how to guide students safely through an embodied experience of selfhood.

Yoga philosophy

The depths of modern yoga are rooted in thousands of years of philosophical inquiry upon the nature of our existence, the core of our philosophical discussions will center around different interpretations of The Yoga Sutras by Patanjali and their application to modern life. These sessions weave through discussions of other philosophies including Buddhist and Zen teachings, Shamanic belief systems, as well as modern philosophical discourse in richly engaging sessions that spark deeper inquiry into your own beliefs.

During this training you will learn the history of yoga, the 4 paths of yoga Patanjali’s 8 limbs and a knowledge of the development of modern yoga to develop an understanding of your own yoga lineage.

Art of teaching and art of touch

Through daily Asana practice you will notice how subtle cueing, alignment and adjustments can alter the experience of each posture in your own body. In the Art of Teaching and Art of Touch sessions you will find your voice as a yoga teacher and build confidence to guide students through practices. You will start teaching mini sequences from day 1 so that you feel comfortable in the role of a yoga teacher by the end of your training.

In the art of teaching you will practice alignment cues, sequencing instruction, voice projection and pacing. In the art of touch you will explore the benefit of physical adjustments and how to offer hands on assists confidently and safely. During the training you will teach 1 Hatha class and 1 Vinyasa class to your fellow cohort.

Ayurveda

Knowledge of life – science of life. Recognized as the sister science of yoga, Ayurveda is a holistic approach to wellness that is dedicated to recognizing the person as a whole being and supporting them to live in full alignment with their own true nature. In the 200hr Yoga Teacher Training you will be introduced to the ancient beliefs, practices and routines that form the backbone of modern day Ayurveda. In the trainings you will be given the tools to embody a lifestyle that nourishes and supports you.

Yoga anatomy and physiology

In School Yoga Institute approach to yoga anatomy they not only take into account an understanding of the human body on a physical level, also on an energetic level. During the training you will gain an anatomical understanding of the human body, you will learn the foundations of how the human body is made up, its functions, systems and connections. You will also delve into a more subtle understanding of the body on an energetic level. This is a fascinating aspect of anatomy that will elevate your teaching. You will focus on understandings of the Charka systems, Nadi’s, Prana, Vayu’s, Badhas, Koshas and more.

Peruvian medicine wheel

The 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training was built with a strong intention for personal growth, empowerment, and expansion. School Yoga Institute provide their students with tools to share the wisdom of yoga with others, but also to look at their own lives from a spiritual perspective. To assist with this journey of deep self reflection, the 21-Day Mystical 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training draw on the ancient wisdom of the Peruvian Medicine Wheel.

Kriya yogic cleansing

Kriya yoga is an applied yoga system designed to purify the body and mind for better practice. Throughout the 200hr program you will be introduced to various methods that will allow you to drop that bit deeper into stronger mind and spirit connection.

Kirtan, bhajan, mantra and chanting

Chanting is one of the most traditional and first Yoga practices. It helps to open the throat, heart and energies of the body. Kirtan or Bhajan is a beautiful means of connection to self and community. As well as a great way to learn some Sanskrit and Hindu Philosophy.

Cacao, fire and moon ceremonies

To sit in ceremony is to hold and honor sacred moments, School Yoga Institute acknowledge the rituals of the lineages, cultures and traditions that have inspired School Yoga Institute. During the training you will be invited to hold witness in ceremony and you will learn the tools to hold ceremonial space for your community. Within the training they hold cacao and fire ceremonies, some facilitators may also introduce journey ceremonies, lunar ceremonies, among others.

Training facilitators

• April 1 – 21, 2026 with Tessa and Katie R.
• June 8 – 28, 2026 with Sarah and Annika
• November 1 – 21, 2026 with Flavia, Bri, and Alina
• December 1 – 21, 2026 with Krystalyn and Bri