200-Hour Hybrid: Self-Paced & 20 Day In-Person Sound, Cacao Ceremony, & Yin Yoga TTC in Thailand

Certifications

Students who complete the training are eligible to register with Yoga Alliance as Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT®). You will also receive a Yin yoga therapy™ practitioner and sound healing & cacao ceremony facilitator diploma, which is a building block for your 700-hour Yin yoga therapy™ education as a component of Alexandra Denkinger, M.D.(ACU) physical therapy practice, licensed and registered as Doctor of Medicine in Acupuncture M.D. (ACU) by the Indian Board of Alternative Medicine.

How the training works

The training consists of three weeks of onsite immersion in Thailand, followed by 40 hours of self-paced online study. During the in-person training, there will be daily schedule, but Yin Yoga Therapy Teacher Training will adjust to sunrise or sunset, temperature, or mosquito time and it might change a bit from day to day depending on sunset or sunrise times and your venue. Weekdays are study immersion, your weekends are free to explore the area and dedicate yourself to some self-study. Saturdays and Sundays are free, and there are no meals provided. The mornings start with a nature meditation followed by some movement with guided yang yoga classes.

After breakfast, there are theory and methodology classes till lunch, followed by a long midday break. The late afternoons are dedicated to the yin yoga practice and a sunset circle to complete the day. During the online course, video courses are independent and accessible anytime after you complete your registration. You will have one year to dive into them at your own pace, with the team available for ongoing support along the way. Upon completing the in-person immersion and final assessments, you will immediately receive your Yin yoga therapy™ and sound and cacao ceremony facilitator certificates.

Daily schedule

• 06:30 - 07:00 Sunrise Sadhana - spiritual self-practice time
• 07:00 - 07:20 Nature meditation
• 07:30 - 08:30 Active morning practice
• Breakfast break
• 09:15 - 10:15 Asana lab
• 10:20 - 11:20 Theory
• 11:30 - 12:30 Methodology
• Lunch and afternoon break
• 15:30 - 17:30 Yin yoga and sound healing immersion
• 17:45 - 18:45 Sunset circle
• Occasional optional evening activities

Course information

Learn Yin yoga, sound healing, and cacao ceremony practices in a serene island backdrop in Thailand. This immersive teacher training invites you to explore the yogic lifestyle at a stunning beach destination. In a world that often moves too fast and asks too much, this immersive 200-hour training invites you into the power of pause, presence, and profound healing. It is more than a yoga teacher training - this is a sacred journey into the synergy of Yin yoga, sound healing, and ceremonial cacao, designed for those who wish to guide others in the art of slowing down, softening deeply, and reconnecting with soul through somatic, vibrational, and ancestral practices.

At the heart of this program lies the stillness of Yin yoga - its long-held, floor-based postures providing a container for deep inner listening. This receptive practice becomes even more powerful when merged with the therapeutic frequencies of sound healing: gongs, singing bowls, chimes, and mindfulness. You will learn how to play singing bowls and use these instruments to create transformative journeys that regulate the nervous system, awaken energetic flow, and nurture emotional release.

With the addition of ceremonial cacao facilitation, this training steps further into the realm of ritual. Cacao, once revered by the Maya and Aztecs as “the food of the gods”, becomes a potent heart-opening ally, deepening connection, intuition, and the capacity to hold sacred space. You will learn not only the science and spiritual wisdom behind this plant medicine, but also how to confidently design and lead cacao ceremonies with integrity and creativity.

Three-week immersion

Immerse yourself in three life-changing weeks where sacred traditions meet modern embodiment practices in a transformative, hands-on learning experience. This is a soulful immersion for yoga teachers, healers, seekers, therapists, and creatives who wish to offer deeper experiences in today’s wellness space. This in-depth training interweaves the therapeutic stillness of Yin yoga with the vibrational magic of sound healing and the heart-opening ritual of ceremonial cacao, offering a unique and expansive foundation for deep personal growth and multidimensional professional development as a facilitator, yoga teacher, and sacred space holder.

While Yin yoga provides the structural anchor of this journey, the sound healing and cacao ceremony facilitation components stand as powerful modalities in their own right—each capable of being practiced and offered independently. You will graduate fully prepared to lead yin yoga sessions, sound baths, and cacao ceremonies with confidence, clarity, and authenticity. This three-week program offers a complete path into experiential theory, practical application, and the subtle art of sacred facilitation. By integrating these powerful modalities with depth and integrity, you will gain both the inner foundation and the outer skill set to guide others with presence, power, and heart. Through experiential learning, ancient teachings, modern science, and practical facilitation skills, you will explore:

• The dimensions of Yin yoga therapy™, including meridian theory, chi-flow, fascia release, and trauma-aware guidance
• The vibrational medicine of sound healing - how to play and integrate singing bowls and soundscape into your classes and rituals
• The sacred art of cacao ritual, including correct preparation of ceremonial cacao, altar creation, intention setting, and ceremonial space design
• How to hold space with clarity, empathy, and professionalism
• Daily embodied practices, including meditation, breathwork, sunrise and sunset circles, Yoga Nidra, ecstatic movement, kirtan, and mantra chanting

With guidance from your experienced lead trainer Manuela Sauter and other guest facilitators, sound healers and artists - each sharing wisdom from diverse lineages - you will not only evolve as a practitioner and facilitator, but also embark on your own awakening journey.

40 hours self-paced online course

To complete your 200-hour teacher certification and provide a well-rounded, rooted understanding of yoga’s wider context, Yin Yoga Therapy Teacher Training offers a 40-hour self-paced online video course covering all relevant general yoga foundations. The online modules are designed to be completely independent from the in-person module.

1. 20 hours of anatomy and physiology

Explore the anatomy of the muscular and skeletal systems, and deepen your understanding of human physiology—including the nervous system (fight, flight, freeze, vagal theory), cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, and digestive systems.

2. 20 hours of yoga humanities

Dive into yoga’s philosophical roots: the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Explore core frameworks like the 8 Limbs of Yoga, the Koshas, Chakras, Prana Vayus, and Kleshas, giving you the spiritual and intellectual grounding to hold space with wisdom and clarity.

This program is for you if:

• You feel called to deepen your practice and start teaching yoga with the subtle power of Yin and vibrational healing
• You are ready to step into the role of sacred space-holder and ceremony guide
• You want to bridge modern somatic science with ancient spiritual traditions
• You thrive in a nourishing and transformative environment within a conscious community
• You desire a Yoga Alliance-recognized 200-hour certification and a sound healing and cacao ceremony facilitator diploma

By the end of the training, you will be prepared and certified to:

• Teach intelligent, sequenced, and trauma-aware Yin Yoga classes
• Integrate sound healing into yoga, meditation, and private sessions
• Lead authentic and heart-centered cacao ceremonies
• Hold safe, inclusive, and sacred spaces for personal and collective transformation

You will leave this program certified to facilitate Yin yoga, sound healing sessions, and sacred cacao ceremonies - equipped not only with technical tools and practice, but with the lived experience and confidence to hold space for deep emotional and energetic transformation. Whether you are seeking personal development, professional evolution, or a calling to guide others into sacred stillness and ceremony, this training is your gateway to a more rooted, radiant, and soul-led life. Join them and step onto the path of the sacred facilitator. You will leave not just with a certificate, but with an open heart and the tools to guide others back to theirs.

Curriculum

1. Cacao wisdom: Science, spirit, and ancestral roots

• Ethnobotany of cacao: Origins in Mesoamerican cultures
• History, spirit, and energetics of cacao as plant medicine
• Medicinal properties: Theobromine, magnesium, anandamide, phenylethylamine (PEA) — the “bliss chemicals”
• Cacao versus chocolate: The difference between ceremonial cacao and commercial products
• Safe sourcing and preparation of ceremonial cacao
• Dosing and safety guidelines
• Contraindications, dosage, and preparation

2. Sacred rituals and cacao ceremony

• Working respectfully with plant allies: Cultural appreciation vs appropriation
• Ritual and ceremony design
• Creating meaningful opening invocation or rituals
• Holding space with cacao: sacred songs, breath, and stillness
• Guided meditation, intention, and music in ceremony
• Incorporating elements: fire, water, sound, scent, and symbols
• The use of oracle cards, smudging, and sacred items
• Cacao and sound healing: Sound journey elements, before, during, and after
• Cacao and menstruation cycle
• Cacao and movement: Ecstatic dance, intuitive movement, or Yin yoga as pre or post-cacao somatic practices
• Cacao and art: Flower Mandala
• Closing circle, sharing, integration, or journaling

3. Integration tools and creative expression

• Journaling prompts for post-ceremony
• Art therapy with cacao: Mandala drawing, vision boards, intuitive painting
• Solo cacao rituals: Teaching students how to create their own private cacao practice

4. Foundations of sound healing

• Sound, mind, and awareness
• Music and sound theory foundations
• Nāda Yoga - yoga of sound
• Sound and spirituality

5. The art of Yin and sound healing

• Benefits of sound healing
• The magic combination of Yin and sound
• Instruments for sound healing
• Common mistakes
• Solfeggio frequencies

6. Playing singing bowls

• Historical context
• Understanding singing bowls resonance and harmony
• Different types of singing bowls
• How to use the bowls for sound and vibration
• Resonance, chords, or tones of a bowl
• Decoding singing bowl frequencies
• How sound vibration resonates with your body
• Other frequency and space cleansers

7. Sound healing

• Balancing act: Navigation soft sciences and cathartic practices with sound healing
• Specific Chakra healing protocols
• Self-healing
• Sound healing 1-to-1
• Precautions when using singing bows
• Overview of Chakras vs Taoist elements

8. Foundation, definition, and theory of Yin Yoga Therapy™

• Physical
• Energetic
• Soul and mind

9. Yin yoga practice

• 35 regular Yin yoga poses
• Additional upper body poses, wall poses, and modifications
• Functional and energetic aspects of the poses
• How and when to use props
• Intelligent sequencing

10. Yin yoga, chi, and the meridian flow in the body

• Yin, yang, or chi defined
• 12 primary traditional oriental medicine meridians and their healing wisdom
• Meridians addressed in each pose
• Physical, energetic, and emotional value of each pose
• The three different ways to activate chi flow
• The transformative power of the rebound

11. Yoga philosophy and foundations

• History and people
• Overview of different yoga styles
• The eight limbs of yoga
• Patanjali Yoga Sutras
• Pranayama
• Chakras, Koshas, Prana Vaayus, and Kleshas
• Mudras and Mantras
• Spiritual concepts

12. Basic anatomy and the theory of exercise

• Muscular and skeletal system
• Biomechanical principles, joints, and their movements
• Physiology such as nervous system, cardiovascular, endocrine, digestive systems, respiratory system as they relate to the practice
• The vagal theory
• The physical theory of the practice
• Aesthetic versus functional alignment
• Compression vs tension
• Understanding fascia and tensegrity
• Sensory processing, interoception, and proprioception
• When and how to apply Yin yoga principles in physical therapy

13. Professional development

• Class management and general professionalism
• Credentialing process with Yoga Alliance
• Ethical guidelines for a Yin yoga teacher and facilitator
• Responsibility, equity, and accountability
• Scope of practice and code of conduct

14. The art of teaching, guiding, and holding space

• Intention, expression, context, or tools
• Class, ceremony, and sound bath structure and flow
• Importance of safe, trauma-aware facilitation
• Building group coherence and trust
• Consent and boundaries
• Managing group energy, sensitive shares, and emotional releases
• Energetic hygiene for facilitators

15. Facilitation practicum

• Design, facilitate, and co-lead classes and holding circles
• Guide cacao ceremonies and rituals
• Lead Yin yoga classes with intention and presence
• Facilitate sound baths and meditative sound journeys
• Embodied peer teaching and ceremony co-facilitation
• Group reflection, feedback exchange, and integration

16. Daily yoga and meditation practice

• Morning start with meditation or mindfulness
• Morning class of guided dynamic active practices
• Afternoon Yin yoga immersion

17. Sunset or sunrise circles

• Meditation, Yoga Nidra, sound bath, voice activation
• Cacao ceremonies, conscious connection sharing circles, kirtans
• Mindful sunset or sunrise walks and activities