The days are built around practice and practice-teaching. You do the Yin sequences yourself, then take turns leading them while others give feedback. New teachers often cut holds short because the silence feels uncomfortable to them, or drag a hold on just because a timer says so. Much of the feedback is aimed at exactly that: learning to read the room and time a hold for the people in front of you.

Functional anatomy runs through the whole course. Instead of teaching one 'correct' version of each shape, you learn why the same posture looks and feels different from one body to the next, and how to adapt it. Props come into almost every session. You'll test how a bolster under the knees or a block under the hips changes a pose, and when a chair or the wall is the better choice.

What sets this training apart is how it handles what can come up in long, quiet holds. Several minutes of stillness and sustained sensation sometimes bring emotions to the surface. Anandam addresses this from the opening circle: students are told that big feelings may come up and that they're welcome. As a teacher, you learn to stay calm, not rush to interpret or fix what a student is going through, respect consent, and stay within the limits of what a yoga teacher should do. The course is clear on scope. It doesn't qualify you to diagnose injuries, offer therapy or promise recovery, and it teaches you when to refer someone on.

The Yin anatomy teaching is led by Dr. Katharina Austermann, who holds a PhD and E-RYT 500 status and teaches Yin and anatomy across Anandam's programmes. Sandeep, also on the Anandam team, works alongside her and is available before booking if you want help deciding whether Yin is the right next step for you.

The centre is in Heimbach, in the Eifel, a hilly, wooded area of western Germany. In December it is cold, quiet and dark early, which suits a week of slow floor practice. The same week, the centre also runs a Yoga Nidra training, a Pranayama training and a separate five-night retreat. These overlap with the Yin course, so you can only join one of them this intake.

What's included

- 50-hour Yin Yoga teacher training - 5 nights accommodation (shared twin or private double room) - Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily - Study materials - Yin Yoga certificate on successful completion - Small-group teaching with team access throughout the week

What's not included

- Travel to and from Heimbach - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Extra nights before or after the course - RYT 200 credential (not granted by this course)