200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Kerala, India

Yogakulam Academy runs its 200-hour teacher training in Varkala, in the southern Indian state of Kerala. The location puts the Arabian Sea a short walk away, and the town's cliff top is lined with shops and cafes. The academy itself is simple, clean, and close enough to the beach that the sea air reaches the training hall. You train in a small group of 10 to 20, and the teaching staff are brought in as specialists for each subject rather than one person covering everything.

A typical training day begins before sunrise with meditation and pranayama. After breakfast you move into asana practice, working through the Hatha standing, kneeling, sitting, supine, and inversion sequences, and the standing and finishing postures of the Ashtanga primary series. The afternoons switch to lecture-based modules: anatomy and physiology, the yoga sutras, mudras and mantras, and teaching methodology. There are workshops on hip opening, back bending, forward bending, and twists, with hands-on adjustment practice.

The curriculum includes more than postures. There are full sessions on pranayama and the bandhas, on the nadis and the three main channels (ida, pingala, sushmana), and on yoga nidra from the Himalayan tradition. The philosophy classes trace the history of yoga, the eight limbs, the five koshas, and the concept of karma. Anatomy covers the respiratory system, the spine and its movements, and how asana affects the joints and muscles, with the aim of making you a safer teacher.

The school is registered with Yoga Alliance as an RYS200, so on completion you receive an internationally recognised RYT200 certificate. Previous guests rate the teaching highly, and the team is praised for covering a lot of ground in the 24 days. Reviews also flag that this is a serious training rather than a relaxed retreat, and is best suited to people who have chosen the teacher-training path.

What's included

- 23 nights accommodation in a shared twin or private room - 3 daily meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - Fruit and snacks available all day - Water, tea, and coffee served throughout the day - 200-hour teacher training course and certification - Course manual - Certificate upon successful completion - Registration with Yoga Alliance/Professionals/International/etc. - Weekend/day off excursions - Group excursions and activities - School t-shirt/tote bag - WiFi connection

What's not included

- Flights costs - Travel insurance - Visa fee - Additional activities not included in the itinerary - Additional treatments - Airport transfers (available at extra cost)