Therapeutic Yoga Certification - Asheville, NC
230-Hour Therapeutic Yoga Teacher Certification Program
Through Yoga Alliance and the Asheville Yoga Center
Are you craving a serious training in Yoga Therapy? Do you know how to adapt the practice for individual students’ needs? Are you comfortable in a one-to-one setting? What about group therapeutics? Maybe you have specific conditions in your own body that have yet to be addressed in a regular class-room setting? This training is designed to empower individuals in the deep understanding and healing of our mind, body and spirit. You will also feel comfortable and confident instructing groups as well as individuals in gentle yoga healing techniques.
This program is our comprehensive training which runs over nine weekends, roughly one a month. The program generally spans about 7 full months. It is currently only being offered in Asheville, NC. This type of learning works best for those that likes to let it sink in, and with the ability to get away one weekend a month. You will have assignments to do during your breaks between weekends and time to integrate what you are learning.
Do you have questions, comments or concerns? Please contact us.
Dates
This Training will be held at the New Asheville Yoga Center State of the Art Yoga Studio. Directions.
Everything You Need to Know
- Welcome

Welcome to the most popular Teacher Training Institute in the Southeast!
For serious students or other health care professionals interested in the powerful therapeutic benefits of yoga for physical, mental and spiritual healing. The course is 230 hours, and is eligible for a 200hr YA certificate through the Asheville Yoga Center. It follows the same format of our Traditional Live In Yoga 9 month teacher training.
Our comprehensive teacher training programs are designed to enhance your own personal knowledge of Yoga and its many facets, as well as provide you with the confidence and skills necessary to safely teach Yoga. Both our 230 hour program and our advanced 500 hour program have met Yoga Alliance standards and upon graduation, you will receive certification from the Asheville Yoga Center and be eligible for certification from Yoga Alliance as well.Our 230 hour Therapeutic Yoga Teacher Training program is an intensive-study course for those wanting to deepen their understanding of Yoga, as well as prepare students to teach and practice safely, successfully, and compassionately in a gentle setting (classroom and individual). We will cover all the physical, philosophical and scientific aspects of Yoga, by introducing you to some of the best Yoga specialists here in the Southeast. Because of our incredible curriculum, many schools are mimicking our program. What a testimony to excellence!
Our greatest population right now is the baby-boomers. Power yoga, hot yoga; these are NOT recommended. So we have developed a fabulous program to help educate you on the aging process, injury, illness and disease. And how to reduce suffering by offering competent and compassionate gentle yoga.
However, you don’t have to be a teacher, nor even desire to become a teacher to attend these courses. Your Yoga practice will reach new heights as you become more grounded and peaceful through this ancient practice. All classes are held in the beautiful sunny studio at 211 S. Liberty St in Asheville NC. The certificate you receive will be another step on your path to greater self-awareness and understanding, enabling you to Live your Truth that is Your Yoga.
Our 230 hour program is the first step, open to any serious student of Yoga who has been studying with a teacher for a minimum of six months. Even if you have been teaching Yoga for 20 years, this is an important first step as we start from the beginning for everyone, so we can all safely teach a beginning level Yoga class. Our average student body ranges from ages 22 - 65 years. - What people are saying
“I can never thank you enough not just for teaching me Yoga, but giving me hope through the practice to face this most difficult world.”
-J. Blume, Kannapolis, NC
I enjoyed the range of subjects covered and the way we tackled them, including other yoga instructors and their different styles. This kind of exposure probably wouldn't have occurred at other institutions”
- N. Conrad, Cornelius, NC
“Stephanie is a wise and wonderful teacher. She shares her vast knowledge of yoga and meditation in more than words, but in the mindfulness and compassion she imparts in every moment of interaction with her students.
- E. Lang, Spartanburg, SC
“I was in awe of the education I have received ....much deeper and more
technical than anything I gained from Medical courses taken in the past.. thank you...Yoga is now my passion, my Life.”
- S. Dulken, Fairview, NC
Apply Now - Our Incredible Staff
The DirectorStephanie Keach RYA500, has been teaching Yoga since 1988. Originally from Santa Barbara, CA, she has studied with most of the top yoga teachers, including her favorites: Ana Forrest, Erich Schiffman, Rodney Yee, Rod Stryker and Bryan Kest. Her Zen -Buddhist background brings a meditative style to the class.
Stephanie, owner and operator of the Asheville Yoga Center has produced
the Flow Yoga video series and The Yoga Handbook. She currently teaches
Flow Yoga classes, retreats, workshops and teacher trainings throughout
the country. Stephanie resides in Asheville with her husband and three
boys. Steph is so respected as a teacher because she is so down-to-earth, real and comfortable with herself. She is a master teacher, full of knowledge, experience and intuitive insight, well loved by many. Stephanie specializes in over-seeing the program so that everyone's needs are more than met and hearts are opened wide. She is the Yoga Mama Bear of AYC..
Joe Taft
Joe Taft is a certified Anusara Yoga instructor who has dedicated himself to the practice of yoga since 1997. His teaching style is approachable, lighthearted, uplifting and transformational. Joe interweaves Anusara’s life-affirming and heartfelt approach into his classes through myth, storytelling, Tantric philosophy and the wisdom gathered through his own life’s journey. He has completed hundreds of training hours with John Friend, Sianna Sherman and other senior Anusara instructors. Joe has a keen awareness of body biomechanics and a long history as a devoted athlete. He is an inspiration to yoga teachers and students alike.
Shala Worsley
Shala has a deep yoga practice and teaching style that reflects over 12 years of study. She invites students to cultivate the exploration of the physical and spiritual realms. As a teacher, Shala offers a blend of the benefits of yoga in the alignment traditions of Iyengar, and flowing aspects of Ashtanga and Vinyasa, always including therapeutic yoga, yin yoga, meditation, pranayama and yoga philosophy. She embodies a balanced sense of grace, delicate flow, and attention to detail - a direct result of her passion for practicing yoga in nature and our innate connection to the Earth and the Cosmos. She inspires the student to touch their own yogic soul, bringing asana practice to life from within. Shala currently lives in Asheville, NC, teaching at the Asheville Yoga Center and directing the Asheville School of Massage and Yoga. Shala will be teaching most of the training.
Michael Johnson
Since he can remember, Michael’s parents were his first and perfect Teachers in this life. In a way, everyone he meets continues to teach him perfectly by being examples of both how and how not to live. Among the many teachers who continue teach him, he has learned from Sri Swami Satchidananda, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Sharon Gannon, David Life, Geshe Michael Roach, Lama Christie McNally, Lama Marut, Kimberley Theresa, and his beloved partner, Stephanie.It is his honor, privilege and hope to return the kindness that so many people have bestowed upon him, by teaching the highest practices of Yoga to all levels of practitioners… responsibly, joyfully, and in a way that will help others achieve their goals in this life and beyond.
Cindy Dollar
Since 1985 Cindy Dollar has supported her students in creating balance, strength, and flexibility in their bodies and in their lives through the practice of yoga. Warm, funny, and approachable, she creates a safe and respectful environment in which students explore their potential. As a student of Zen, Cindy mindfully incorporates this awareness practice into her yoga teaching. You’ll find that her expertise is readily apparent and her enthusiasm for yoga, contagious. Cindy teaches classes and offers private instruction in the Asheville area and leads workshops throughout the Southeast. The readers of Mountain Xpress voted her “Best Yoga Teacher in Western North Carolina” for three consecutive years. A certified Junior Intermediate I Iyengar Yoga instructor, Cindy travels regularly to India to study at the Iyengar Institute. In the US, she studies and practices with senior teachers and attends a weeklong retreat each year led by Patricia Walden. Cindy is a contributing writer to New Life Journal and is the co-author of Yoga Your Way, which was released by Lark Books in December 2004.
(www.cindydollar.com)
Jim Biddle, MD
Nutrition and Alternative Medicin.e
Jim graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine in 1989 and completed his residency in Internal Medicine in Portland, Oregon in 1992. He specializes in "Integrative Medicine," combining the best of conventional and complementary approaches. Dr. Biddle is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is certified in Chelation Therapy. He is a member of the American College of Physicians and the American College for Advancement in Medicine. Dr. Biddle has also been certified in hypnotherapy, massage therapy, and Reiki. In addition, Dr. Biddle is a member of Earthaven (http://www.earthaven.org), a permaculture community building toward a sustainable society that nurtures both humans and the earth.
(docbiddle.com)
Marion Stone
Marion was introduced to the Rolf Method of Structural Integration and became a certified practitioner in 1996. She completed an Associate’s Degree in Nursing from A-B Tech College and a Certification for Yoga Instruction from the Asheville Yoga Center in 1999. Students will learn about the human body through her hands-on experiential teaching style.
Hinsley
Libby Hinsley, PT, RYT 500, received her 200 and 500 hour yoga teaching certifications from the Asheville Yoga Center. She began her study of yoga in 1998 and has been teaching since 2005. She has taught in a variety of settings and for a wide variety of student populations. She values teachings from many traditions, including Vinyasa flow, mindfulness meditation, Yin, Iyengar, and Anusara. In 2008 she had the fortunate opportunity to study at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai, India in the tradition of Krishnamacharya and Desikachar. Since that time, she has focused her study on therapeutic yoga in the Viniyoga tradition. Libby believes that the magic of yoga lies in its most fundamental teachings, and begins with a deep awareness of breath. In her classes, she hopes to lead students inward to discover the perfection of body and spirit that is already, and always, present. She teaches weekly classes and components of the Asheville Yoga Center’s Teacher Training programs, and teaches yoga at the Asheville School of Massage and Yoga. In 2011, she completed her training as a Physical Therapist at Western Carolina University, and currently works as a PT at Physical Therapy and Back Clinic of Leicester.
Vishnu Dass (NTS, LMT, CAyu)
started studying Ayurveda in 1992 under the guidance of Dr. Vasant Lad, world renowned Ayurvedic physician and teacher. Vishnu was one of the first students to successfully graduate from both the Advanced Studies and the Clinical Program at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, NM. He was also trained and worked at the Panchakarma Department of the Institute under Dr. Lad's supervision. Vishnu is also a graduate of the New Mexico School of Natural Therapeutics in Albuquerque, MN. He had previously studied with herbalist Michael Tierra at the American School of Herbalism in Santa Cruz, CA. He is a former Board Member of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA) and was granted a Lifetime Professional Membership for his service to that Board. He has been in clinical practice for over 12 years, treating people of all ages. He is a highly skilled herbalist who specializes in both the treatment and prevention of disease, including digestive disorders, skin diseases, allergies, arthritis, auto immune diseases, liver disorders, diabetes, hypertension, and many other chronic and severe conditions.
bluelotusayurveda.com - Curriculum
- Alignment Principles
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Anusara Principles
- Ayurveda
- Bandhas (locks)
- Bhagavad Gita
- Bhavana (visualization)
- Chair Yoga
- Chakras
- Chanting (Kirtan and Vedic chants)
- Communication skills
- Different approaches to broadening your belief of what Yoga is
- Emotions and yoga (depression, anxiety, addiction, PTSD)
- Ethics – including Yamas and Niyamas
- Hands On Adjustments
- History
- Home Practice
- History
- Kids Yoga
- Languaging (communication skills)
- Lesson Planning
- Mantra Meditation
- Meditation practices from Yogic and Buddhist lineages
- Nutrition (yogic)
- Pathology and Injuries
- Philosophy
- Pranayama (breathing practices)
- Prenatal/Postnatal Yoga
- Psychology and yoga
- Restorative Yoga
- Sanskrit
- Savasana massage
- Self-Care
- Senior Yoga
- Sequencing
- Student Assisting (hands on assisting for another teacher)
- Student Teaching (peer and public)
- Sun Salutation history and lineages (surya namaskar)
- Sutras of Patanjali
- Tantric Theory and History
- Tapas (building internal heat)
- Vinyasa Krama (the art of class sequencing)
- Ways to avoid pitfalls with your asana, pranayama, or meditation practices
- Ways to enhance and strengthen your personal practice
- Women’s health (pregnancy, menstruation, menopause)
- Yin Yoga
- Peer Review of student teaching
- Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation)
- Curriculum Requirements and Hours
The following curriculum requirements are strongly emphasized:
- commitment to the entire program
- practice meditation or pranayama at least 10-20 minutes a day
- practice asana at least 1/2 to 2 hours a day
- daily journal writing to record above practice
- one research paper: 5-10 pages due 8th weekend (topics assigned first weekend)
- several 1-2 page book reports and biographies
- attend 2-3 different level Yoga classes between each weekend and write up evaluations
- out of class, unsupervised student teaching hours totaling at least 12 hours
- 11 required textbooks + additional reading means lots of reading!!
- 6 hours of assisting in Yoga classes
CURRICULUM HOURS (meets Yoga Alliance standards)
techniques: 100
teaching methodology: 20
anatomy/physiology 20
philos, ethics, lifestyle 20
practicum 10
electives/homework 60
total 230 hours
Apply Now - Dates and Times
9 weekends beginning March 2013
WEEKEND HOURS
Fridays, 5:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Saturdays, 8:00 - 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Sundays, 8:30 -11:30 am and 12:30 - 3:30 pm
1) March 15 - 17, 2013
2) April 12 - 14, 2013
3) May 10 - 12, 2013
4) May 31 - Jun 2, 2013
5) June 28 - 30, 2013
6) July 19 - 21, 2013
7) Aug 9 - 11, 2013 (Cora Wen weekend included in their tuition)
8) Aug 30 - Sept 1, 2013
9) Sept 27 - 29, 2013
Apply Now - What if I have to miss a weekend?
Full attendance in the program is required for Yoga Alliance certification. It is not recommended or desired that you anticipate missing any weekends. In the case of emergency only, making up the weekend will require extra time, money and sometimes travel:You will need to pay the regular weekend fee ($200) and then depending on what is taught that weekend, you will have to pay in addition, the private hourly rate from the teachers who taught that weekend. On the average you will need a 4-8 hour makeup class consisting of private instruction for a weekend missed, costing ave. $50-75 an hour, (this is in addition to the $200). We are unable to offer this option outside of Asheville, so out of town training absences will have to come to Asheville to "make-up" the weekend missed. If you miss more than one weekend I will encourage you to drop out of the program and re-enroll in another future program or I will graduate you and your certificate will state “ 145 in class hours” instead of “160 in class hours” and Yoga Alliance will not certify you until you have upgraded your certificate through the Asheville Yoga Center to meet the 160 hour minimum. Missing more than one weekend qualifies you for a suspension. Please do not let this happen.
Apply Now - Required Reading
REQUIRED READING
The following list is the required reading of the Asheville Yoga Cente 230hr Therapeutics Teacher Training Program. All books can be purchased in advance directly from the Asheville Yoga Center.
Cost for the entire bundle is $225 (includes s&h) and can be purchased here: BUY 200hour BUNDLE. In-store cost is $200.
The Yoga Handbook, An Inspirational Reference for Teaching and Home Practice, Stephanie Keach, $40 Buy now
Light On Yoga, BKS Iyengar
Yoga - The Spirit & Practice of Moving into Stillness, Erich Schiffman
Bhagavad Gita, the Stephen Mitchell translation
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Sw. Satchitananda
The Heart of Yoga, Desikachar
Back Care Basics, Mary Pulling Shatz
Yoga Anatomy, Leslie Kaminoff
The Miracle of Mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hanh
The Breathing Book, Donna Fahr - Tuition
- Tuition is $2500.
- You can pay your tuition in full or put down a $500 deposit. The remainder of your balance is due either on the first day of training, or with a payment plan. This plan requires one fifth of the balance to be paid on each of the first 5 weekends.
- Tuition does not include accommodations, books or teacher training manual.
- Because this is one of the most popular Teacher Training Programs in the South East, we will accept the first 28 applicants that qualify for the 9 weekend programs and only the first 22 applicants that qualify for the Immersions. Once the programs fill, there will be a waiting list you can join.
- Programs fill months before the starting date.
- Some scholarship and work-trade available on a first come basis.
- We accept checks, cash, Visa, MC
- Already a teacher training graduate, but wanting to repeat? Discounts available. Because Stephanie's practice is always expanding and changing, so are her trainings, and many students have asked about repeating a training. Stephanie offers a 30% discount to repeat the same training, just register online with a regular deposit, making a note to Stephanie to include the 30% discount of the entire program when she sends you the balance due. YA credit can be applied.
- Stephanie offers a 10% discount to students who graduated from any of her 5-day vinyasa or 230-hour trainings; and who are then interested in taking the 5-day or 230 hour training with her. Just register online with a regular deposit, making a note to Stephanie to include the 10% discount of the entire program when she sends you the balance due.
- Cancellation Policy
- Tuition is $2500.
- Which Program is Right for You?
Differences from our 230 hr Live in Total Yoga Training verse our 230hr Therapeutics Training
Live in Total Yoga is our Classic training, that has successfully graduated over 1500 students, leaving them with a well-rounded yoga education in Traditional and Modern Hatha Yoga techniques.
Therapeutics is focused towards a gentler population (seniors, rehab, PTSD, pregnancy, depression, etc). These topics get touched upon in the Live in Total Yoga track (our most popular, maybe because it is so well-rounded and touches upon literally everything yoga), but we'll spend a lot more time in the therapeutics track, since we have in essence, made some time in the curriculum by deleting the power and dynamic yoga types. (although some can argue they are also therapeutic).
The curriculum is identical, we just changed all the hatha yoga (all the movement yoga classes) to be gentle, therapeutic, yin and restorative based (rather than a big buffet offering of jivamukti, power, ashtanga, flow, in addition to gentle, therapeutic, yin and restorative.) We will still spend the exact same amount of time on anatomy, history, philosophy and hands on student teaching (a unique aspect that our program seems to have more time spent on than other programs).
Both programs are the same cost, hours, homework required, Required reading and the same staff.. Both are life changing.
FAQ:
How do I choose? It helps to be clear what kind of yoga you want to spend 9 weekends focusing on, and if you want to be a general group yoga teacher (flow, strength and challenging postures a part of your repertoire) or a gentle yoga teacher with a possible desire to become a yoga therapist.
What if I have a specific therapeutic concerns (which most students do)? The therapeutics track will be the one we recommend. We allow plenty of time to delve deep into these specific topics, so when the program is over, you walk out with deep confidence about how to manage/heal this concern due to the abundanct tools and skills our brilliant, experienced and knowledgable staff has shared.
What if I want to teach flow classes, but also therapeutic/alignment based classes? We recommend the Live in Total Yoga track. You will walk out with enough tools to feel confident to start. We will also recommend pursuing the 500hr Therapeutics track if you decide you will eventually lean stronger towards therapeutics.
Will I be certified to teach seniors or prenatal after this 230hr Therapeutics Teacher Training? No, but you will have enough skills and confidence to get out there and begin. So much of any yoga teacher training is not learned in the training classroom, but in the actual yoga class setting itself. Once you get out there, if those populations are your hearts desires, we offer 3 day trainings in Seniors or Prenatal.
Will I be able to call myself a Yoga Therapist after I graduate from the 230hr Therapeutics Teacher Training? Right now, there is no legislation that clearly defines what exactly a yoga therapist is, so the answer is yes. However, Stephanie Keach, director, and her brilliant staff tend to raise the bar in all things scholastic, and recommends anyone who wants a profession as a yoga therapist to pursue the 500hr Therapeutic Training track. We are in agreement with Yoga Alliance in that a 230hr training (whatever style) is considered "basic training". It is sort of like high school. (this is our languaging, not YA!) But a 500hr training is considered specialized, like college. To hang up a shingle as a yoga therapist, we don't believe a 230hr program is enough time/education to confidently understand specific injury, illness, disease, and emotional instability.
Will I be able to register with IAYT? (International Association of Yoga Therapists, IAYT.org) We honor and respect the guidelines of IAYT in which they decree a 800hr training is necessary to "claim this title", therefore, even more education will be recommended. Our 500hr Therapeutics Training, combined with our 230hr Therapeutics Training, combined with a little extra work will make you eligible. We go over these details at the 500hr level.
Contact Stephanie@youryoga.com with any questions you may have.
Apply Now - Application Process
Students must fill out an application in order to make payments and reserve a spot in the trainings. Please fill out the application below before you register.
Apply Now
- Prerequisites Required
Applicants are chosen on a first come basis, with the following prerequisites being met:
- a minimum of six-month’s experience with any live teacher (or many teachers) in any style of Hatha Yoga (this is so you don't apply with only dvd or video learning)
- to want to safely teach a beginning level Yoga class.
- a desire to enhance your own Yoga practice
- a desire to broaden your belief of what Yoga is
- a desire to Live Your Yoga
- a desire to open your heart to its fullest
Apply Now
Do you have questions, comments or concerns? Please contact us.
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