What is the difference between a yoga teacher and a yoga therapist?

A yoga teacher generally teaches yoga practices to individuals or groups with a shared educational or wellness focus.

A yoga therapist receives substantially more training in assessment, therapeutic relationships, adapting practices, clinical reasoning, documentation, scope of practice, mentoring, and working with people who have specific health conditions or life circumstances.

Both paths are valuable, but they carry different levels of training, responsibility, and professional scope.

Is yoga therapy an accredited profession?

The International Association of Yoga Therapists, or IAYT, accredits qualifying yoga therapy training programs and offers the C-IAYT professional credential to eligible graduates.

IAYT-accredited programs include a minimum of 800 hours of training completed over at least two years. Sattva Yoga Therapy is a 1,000-hour professional training program.

What can I do as a yoga therapist?

Graduates may offer individual yoga therapy, facilitate therapeutic groups, develop programs for specific populations, teach in community or wellness settings, and collaborate with other professionals.

Yoga therapists may work in private practice, yoga centers, wellness organizations, healthcare-adjacent environments, educational settings, nonprofits, and community programs. Your work must always remain within your training, professional scope, local laws, and any additional credentials you hold.

Program Fit and Admissions

Who is the Sattva Yoga Therapy Program for?

This program is for students who feel called to study yoga deeply and apply it responsibly in service to others.

Our students include yoga teachers, healthcare professionals, mental-health professionals, educators, movement specialists, wellness practitioners, caregivers, and people moving toward a meaningful second career.

You do not need to arrive knowing exactly what your future practice will look like . You do need curiosity, integrity, a willingness to practice, and readiness to participate in a rigorous professional training.

What are the prerequisites?

Applicants generally need:

• A 200-hour yoga teacher certification or an approved equivalent
• At least one year of personal yoga practice
• At least one year of teaching experience, which may be completed concurrently when permitted
• Readiness to participate in a multiyear professional training

If your background does not fit neatly into these categories, we still welcome you to apply. We review the whole person and will let you know whether additional foundational preparation is needed.

Can healthcare and mental-health professionals apply?

Yes. Healthcare, mental-health, education, and wellness professionals make up a large percentage of our student body and bring valuable experience to yoga therapy training.

Do I need to be able to perform advanced yoga poses?

No. Yoga therapy is not measured by physical performance.

We value curiosity, embodiment, adaptability, self-awareness, and the ability to meet another person with care. Students learn to make practices accessible to different bodies, abilities, health conditions, and stages of life.

How does the application process work?

Applications are accepted throughout the year. Begin by completing our online application.

Our team will review your experience, readiness, goals, and alignment with the program. If the program appears to be a good fit, we will guide you through the next steps for acceptance and enrollment.

How many students are accepted?

We select up to 12 students each trimester. This allows us to preserve meaningful relationships, personal mentoring, and the quality of the learning community.

Acceptance is based on readiness and fit, not simply on the order in which applications arrive.

When can I begin?

Enrollment is ongoing. After acceptance and enrollment, you begin the Bridge to Yoga Therapy foundations work.

Students generally enter their first core-curriculum pillar within approximately one to three months of enrollment, depending on preparation, completion of foundational requirements, and the live program calendar.

Program Structure and Schedule

How long does the program take?

The standard path takes approximately three years and includes the core curriculum and clinical integration.

Students have a maximum of four years from the date of their signed Participant Agreement to complete the entire program, including clinical requirements.

How many hours is the program?

Sattva Yoga Therapy is a 1,000-hour professional yoga therapy training.

The program includes 500 synchronous hours:

• 470 synchronous curriculum hours
• 30 synchronous practicum-mentoring hours

It also includes asynchronous learning, assignments, practice, projects, clinical application, and independent integration.

What are the six pillars?

The program is organized into six integrated pillars.

Pillars One through Five contain the core yoga therapy curriculum. Pillar Six brings together Prospering Professions: The Business of Yoga Therapy and Clinical Integration.

The sixth pillar helps students translate their education into ethical, sustainable professional practice while continuing to receive mentoring during their clinical work.

Is the program online?

Yes the program can be completed all online. The program blends on-demand study, live online learning, mentoring, and scheduled opportunities for in-person participation if desired. Foundational lessons are completed on demand so students have time to study and integrate the material. Live Skills Labs, Key Trainings, and retreats provide opportunities to apply that knowledge through discussion, experiential learning, demonstration, and feedback. With the exception of mentoring sessions, all live program sessions are recorded and stored in the online Classroom. Students who cannot attend live may use these recordings to complete the session asynchronously according to the applicable course requirements and pillar deadlines. Mentoring is not recorded because it may include confidential student, client, or case-related conversations. Students must attend mentoring synchronously to receive mentoring credit.

What is the difference between synchronous and asynchronous learning?

Synchronous learning happens in real time with faculty and fellow students. It includes retreats, mentor huddles, teaching laboratories, skills practice, discussions, demonstrations, and practicum mentoring.

Asynchronous learning is completed independently. It may include recorded lessons, readings, practices, reflections, assignments, projects, and observations.

Both forms of learning are essential. Asynchronous study provides flexibility and time for integration, while synchronous participation allows faculty to observe developing skills and provide immediate mentoring.

What does a typical month in the program look like?

Students can generally expect the following monthly rhythm:

Foundations study: On-demand lessons completed independently before the related live application.

Skills Lab: Once each month on Friday from 1:00–5:00 p.m. to apply the Foundations material synchronously.

Key Training: Friday morning sessions that may be attended live or completed asynchronously through the Classroom recording.

Weekend Retreat: Approximately one weekend each month, with live online and scheduled in-person participation options.

Mentoring: One synchronous session each month for integration, questions, project guidance, and competency development.

Skills Labs, Key Trainings, and retreats are recorded and stored in the Classroom for asynchronous completion. Mentoring sessions are not recorded and must be attended live.

Exact dates vary by pillar trimester. Students should consult the current program calendar before making work, family, or travel arrangements.

What happens if I cannot attend a session live?

With the exception of mentoring, live sessions are recorded and stored in the online Classroom for asynchronous make-up. Students who miss a Skills Lab, Key Training, or retreat must watch the applicable recording and complete all required observations, assignments, projects, or competency demonstrations by the pillar deadline.

Are in-person weekend retreats required?

When an in-person weekend retreat option is offered, students may participate in person or through the available live online format. Retreats are also recorded and stored in the Classroom for asynchronous completion. Students completing a retreat asynchronously must fulfill the associated observation, assignment, project, and competency requirements by the applicable deadline.

Can I complete a course asynchronously?

Yes. Every core course may be completed asynchronously without an additional course fee.

Students who complete a course asynchronously must watch the required recordings, complete the corresponding work, and submit everything by the applicable pillar deadline.

What happens if I miss part of a live course?

To receive synchronous credit for a course, students must attend the full retreat and its related mentor huddles. Arriving late, leaving early, or missing any required portion changes the course to asynchronous completion.

The student may complete that course asynchronously at no additional charge. If the student later wishes to repeat the course synchronously, the retake fee is 40% of the course’s then-current retail price.

Key Trainings are treated differently because they are informational sessions that can be completed more readily through their recordings.

Can I attend a huddle if I am completing the course asynchronously?

Yes. Asynchronous students may attend mentor huddles for project guidance if they have watched the applicable retreat content and arrive prepared.

Huddles are spaces for mentoring and integration. Students should bring their work, questions, and understanding of the course material so that the time can be used meaningfully.

Can I work while completing the program?

Many students continue to work, teach, care for family members, or manage many other responsibilities during the program. We've had professional surgeons, chiropractors, mental health counselors, care-givers, and palliative physicians complete Sattva Yoga Therapy.

The training is designed with flexibility, but it is still a substantial professional commitment. Students need protected time for live sessions, independent study, practice, projects, and clinical work.

Before beginning each pillar, we recommend reviewing the full schedule and creating realistic space for both learning and integration with our enrollment director.

How much time should I expect to study each week?

The workload changes throughout the program. Rather than expecting the same number of hours every week, students should plan for a consistent rhythm of study and additional protected time around synchronous training, project deadlines, and clinical responsibilities.

Projects and Assessment

Are there projects and exams?

Yes. The program uses projects, experiential assignments, faculty assessment, observation, and quizzes or exams to evaluate developing competencies.

Each pillar contains four courses. The first three courses have individual projects, and the fourth course houses the pillar capstone. Every student completes the capstone project and the final quiz or exam.

Can a course project ever be waived?

Students who attend all synchronous requirements for one of the first three courses in a pillar may not be required to submit that individual course project.

If any required synchronous time is missed—including arriving late or leaving early—the project is required.

A luminary may recommend an individual project waiver when a student is falling behind but has demonstrated adequate competency. Kierra must approve or audit these waivers. The final capstone and exam cannot be waived.

When is coursework due?

Every course belongs to a specific pillar and follows that pillar’s completion deadlines.

Assignments must be submitted and graded in time for students to move through the pillars together. Certificates and course progress should be completed before the mid-pillar break unless an approved plan states otherwise.

Current requirements, resources, and deadlines are found in the About section of the applicable course. When in doubt, go to About.

Mentoring and Clinical Integration

Is mentoring included?

Yes! Required program-provided individual and group mentoring is included in tuition.

Students receive mentoring throughout the core curriculum and clinical integration. Mentoring helps students ask deeper questions, examine their application of yoga therapy, receive competency-based feedback, and grow into ethical professional practice.

What does the clinical portion include?

The clinical practicum includes 180 total hours:

• At least 100 hours of individual client work
• Up to 50 hours of group facilitation
• 30 hours of mentoring
• At least 20 active mentoring hours, including six program-provided individual sessions
• Up to 10 observer-mentoring hours
• 10 completed case studies
• Two group series serving two different populations
• At least five mentor-verified observer forms

The practicum is designed to help students step back, reflect, and continue learning from their clinical application with mentor support.

How long do clinicals take?

Clinical integration is intended to take approximately 12 months, so that we are with you for all four seasons of your professional practice.

Students who need additional time may request an extension of up to 18 months. The request must be submitted in writing to the Student Success Director early enough to create an appropriate completion plan.

The entire 1,000-hour program must still be completed within four years of the signed Participant Agreement.

Does graduation automatically make me a C-IAYT?

Graduating from an IAYT-accredited yoga therapy program is an important qualification, but the C-IAYT credential is awarded by IAYT.

After successfully completing all program requirements, graduates may apply directly to IAYT and must meet its current eligibility, documentation, ethics, and application requirements. Our school will submit your certificate and transcripts to IAYT.

Flexible Pathways

What is the slow track?

The slow track is a planned academic pathway for students who need to complete their on-demand Bridge or foundational work before entering or re-entering the pillar sequence.

Slow track changes the academic pace to a four-year completion timeline.

What does it mean to pause the program?

A pause temporarily stops academic progress for approximately three to six months because of a serious circumstance such as illness, loss, or a significant personal disruption.

Paused students retain access to their existing program materials. Tuition payments and the four-year completion period continue during the pause. Before returning, the student works with the appropriate team member to create a clear re-entry plan.

What is the difference between slow track, a pause, and a missed module?

Slow track is an intentional decision to complete foundational work before returning to the pillar sequence.

A pause stops academic progress completely for a limited period because of a serious life circumstance.

A missed module means the student remains in the current pillar and completes the missed course asynchronously, ideally by the pillar’s project-completion deadline.

Tuition and Financial Questions

How much does the program cost?

Current all-inclusive tuition is $14,184 for students who enroll on or before November 1, 2026.

Beginning November 2, 2026, the tuition options will be:

• Pay in full: $15,400
• Three annual payments of $5,133, totaling $15,399
• Thirty-six monthly payments of $428, totaling $15,408

The small differences in totals allow each automated payment to remain the same throughout the plan.

What does all-inclusive tuition mean?

All-inclusive tuition means the required core curriculum and required clinical integration are included in the published tuition.

Tuition includes:

• The complete six-pillar, 1,000-hour curriculum
• Required clinical integration
• Required program-provided group and individual mentoring
• One scheduled opportunity to attend each required course synchronously
• Printed program manuals
• Access to the online practice library
• Sattva book-club participation
• Faculty guidance and competency assessment
• Final program certification after all requirements are completed

There is no separate enrollment deposit or required clinical-mentoring fee.

Are there additional expenses?

Students are responsible for expenses not identified as included tuition. These may include outside books, personal supplies, travel, lodging, meals, optional retreats or trainings, and elective synchronous course retakes.

We want students to understand the full commitment before enrolling, so questions about possible additional costs are always welcome at hello@pranayogaschool.com

Do you offer scholarships?

We do not currently offer institute-funded scholarships.

We do offer payment-plan options to make tuition more manageable over time. Students are also welcome to independently explore professional-development benefits, workforce funding, employer reimbursement, community grants, or private educational funding for which they may qualify.

Because outside funding is controlled by other organizations, we cannot promise that the program will qualify for a particular grant or reimbursement plan.

Student Support and Communication

Where should I ask questions once I am enrolled?

Course-related questions that may help the wider learning community should be posted in the Hearth. Students can tag their mentor so that others can also see and learn from the response.

Students email their individual mentor once to share their Google Drive folder link. Ongoing academic questions are not managed through private faculty email unless the concern is personal or confidential.

Who should I contact for help?

Use hello@pranayogaschool.com for academic, onboarding, certification, technical, pause, private student-support, and general program questions.

Use accounts@pranayogainstitute.com for tuition, invoices, payment plans, failed payments, and other billing questions.

Our communication goal is to acknowledge student emails within one business day and provide a complete response within two business days whenever possible.

Where can enrolled students find current requirements?

Begin with the About section of the applicable trimester pillar. It contains the current learning objectives, competencies, resources, assignments, project guidance, and course-completion expectations.

When in doubt, go to About.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

The path of yoga therapy is deep, relational, and evocative. We learn by asking questions that lead to greater questions until we land on what is simple.

If you feel called to this work, we invite you to begin with an application. We select up to 12 students each trimester and welcome thoughtful applications throughout the year.

Apply to the Sattva Yoga Therapy Program