200hr Heart Centered Yoga Teacher Training

Established 2026

Chagrin Falls, OH

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Purpose

Learn to teach heart-centered, accessible, inclusive yoga while cultivating nervous system awareness and experiencing the healing power of supportive community.

What to expect

A heart-centered 200hr training rooted in personal transformation, mindful language, and intentional pacing. Learn to teach accessible, inclusive yoga practice, cultivating nervous system awareness and the healing power of supportive community. Trauma informed.

This training has a strong focus on the following core areas:

Teaching breath & Asana to varying degrees of ability
Posture Clinics & Practice Teaching
Learning to teach from your authentic self
Class Sequence & Sequencing Asana
Theming classes
Affirmations, Mantras & Self Talk
Altars, Creating, and holding Sacred Space
Intro to the Yoga Sutras
Intro to Ayurveda, Doshas
Chakras
Business of Yoga

Style/Lineage

We prioritize accessibility, safety, and holistic well-being. Our approach emphasizes “nervous system fitness,” as much a physical fitness using breath, movement, and meditation to regulate stress and cultivate inner and outer strength and resilience. Our lead trainer's main influences include Jan Howenstein, Judith Lasater, Anusara Method, mixed with an understanding of western science around the nervous system, Gestalt training, and Trauma Informed Yoga.

Additional Information

Core competencies

By the end of this program, graduates will be able to…

Anatomy, Physiology, Biomechanics	Apply knowledge of skeletal alignment to verbal cueing, demonstrating how to guide students toward safe and effective positioning of major bones, joints, and muscle groups. Describe how chronic stress affects the body using the lens of the autonomic nervous system, and identify specific yoga tools such as breathwork, slow movement, and meditation activate the parasympathetic nervous system and support the relaxation response. Apply knowledge of specific body systems to pose selection, choosing modifications that are appropriate for students with common health challenges.
Teaching Skills	Develop a detailed lesson plan for a beginning yoga class that includes a class theme, appropriate time to warm-up, flow, cool-down, and breath or meditation segments, and time estimates for each section. Design a class protocol and welcome statement that establishes a safe, affirming, and fully inclusive environment for students of diverse backgrounds and abilities, applying invitational language and trauma-aware practices. Teach a full beginning yoga class to peers, demonstrating clear verbal cueing, proper alignment correction, breath integration, and a Heart-Centered approach.
Practice Skills	Sequence a logical progression of foundational poses that builds strength and mobility safely, with written cueing notes for each transition. Design an original class sequence for a beginning yoga student that incorporates a class theme, breath awareness, and a logical progression of poses from warm-up through closing. Compare the physiological effects of calming versus energizing pranayama, explaining which breath practices are best suited for different stages of a class. Explain the key differences between Yoga Nidra, savasana, and single-focus meditation, describing what makes each practice distinct. Demonstrate the correct hand position for a selected mudra while leading a group through its associated mantra, breath, or meditation practice. Describe the relationship between the chakra system and common physical, mental, and emotional experiences, using examples from class discussion and yogic philosophy. Demonstrate at least three modifications for a foundational pose, using props or position changes to make the pose accessible across a wide range of abilities. Identify the foundational principles of restorative yoga as developed by BKS Iyengar and Judith Lasater, including the role of props, passive holds, and supported positions.
Yoga History & Theory	Design a class theme rooted in a Heart-Centered principle such as ahimsa or satya, integrating philosophy, asana, and breathwork into a unified student experience. Describe the major branches and styles of yoga, explaining the defining principles and historical context of each. Identify Patanjali's Eight Limbs of Yoga and state the meaning and purpose of each limb in sequence. Identify the five Niyamas—saucha, santosha, tapas, svadhyaya, and Ishvara pranidhana—and define each in plain language.
Lifestyle & Ethics	Apply mindfulness practices to daily life by choosing at least three off-the-mat techniques that support present-moment awareness and stress reduction. Integrate at least three yogic lifestyle practices—such as pranayama, journaling, gratitude, or conscious eating—into a consistent daily routine that supports long-term teaching vitality. Apply relational and community-building practices in your teaching, while how holding space for full presence, warmth, and appropriate boundaries, including welcoming rituals, inclusive language, check-ins, and creating space for student voices.
Business Skills	Describe various revenue streams and career paths available to yoga teachers, including studio employment, private clients, community centers, wellness clinics, online platforms, corporate events, and independent teaching; and how they offer distinct opportunities and require different professional approaches. Create a teacher bio, class description, and simple social media profile that honestly and warmly communicates your teaching identity and the experience students can expect. Explain the professional essentials of running a yoga teaching practice, including liability insurance, student waivers, invoicing, and scope of practice, as well as the key considerations between an employee vs an independent contractor, and the tax implications of both. Identify networking opportunities such as working with body workers, wellness professionals, acupuncturist, community clinics and how they can support and supplement your offerings and income.

AYC allows each school to state and evaluate the competencies each student acquires. Students rate how well the program delivered them.

Program Emphasis

Evaluation methods

Program evaluations

Oral Exam
Written Submission
Solo Project Or Presentation
Direct Observation

Students will be required to submit written exams, solo and group projects, and class sequencing. They will also receive direct observation and feedback from faculty and peers.

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Program Faculty

Featured Faculty

Polly Manke

Continuous teaching since 2002. Classes, private clients, yoga therapy, "Gentle Yoga", mindful, meditative, therapeutic yoga. Studio owner: The Heart Center since 2021. Heart Centered Yoga School beginning fall of 2026.

Chagrin Falls, OH, US

Adjunct Faculty