Rose Temple Yoga School - 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training

Established 2026

TN-1, Nashville, TN, USA

Nashville, TN

Program Instances

On demand Start anytime 302 days • 200 hours • $ 2500+ Video	Led by Bertena Varney Fitness	Inquire See up-front pricing
In person Dates: TBD 302 days • 200 hours • $ 2500+ Nashville, TN, US	Led by Bertena Varney Fitness	Inquire See up-front pricing
Hybrid Dates: TBD 302 days • 200 hours • $ 2500+ Nashville, TN, US	Led by Bertena Varney Fitness	Inquire See up-front pricing

Purpose

Our purpose is to train compassionate, heart-centered yoga teachers who make yoga accessible for every body through gentle, therapeutic, spiritual, and inclusive practices rooted in embodiment, confidence, and connection.

What to expect

Rose Temple Yoga School is for students who want to explore yoga as more than physical exercise. This training invites you to deepen your personal practice, connect with the spiritual teachings of yoga, and learn how to share yoga in a compassionate and accessible way.

Throughout the program, you will participate in live classes, guided practices, lectures, group discussions, personal reflection, journaling, readings, class-planning activities, and practice teaching. You will receive support and feedback as you develop the confidence to guide safe, meaningful, and welcoming yoga experiences.

Major topics include:

Yoga history, philosophy, ethics, and the Eight Limbs of Yoga
Functional anatomy, the nervous system, and body awareness
Breathwork, meditation, Yoga Nidra, and spiritual development
Gentle, chair, somatic, restorative, yin, and therapeutic yoga
Inclusive language, modifications, props, and accessible movement
The chakras, subtle energy, intuition, and the mind-body-spirit connection
Sequencing, class themes, cueing, communication, and holding sacred space
Professional ethics, boundaries, and developing your authentic teaching voice

What makes Rose Temple Yoga School different is our belief that yoga truly is for every body. You do not need to be young, thin, flexible, athletic, or able to perform advanced poses. You will learn to meet students where they are and create practices that support different ages, body types, abilities, and life experiences.

Whether you feel called to teach or simply want to deepen your own spiritual practice, you will be welcomed, supported, and encouraged to grow at your own pace.

Style/Lineage

Rose Temple Yoga School is rooted in Thirumoolar’s Ashtanga Therapeutic Yoga, a South Indian tradition that understands yoga as a complete path of healing, self-awareness, spiritual growth, and compassionate service.

Bertena studied with Mary Irby, founder of White Crow Yoga, whose teaching was influenced by her studies in Chennai, India, with Guruji Dr. Asana Andiappan. Dr. Andiappan is internationally known for therapeutic yoga and for developing accessible practices inspired by the teachings of Sage Thirumoolar.

At Rose Temple Yoga School, Ashtanga does not refer only to a physically demanding sequence. It means the eight-limbed path of yoga, including ethical living, personal discipline, postures, breathwork, meditation, concentration, inward reflection, and spiritual integration.

Our training draws from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and Sage Thirumoolar’s Tirumandiram, which teaches that the body, breath, mind, energy, and spirit are deeply connected.

We define yoga as a sacred practice of union that helps us return to ourselves, care for the body, calm the nervous system, deepen spiritual awareness, and live with greater compassion.

Our teaching style is gentle, therapeutic, inclusive, and adaptable. Students learn chair yoga, restorative yoga, yin, somatic movement, meditation, Yoga Nidra, breathwork, and accessible forms of Hatha yoga. We honor the ancient roots of yoga while teaching students how to share these practices safely and meaningfully with people of different ages, bodies, abilities, and life experiences.

Additional Information

Additional Information for Students

Payment plans are available to help make the training more accessible. Students do not need to be able to perform advanced yoga poses, but they should be willing to participate in personal practice, study, reflection, group discussions, and practice teaching.

Online lessons, handouts, videos, and other course materials will be provided through the student learning platform.

Required Yoga and Practice Materials- There may be some items to borrow from the school.

Students will need:

A yoga mat
Two yoga bolsters
Two yoga blocks
Two yoga blankets
A yoga strap
An eye mask
A journal and writing supplies
A reusable water bottle

Required Books

Wheels of Life: A User’s Guide to the Chakra System by Anodea Judith
Teaching Yoga, Second Edition by Mark Stephens
The Yamas & Niyamas Workbook: A Practical Guide to Yogic Living by Kate M.
Yoga Sequencing: Designing Transformative Yoga Classes by Mark Stephens
The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice by Deborah Adele
Yoga Cures: Simple Routines to Conquer More Than 50 Common Ailments and Live Pain-Free by Tara Stiles
Yoga Life: Habits, Poses, and Breathwork to Channel Joy Amidst the Chaos by Brett Larkin
Yoga Adjustments: Philosophy, Principles, and Techniques by Mark Stephens

Students are responsible for obtaining the required books and practice materials. A limited number of books may be available to borrow. Additional books and readings may be assigned or recommended based on each student’s interests, teaching goals, and areas of specialization.

Recommended Podcast

Students may also be asked to listen to selected episodes of the Uplifted Yoga podcast with Brett Larkin as part of their personal study and class discussions.

Core competencies

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

Yoga History & Theory	Explain the foundations of yoga history, philosophy, and lineage, including the eight limbs of yoga, the Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita, and Thirumoolar’s Ashtanga Therapeutic Yoga. Apply the Yamas and Niyamas as ethical guidelines for personal practice, teaching, community care, accessibility, and spiritual growth. Explain how yoga can be practiced as a sacred path of embodiment, healing, and self-awareness. Describe the connection between yoga, the Divine Feminine, and the priestess path in a way that is grounded, respectful, and accessible.
Practice Skills	Demonstrate safe and compassionate teaching of foundational yoga postures, including gentle, chair-based, restorative, yin, and accessible variations. Understand breath as a sacred practice and use pranayama, meditation, mantra, or prayer as tools for inner connection. Connect yoga practices with moon phases, seasonal cycles, and the Wheel of the Year. Develop a personal priestess-inspired yoga practice that includes movement, breath, meditation, reflection, and sacred intention.
Teaching Skills	Create inclusive yoga classes for beginners, older adults, women over 40, plus-size bodies, students with limited mobility, and students with health concerns. Use trauma-aware and consent-based teaching methods, including invitational language, choice-based cueing, hands-off options, and emotionally safe class structures. Teach basic pranayama and meditation practices safely and accessibly for a variety of students. Design thoughtful yoga sequences for gentle yoga, chair yoga, restorative yoga, yin yoga, yoga nidra, Divine Feminine yoga, chakra yoga, and moon/seasonal practices. Teach or present a final integration project through either a final yoga class practicum or a personal spiritual practice project. Create inclusive yoga practices that honor women over 40, older adults, plus-size bodies, limited mobility, life transitions, menopause, grief, healing, and personal transformation.
Anatomy, Physiology, Biomechanics	Describe basic anatomy and movement principles related to safe yoga teaching, including the spine, joints, muscles, breath, nervous system, aging, mobility, and contraindications.
Lifestyle & Ethics	Understand and integrate subtle energy concepts, including prana, nadis, chakras, koshas, vayus, and chakra-based yoga practices. Develop a personal yoga and spiritual practice that supports embodiment, self-awareness, nervous system regulation, compassion, and sacred connection. Explore the womb, heart, and voice as symbolic centers of wisdom, creativity, compassion, truth, and expression.
Business Skills	Practice within the appropriate scope of yoga teaching, recognizing when to refer students to qualified medical, mental health, or wellness professionals.