200-HR Bhakti Yoga Teacher Training

Established 2015

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Bhakti Yoga DC

928 5th St NW, Washington, DC 20001, USA

Washington, DC

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Purpose

Our purpose is to cultivate confident, skillful, and spiritually rooted teachers who can share yoga safely, authentically, and with deep understanding.

What to expect

An immersive, spiritually grounded exploration of the full breadth of yoga. Our 200-hour Bhakti training invites you to step beyond posture study and into the living heart of the practice — blending daily asana, meditation, mantra, philosophy, and ritual in a cohesive, experiential format. - You’ll move through yoga’s sacred science as it has been carried through lineage: studying the Bhagavad Gita, the Yamas & Niyamas, pranayama, subtle body wisdom, and devotional practices, while also gaining strong foundations in anatomy, alignment, sequencing, and compassionate student care. Each day integrates practice, study, and personal reflection, guiding you into embodied understanding rather than rote learning. - Expect a transformative environment where yoga becomes a lifestyle — cultivating clarity, discipline, and devotion — and preparing you to share the practice in a way that is authentic, heart-centered, and spiritually rooted.

Style/Lineage

Bhakti Yoga DC offers a heart-centered, lineage-informed approach that blends classical yoga with the devotional path of Bhakti. Rooted in the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita and enriched by the teachings of masters such as Shiva Rea, Ana Forrest, and Gary Kraftsow, our style integrates intelligent asana, mindful breathwork, mantra, meditation, and ancient ritual. Our classes honor tradition while meeting the needs of the modern practitioner — accessible, embodied, spiritually grounded, and open to all levels.

Additional Information

Core competencies

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

Anatomy, Physiology, Biomechanics	Identify common anatomical contraindications and risk factors by recognizing when and how to modify or omit postures for individual bodies. Describe the primary muscles, joints, and actions involved in major asana categories (forward bends, backbends, twists, lateral bends, inversions, arm balances) by accurately explaining their role in movement, stability, and load-bearing during practice. Explain the role of the nervous system in yoga practice by describing how asana, pranayama, and meditation influence autonomic regulation and stress response. Apply functional biomechanics to asana alignment and sequencing by demonstrating safe joint actions, appropriate muscular engagement, and injury-preventive cueing. Other principles of human variation by adapting alignment and instruction to honor skeletal differences, connective tissue variability, and functional limitations.
Practice Skills	Demonstrate mindful transitions and vinyasa flow by coordinating movement and breath with steadiness, control, and intentional pacing. Practice foundational and intermediate asana categories by moving with breath awareness, stability, and intentional transitions. Practice pranayama techniques by applying safe breath ratios and techniques appropriate for calming, energizing, or balancing the nervous system. Perform seated meditation and mantra practices by sustaining focused attention and cultivating internal awareness. Demonstrate ritual and devotional elements of yoga practice by participating with respect, presence, and understanding of their purpose within bhakti yoga.
Teaching Skills	Cue asana, breath, and transitions by using clear, accessible language that supports safety, awareness, and embodiment. Guide students through pranayama and meditation by offering steady instruction that supports regulation, focus, and internal awareness. Other student movement and response by identifying compensation patterns, limitations, and opportunities for modification. Demonstrate effective hands-on assists and adaptations by applying consent-based, anatomically sound touch that supports student learning and safety. Create a supportive learning environment by communicating with empathy, inclusivity, and professionalism. Teach a complete yoga class by delivering clear instruction, appropriate pacing, and cohesive sequencing from opening to closing. Plan class sequences for varied intentions and populations by applying principles of wave theory, progressive loading, and energetic balance.
Yoga History & Theory	Apply yogic philosophy to contemporary life and teaching by translating ethical and philosophical principles into practical action. Contrast devotional (bhakti) and non-devotional approaches to yoga by examining differences in intention, methodology, and orientation toward the sacred. Develop a personal understanding of yoga as a living tradition by reflecting on study, practice, and lived experience. Describe the historical foundations of yoga by outlining key texts, lineages, and philosophical roots of the tradition. Explain core teachings of the yoga sutras and bhagavad gita by accurately articulating their purpose, structure, and relevance to practice. Discuss the integration of multiple yoga paths by examining karma, jnana, and bhakti yoga as complementary approaches. Compare classical yogic philosophy and modern yoga practice by identifying continuities, adaptations, and areas of divergence.
Business Skills	Describe the professional landscape of yoga teaching by explaining common teaching formats, employment structures, and ethical considerations. Develop strategies for sustainable teaching opportunities by identifying pathways for growth that align with service, integrity, and personal capacity. Create a professional teaching presence by establishing clear boundaries, consistent communication, and reliability. Write a personal teaching bio or offering description by articulating authentic voice, values, and teaching focus clearly and honestly.
Lifestyle & Ethics	Discuss ethical responsibility in the teacher–student relationship by examining boundaries, consent, power dynamics, and duty of care. Describe the yamas and niyamas as ethical foundations of yoga by accurately explaining their meaning and relevance to personal practice and teaching. Explain the role of lifestyle practices in yoga by describing how daily habits support physical health, mental clarity, and spiritual growth. Apply yogic ethical principles to daily life by making conscious choices that align behavior, speech, and intention with yogic values. Compare yogic lifestyle principles and modern cultural norms by identifying areas of alignment, tension, and conscious adaptation. Contrast values-driven teaching and performance-based teaching by distinguishing intention, motivation, and impact on students.

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

Written exam
Teaching evaluation
Special project

Our testing requirements include a written final exam, two reflection essays on the Yamas and Niyamas, and four sequencing assignments—one each for backbends, forward folds, lateral bends, and twists. Students also complete a reflection essay on the Bhagavad Gita. The program concludes with a partnered final teaching exam, where each trainee teaches a 20-minute segment of a 40-minute class to demonstrate clear cueing, safe sequencing, and effective classroom presence.

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Program Faculty

Featured Faculty

Gopi Kinnicutt

Founder/Owner Bhakti Yoga DC. Bhakti-infused yoga teacher who has developed her own unique teaching style. She organically creates and designs dynamic fluid yoga sequences, infused with deep spirituality.

bhaktiyogadc.com/

Washington, DC, US

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