Ashtanga Teacher Training

100hr Yoga Essentials Program

Develop Your Personal Practice in Ashtanga & Beyond

The Yoga Essentials Program is an immersion for yoga teachers and/or enthusiastic practitioners. A wide-ranging program for all who wish to broaden and deepen their knowledge and experience of traditional and contemporary yoga studies.

October 2026 - March 2027

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Who is this program for?

This program is intended for practitioners who feel a sincere curiosity about where yoga can lead when it is practiced consistently and studied deeply.

It may be right for you if:

You have a regular or semi-regular practice and feel drawn to understand the deeper foundations behind it.
You have been practicing for 2 or more years.
You are a yoga teacher seeking greater refinement, context, and clarity in your teaching.
You practice Ashtanga Yoga and want to immerse yourself more fully in the method.
You practice other vinyasa-based styles and want to understand the deeper architecture of vinyasa, sequencing, and philosophy.

“Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”

— Quote Source

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Senior Teacher Trainers

2-4 sentences about the Ashtanga training approach.

Sam Silversides

Sam Silversides

A Six Month 100-Hour Yoga Essentials Program

If you’ve ever had the feeling that your yoga practice is pointing towards something deeper, something unseen but essential and urgent, this program is for you. You see the practice working, mysteriously transforming your thoughts and actions but are curious to explore how and why it works, and where it comes from. This program is an invitation to look again at these ancient yet perennial philosophies, techniques, and practices.

We will approach these practices and studies with the receptivity and open-mindedness that yoga requires, so that we can give them the space they deserve, considering them from varying perspectives. Joining this program is a conscious decision to truly begin, or continue, the work of yoga and establish a paradigm in your life that will support explorations of this vast subject beyond the 6 months of this program.

We explore Ashtanga yoga in its conventional and historical context but also in its current evolution. We will explore the first two posture sequences as they are, and learn how to adapt them without losing the integrity of the method. We will deconstruct the vinyasa method, explore how it applies to the sequences, how vinyasa keeps the practice working from the inside, and why that is important. We will not only look at postures from their external expressions, but through the internal forms which support them and the underlying patterns threading them together. We will explore anatomy and the organizing principles of posture and movement to further understand the body’s holistic relationship and cooperation. We will begin to understand the physical body’s connection to the mind and to the why of yoga.

Beyond asana, we will practice meditation, pranayama, and Sanskrit chanting. We will learn the techniques that support these practices in order to gain deeper insight into the practice of yoga through our own direct experience. Beyond practice, we will study, reflect upon, and discuss philosophies and texts which support and inform the practice on the mat so that they naturally extend into everything we do.

While much of the training takes place through practice and study, the deeper aim of the program is to explore how yoga influences the whole of life. Over the 6 months, students begin to observe how the practice shapes the way we respond to challenges, the quality of our attention, our relationship with ourselves and others, and our ability to remain steady in changing circumstances. In these ways we will experience how the practice gradually shifts from something we practice occasionally to something that informs how we live and interact with the world, so that the ideas and concepts we engage with do not stay as intellectual ideas but rather become embodied. This way the practice of yoga can truly take root deeply within our mind, body, and heart.

The intention of the program is not simply to train students and/or teachers, but to help practitioners establish the foundation for a more intelligent practice. We will discover together that it is by direct engagement and experience of yoga for a sustained period of time that we learn to express the practice in our own unique way. That expression might then be shared through teaching. So instead of giving you specific cues or directions to guide a class, we will take you through the process of finding your own way of sharing the practice, your own words and actions to authentically express your experience with yoga. We will consider how to hold a space with wisdom and communicate with compassion, so that the fruits of your efforts on the mat are truly for the benefit of others, for we are all interconnected. We will find that these are refinements of skills relevant to anyone relating with other beings, not just those who wish to teach. But for those who do, we will explore what it takes to do so with clarity, accountability, and integrity.

Since we will have six months together we will be able to see the fruits of these explorations absorbed and reflected upon over some time. Not only within ourselves but also within the community, with many opportunities for discussion, dialogue, and consideration of different perspectives to assure we keep our minds open.

If you are ready to move beyond practicing yoga occasionally and start exploring how yoga can shape everything you do, this program offers the structure, support, and community to begin that journey.

What will we explore?

Throughout the program we approach yoga as a complete system of study, practice, and self-inquiry. Our explorations are guided by direct experience because that is the essence of this practice, understanding and embodying through experience, rather than making the practice of yoga an intellectual process or performative. We will leave the armchair to roll up our sleeves and get into the nitty gritty of yoga. This self transformation reshapes us, reinforming our thoughts, actions, and words from the inside out.

We will explore different areas of study within the broad subject of Yoga, always stepping back and considering how the separate “areas of study” are interconnected and blend into each other. We separate the practices to focus on one thing only, but after regular practice will come to see how they are all contained in each other. Through that insight we begin to see the interconnectedness in everything and everyone.

We explore Ashtanga Yoga in its conventional and historical context but also in its evolving and adaptable context. We will explore the sequences as they are, and learn to adapt them for evolving transforming realities without losing the integrity of the method.
- Mysore-style self practice - If you don't yet have a Mysore practice, you will be supported in establishing one that meets you where you are in your own unique circumstances
- Guided Ashtanga classes - for more detailed and technical asana breakdowns based on our studies with the masters
- Alignment and internal form of postures - Exploring actions and counteractions in order to balance your postures to taste.
- Principles of Prana and Apana, the “winds” of your body
- The Primary Series, or Yoga Chikistā (Yoga Therapy)
- Introduction to The Intermediate Series, or Nāḍī Śodhana (Nerve Cleansing)
- Breathing patterns within postures and between postures, the rhythm of vinyasa practice.
- Intelligent Sequencing
- Vinyasa principles and method
- Dristhi and Bandha
- Sustainable and intelligent movement through variations and eccentric forms of postures in Ashtanga Yoga’s curriculum.
We will consider an anatomical analysis of the Primary Series asanas. You will learn how to deepen your knowledge of individual asanas through a better understanding of the anatomy, focusing primarily on myofascial anatomy, and how to physiologically enhance its performance based on proven scientific facts.
We explore how we can share what we experience with sincerity and integrity, by how we relate to other beings in our life and potentially by teaching yoga classes. Rather than giving you specific cues to guide a class, we will take you through the process of finding your own way of sharing the practice, through words and actions that are an authentic expression of your experience with yoga.
- The different skills needed for teaching a guided class vs a Mysore class.
- Observing bodies and patterns in practice
- Adjustments and assists for key postures
- Supporting students individually in a Mysore-style environment.
- Optional teaching practice with feedback
- Ethics and boundaries for teachers and students
- How to hold space with wisdom
- How to communicate with compassion.
- Preparation to assist a Mysore teacher with the option to continue in an apprenticeship program after the 6 month intensive.
Beyond asana, students will explore:
- Foundational pranayama practices and techniques - developing an intimate relationship with the intelligence of the breath and its internal movements.
- Meditation techniques that cultivate steadiness and clarity - based in Buddhist teachings and practices, which follow from the yoga tradition.
- One weekend dedicated to longer sitting practices.
- Sanskrit chanting as a way to connect language, resonance, and practice.
Through monthly philosophy sessions and ongoing discussion, we examine:
- Key yogic texts - The Yoga Sutra, select Upanishads, The Bhagavad Gita, and other important yogic texts
- The historical roots of Ashtanga Yoga
- Introduction to Buddhist teachings in relation to how they support and inform how we practice yoga.
- Ashtanga Yoga and Yoga within the broader landscape of contemplative and wisdom traditions
- How these teachings remain ever-relevant in contemporary life…
The program combines group learning with individual mentorship. Students practice and study together while also receiving personal guidance and feedback from teachers. Rather than fitting into a rigid training model, the teachings are explored in a way that allows each student to understand how the practices uniquely apply to their own unique body and life.
Rather than presenting yoga as a fixed set of answers, the program invites students into a process of inquiry. We believe that the process of asking questions itself is insightful and meaningful as the mind must remain open and receptive. When we already have answers the mind is boxed in, limited by concepts and categories. Asking questions will be an important part of this program–questions that have answers but perhaps more importantly those that lead to further questions. Does every question have an answer? Together we explore open-ended questions such as:
- What makes Ashtanga Yoga Ashtanga Yoga?
- What elements of the practice are essential and universal?
- Where does personal interpretation arise?
- How do traditional teachings adapt to modern life without losing their integrity?
- How does regular practice transform the way I live?
- How is the effort put in on the mat reflected off the mat?
- How does practice and study of yoga influence the way I think, make decisions, relate to others, and move through the world?

Program Structure

The program takes place over 6 months, creating a steady rhythm of study and practice, plenty of direct experience, with reflection and dialogue that supports meaningful integration.

Monthly Schedule

One in-person training weekend each month.
- October 4-3, 2026
- November 7-8, 2026
- December 5-6, 2026
- February 6-7, 2027
- March 13-14, 2027
One live Zoom philosophy session each month. Recordings will be made available for those who cannot attend live.
- October 18, 2026
- November 22, 2026
- December 20, 2026
- January 17, 2027
- February 21, 2027
Ongoing personal practice and study throughout the program
- You’ll have access to all daily classes with The Mysore Program as part of the program tuition.

Program Hours

70 in-person training hours
10 online live philosophy hours (Zoom)
20 hours of independent study and coursework
Weekly personal practice

This rhythm encourages consistency and accountability while allowing the teachings to gradually integrate into everyday life.

What will you leave with?

At the end of the 6-month immersion, students will leave with:

A 100-hour Certificate of Completion issued by The Mysore Program
A consistent and sustainable personal practice in asana, meditation, pranayama, and chanting.
Knowledge of the Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga, including the vinyasa system and breathing patterns.
An embodied understanding of what alignment means and how internal forms guide asana and vinyasa.
Practical experience with adjustments and assists
The skills to teach or guide a yoga class with depth, clarity and responsibility for those who wish to.
A deeper understanding of yoga philosophy
Tools to face the inevitable obstacles and doubts that cross our yogic paths.
Teachers to turn to for feedback, dialogue, and support.
Graduates will also be prepared to assist a Mysore teacher, continuing to refine their skills and experience within the practice community. There will be the option for a select few who are willing to continue in an apprenticeship program with The Mysore Program.