Karla Brodie, faculty at Contemporary Yoga Teacher Training

200-hour Yoga Teacher Training

Donna Farhi, Evolving Towards Simplicity, Auckland 2026

Donna Farhi, Evolving Towards Simplicity, Auckland, April 2026

Haidee Stairmand, faculty at Contemporary Yoga Teacher Training

Experienced Passionate Faculty

Neal Ghoshal, Director and Senior Tutor at Contemporary Yoga Teacher Training

Professional Development Trainings

Karla Brodie, Restorative Yoga Teacher Training, Auckland, New Zealand - Supported, Reclined, Bound Angle Pose

Restorative Yoga Training

Pregnancy Yoga Training with Contemporary Yoga and Opti-mum

Pregnancy Yoga Training

Sam Loe, Contemporary Yoga Teacher Training

Yoga History and Philosophy

Navel Radiation Flowers. FAQ - Yoga in Auckland with Contemporary Yoga

Your Questions Answered

Sandy Farquhar - Supporting Our Students

Supporting Our Students

We believe in excellence in Yoga teacher training.

For us and our students, this is far beyond teaching asana.

Contemporary Yoga is a truly holistic programme that offers a transformational experience for students that explores deep into the Yoga tradition and modern movement theory to build skills that support and enhance a life of Yoga practice and Yoga teaching.

The amount of knowledge and understanding, experience and love that has gone into the teacher training is truly epic and has enabled such a deep and rich learning experience.
Caroline Bindon

Diverse, enlightening and empowering. The course exceeded my highest expectations and has equipped me with a toolbox of yoga teachings that I could apply in many circumstances to a wide variety of students.
Cam McLeay

Are you interested in deepening your understanding and experience of Yoga practice?

Not sure if you would like to teach?

Contemporary Yoga Teacher Training is in its 11th year of offering teacher trainings. Many of our students join us to deepen their understanding of all aspects of Yoga not necessarily to teach. Although, often through the process of training, students change their mind and want to teach - sometimes beginning with their family, friends and community.

This year, recognising that some students want to fully immerse themselves in Yoga without learning to teach, we have crafted our 200 hour teacher training into two parts:

Our next 200-hour courses:

Immersion & 200 hour Training 2025
Part 1: 5th - 13th July (break day 9th)
Part 2: 20th - 28th Sept (break day 24th)

January 2026
Approximately 18 days from early January.
Dates to be confirmed by April 2025.

Inquiries and expressions of interest welcome: info@yogateachertraining.nz

Trainings are in two parts:

Part One: Diving into Practice: Yoga immersion - for Yoga lovers: Can be taken as a standalone course.

Part Two: Emerging to Teach: Immersion & teacher training with certification: Part one must be completed prior.

The 200 hour trainings includes up to 40 hours of teacher directed and supported online learning.

 

Part One - Diving into Practice
Yoga immersion - for Yoga lovers
5th - 13th July 2025
(break day 9th)

Part Two - Emerging to Teach
Immersion & teacher training with certification
(must be taken with part one)
20th - 28th September 2025
(break day 24th)

Course Investment

Part One only: $2,140
Deposit $500

Part One and Two: $3875
Deposit $500

Part One - Diving into Practice
We offer part one as a standalone immersion into the principles and practice of Yoga including history, philosophy, essential anatomy and guidance on developing a personalized self practice. These are all the ingredients to develop and enhance understanding and experience of Yoga as a sustaining and deepening life practice.

Who is this for?
Lovers of Yoga practice in classes and at home and Yoga teachers with curiosity and interest who want study with our passionate, experienced and highly skilled faculty who are eternal students themselves.

Part Two - Emerging To Teach
This is a practical, in-depth immersion into Yoga pedagogy, the ethics of teaching, developing effective and inspiring class plans, in-depth and relevant learning about anatomy and physiology, teaching skills, creating a brand, safe and supportive teaching practicums. The programme includes introductions to somatics, irest - yoga nidra, Restorative Yoga and more.

Who is this for?
Students interested in developing and sustaining a teaching practice.

Students who successfully complete both parts one and two of this training receive a 200 hour Contemporary Yoga Teaching Certificate - recognised by both YogaNZ and Yoga Alliance.

The 200+ hours of Yoga teaching training is truly to an exceptional high quality standard of teaching. The guidance and support during my training with you all has been a once in a lifetime experience.
Vicki Beatty

Everyone should take this course! It is such a unique course and experience that you will not find anywhere else.
Ruru Yang

Contemporary Yoga …

Go Beyond Asana

Understand and experience the very foundation of natural, functional movement. 

Each posture, transition and philosophy is a process that you’re lovingly and personally guided through to discover ease, stability, clarity and joy.

You’ll take profound life skills away with you, along with a personal resilience to support every part of your life.

Passionate Teachers

It’s our greatest joy to offer you the decades of experience between us.

We honour and encourage the process of curiosity, enquiry and discovery, and we’re here to support you every step of the way. Each of us brings a highly specialist background and a whole lot of soul.

And we can’t wait to meet you!

Be Moved

We’ll take you deep into essential anatomy, physiology, biomechanics and postural analysis, and uncover how our natural developmental movement patterns grow into naturally aligned and easeful asana.

Get ready to go inward.

You’ll rediscover how you were meant to move and breathe in the most balanced and enjoyable way.

Live Well

Feel into the true depth of the Yoga tradition to develop skills that support and enhance your wellness as a human, and as a teacher.

This is a sustainable and nourishing training, designed to put you deeply in touch with inner resources that help you flourish on and off the mat.

Grow Your Yoga

Our vision is for you to leave confident to begin teaching safely and skillfully out in the community with a passionate sense of your own unique offering.

We’re registered with two major yoga communities - Yoga Alliance, and Yoga New Zealand.

Plus our specialised training programmes and mentorships are there to help advance you on your path.

Affordable and Flexible

This comprehensive Yoga training is designed to be within reach for students of all levels.

Choose from three formats of our 200 hour yoga teacher training throughout each year, and modules of your choice within our ongoing and specialised 300 hour training.

Early bird pricing and payment plans are on offer for all programs.

Advanced Yoga Teacher Training, Retreats and Events

ALIVE for CY

ALIVE
A Yoga and Open Floor Dance Retreat
with Neal Ghoshal and Sacha Paddy
29th - 31st August 2025
Mana Retreat, Coromandel

Humming for CY

Humming
A wellbeing retreat with Karla Brodie
31st Oct - 2nd Nov 2025
Mana Retreat, Coromandel

Donna Farhi, Evolving Towards Simplicity for CY

Evolving Towards Simplicity
A Yoga Intensive with Donna Farhi
10th - 14th April 2026
Herne Bay, Auckland

What Our Graduates Say
(read more here)

All teachers bring to this amazing training a vast experience, each one of them with their own identity and authenticity. 

The Contemporary Yoga approach is to truly explore Yoga as a discipline which includes movement principles, patterns, Yoga traditions, anatomy, physiology, and much more.

This is the training that you really need - it will change your everyday life.

Valentina Piantoni

… a mindful journey to come back home, to your true “being”, of who you are, where you are, and how you are going forward. It’s the shortest and most easeful pathway to discover your true “being”.

Nanxi Chen

It was an intensive training but it felt like a retreat. There were challenges but we all went through together with support and help from all the teachers. Everything we learned was useful and practical.

This training has everything!

Alicia Jung

I would recommend this course to anyone wanting to do Yoga teacher training. It is so much more than that - a life-changing, amazing experience.

Lutza Szabo

Contemporary Yoga has changed the way I move - through life!

Karla, Neal and Haidee’s passion is contagious and this course is a real journey to embrace.

Marika Berney

All the teachers are truly experts in what they do and their passion is infectious. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to do a yoga teachers training. It was much more than that, it was a life-changing, amazing experience.

Anne de Brouwer

Those who are serious about where to invest their time and money in a Yoga Teacher Training, can rest assured that the Contemporary team deliver a comprehensive training which enables a solid foundation from which to grow. Highly recommended.

KeiShana Coursey

The Pregnancy Teacher Training provided me with all the tools necessary to safely and effectively guide women through a Yoga practice during their childbirth journey.

The incredible wisdom and knowledge shared by the facilitators, allowed me to step competently into teaching Pregnancy Yoga with confidence soon after completion of the training.

As an extra bonus I have also been able to weave the learning I absorbed during the teacher training into my role as a midwife.

Julie Edlin

This training offers so much for enriching your lifestyle as a whole. It has influenced how I approach my social, personal and professional life in ways I would never have envisioned.

Beautiful people sharing the beauty of life.

Patrick Lamrock

The amount of knowledge and understanding, experience and love that has gone into the teacher training is truly epic and has enabled such a deep and rich learning experience.

Each teacher’s passion for sharing and facilitating is evident in the generosity of spirit and unique sharing of knowledge.

Caroline Bindon

The 200-hour teacher training was an amazing, immersive experience. The breadth of material was exceptional and I walked away with a new-found appreciation for all aspects of Yoga as a way of life as well as a wonderful practice … just brilliant.

Olivia Rysenbry

Neal and Karla are truly committed to this work on such a deep level, and you can tell that from the way they are in the world. I am awed by how ahead of their time they are in this work, and think it is really groundbreaking.

I haven’t found anyone doing it the way they are. I can’t wait for their book to come out!! I highly highly HIGHLY recommend working with them.

Tui Williams

I’ve learnt so much about Yoga and myself, met so many wonderful people, and have made lifelong friends.

Hope Anderson

I am a physiotherapist and as well as gaining vital skills to teach yoga I have also gained insight and knowledge that I will apply in my physiotherapy career.

Sarah Diskin

Contemporary Yoga is not so much a style but an approach to movement that combines ancient wisdom and modern research. The depth of knowledge the teachers can give you is immeasurable, and you’ll never look at Yoga in the same way.

Victoria Kvasniak

There is a richness and depth to this content with its real-life (on and off the mat) applicability. I have been moved by the sincerity and support of the teachers. I am so excited to share these teachings in a way that is accessible and empowering for students and wider community members.

Amy Massey

An outstanding teacher training that integrated so much valuable information from truly knowledgeable, gentle, kind human beings.

The knowledge shared I will value for life, and continue to thread through my own teaching.

Fleur Easter

Meditation practices were brilliant, as were the talks. A wealth of knowledge.

Melissa Gardiner

Karla and Neal have created a course that is completely inclusive and is infused with kindness, curiosity and wisdom. All are welcome in the practice of Contemporary Yoga.

At the end of this course I am more knowledgeable, more able, more confident and more authentic. I have been moved and changed through this journey.

Shelly Fitness

Thank you I am inspired, amazed, changed, still learning, moved. I am inspired to keep on learning and exploring and this course has totally changed my view and perception of yoga in a profound way.

Anne de Brouwer

The training was such an amazing, exploratory journey of movement, anatomy, philosophy and so much more conveyed with enthusiasm, kindness, realness and acceptance.

I learned so much that I didn’t know I wanted to know and am excited to continue my Yoga journey.

Nadia Benton

The learning I have gained from this course of really helped me find not only my yoga knowledge, but myself. I thank the team for the amazing work they put into this course, as I have come out of it with a new perspective.

As I leave the training I can confidently say that I have come closer to my true nature, and I’m able to come closer to this more and more every day.

Dea Bashota

This course opened my eyes to the world of Yoga, deepening my understanding and personal practice.

It has set me up so well to teach, and to continue my journey. Everything I needed and more!

Jess Howse

I strongly recommend this training. It’s a life-changing experience. The way I see things, smell, feel and my energy have completely changed throughout the course consistently. Beyond expectation. Absolutely worth the investment after many long years I’ve finally met myself!

Simply, divine! Organic! Full of love!

Monica Yoon

This training surpassed all expectations - challenging, inspiring, and deeply informative. It has opened my eyes to a whole new world of yoga!

Bridget McNamara

Exploring movement and asana in a refreshing way that deepened my self-discovery and personal physical understanding.

Anita Lucas

Wonderful experience, wonderful people, beautiful outcomes!

Lal Busher

My teacher training has empowered me. It has given me a wealth of knowledge while allowing me the freedom to explore. The beauty of the course was the balance between structure and self development.

The respect my teachers give to yoga, and the generosity to share their knowledge in a gentle safe environment, was humbling.

Michelle Watson

Contemporary Yoga is connecting yoga back its roots in a very exciting, stimulating and open minded way.

Michaela Robinson

Thank you! I feel so much gratitude to have participated in this teacher training. The teachers are so generous and open in their teaching and transmission of knowledge. A life-changing experience 🙂

Kay John

All teachers bring to this amazing training a vast experience, each one of them with their own identity and authenticity.

The Contemporary Yoga approach is to truly explore Yoga as a discipline which includes movement principles, patterns, Yoga traditions, anatomy, physiology, and much more.

This is the training that you really need - it will change your everyday life.

Valentina Piantoni

What a way to further study and get deeper in my spiritual journey.

Contemporary Yoga Teacher Training has created the most valuable pathway for me to explore and dive within myself.

A journey – Shola home!

Emiliano Tade

Thanks for being supportive in all ways. You cared for each us every day. Your knowledge and guidance are outstanding. You created a safe and contained space where we could learn and learn from each other.

Maria Gutman

The level of care, creativity, and personalization that Contemporary Yoga brings to the practice is incredibly special.

Stephanie Leighton

This Yoga teacher training and experience completely exceeded my expectations. There is so much intentionality from the teachers from the course materials, resources, programming and delivery that the entire experience feels like a Masterclass in unity. Every single topic we learned was applicable and necessary to my journey, learning and development as an aspiring Yoga teacher.

Dianne Hollands

I was amazed by the depth and breadth of yoga on the human mind and body that the teachers of this course have.

Sarah Diskin

Karla and Neal are incredible. They are truly exceptional teachers. They have such care, and hold such safe, honouring spaces, in a way I haven’t experienced with any other Yoga teachers.

Tui Williams

Four generous and vastly different teachers combine to offer something more unique and valuable than expected. It is beyond yoga as I knew it — it was an investment in the rest of my life.

Sarah Hart

I feel exceptionally honoured to have spent time with Karla and Neal. Their passion and curiosity for movement and the authentic experience of self is inspiring and encouraging.

Jessica Dziwulska

I strongly recommend this training. It’s a life-changing experience. The way I see things, smell, feel and my energy have completely changed throughout the course consistently. Beyond expectation. Absolutely worth the investment after many long years I’ve finally met myself!

Simply, divine! Organic! Full of love!

Monica Yoon 
Monica Yoon

This training has awakened in me the huge possibility that awaits. Moving away from the scripted style of teaching a new found freedom has been found an an excitement and what awaits. Thank you.

Sophie Hartnell 
Sophie Hartnell

Neal and Karla are truly committed to this work on such a deep level, and you can tell that from the way they are in the world. I am awed by how ahead of their time they are in this work, and think it is really groundbreaking.

I haven’t found anyone doing it the way they are. I can’t wait for their book to come out!! I highly highly HIGHLY recommend working with them.

Tui Williams 
Tui Williams

Words can hardly express how grateful I am for what I learned with their guidance in just three weeks, the most important of which was connecting with myself and others in a truly authentic, supportive, caring and sustainable way that I can’t wait to pay forward as a teacher. Thank you!

Sarah Hart 
Sarah Hart

Karla, Neal, Sam and Haidee offer such rich tools and concepts within this course. There’s a real consideration around feelings of safety and support which I appreciated so very much.

You will be offered the juiciest of fruits and from their it’s your turn to squeeze the juice out and into your palms. An incredibly self-empowering training offering an alternate approach to traditional forms of Yoga.

Holly Hepburn 
Holly Hepburn

My Contemporary Yoga Teacher Training not only taught me to deepen my Yoga practice, it taught me to live a better life.

Spending 18 days around these teachers who live and breathe Yoga, exuding loving kindness and care in every moment, not to mention life-long friends I have made with my peers has made for me an experience I will never forget.

This training went above and beyond my expectations.

Leon Campbell 
Leon Campbell

The Contemporary approach to Yoga is so much more than how we move on the mat. It speaks to how we move through life. How we are in relationship to self and in relationship to others.

Thank you for an incredibly potent, immersive and all-round epic training.

Steph Le Gros 
Steph Le Gros

The 300 hour yoga teacher training has surpassed all my expectations. The amazing blend of teachers results in a myriad of deep learning. Each teacher is an expert in their own area and shares their unique wealth of knowledge in a way which is easy to take on board.

Sandra Palmer 
Sandra Palmer

There is a richness and depth to this content with its real-life (on and off the mat) applicability. I have been moved by the sincerity and support of the teachers. I am so excited to share these teachings in a way that is accessible and empowering for students and wider community members.

Amy Massey 
Amy Massey

A journey of self discovery, guided by a group of genuinely caring professionals. I leave the course feeling enriched.

Donna Cheyne 
Donna Cheyne

All teachers bring to this amazing training a vast experience, each one of them with their own identity and authenticity. 

The Contemporary Yoga approach is to truly explore Yoga as a discipline which includes movement principles, patterns, Yoga traditions, anatomy, physiology, and much more.

This is the training that you really need – it will change your everyday life.

Valentina Piantoni 
Valentina Piantoni

This training surpassed all expectations – challenging, inspiring, and deeply informative. It has opened my eyes to a whole new world of yoga!

Bridget McNamara 
Bridget McNamara

This course will really make you think about Yoga. It’s full of creative, fun and innovative thinking that will enhance your own practice and enliven your own classes.

This is Yoga for life!

Clare Leitch 
Clare Leitch

… a mindful journey to come back home, to your true “being”, of who you are, where you are, and how you are going forward. It’s the shortest and most easeful pathway to discover your true “being”.

Nanxi Chen 
Nanxi Chen

A life-changing experience with lovely teachers!

Carolyn Austin 
Carolyn Austin

This Yoga teacher training and experience completely exceeded my expectations. There is so much intentionality from the teachers from the course materials, resources, programming and delivery that the entire experience feels like a Masterclass in unity. Every single topic we learned was applicable and necessary to my journey, learning and development as an aspiring Yoga teacher.

Dianne Hollands 
Dianne Hollands

The sequence of this course is undeniably strong and grounded. All the teachers bring compassion, ease, knowledge, flavour, enquiry and wholeness to everything they show, do, present and give. Making this course a full embodied experience, exploration and foundation to enliven new thoughts and ideas to take away for our own self-practice and to share with others.

Georgie Collins 
Georgie Collins

The Pregnancy Teacher Training provided me with all the tools necessary to safely and effectively guide women through a Yoga practice during their childbirth journey.

The incredible wisdom and knowledge shared by the facilitators, allowed me to step competently into teaching Pregnancy Yoga with confidence soon after completion of the training.

As an extra bonus I have also been able to weave the learning I absorbed during the teacher training into my role as a midwife.

Julie Edlin 
Julie Edlin

I’ve learnt so much about Yoga and myself, met so many wonderful people, and have made lifelong friends.

Hope Anderson 
Hope Anderson

I would recommend this course to anyone wanting to do Yoga teacher training. It is so much more than that – a life-changing, amazing experience.

Lutza Szabo 
Lutza Szabo

Karla and Neal provide a rich colour palette for the aspiring artist.

Lara McLean 
Lara McLean

The learning environment was so supportive, inclusive and warm. Being able to immerse in this process was so valuable for my learning and development.

Dianne Hollands 
Dianne Hollands

Thanks for being supportive in all ways. You cared for each us every day. Your knowledge and guidance are outstanding. You created a safe and contained space where we could learn and learn from each other.

Maria Gutman 
Maria Gutman

I have enjoyed it so much and feel I have taken so much away into my everyday life as well as my Yoga. Karla, Neal and Haidee are all unique and true to their core. I look forward to earning so much more from them.

Abbie Rose 
Abbie Rose

Wonderful experience, wonderful people, beautiful outcomes!

Lal Busher 
Lal Busher

The manual is an amazing resource and always will be.

Meghann Stewart 
Meghann Stewart

Meditation practices were brilliant, as were the talks. A wealth of knowledge.

Melissa Gardiner 
Melissa Gardiner

Exploring movement and asana in a refreshing way that deepened my self-discovery and personal physical understanding.

Anita Lucas 
Anita Lucas

An outstanding teacher training that integrated so much valuable information from truly knowledgeable, gentle, kind human beings.

The knowledge shared I will value for life, and continue to thread through my own teaching.

Fleur Easter 
Fleur Easter

Karla and Neal are incredible. They are truly exceptional teachers. They have such care, and hold such safe, honouring spaces, in a way I haven’t experienced with any other Yoga teachers.

Tui Williams 
Tui Williams

Contemporary Yoga is connecting yoga back its roots in a very exciting, stimulating and open minded way.

Michaela Robinson 
Michaela Robinson

Karla and Neal have created a course that is completely inclusive and is infused with kindness, curiosity and wisdom. All are welcome in the practice of Contemporary Yoga.

At the end of this course I am more knowledgeable, more able, more confident and more authentic. I have been moved and changed through this journey.

Shelly Fitness 
Shelly Fitness

I feel enriched on many levels… Yoga history, Somatics, anatomy, business aspects, understanding movement much more deeply and absorbing it into my body not just my head.

Excellent value for money. I will be forever grateful and am excited about the future once more.

Helèna Morgan 
Helèna Morgan

It was an intensive training but it felt like a retreat. There were challenges but we all went through together with support and help from all the teachers. Everything we learned was useful and practical.

This training has everything!

Alicia Jung 
Alicia Jung

I’ve learnt so much on this course about so many things: Yoga philosophy, anatomy, the body, how we move and how we can maintain or rediscover movement throughout our lives.

I would highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to learn more about yoga with an enquiry based approach in a kind and caring environment.

Glenda Ishmael 
Glenda Ishmael

I could not be happier to have chosen this course. It has completely exceeded any expectations.

Rob Dawson 
Rob Dawson

This training delivered on every level. The teachers, who embody Yoga fully and want to share and guide us. The facility, the students themselves. A wonderful, life-enhancing, entry into the teaching world.

Andrea Fletcher 
Andrea Fletcher

This training has been an incredible gift for me and I am excited to share the teachings with others.

Stephanie Leighton 
Stephanie Leighton

Thank you I am inspired, amazed, changed, still learning, moved. I am inspired to keep on learning and exploring and this course has totally changed my view and perception of yoga in a profound way.

Anne de Brouwer 
Anne de Brouwer

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From Our Blog  Read All Articles >>

From Our Blog 
Read All Articles >>

Reflections on the evolution of a Yoga practice and teaching practice over two decades

Reflections on the evolution of a Yoga practice and teaching practice over two decades

Over the early years of teaching yoga I am often asked by students “Am I doing this right?”

I began to question what defined “right Yoga” and then in contrast what defined “wrong Yoga”. I feel it speaks to an ingrained cultural trajectory that values getting better or improving oneself – as if there is something at the beginning that even needs improving.

This self-improvement idea translates into Yoga practice as ‘better’ or ‘good’ by being defined by how complex or bendy one can be and is often accompanied by what one looks like while preforming Yoga postures.

read more
Graduate Interview: Steph Le Gros

Graduate Interview: Steph Le Gros

Steph Le Gros is a recent graduate of our 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training. Based in Nelson she is a trained health coach, personal trainer, reiki healer and now a qualified Yoga teacher. We put together some sentence beginnings and asked Steph to complete them.

To me Yoga is … the practice that reminded me I had a body. A sensing, feeling, alive body and all the delights that that can bring.

read more
Teacher Interview: Amy Massey

Teacher Interview: Amy Massey

Amy’s passion is Ayurveda which has been guiding her life for more than a decade. Her online module, Ayurveda and Yoga for Women is available from the end of July 2021.

It is my most sincere hope and intention this course may make these deeply nurturing traditions of care more accessible to women, their families, friends and communities, in turn bringing greater well being to women and children.

read more
Yoga and Cacao: Part 1: Yoga Meets Cacao: Practices of Homecoming (conversations with Steph Le Gros)

Yoga and Cacao: Part 1: Yoga Meets Cacao: Practices of Homecoming (conversations with Steph Le Gros)

Steph Le Gros is a health coach, personal trainer, Reiki practitioner, and qualified Yoga teacher based in Nelson. In this three-part article, Steph talks about her passion for cacao as an important part of her yoga practice.

She introduces us to yoga and cacao as practices of homecoming; shares a delectable recipe and ritual; discusses the tradition of cacao; and finally shares some of her poetry and practices inspired by yoga and cacao.

read more

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