
200-hour Yoga Teacher Training

Donna Farhi, Evolving Towards Simplicity, Auckland, April 2026

Experienced Passionate Faculty

Professional Development Trainings

Restorative Yoga Training

Pregnancy Yoga Training

Yoga History and Philosophy

Your Questions Answered

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
Our next 200-hour course:
Immersion & 200 hour Training 2026
Part 1: 11th - 19th July (break day 15th)
Part 2: July - September (40 hours self-study)
Part 3: 26th September - 4th October (break day 30th Sept)
Venue: Meadowbank, Auckland
Course Investment: $4,895
Deposit: $1000
Inquiries and expressions of interest welcome: info@yogateachertraining.nz
Are you interested in deepening your understanding and experience of Yoga practice and teaching?
Contemporary Yoga Teacher Training is in its 12th year of offering teacher trainings. We have a passionate and experienced faculty and a curriculum that encompasses the many facets of practice and teaching Yoga here in Aotearoa and beyond.
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 then community.
A number of our graduates have gone on to open Yoga centres or to further specialise in movement, meditation and therapeutic disciplines.
Enrolment numbers
There will be a maximum of eight participants on training and a minimum of six.
Who this training is for?
Community of any age and agility with a passion for Yoga and learning in an in-depth, co-created, supportive environment. It is also for those committed to developing and sustaining a life-long everyday Yoga practice, and those with a keen interest in developing a teaching practice.
The 200 hour training includes in-person training blocks, supported online learning, an inquiry project, one-on-one mentorship, and opportunities to understudy core faculty classes.
Certification
To obtain your Contemporary Yoga Teaching 200 hour certificate you must successfully complete ALL components of the training including all in-person hours, the online history and philosophy module and the inquiry project as well as practicum to the satisfaction of the faculty. This training certificate is recognised by both YogaNZ and Yoga Alliance.
Part One: Diving into Practice
11th - 19th July 2026
(break day 15th)
Part Two: Philosophy, History and Inquiry
July - September 2026
(40 hours self-study, including online modules and inquiry project)
Part Three: Emerging to Teach
26th September - 4th October 2026
(break day 30th Sept)
Course Investment: $4,895
Deposit: $1000
(paid on registration – holds your place on training)
The first block of in-person training - Diving into Practice – is where you will be immersed in the principles and practices of Yoga including essential anatomy and guidance on developing a personalised self practice.
It will introduce you to elements of yogic philosophy, pranayama, and pedagogy. These are all the ingredients to develop and enhance understanding and experience of Yoga as a sustaining and deepening life practice.
The second block of training – Philosophy, History and Inquiry – is self-paced and with support. You will complete an online module on the history and philosophy of Yoga with lots of rich resources to engage with.
You will also develop your own inquiry project on a topic of choice – guidance and support will be provided. This feeds into your practicum work and the final part of training. This block of training is designed to be consolidating, enriching and thought-provoking.
The third block is your second in-person training called Emerging to Teach.
This is a practical, in-depth immersion into Yoga pedagogy, the ethics of teaching, developing effective and inspiring class plans, anatomy and physiology, teaching skills, te ao Māori principles and Contemporary Yoga principles.
You will also learn about creating a brand, undertake safe and supportive teaching practicums, and you will be introduced to somatics, iRest Yoga Nidra, Restorative Yoga and more.
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.
Payment plans are on offer for all programmes.
Advanced Yoga Teacher Training, Retreats and Events

Restorative Yoga Teacher Training 2026
Seven days of training over two extended weekends.
Part 1: 1st - 3rd May
Part 2: 21st - 24th May
What Our Graduates Say
(read more here)
From Our Blog Read All Articles >>
From Our Blog
Read All Articles >>
Creating Calm in Changing Times with Ayurveda (with delicious Chai recipe)
As we re-emerge from lockdown, we are stepping out into the midst of changing times. The seasonal change is upon us as autumn transitions into winter and we are all navigating impacts of coronavirus in our lives and worldwide.
Ayurvedic wisdom brings us back to balance with tips to soothe and strengthen body, mind, heart and soul.
Amy also offers a delicious Autumn Chai recipe!
The Power Of Your Authentic Voice
Have you ever been told you can’t sing?
For those of us who have, there are a few paths we consciously, or unconsciously, choose: we either stop singing, or we contain our singing to the shower or car, or to when we’ve consumed the right amount of alcoholic beverages to let ourselves belt out the anthems of our youth.
Yet in my work, my voice is one of my most important tools I use in teaching Yoga. It’s not just what I say, but how I say it. Here I share my journey with reclaiming the power of my unique voice.
Music for Yoga – Ideas, Suggestions and Playlists
I LOVE music. I am constantly astonished by music. By the endless creativity of musicians to produce beautiful, moving, wild rhythms, melody and harmony. I could never imagine life without it. What a blessing music is in our lives!
Yoga is my other love. I regularly join the two together in my own practice and in my classes you will often hear me playing music to support the Yoga. Sometimes I may even bring my guitar and play live for people.
Shoulder Alignment in Downward Dog: Is External Rotation the Best Cue?
By Jenni Rawlings, on Yoga International
When considering shoulder alignment in downward facing dog, what are the first cues that pop into your mind? If you’re like most yogis, one of these cues is likely to be “external rotation.” With occasional exceptions, the instruction for the upper arm bone (humerus) to rotate externally in the shoulder socket (glenoid fossa) in down dog is a foundational alignment rule taught in most yoga teacher training programs.
Protecting Your Knee in Pigeon Pose
By Ray Long MD, of The Daily Bandha
Working with the muscular stabilizers surrounding the individual joints is a central tenet of both injury prevention and rehabilitation. In this blog post we illustrate how to work with myofascial connections to protect your knee in Pigeon and Reclining Pigeon pose.
Book Review: Pathways To A Centered Body by Donna Farhi and Leila Stuart
In a nutshell: an exceptionally clear and extremely practical guide to core integration, stability and support I first came across Donna Farhi's books back in 2004 and was immediately hooked by her accessible, relevant and inspiring writing and teachings....
How to Maximize Your Potential as a Yoga Teacher
At first, we do not realise the power and the beauty of the practice to transform our lives. A few years down the line we may recognize that in fact Yoga is leading us on an amazing journey of self-discovery (recovery!).
Yoga offers this to us all, teachers or not – practices and teachings to help us become who we truly are.
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.
Graduate Interview: Emma Parsons
Emma Parsons completed her 200-hour teacher training with us in January 2020.
She was invited back to support faculty and students on our 2 x10 day training later that year. Emma teaches in Dargaville and Baylys Beach. She has started her own business called Mind, Body and More.
We sent Emma a series of starter sentences and invited her to complete them …












