WHY YOGA & MEDITATION TEACHER TRAINING?
If you care about being a Responsible, Conscious human being Yourself, and then wish to guide People & Lead a conscious Community - you'll want to train in holistic Classical Yoga (not merely poses), and self-reflective Meditation, both ancient & modern (not merely relaxation).
CERTIFICATION
Yoga Alliance 200 hrs & 300 hrs
Our Awaken Yoga & Meditation Teacher Training gives you the Yoga Alliance certification that studios around the world ask for.
You will train in our proprietary 2-courses-in-1 format with adequate focus on both Yoga and on Meditation Practice, Learning & Teaching Skills. This empowers you to Teach either Yoga classes or Meditation classes, or combine them in a workshop or retreat.
If this is your first Teacher Training you will receive the 200hr Yoga Alliance certification on successful completion. And if you have already completed a 200hr Teacher Training course - with Awaken or any other Yoga Alliance registered school - then you will receive the 300hr Yoga Alliance certification on successful completion.
CURRICULUM:YOGA & MEDITATION TEACHER TRAINING
The focus of our Teacher Training is on 3 pillars :
Practice - Learning - Teaching Skills.
ASANA: Hatha yoga, Vinyasa flow & Yin yoga. Classical asanas including Standing, Balance, Backbends, Forward folds, Twists, Inversions, Arm balances, Core-work & Relaxing, with the focus to train Sitting in stillness. Asana Siddhi (mastery of Asana) is when you can sit Meditating in your Meditative pose for 2.5 hours - this central idea informs the Asana practice.
PRANAYAMA: Classical Pranayama & modern Breathwork. Practising Yogic techniques for the 4 things you can do with Breathing: breathing fast, breathing slow, balancing both nostrils and holding your breath.
MUDRA & BANDHA: Medieval & modern Energy holds, done in Meditation and in Asana. Full-body mudras & bandhas to mudras of the tongue, eyes, urogenital space and those of the hands.
MANTRA: Sanskrit chanting. Focused on the secular Ancient mantras that are relevant in today's times for personal growth and community practice.
YOGA NIDRA: Deep Relaxation, Yogic Sleep. Daily rejuvenation rooted in Classical Yoga Nidra, and not modern Manifestation technique.
SHAT KRIYAS: Trathak, Neti, Kapalbhati, Nauli, Vaman Dhauti & Laghoo Shankhaprakshalana. Classical Yogic detox practices that cleanse our Gastro-Intestinal tract, colon, eyes & nasal passages. The bedrock of Yoga & Meditation practice that is usually avoided in modern Yoga trainings.
MEDITATION: Classical & Modern practices as outlined under below.
VIPASSANA: meaning 'Insight', a deep witnessing of present-moment bodily awareness, practised in noble silence. It leads one to deep Insight about 'who am I?'
MANTRA: Sanskrit chanting. Focused on the secular Ancient mantras that are relevant in today's times for personal growth and community practice.
MANIFESTATION : AFFIRMATION + VISUALISATION: Creating the optimum conditions to bring to life one's dreams. Combining left-hemisphere logic and Affirming language, with right-hemisphere creativity and Visualisation skills.
GRATITUDE: Mindset is critical to inner Peace & wellbeing. Gratitude meditation and journaling allows us to train mind and emotions for success in life.
METTA, LOVING-KINDNESS: Classic Buddhist Meditation that expands our emotional capacities, and helps one heal through difficult, even traumatic experiences at times.
DYNAMIC / ACTIVE MEDITATION: Developed in the 1970's by Osho with the idea that 'modern man is ill-equipped to sit still in meditation' and must move physically to release pent-up mental, emotional & physical repressions. This leads to calm and self-discovery.
LAUGHTER: Meditation that leads to release of stored tension. Our body cannot make the difference between real and fake laughter- so all the holistic benefits of real laughter are experienced.
GIBBERISH: Expressing unspoken feelings through non-language words allows us to release a lot of emotional tension. Brings one clarity and centeredness.
CHAKRAS: Energetic Kriyas & psychological understanding to work within the framework of one's Chakra system, experiencing release and acknowedgement of blockages in one's life.
ZEN: Classic Buddhist monastery technique to witness one's thoughts and realise one's true, self beyond the daily chatter. The thought clouds clear to reveal eternal presence.
WALKING MEDITATION: Each step taken in mindfulness and meditation, leading to feeling grounded and clear-minded.
PHILOSOPHY: History of Indian spirituality right from the Vedas, through 5,000 years of seeking. The Upanishadic insights to the 6 classical Darshams of Hinduism: comparing Vedanta, Samkhya & Yoga. Studying the legends: AdiYogi, Krishna, Buddha & Patanjali. Learning all 196 Yoga Sutras. Exploring Tantra, Bhakti & modern Yoga.
AYURVEDA: The sister-Science of Yoga, exploring fundamentals to live in sync with one's natural composition. Doshas, Gunas and why Eating right matters.
PSYCHOLOGY: Theories of the Mind - ancient and modern. Defining Manas, Buddhi, Ahamkara & Chitta. Studying modern positive psychology and polyvagal theory.
ANATOMY: Exploring 'Who am I?' via the body, and not merely the muscles used in specific Asanas. From the Brain & Nervous system, to Cardio-Respiratory to Hormonal and every other major system of our body is studied from a functional Anatomy perspective, and in relation to Yoga practice.
CHAKRAS: Energetic architecture of our body-mind. Prana, Nadis, Chakras and a lot more from various Ancient World traditions to supplement the Yoga-Tantra understanding.
HISTORY & FUTURE OF MEDITATION: Charting the historical evolution of Meditation from the primitive Shamans & cave-dwellers through to the mental consciousness of the Buddha, and beyond until the dawn of A. I. today.
NEUROSCIENCE OF MEDITATION: Science-based research on what happens to our Brain in Meditative states, and how we can explore Consciousness through Meditative practices.
CLASS DESIGN: Understanding the' Why' of every Practice and how we sequence them to create a Journey for students either in a Yoga or Meditation / or combined class.
TEACHING THE CLASS: Leading multiple classes to hone Teaching skills including Voice training, Feedback-receiving and much more; while you guide students through the Yoga / Meditation experience you've designed.
HOLDING SPACE + INCLUSIVITY: Allowing students to explore the practices safely, in a non-judgemental way requires skill and training. Adjusting the class to include students of all levels.
PRESENTATION / SPEAKING SKILLS: Delivering Talks either in your Yoga / Meditation class or as a stand-alone offering, that educate your students holistically, and importantly - without preaching.
PREPARING THE SPACE + MUSIC: Creating a conducive atmosphere to lead a Yoga / Meditation class that honours its self-reflective tradition, as well as the students without being gimmicky and without cultural appropriation. Choosing Music that aids in creating a Meditative experience, and does not distract students.
WORKSHOPS + RETREATS: Preparation to study for, design and Teach workshops, and also to lead retreats. Including Business-sense training to use Social Media marketing 'authentically' along with blogs, podcasts and your website.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Why commit to a lifetime of Learning through Workshops, Conferences, Internships with Senior Teachers and ongoing Trainings - both online and in-person. Exploring resources like Yoga Alliance and many more.
COURSE STRUCTURE
After 20 years of Training Teachers globally, we've chosen the hybrid format with Online study followed by Residential In-person Training, for 2 main reasons.
- Online study includes Daily Practice (at your own time) and weekly Group Learning & Teaching Skills with Manish Pole. This can be done at one's own pace, suiting busy professionals. We recommend about 3 months to complete the Learning content. 10-day Residential training focuses on improving your Practice, clarifying and examining your Learning, and completing professional Teaching Skills. By arriving already prepared, we can really maximise the 10 full days through intense training. The examinations happen In-Person to prepare you for Teaching professionally.
- While the Online course develops one's own Discipline with Yoga & Meditation Practice, having enough time to fully assimilate the Learnings - the Residential course offers direct Mentorship for developing your Practice and the benefits of In-Person training.
Overall, you complete a Journey of self-discovery that will guide you for life, while making Friends who have shared the same journey as you!
Online Course
- Daily Practice of Abhyasa - Classical Yoga, Pranayam & Meditation class. In-depth Learning of
- Beyond Asana course with 21 modules (philosophy, anatomy, chakras, pranayam etc)
- Weekly Live Call with Manish Pole on Practice, Learning & Teaching Skills.
While we recommend around 3 months, some students take as long as 1 year to fully immerse in the Practice & Learning - while others who can free up their schedule totally, complete the Learning modules in 1 month. You really have the Autonomy to decide how long you need to complete the Learning and be prepared with your Practice, for the 10-day Residential training.
Residential Course
- Daily schedule of Practice, Learning & Teaching Skills to root you in the Yoga, Meditation lifestyle
- 1:1 Mentorship to work through your personal challenges
Practical Examination of:
- Teaching a complete Yoga class including Pranayama
- Teaching Yoga Nidra meditation
- Teaching a Self-scripted, Guided Meditation practice-
Theoretical Examination via Speaking on:
- Philosophy
- Anatomy
- Overall assessment on Yoga & Meditation Teaching qualification.
The 10-Day Residential course grounds you to live the lifestyle and not just treat Yoga & Meditation as theory or an escape.We host this every quarter in the most awe-inspiring natural landscapes of the Himalayan mountains and in Bali.
Daily Itinerary at the In-Person 10-day Intensive training:
6:45am Kriyas : Neti & Trathaka
7:00am Pranayama incl Mudra & Bandha
7:15am Classical Hatha-Vinyasa Yoga
8:15am Om & Mantra chanting
8:30am Vipassana Meditation
9:00am Breakfast + Personal time
10:00am Ancient Wisdom incl Chakras, Sutras, Gita, Tantra & Buddhism
11:30am Anatomy - Alignment training
12:30pm Lunch + Personal time
3:00pm Yin Yoga
3:30pm Yoga Nidra
4:00pm Yoga Teaching Skills Practice
5:00pm Meditation Teaching Skills Practice
6:00pm Active & Modern Meditations
6:30pm Dinner
7:00pm Community activity incl Music, Journaling, Sharing Circle
Contact Us
We'd love to hear from you! Whether you have questions, feedback, or need support, our team is here to help. Simply fill out the form below. Thank you for getting in touch!
200 hours Hybrid Y&MTT: Anatomy + Philosophy pre-course, virtual, Beyond Asana Course and Much more + 10 days in person immersive
300 hours Hybrid Y&MTT: Anatomy + Philosophy pre-course, virtual, Beyond Asana Course and Much more + 10 days in person immersive
Meet your Teachers
Manish Pole
Lead Teacher
Co-Founder of Awaken · Yoga Wisdom & Meditation Teacher since 2003 · Life Coach
Yoga & Meditation Educator since 2003. Training Teachers for 20+ years. Keynote Speaker at World Expo 2020 and Wellness conferences globally.
- 2002: Graduated in Psychology, Literature & Journalism.
- 2003-10: Lived, trained and taught with Bharat Thakur ('the Living Himalayan Master' - TIME Magazine)
- 2010-20: Co-founder of Total Yoga (India, USA, UK, UAE, Singapore, NZ)
- 2023-__: Co-founder of the Awaken School
'Meditation is about becoming Friends with Yourself' Manish brings together Ancient Wisdom and Meditation Science, offering people around the world a deep immersion into Yoga, Meditation & Wisdom that is timeless yet research-based.He believes in the power of a Mentorship journey to navigate one's inner journey without the pitfalls of a dogmatic approach to Spirituality.Each quarter he hosts a Teacher Training immersion for seekers willing to practice with intent, and yet question everything!
Rana Abihayla
Teacher
Co-Founder of Awaken · Life Coach · Teacher & Author
After completing her Executive Education at Harvard and spending over 20 years in corporate health consulting, Rana turned her focus toward integrative wellness. Her early career spanned multinationals and public health systems across the Middle East and GCC, where she specialized in chronic disease prevention and mind-body integration.
Rana then deepened her path in holistic healing becoming a certified 500-hour yoga, 200-hour meditation teacher, 200-hour kids yoga teacher and life coach. Her work combines science and soulful strategy to guide individuals through burnout, life transitions and inner reinvention.
As co-founder of Awaken Wellness, Rana now leads retreats, trainings and mindfulness workshops across India and the Middle East. Her creative offerings include Art therapy, Poetry based breathwork and movement sessions that help individuals and teams reconnect, regulate and express.
She has spoken on stages such as the ICCA Global Congress and Dubai 30X30, Dubai Active Show and continues to serve diverse communities including refugee groups, cancer patients and women affected by displacement. Her fundraising and social impact efforts support crisis-affected regions like Lebanon, Gaza and others alongside environmental wellness initiatives.
Born in Lebanon and raised in Sierra Leone, Rana speaks English, Arabic, French and Spanish. She brings deep cultural empathy to every space she holds rooted in care, inclusion and global connection.
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