Why I’m Creating a 100-Hour Yoga Student Training

And abandoning a 250 hour Yoga Teacher Training.

This is something I’ve been sitting with for years.

And if I’m honest, it feels a little bit like walking a tightrope to say it out loud.

Because I know so many incredible teachers who run teacher trainings. People I respect deeply. People doing genuinely meaningful work.

And at the same time…

I cannot, in good conscience, be part of something I don’t fully believe in.

Where This Really Began

I did my 200-hour yoga teacher training in 2016.

And even then, something didn’t sit right. There were people on the course who had never practiced yoga before. Some of them openly said they weren’t interested in teaching. They simply wanted to learn more, or enjoy a yoga experience & holiday in India.

And I remember thinking…this doesn’t make sense.

How can we train someone to teach something they haven’t yet experienced as a student? This isn’t a criticism of those people.

It’s a reflection of the system.

Because this is happening every single day, all over the world.

The Missing Step

For years, I’ve said the same thing:

There should be something that comes before teacher training.

A space where you are not learning how to teach……but learning how to practice.

Where you build a relationship with yoga that is personal, embodied, and real.

Because the truth is, many people don’t want to become teachers. They just want to go deeper.

And right now, the main pathway we’ve created for depth is a 200 hour teacher training.

That never fully sat right with me.

Understanding the System

To understand why I’ve chosen a different path, than offering a teacher training it’s important to understand how the system works.

Yoga Alliance is an accreditation body. It is not a governing authority for yoga worldwide. It offers a framework that schools can choose to follow.

There are guidelines. There is structure. And for many people, especially those new to yoga, it offers a sense of credibility.

And I understand why that matters.

At the same time, when you look a little closer at how this pathway works, it can feel surprisingly open.

To become a yoga teacher, you complete a 200-hour training. These are often delivered in an intensive format, sometimes over the course of around 21 to 24 days, either in person or online. Some schools encourage students to have an existing practice before joining. Many do not require any prior knowledge of yoga.

From there, you can move straight into a 300-hour training. This can also be completed in a relatively short and intensive format.

Once both are complete, a teacher can register at a 500-hour level.

To step into the role of a teacher trainer or to run a school, there are a few additional requirements. These usually include a set number of teaching hours, often around 2000 hours, along with submitting course material and paperwork that outlines what will be taught.

Once that process is complete, you are able to deliver teacher trainings yourself.

And from there, you are in a position to train others to become yoga teachers. This is the minimum requirement, many great teachers have much more training and experience under their belt before going down this path…..some do not!

My Honest Reflection

I want to be really clear here. This is not about criticising teacher trainings.

There are teachers holding these spaces with deep care, integrity, and devotion. I have learned from them. I respect them. I am part of this world too.

But I do think there is space for an honest conversation.

Because while there are guidelines in place, much of the responsibility sits with each individual school.

Standards can vary.

Experiences can vary.

And something I keep coming back to is this:

There is very little data showing people actually fail these trainings.

Most people complete them.

Or, if life gets in the way, they step away.

And that raises a question that I think is worth asking:

What are we really measuring when someone graduates?

The Part I Couldn’t Ignore

When I began creating this course, I actually built out a full 250 hour yoga teacher training.

Because I thought… what if someone does want to teach eventually?

I didn’t want to hold them back.

But when it came time to register with Yoga Alliance, I paused.

And I couldn’t do it.

Because I had to really sit with myself and ask:

What am I actually supporting if I join this system?

I’ve spent years questioning it. Having conversations about it. Feeling uncomfortable with parts of it.

I am someone who, in other areas of my life, will choose very carefully what I support. I boycott companies that don’t align with my values. I think deeply about where my money goes. I believe that, in many ways, we vote far more with our money than we ever do in a ballot box.

So I had to look at this the same way.

If I register, I am saying yes to the system as it is.

A system where there is no real governing body.

A system where standards can vary widely.

A system where, in some cases, someone can move from complete beginner to certified teacher in a very short space of time.

And while there is good within it, and many people doing incredible work within it…

I couldn’t ignore the parts that didn’t feel right to me.

So I chose not to be part of that.

A Space for Reflection

If you’ve ever done a training, taught on one, or even considered one, you may have felt this too.

Maybe quietly. A sense that something was missing. Or rushed. Or not fully integrated.

Not wrong… just incomplete.

And I think there is space for us to acknowledge that. Without judgement. Without taking anything away from what already exists.

Making Space for Something More

What I am interested in is creating space for something more.

A space where being a student is not just the beginning, but the focus.

Because if I’m honest, that is where the real transformation happens.

Not when we are trying to teach.
Not when we are thinking about how something looks from the outside.

But when we are in it for ourselves.

Practicing.
Questioning.
Feeling.
Returning again and again.

That is where yoga actually lives.

And I think that part of the journey deserves more time, more depth, and more respect than we often give it.

A Different Way Forward

I’m also interested in exploring a different kind of pathway.

One that feels more gradual. More integrated.

In Reiki, for example, there is a clear progression.

Level 1 is about learning Reiki for yourself.

Level 2 is about beginning to work with others.

Level 3 is about stepping into teaching.

It’s not a perfect system ( by any stretch of the imagination), but there is a sense of earning each stage. Of growing into it.

Even in something like karate, which I practiced as a kid, there were levels.

I remember getting my yellow tip belt. I didn’t dedicate my life to it, but I still understood that progression mattered. You didn’t just arrive at the end. You moved through stages, building something over time. You knew someone with a black belt, had put in the training and dedicated many years of their life.

And I think there is something in that worth paying attention to.

Yoga, in many cases, skips straight to the end point.

And I don’t think it has to.

What I’m Really Trying to Do

I know this may not resonate with everyone. It may not be the most popular path.

It may even feel like I’m stepping away from something that many people are part of.

But this isn’t about creating division. It’s about alignment. I don’t want to be part of a system that doesn’t feel right to me.

And I don’t want to contribute to something I’ve questioned for so long.

Why This Training Exists

This is why I’m creating a 100-hour Yoga Student Training.

Not as a reaction.
Not as a rejection.
But as a response.

To everything I’ve seen.
Everything I’ve felt.
Everything I’ve heard from students over the years.

It’s a foundation.

A place to build a personal practice that is strong, steady, and your own.

A place to take your time.
To learn.
To integrate.

And from there… you get to decide what comes next.

If you are someone who has been practicing yoga for a long time and feel ready for the teacher path, there are many great training out there to choose from. I wish you all the best, you will gain so much from it, as I did.

My course is for those who want to go deeper, to know more, but don’t want to teach. You want yoga to support the work you are already doing in your life.

It is for total beginners who want a solid foundation, for lifelong students who missed the beginnings, or even for teachers who feel they want to reconnect with the roots of their practice.

The training will explore some of the deeper philosophies and practices that you rarely encounter in a weekly yoga class. It draws on many of the teachings included in a 200-hour teacher training, without any of the teaching or certification aspects, so you can experience the full depth of the practice for yourself.

It’s a space for curiosity, exploration, and integration, where your journey as a student is honored above all.

An Invitation

The training begins in September 2026.

And if this speaks to you, I would love for you to be part of it from the very beginning.

I’ll be sharing more details soon.

If you’d like to be the first to hear, you can join my mailing list below.

Not because you have to commit to anything.

But because something in you is curious.

And sometimes…..that’s where it all begins.