About the program
The 500-hour full-scale yoga trainer certificate program consists of the 200-hour and 300-hour training programs, combined in a single program. Those who complete it successfully receive the RYT 500 designation.
Duration, format and schedule
The program combines the 200-hour foundation and 300-hour advanced sections as one inseparable program. It is delivered online.
Contact us for the duration, current group dates and availability.
Program content — foundation section
- Definition of yoga
- The concept of yoga
- Basics of yoga
- Yoga flows and branches
- The theory of yoga practice: stationary postures, breathing exercises and cleansing exercises
- Yoga and stress
- Yoga and culture
- Yoga and medical science
- Yoga's contribution to our health
- 8 steps of yoga: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi
- Yama and Niyama: purification and strengthening
- Yoga by East and West
- Asanas – fixed postures
- Prana (universal energy)
- Prana-related organs
- The importance of pranayama
- Energy centers (chakras)
- Organs and glands affected by the chakras
- Structure of mind and mental awareness
- Spine: tree of life
- The importance of slow motion or posture
- The importance of breath
- Benefits of breaths
- Breathing purpose
- Benefits of diaphragmatic breathing
- Types of breath
- Relaxation
- Relaxation methods
- IRT – Instant Relaxation Technique
- QRT – Fast Relaxation Technique
- DRT – Deep Relaxation Technique – warming and cooling exercises
- The concept of health
- Surya Namaskara – Sun salute series
- Kriyas – body cleansing applications
- Bandha and Mudras – key points and body gesture
- Yoga and nutrition
- Focus, concentration and meditation types
- Switch to teaching
- Awareness studies
- Teaching methods
- Basic and functional anatomy
Program content — advanced section
- Reading and explanation of Maharishi Patanjali's Yoga Sutras
- Reading and explanation of Swami Svatmarama's Hatha Yoga Pradipika
- Upanishads, Vedas and Vedanta
- The last 3 steps of Raja – Ashtanga Yoga, the so-called Antaranga Yoga: a detailed study of the Dharana – Dhyana – Samadhi steps
- Recognizing the 6 major philosophical schools of Indian literature and Sankhya – deepening in the philosophy of yoga
- Raja – In-depth learning of Ashtanga Yoga
- Learning the steps and progress of Bhakti and Jnana Yoga
- Mantra – Chanting – Kirtan practices
- Sagun and Nirgun meditations
- Deepening in meditation and learning of different meditation techniques
- Observation, awareness and meditation process in asanas
- To learn and teach the intermediate and advanced asanas
- Deepening and learning of new techniques in pranayama studies
- Learning Moola, Uddhiyana, Jalandhara and Maha Bandha
- Use of Bandha in pranayama studies
- Mudras
- Yoga philosophy and mythology
- 7 steps of knowledge
- Anatomy and physiology
- Musculoskeletal system
- Respiratory system
- Digestive system
- The circulatory system
- Endocrine system
- Excretory system
- Nervous system
- Yoga ethics and lifestyle
- Developing the identity of the trainer and creating a safe space
- Important processes and information in professional life from the perspective of the trainer and of the yoga school
Certification requirements
Attendance at all classes with no absences; an average of at least 70 points in the assessments (written exam 60%, oral exam/participation 40%); submission of written and practical assignments within one year. Graduates receive the "Yoga Alliance approved 200-hour Yoga Trainer Training Certificate" and the RYT 500 designation.
Photos from the program
Photos from our Bali camps.
Our graduates tell their stories
Post-training experiences of our graduates who completed the 200-hour foundation program, the first step on the yoga trainer path.
Nelin Beste Eryılmaz
200-Hour Yoga Trainer Training · 2020
“I have meditated since childhood. I got to know the philosophy of yoga early on, and once I added the practice to my life I realized I was ready and decided to start. While searching online, I came across Etkin İnsan.”
Read the full story
I have meditated since childhood. I got to know the philosophy of yoga early on, and once I added the practice to my life I realized I was ready and decided to start. While searching online, I came across Etkin İnsan.
My aim was first to practice yoga well myself, and then to spread that light to the people around me. I went deeper in my own practice. Then I taught classes to my friends and family. After that I started giving private lessons. Now I have a yoga studio of my own, where I teach more than 60 classes a month.
I have taught so many group and private classes that I can’t keep count. At first we practiced at my home or at the homes of students who wanted to do yoga. In time, though, my journey outgrew those limited spaces. I have also taught some classes as a volunteer.
There is always more to learn about yoga and about life, and I keep training myself in every sense.
Ediye Malak
200-Hour Yoga Trainer Training · 2020
“My intention was not just to get a certificate but to practice yoga as a profession. I felt the change that yoga brought, both physically and spiritually.”
Read the full story
I met Etkin İnsan through social media. After a short search, I got in touch the same day and learned that a 200-hour trainer training was starting in Izmir a week later. After thinking about it for a few days, I registered. My intention was not just to get a certificate but to practice yoga as a profession.
I felt the change that yoga brought, both physically and spiritually. I think I grew during this process. Of course, my surroundings and my life inevitably changed along with it.
After completing my training, I actively started teaching yoga classes for children, teens and adults. I have also given private sessions recommended by a psychologist. We opened “One Yoga Home,” Biga’s first and only yoga studio, and we now hold our classes with our members here. Many thanks to Etkin İnsan.
All 200-hour yoga trainer training reviews (10)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 500-hour Yoga Master program?
It is the 200-hour yoga trainer training and the 300-hour advanced trainer training turned into a single program; it cannot be separated and is completed as one program.
Which designation do I receive when I complete the program?
Students who successfully complete the training are entitled to receive their RYT 500 certificates and designation.
Is the training online or in person?
The program is delivered online. For in-person and residential options, the Bali and Zanzibar camps and the Retreat format have separate pages.
