Centered Yoga has run teacher training since 1999, and this hybrid course splits the 200 hours between online study and 15 days in person at Samahita Retreat on the south coast of Koh Samui. Gillian Breetzke, Daniel Stringer, Arielle Nash and Dr Paul Dallaghan lead it.
- Duration: 15 days and 14 nights in person, plus online study
- Certificates: 140 hours in person only, or 200 hours with the online part
- Teaching: vinyasa and restorative asana, pranayama, mantra meditation
- Venue: Samahita Retreat, Laem Sor beach
- Group: 5 to 20 trainees
How the certificate works
There are three levels. Finish just the two weeks at Samahita and you receive a 140-hour training certificate. Add the Centered Yoga online modules and it becomes a 200-hour Yoga Alliance teaching certificate. Add a further online course through the Indian Yoga Association with Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute and you get that qualification as well. By the end you should be able to teach a dynamic vinyasa class and a gentle restorative one, and sequence your own classes.
The daily schedule
Classes run from 7am to about 6:30pm with breaks, and the detailed timetable is handed out at the meet and greet on the first day. Some evenings add a meditation class, and kirtan and movie nights are part of the package. Saturdays are generally for rest or study. If you want to see more of Samui, there is an optional boat trip and other outings.
Food and rooms
Meals are homemade with local and, where possible, organic ingredients, and the kitchen uses no sugar, MSG or iodised salt. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free diets are catered for. You can book a shared double garden loft or a private garden room.
Watch out: cancelling is expensive at any point, since even 30 days out half the programme rate stays with Samahita. If your plans might change, postponing is the better route: the credit shrinks the later you leave it, from 100% at 14 or more days to 25% inside the final 24 hours, and runs for 18 months.
Who it’s for
The format works best if you want a recognised 200-hour qualification without a month away from work, and you trust yourself to finish the online modules at home. Graduates get 10% off future Samahita programmes and can go on to 300-hour training.
Insider Tip: Samahita is about 45 minutes from Samui airport and books cars for up to four people, splitting the fare between guests on the same flight. It cannot collect you from a ferry pier, so arrive by air or take a public taxi from the boat.
Getting there
Bangkok Airways and Thai Airways fly to Samui (USM) from Bangkok throughout the day. Samahita sits on Laem Sor beach near Laem Sor Pagoda, about 25 minutes from Lamai and 20 minutes from Nathon.
Meals & Dietary Options
Meals Included
Dietary Options
Included
- 14 nights accommodation
- 3 daily delicious and nutritious meals
- Water, tea, coffee served throughout the day
- Teacher training course and certification
- Certificate upon successful completion
- Evening activities/kirtan/movie night
- Course Manual
- Pre and post retreat support from the team
- Yoga mats, blocks, straps, and bolsters
- WiFi connection
Not Included
- Flights costs
- Travel insurance
- Visa fee
- Additional treatments
- Additional activities not included in the itinerary
Highlights
- Lifetime 10% discount on future Samahita programmes for graduates
- Continuing education towards 300-hour and 1,100-hour advanced certificates
