Interested in owning your own yoga studio? Find out about franchising with Hotpod Yoga.

Train to be a yoga teacher, find out more about our 200 hour part-time course.

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With over 200,000 classes under our belt, a network of 250+ teachers and over 150,000 happy customers, we’re experts in what it takes to be a great yoga instructor. Our yoga teacher training program is the first step towards realising your dream of becoming a yoga teacher, and will equip you with the tools you need in order to thrive in an increasingly competitive industry.

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Our approach to yoga teaching training is practical, modern and career-focused

We’re practical people – we ground everything we do in reality. Our teacher training courses focus on teaching in today’s modern world, and will equip you with all the tools you need to deliver a great class.

We respect the past while embracing the future – we’re humbled by the thousands of years of yoga tradition that’s come before us, but are focused on ensuring that it stays totally relevant today and in the future.

Our yoga teacher training

Our aim is to take people who are passionate about yoga and turn them into great yoga teachers with promising yoga careers ahead.

  • All 2024 dates below

  • Pretoria based

  • Payment plans available

  • Full 200hr Vinyasa Flow YTT (you will be a fully qualified yoga teacher at the end of the course)

  • Led by Mischa Els of Hotpod Yoga Pretoria

  • We offer -R1 500 off your tuition when making a deposit 2 months prior to the starting date. You will have unlimited classes at Hotpod Yoga Pretoria during your YTT.

2024 Training Dates

The Weekender:
  • 10 Weekends in person over 8 months
  • 4 Online Zoom Sessions
  • Intake open for Weekender course starting May '24
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Meet our Lead Teachers

Mischa Els

Mischa is an internationally qualified yoga instructor and also owner of the Hotpod Yoga Academy Franchise in Pretoria. She studied and assisted under lead teachers Nick Higgins and Charlie Morgan at Hotpod Yoga UK. She aims to offer high-quality Yoga Teacher Training in SA, developed by experts from around the globe. Mischa is thorough, and pays special attention to hands-on adjustments. She teaches postures in a simple yet dynamic way, bringing out the best in every individual she teaches. Her teachings are down-to-earth and clear, made simple for aspiring yoga teachers to learn and apply. Her classes are accessible, great fun, and influential. Mischa studied yoga through academies in India, London & the USA. She has additional experience in Thai Yoga bodywork, pilates, meditation, and gymnastics. She enjoys teaching the business of yoga through self inquiry and functional independent steps. She loves investigating, dreaming and thinking of ways with you to create a better life and happier community.

Mieke

Completed my YTT in 2023. I am incredibly grateful for the guidance and inspiration I received from my trainers. My goal is to grow with students and to add value wherever my teaching journey may lead. Qualified SABOD HipHop dance instructor. I have a passion for music and movement and I strongly believe that health is wealth.

Christa Davidson

Christa started her journey with yoga in 2008 when she attended her first yoga class. As her love and passion for yoga grew, so did a deep desire to share this transformative experience with others. She completed a 500-hour TTC course in Integral Hatha Yoga, a 30-hour Advanced Yoga training certificate from Hotpod Pretoria and a 20-hour YACEP certificate in Understanding Trauma for Safer Spaces with Legacy Motion. She is a registered teacher with the Yoga Teachers Fellowship of South Africa. Her lifelong commitment to dancing and her background as a professional ballet dancer has given her a clear understanding of the human body and how it moves. By sharing this knowledge with her students, she aims to help them dive deeper into their bodies. Through movement, meditation, visualisation and breath awareness techniques, she brings students the tools to cope with the stresses and challenges of their daily lives. Helping them connect with a deeper part of themselves, finding inner peace, and feeling strong and healthy.

Lazane De Lange

Lazane initially went into yoga for the physical aspect but when she noticed the mental shift she knew she wanted to share it with others. Her love for people , connection & authenticity shines through her passion & drive. She strives to make people the best versions of themselves. Lazane did her 200 yoga teaching training in 2016 and completed her 300 hour diploma in Yoga Therapy in 2023.

Lecturers

Abedah Musengi

Sequencing

Pete Richer

History of Yoga

Banesa & Anesu

Meditation, Anatomy & Physiology, Yoga philosophy and Massage

Dr. Priyal

Science of Breath & Breath Work

Lilly

Building a Brand

Claire Stephenson

Ayurveda

Kirsten Wilkinson

Trauma Informed Yoga

Lucy Draper-Clarke PhD

Meditation, Mindfulness & the Energetic Body

Abedah Musengi

My teaching style continues to evolve as I grow older and expand the modalities used to explore the potential of the human body. I have found roots in trail running, hiking, indoor rock climbing, weight training, slack-lining and AcroYoga. I constantly draw inspiration from my environment as well as other experienced, charismatic teachers who motivate me to continue serving the global community with the gift of yoga. Body Language is the most honest communication we share with one another. People have the tendency to say what they think you want to hear however, our bodies display the true essence of what is being shared. Watch closely how people look and move within your presence - you will come to know how they truly feel. The human experience is my meditation both on and off the mat. Yoga highlights the importance of regularly checking in with your mental, emotional and physical health. To be aware of your energetic frequency is to take responsibility for your mark on the World. It is easier to be aware of others if you see yourself honestly and treat yourself with compassion

Pete Richer

Peter (Pete) Richer was trained as a yoga teacher at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram in Kerala, India and at the Yoga Institute in Santacruz, Mumbai. He is a regular hatha yoga teacher at the Sivananda Yoga School in Johannesburg. He is registered with the Yoga Alliance as an E-RYT 200 and a RYT 500 teacher and is a registered Continuing Education Provider with the Yoga Alliance. Peter specialises in seniors yoga and yoga for the older beginner. He is deeply committed to his own exploration of the history and deeper philosophies of yoga in their true meaning, with a particular interest in classical yoga’s evolution from Samkhya philosophy and its evolution into tantra and the Natha Sampradaya. He has taught yoga history and philosophy in a number of yoga teacher trainings in a variety of traditions. Peter is a father and a grandfather, has been married for more than forty years and has enjoyed a very varied life which has taken him down many interesting avenues of human development, healing and social interaction.

Banesa & Anesu

Their morals are built around the values of inclusivity, simplicity, fair representation, freedom of self, connection, community, harmony, self-celebration and self-expression. Banesa: Kundalini Yoga Teacher • Vegan Activism • Non Profit Organisation KAR (Kundalini Africa Rising) • Co- owners of the 100% Black & Female owned Nest Yoga studio in Johannesburg. It is her vision to connect with consciousness visionaries, wisdom keepers, spiritual teachers, yoga and meditation instructors, healers, artists and holistic health practitioners in the process of healing communities through the healing of individuals. Anesu: Medical Doctor • Internationally Accredited Experienced Yoga Teacher • Mental Health Advocate • Sustainability Activist • Corporate Wellness Speaker • Founder of The Nest Space Inclusive Wellness Center

Dr. Priyal

Dr Priyal is an Integrative Medical Practitioner who believes in the mind-body connection and supporting the body's innate capacity to heal. She has a deep appreciation of the breath and the profound effect it has on mind, body and spirit, allowing us to tap into our inner resources and support personal healing & transformation.

Lilly

Lilly is a 500hrs Yoga Teacher and founder of LillyD Yoga and the Yoga CEOs. After graduating with an MBA from one of the top Business School in the world, Lilly moved to South Africa where she started her career as an international sales consultant for the Cullinan Group. While having her position on hold during COVID, Lilly decided to pursue her passion and in 2021 she completed her 200hrs YTT at Wellness Connection. In 2022, she created her first business, LillyD Yoga and less than a year later she quit her full-time job to focus on growing her business. In 2024, she started the Yoga CEOs to help yoga teachers and wellness practitioners build their own business and realise their full potential.

Claire Stephenson

Claire traveled to Bangalore India in 2007, where she discovered Sri Sri Yoga, inspired by its focus on Pranayama (the science of breathing) and Yogic lifestyle practices (Ayurveda). In 2008, she qualified as a Sri Sri Yoga Teacher. She carried on her journey to Germany, where she learned Ayurveda – The Science of Life and facilitated both massage and Yoga at the Art of Living Center in Hamburg. The Ayurvedic philosophy of a conscious set practice, diet and holistic prevention practices inspired Claire to return to India, where she completed an Introductory Course in Ayurveda at the Gujarat Ayurveda University in 2010. In the two years of her travels Claire embodied the holistic lifestyle. With an eclectic approach to her knowledge in Ayurveda and Yoga, Claire practices in the heart of South Africa today, where she is a qualified Hatha, Yin, Pregnancy and Kids Yoga teacher. She spreads her energetic spirit through teaching classes at several Yoga Schools, facilitating Yoga and Ayurveda workshops, practices and helps you discover your ‘true nature’ through Prakruti Assessments.

Kirsten Wilkinson

Kirsten (Kaye) Wilkinson, MA, E-RYT 500, RCYT, Qi Gong and iRest Certified, Thai Yoga Massage Certified, Ayurvedic Health Practitioner, Mind/Body Practitioner, Breathe to Heal Facilitator, Somatic Experiencing Advanced Cohort CSU Psychology and Mental Health Counselor Masters Candidate Kirsten is the Executive Director of Legacy Motion, an NGO that supports individuals and communities impacted by trauma by offering sustainable programing and trainings to community members in trauma informed, restorative movement based practices and somatic therapy modalities. She is also the founder of Healing Motion, a private practice that offers somatic coaching and embodied practices that support mental health by assisting individuals in discovering their innate wisdom, restoring their embodied strength, and transcending to holistic wellbeing.

Lucy Draper-Clarke PhD

Lucy has been standing on her head ever since she could stand on her feet. This love for yoga has taken her through Vinyasa Flow, to Yin Yoga and Mindfulness. She is now primarily a mindfulness and compassion trainer, with a doctorate in Mindfulness and Teacher Education. She brings meditation practices to those engaged in social change, offering skills to alleviate stress and increase resilience, while cultivating wise, compassionate action. She leads workshops and retreats around Southern Africa and practices with the Karma Kagyu School. Lucy’s current research at Wits is on African Contemplative Practices, Compassionate Activism for a life-sustaining society, and the Healing Arts. Students often comment on her light-hearted approach to teaching which allows them to learn through a joyful, yet deeply transformative practice.

Why HPY Teacher Training?

There are loads of teacher trainings out there and lots of them are great! So, rather than starting another great yoga teacher training course in the same mould as the others, we’ve decided to approach it in a genuinely different way. We’ll of course cover every critical element necessary to give you a solid and rich yoga foundation, but we also want to go above and beyond what you might expect. We prepare people to become great teachers, not spiritual preachers, wellness gods/goddesses or enlightened gurus. We’ve used our experience managing tens of thousands of classes, hundreds of teachers and nearly 40 yoga businesses to build a teacher training course designed to help people teach. Here are a few insights to our approach:

Learnings and expertise from the real world

We use learnings and expertise from outside the world of yoga to enhance our teachers’ skills. These include the following areas:

Performance and public speaking – the world of business and theatre helps us learn about dealing with nerves and performing under pressure.

The human body – the world of sports and medicine helps us take a practical look at what we’re made up of.

Customer experience – retail expertise helps us understand how to build customer relationships, read body language and deal with difficult people!

Brand and marketing – communications experts help us teach you how to market yourself and build a brand to help you achieve what you want to achieve in your teaching career.

We embrace design & technology

We’re a visual brand that embraces technology and design to enhance learning – we won’t be loading you up with photocopies from ancient textbooks, we’ll provide you with beautiful, easy-to-digest materials for you to refer back to for life as well as immerse yourself in during the course.

We give practical experience

We give people teaching experience while they learn. Students will be teaching from the start of the course to the end – starting small and growing as we go on. Teaching is a fast learning curve if you’re thrust into the fore – so that’s just what we intend to do.

Actual teaching is our focus

We cover all bases, ensuring a strong foundation across all the key pillars of yoga tradition and history but we focus predominantly on what’s practically important to be a great teacher.

Free yoga!

You can come to classes on the house – as part of the course, you’ll be getting involved in a range of classes from across the yoga spectrum but as well as that you’ve got unlimited Hotpod classes during your studies.

Scholarships & Grant Programme

We are dedicated to a grant program that creates accessible continued education opportunities. We work to create and find funding to support BIPOC, LGBTQIA and disabled holistic and wellness practitioners. We consider many other factors for scholarships and potential work exchange opportunities. Please complete the application below to be considered for one of the limited grant, scholarship or work trade options remaining for 2023. We truly look forward to hearing from you and if in alignment, doing everything we can to make the training possible. After receiving your application, we will be in touch within 3 business days to schedule a follow up Zoom call. If you do not hear from us, please reach out to ensure your application was received.

HPY Teacher Training Graduates

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For queries, give us a call on 071 671 9894.

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