Teacher training
Three weeks of study by the sea, for those wanting to teach and for those who simply want to understand the practice from the inside.
Taught with Middle Path Movement
The training is led by Eleftheria Gi, founder of Shramalaya, alongside Varun, and held at Nirbana Retreat, Ahangama, a short way along the coast from the shala.See the venue on the map.
You are certified through Middle Path Movement as aYoga Alliance RYT 200, which registers you with Yoga Alliance on completion. Everything you need to know is on this page, and we'll answer anything it doesn't cover.
Enquire about the trainingDates
21 days, full-time, and kept to a small group.
Next cohort
18 April – 8 May 2027
Monday to Saturday, roughly 07:00 to 18:00, with Sundays free to rest, surf or see the coast.
What you'll cover
- Hatha, vinyasa and ashtanga
- Pranayama and meditation
- Yoga philosophy and history
- The chakra system
- Anatomy
- Alignment across the posture families
- Inversions
- Sequencing and adjustments
- Teaching skills and holding a room
Alignment
Alignment here isn't one correct shape that everybody is pushed toward. Bodies are proportioned differently, and the same posture has to be built from what a person actually has. You'll learn the principles first, then how they change from one family of postures to the next, and how to see all of it from the front of a room.
The principles
- Foundation first: how weight travels through the feet, the hands and the sitting bones
- Stacking joints, and why a knee tracks the direction of its own foot
- Neutral and natural spine, and finding pelvic position inside each shape
- Protecting the lower back, shoulders, knees, wrists and neck under load
- Bone structure and range of motion: why one shape cannot fit every body
- Props as tools for alignment rather than a beginner's crutch
- Reading a room: spotting a compensation before it becomes a habit
- Verbal cues, hands-on adjustment, and asking before you touch
- Modifications for injury, pregnancy and hypermobility
Family by family
- Sun salutations: chaturanga, upward dog and downward dog
- Standing postures and the warriors
- Balancing postures, and what to do when they don't come
- Forward folds and hip opening
- Backbends, and where the movement should come from
- Twists, and what the spine can safely be asked to do
- Inversions: headstand, forearm balance and shoulderstand
- Arm balances, and looking after the wrists
- Seated postures, and sitting comfortably enough for pranayama
What's included
- The full 200-hour training
- 21 nights' accommodation (room tiers above)
- Three meals daily: vegetarian, pescatarian and yogic options
- A complimentary massage or surf lesson
- Teacher's manual and school t-shirt
- Eligibility to register with Yoga Alliance as RYT 200
Not included
- Flights and travel to Sri Lanka
- Personal expenses
- Weekend activities, though optional ceremonies and tours are offered
What it looks like
Ready, or nearly?
If you're weighing it up, write to us. We'll talk through whether the training suits you, what the days are really like, and everything you need to know about dates, pricing and how to hold your place.