Yoga Teacher Training Retreats 2023

April 1, 2023

Have you become so passionate and dedicated about yoga that you now wish to turn your passion into a career by considering yoga teacher training retreats 2023 courses? I can’t blame you — been there, done that, in fact I did two separate yoga certification retreats. I did my first time yoga certification retreat in India, back in 2015, and although I took a different path after and did not end up teaching, it was truly a transformative experience. And last year I did my second YTT (this time in Ashtanga Vinyasa style) during weekend courses with High on Yoga in Berlin. I highly recommend anyone to take a yoga teacher training abroad as well as doing a silent retreat and an Ayahuasca retreat at least once in their life to heighten their physical practice!

For enthusiastic yoga practitioners (even if your end goal isn’t to actually teach!), it is possible to take a yoga teacher training course abroad and become a yoga instructor and be approved for teaching by Yoga Alliance in just a few weeks, anywhere in the world — a truly life-changing experience. Heck, you can even do online yoga teacher training programs if that best suits you these days! But I think any person training from home for a YTT has to have a lot of discipline.

Anyway, I’m sure you have questions.

Should I consider the best yoga teacher training retreats near me or fly to the tropics? Over the course of several months or all in one go? Is my personal practice of yoga strong enough to become an instructor? What else is in the course materials? How do I choose from a catalog of yoga instructor courses as large as the yoga methods that exist on the planet? Should I take a 200-hr yoga teacher training or longer (up to 500-hour yoga teacher training are available)? What are the best books about yoga to accompany my learnings? On this, I’d say, make sure the school you pick has an emphasis on the yoga sutras as part of their course material. It’s the most important document about yoga, in my opinion. Here’s some YTT course wisdom I’ve gathered over my years of training and research.

Best Yoga Teacher Training Retreats 2023

When it comes to picking the right location for your yoga instructor training, there are some things to consider. My first time around, I personally didn’t want to do a yoga teacher training near me or near potentially disturbing life factors, such as work and friends. I wanted to be fully focused and fully immersed. I also thought that if I was going to become a yoga instructor, I wanted to become a registered yoga teacher in the birthplace of yoga: the beautiful place that is India.

The most popular destinations for an intensive yoga teacher training abroad 2023 are India, Bali, Costa Rica, Thailand and the USA. BookYogaTeacherTraining and BookYogaRetreats are two great resources to start shopping around, read reviews and do some research. Below are my recommendations. You can read more about India YTT in my Yoga Teacher Training India article.

There are also several registered yoga school options in Europe, and I’ve recently completed one of the part-time 300-hour trainings offered by High on Yoga here in Berlin with a bunch of talented teachers with years of teaching experience.

Table of Contents

India Yoga Teacher Retreats 2023

Kranti Yoga

In Goa, India

Yoga Teacher Training in Kranti Yoga is available from November until May. Set on one of the best beaches of Goa in the beautiful little town of Patnem, Kranti would be my selection of choice if I had to do it all again. And I might! Imagine practicing giving correct alignment and rehearsing classes while staring at the sea, and having to walk a mere few meters to immerse into the warm waves. Add to this a wonderfully cozy little town where the pace of living is slow and there is some great veggie food, and you have yourself the perfect location to relax while learning the art of teaching yoga and the philosophy of yoga. Some of the options here include a 27 Days 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Vinyasa Flow, a 15 Days 100 Hours Yin Yoga Teacher Training, a 22 Days 200-Hour Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training, Vinyasa yoga, Kundalini Yoga, and more. Patnem has the best dogs, too!

Duration: various
Price: varies
Closest Airport: Goa International Airport (Dabolim Airport) (47km)
Airport pick up included? No, it can be added for an additional cost of $35 per person
Skill Level: Intermediate
Languages: English
Vegan Friendly?: Yes

Check out all YTT options in Goa

Best Yoga Certification Retreats in Bali

Loka Yoga School

Loka Yoga School is one of the best yoga schools in Bali and is located right by the beach in Canggu! The school offers world-class internationally certified 200-hour yoga teacher training courses with expert teachers who have over 30 years of experience. An absolutely mind-blowing yoga teacher training located at the most stunning yoga space by the famous surf beach in Canggu, you can escape to paradise to complete your 200-hour training and experience advanced yoga, breathwork, meditation, anatomy & physiology, yoga philosophy, yoga biomechanics, mantra chanting, puja ceremonies, teaching kids yoga, the art of sequencing, adjustments & corrections and the business of yoga.

All participants of the in-person training receive free access to their online course portal, including many of the lectures and classes taught throughout the 200-hour certified Yoga Teacher Training; so you may re-experience the yoga classes and refer back to the content anytime in the future!

Duration: 1 month intensive
Price: from $2,100
Closest Airport: Ngurah Rai International Airport
Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate
Languages: English
Vegan Friendly?: Yes

Check out all YTT options at Loka Yoga School

Parahita Alam Bali

Parahita Alam Bali offers a 25-day teacher training between February and December. The teaching style you’ll learn at this yoga studio is Hatha and Vinyasa and is geared towards yoga for beginners to intermediate practitioners. This 200-hour program on the magical island of Bali includes your usual curriculum of yoga postures study in small groups in an intimate setting of a maximum of 20 students, as well as beautiful beaches, healthy food, cozy accommodation in shared or private room, and a great way to have yourself a vacation of a lifetime. Airport transfers are included for ease of travel, as well as Wi-Fi, hot water, in-house bathrooms, cleaning service and refilled water. Parahita Alam Bali caters to vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and raw food diets. There’s no better place than Bali for both the study of yoga and to practice yoga and yoga nidra.

Duration: 25 days, 24 nights
Price: from $2,093
Closest Airport: Ngurah Rai International Airport
Airport pick-up included? Yes
Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate
Languages: English
Vegan Friendly?: Yes

Check out all YTT options in Bali

Inner Yoga Training Retreat 2023 Bali

Available from March until November, Inner Yoga Training Retreat is a 24 Day 200-Hour Vinyasa and Yin Yoga teacher training abroad in magical Ubud, Bali’s yoga capital. Inner Yoga features an open-air yoga Shala set amidst lush green rice paddies overlooking the jungle, spa and infinity swimming pool, 3 daily delicious and fresh vegetarian meals per day (vegan and gluten-free on request too). Herbal teas, daily fresh ginger, lime and mint tea, Balinese or french-press coffee and filtered water are available all day long too. An afternoon snack is provided each day with a tropical fruit platter, fresh raw veggies, and homemade vegan dips. Complimentary airport pickup is also available here. This place is great as you will learn two styles of yoga for a strong foundation as a teacher. For shorter yoga education options, do check out my recommendations for Bali yoga retreats.

Duration: 24 days, 23 nights
Price: n/a
Closest Airport: Ngurah Rai International Airport
Airport pick up included? Yes
Skill Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Languages: English
Vegan Friendly?: Yes

Check out all YTT options in Bali

Yoga Teacher Training Retreats USA

ShambhavAnanda Yoga

If you’re in the “must do yoga teacher training near me” clan and are US-based (and here are more options for USA yoga retreats), you can go to Hawaii and feel miles away from home. Well, and you might actually be! Aside from being on Big Island, which is all sorts of magical, the 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training program at ShambhavAnanda Yoga is also great for those in a time crunch because it is done over the course of 16 days. All profit from your YTT course goes directly to the Ashram, a non-profit organization established in 1975 with the sole purpose of passing on the knowledge of the ShambhavAnanda Tradition and its style of yoga. As a working ashram, you will be fully integrated into the spiritual community. Hawaii being the magical place that it is, you can use your free time to climb the cliffs and valleys or drive to the center of the island to visit the sacred grounds of Mauna Kea, a 14,000 ft. Volcano, the heart of Hawaii and home to the clearest skies on earth. You will also have the opportunity to relax at the beautiful white sand beaches, do some snorkeling and stand under the Narnia waterfall in the middle of the jungle.

Duration: 16 days, 15 nights
Price: n/a
Closest Airport: Kona International Airport at Keāhole
Airport pick-up included? No
Skill Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Languages: English and Japanese
Vegan Friendly?: Yes

Check out all YTT options in Hawaii

Yogi Hari’s Ashram

At the other end of the country in sunny Florida is this 15-day 200-hour yoga teacher training USA at Yogi Hara’s Ashram. After years of training registered yoga teachers around the world, Shri Yogi Hari is now offering his Sampoorna Yoga Teacher Training Courses at a reasonable price in Florida to make Yogic knowledge more available to everyone. Yogi Hari’s Ashram is an oasis for anyone who wishes to become a yoga instructor away from the stressful and hectic world. Here you will learn Ayurveda, Hatha yoga, Nada yoga, Raja yoga, Vedanta philosophy and Bhagavad Gita studies, plus receive 2 daily fresh vegetarian meals and 14 nights of accommodation. The no-frills dorm-style accommodation means it is a great budget option. The yoga level is for beginner to intermediate. Yogi Hari’s Ashram is surrounded by a 10-acre tropical organic farms and is conveniently located between Miami and Fort Lauderdale – easily accessible from either airport. Perfect setting to focus on the final exam too!

Duration: 15 days, 14 nights
Price: from $1,311
Closest Airport: Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport
Airport pick up included? No
Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate
Languages: All yoga instruction in English
Vegan Friendly?: Yes

Check out all YTT options in Florida

Yoga Certification retreats in Thailand

One Yoga Thailand

I’ve already mentioned that Koh Phangan Yoga is like no other to me, so what better places to do a teacher training than on this wonderful island. Available from March to December, the 28-day 200-hour course at One Yoga Studios allows you to touch upon a few different things and decide what resonates with you best. This 200 hours YTT is an intensive 4-week comprehensive program created to give you a solid foundation in various yoga styles. The school is led by a team of experienced teachers with years of experience in both yoga and meditation. You will learn to teach Hatha Yoga and Vinyasa Flow and will be introduced to other styles like Ashtanga and Yin or Restorative yoga practice. Aimed at all levels from beginner to advanced, you will benefit from a selection of accommodations to pick from as well as vegan breakfast and lunch. Koh Phangan is a yoga hub and you will be able to meet like-minded people from all over the world. Shala is located on the beachfront resort close to Shrithanu. Heaven.

Duration: 28 days, 27 nights
Price: from $873
Closest Airport: Samui Airport
Airport pick-up included? No
Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Languages: English
Vegan Friendly?: Yes

Find more Yoga Teacher Training Courses in Thailand

2023 Yoga Teacher Training in Costa Rica

Soma Yoga Institute

Last but definitely not least, Costa Rica is yet another dreamy place to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life and reconnect with yourself. Soma Yoga Institute offers an 18 Days 200 Hour Therapeutic Yoga Teacher Training at Zen Spirit, a magical place that blends the rustic charm of nature with newly constructed modern amenities. The resort is just remote enough to transport you to a place where you can disconnect completely and immerse yourself in an environment of total serenity. Your only distractions will be the sound of birds, frogs, and crickets, and the crashing waves that will rock you to sleep and wake you in synchronicity with the sunrise. Zen Spirit aims to provide their guests with a comfortable, peaceful environment, to experience an in-depth yoga certification. If you’re only there for a short time, do check out my yoga retreat Costa Rica post filled with shorter retreat center recommendations.

Duration: 18 days, 17 nights
Price: from $3,675
Closest Airport: Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (94km) or Juan Santamaría International Airport
Airport pick-up included? No, can be added for $55 per person
Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Languages: English
Vegan Friendly?: Yes