Foundations of Yoga Therapy

Part I of The EYT Accredited Yoga Therapy Training and 300 hr. Advanced Teacher Training

We believe strongly in the importance of creating a sangha, a sense of community, when embarking on an intensive training such as this. For this reason Robin combines the convenience of online learning with in-person residencies. This has proved to be the perfect mixture to develop a strong communal spirit and while also making the program more economically viable. To have a sense of the program schedule, click here to download a sample syllabus.

During Foundations we’ll meet for two 5-7 day in-person residencies on beautiful Whidbey Island. This will be a time to build connection through daily practice, integration of the teachings, and play. We’ll also take a deep-dive into the world of Vedic Chanting and the power of group resonance, sound and the beauty of the Sanskrit, the language of yoga. Our chef for the residencies will be Aria Peterman, an EYT Faculty member who is a highly competent Ayurvedic chef. She will teach us the true healing power of food as medicine with every meal she prepares for us.

Program Overview

Duration: 17 months (Hybrid Format)

Start Date: April 17, 2026

Delivery:

1. Weekly online sessions: Thursday mornings, 7-8:30am PST (no scheduled classes during July, August, September)

2. One three-day monthly online intensive (Apr 17-19, 2026, May 15-17, 2026, Oct 16-18, 2026, Nov 20-22, 2026, Dec 11-13, 2026, Jan 15-17, 2027, Feb 19-21, 2027, Mar 19-21, 2027, Apr 16-18, 2027, Jun 19-20, 2027)

3. Two in-person residencies in Washington State, catered by Ayurvedic chef, Aria Peterman, 5-7 days duration. (7 day retreat: July 6-12, 2026, 5 day retreat: Tentatively: May 2027)

4. Monthly mentor meetings

Cohort Size: Limited to 20 students

Tuition: $6,725 - We offer flexible monthly payment plans—please contact us to discuss.

Additional Costs: Retreat Fees, Books

Pre-requisite: A 200hr. RYT and a year of teaching experience

Watch the Foundations of Yoga Therapy Q&A from January 23rd, 2022!

Course Overview:

Our program is designed to support students through various formats, including online lectures, practice classes, and sutra discussions, all of which will be recorded. This flexibility accommodates those who might need to miss class occasionally due to health concerns or family/work obligations.

Coursework and Assignments: Students will be assigned homework sequences and readings with specific due dates. All homework must be completed for graduation from the Foundations course. A reading list of required and recommended texts will accompany your letter of acceptance, but please note that texts are not included in the tuition.

Mentorship and Support: Mentors will maintain close contact with students throughout the program, monitoring progress and providing emotional support as needed. Students are expected to meet virtually with their mentors for an hour approximately every 4-6 weeks.

Technology and Tools: The EYT Therapist Training program utilizes Canvas Instructure and Google Drive. Canvas is the primary platform for uploading assignments, interacting with mentors outside of monthly phone or Zoom check-ins, and tracking progress. Prior to the start of the program in Spring, an orientation session will be held. Robin will provide an online tutorial to help students get started with Canvas.

Foundations of Yoga Therapy covers the following topics in-depth over the course of 18 months:

Here to Support Your Journey

Whether you're exploring Foundations of Yoga Therapy as an Advanced Yoga Teacher Training or as your first step toward becoming a Yoga Therapist, this is a meaningful decision. We're here to help. Schedule a free conversation to explore whether this training is right for you.

Our Team

Robin Rothenberg is the Program Director for the E.Y.T. Therapist Training; she is responsible for teaching the theory and application of yoga therapy and ensuring the overall structure of the program is streamlined. Robin has a unique gift for creating, safe, challenging and rich educational trainings through which students and teachers deepen into greater awareness of themselves.  Robin has been training yoga teachers for nearly twenty-years as head of an RYS 500. She founded the EYT Therapist Training Program in 2011, which was Accredited in 2013. Robin serves as lead teacher for Foundations, teaching the primary content for all the modules. She is the President of the IAYT Board of Directors (International Association of Yoga Therapists, the accrediting body for yoga therapists and Yoga Therapy training programs). Read Robin’s full bio.

Portions of Anatomy and Physiology will be taught by Dr. Jill Massengill, D.C. 

Robin is supported by mentors who have previously graduated from the EYT program. Mentors for the Foundations program are Llewellyne Arden, Andrea Carvalho and Melissa Campagnolo.

To learn more about the EYT faculty, click here.

Hear From Our Students

Foundations provides the initial 300 hrs. of competencies that apply directly to the full EYT Accredited Therapist Training. All graduates of Foundations will receive a Yoga Alliance RYT300 which in conjunction with their RYT200 and 100 hrs. of teaching experience will qualify them to apply for their RYT500.

Note: Participation in Foundations does not guarantee placement in Part II: Applications of Yoga Therapy, the second half of the EYT Therapist Training. This will be based on objective assessment of teaching skills, capacity to interweave and work on a multi-dimensional (kosha) level, and dedication to personal practice and transformation.

The yoga therapy component of Essential Yoga Therapy's courses, classes, instructions, and materials is derived from accreditation by the International Association of Yoga Therapists, and is not derived from any status granted by the Yoga Alliance Registry.

Application details

Please download and review the following: Cover letter + application instructions | Policy Document