Yoga Teacher Training Certificate
Teach authentic Yoga & Tantra through our 2-year, 500-hour online program
ENROLMENT NOW OPEN
Yoga and Tantra are more than their mainstream (mis)representations. We teach you how to teach them in their most authentic forms.
Our Yoga Teacher Training Certificate (YTTC) is led by Yogacharini Maitreyi, a master teacher and ancestral knowledge keeper from South India with expertise in traditional Yoga & Tantra. Our exceptional train-the-trainer program prepares future teachers to use yoga as it was originally intended: to foster mind-body harmony, drive personal evolution, enable deep connection, and align us with our highest purpose.
Key Program Outcomes
Graduates of this program emerge with the following core proficiencies:
True Yogic Leadership
Authentic Cultural Wisdom
Deep Personal Insight
Program Structure
The Yoga Teacher Training Certificate is our core offering and proudest creation. Certifying responsible teachers not only benefits them and those they guide, but also redefines Yoga & Tantra and restores them to their ancestral roots. Explore below to discover all the reasons why this program might be right for you.
-
This module builds a strong yogic foundation for manifesting the highest potential in you.
There are 3 portions to Module 1:
1.Weekly Community Satsangh
Every Saturday from 9-11:30am
Online yoga classes with opening meditation + community dialogue + 30 min. YTT discussion group.
These sessions continue every Saturday throughout the training. The course requirement is that you complete 90+ hours in attendance at community classes over the 2-year program.
2 x 1-month breaks per year - Winter Break = mid-December to mid-January; Summer Break = all of August.
2.Foundations for Life Program
60 hours, on-demand, self-paced online coursework.
This is the only pre-recorded portion of the training.
3.Live Evolutionary Circle
Last Thursday of every month from 5:30 - 7:00 PM PST
Live portion of the Foundations for Life Program.
In-depth meditative practices and yogic discussions with your cohort, led by Yogacharini Maitreyi.
The expectation for Module 1 is that students take self-responsibility with the on-demand Foundations for Life Program in order to begin the journey of self-discovery and self-mastery.
This Module can be also be completed as a 1-year stand-alone training if you don’t feel ready for the full 500-hour YTTC.
More info on Foundations for Life Program: www.arkaya.net/foundationsforlife
-
Live Online Classes
5 Sundays from 9 AM to 2 PM PST
Nov. 2 to Dec. 7, 2025 (break for American Thanksgiving on Nov. 30, 2025)
You will absorb the practices and the theory through repetition, experiential learning, study & discussion. You will continue to move through the internal work helping you to become a more effective teacher, healer and leader. You will see how this work also makes you more effective in all of your endeavours in the world.
Content Includes:
Program orientation and overview
Kirtan & Bhakti Yoga with Anand David Embry
Yoga Sutras & the 8 Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga
Learning the Arkaya Foundational Sequence
The Pancha Kosha - the 5 dimensions of our existence
Pranava AUM
The 4 Paths of Yoga
And much more!
-
Live Online Classes
5 Sundays from 9 AM to 2 PM PST
April 12 to May 10, 2026
Classes continue with deeper levels of engagement and a greater focus on preparing participants to teach. Practicums are reviewed, feedback is provided, support is offered, and questions are answered. This chapter guides participants through immense, meaningful evolution.
Content includes:
Intro to Ayurveda with Dr. Anuja Chindarkar
Cultural Appropriation, Apprectiation & Alignment
Sanskrit Appreciation & Pronunciation
Indigenous Vs. Colonial Paradigms of Yoga
Intro to Indian Rhythms - Tala and Laya with Curtis Andrews
Emotional Management & Resilience Training
Intro to Bharatnatyam / Classical Indian Dance & the Nav Rasa (9 Emotions) with Rupa Gopinath
And much more!
-
Home Based Retreat #1
5 days from 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM PST
Friday May 29 to Tuesday June 2, 2026
This module is formatted as an online home based retreat.
Set yourself up to be immersed while also having time to take care of your other responsibilities in the afternoons if needed.
The retreat takes you deeper into the practices and yourself. In-depth discussions allow you to explore the nuances of applied yoga psychology and tantric practice. Yogic / Tantric healing practices are explored, along with proper diet and lifestyle practices aligned with Ayurveda.
Many graduates consider this module a highlight of the YTTC!
You will delve deep into re-balancing the chakras along with partner work (non-sexual) designed to support each other’s evolution.
We’ll instruct you on how to work with a partner and will ask you to find a friend or family member who is willing to work with you just for this segment. This person will benefit greatly and will not have to pay any participation fee.
Students begin teaching segments and getting feedback.
-
Practicum Teaching, Healing & Seva
June 3, 2026 to end of program. Extensions are permitted as needed.
108 hours of self-directed teaching and healing work in your community and online.
Teach at the weekly Saturday Satsangh and receive feedback to refine your classes in the 30 minute teacher training discussion group after the public session.
Your teachers will be there for guidance & support. We will work with you to set up classes in your community.
Participants conduct yogic teaching and healing work in their communities and at the weekly Arkaya Community Satsangh. Ongoing guidance and support are provided by Yogacharini Maitreyi, Ross McKeachie and other senior Arkaya teachers.
Module 5 makes up the longest portion of the program, with ongoing practicum teaching, participation in Saturday Satsanghs and mentorship.
By teaching Arkaya community classes online and in studios, while being mentored by senior Arkaya teachers, you will continue your evolution as a teacher and beyond.
-
Live Online Classes
5 Sundays from 9 AM to 2 PM PST
Sept. 20 to Oct. 25, 2026 (break for Canadian Thanksgiving on Oct. 11, 2026)
Classes continue, and the depth of engagement reflects participants' unique transformations. Having engaged in foundational learning and hands-on practice, their light and insight colour the classes in more vibrant hues.
We will deepen into the process of becoming a teacher. Practicums will be reviewed, feedback given, and questions answered. We will discuss the challenges that have arisen thus far in your practicum. Lectures on the allied Yogic sciences from guest teachers will continue.
-
Home Based Retreat #2 - Final Module
5 days from 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM PST
Friday Sept. 17 to Tuesday Sept. 21, 2027
This module is formatted as an online home based retreat.
Set yourself up to be immersed while also having time to take care of your other responsibilities in the afternoons if needed.
This is the final module where you receive your certification at the end if you have completed all requirements
Teaching practice to hone & integrate your skills even more.
This retreat follows a similar structure to Module 4, but is uniquely tailored towards your integration of all the learnings and transformations into your mind, body, and soul. You can seek clarity, review concepts, and draw inspiration from your classmates. This reflective retreat prepares you to bring your wisdom, light, and yogic leadership into the world.
Graduate Testimonials
Hear from past students on their Arkaya YTTC experience
Derek’s experience
Victoria’s experience
Ross’s experience
“Never have I felt clarity, knowledge and wisdom transmitted with such humility and joy. I have rediscovered yoga.”
– YTTC Graduate
-
I first began taking part in the weekly Arkaya Community Class and Satsangh in October 2021 and since then, the weekly classes have become a grounding force in my week and in my life. I am so grateful to be part of such a wonderful, supportive and authentic community guided and led by Maitreyi. I have been practicing and teaching yoga for many years now and as soon as I met Maitreyi, I knew that I wanted to study further with her. Her gentle presence, deep wisdom, and compassion, combined with her playful nature and humour make her classes and teachings so accessible and relevant to our modern, busy world.
I first began the Foundations for Life Program and then in the fall of 2022, I started the On-line 500 Hour Arkaya Awareness Teacher Training. Through Maitreyi's teachings and the Arkaya Community, I have grown and deepened in so many ways including:
I feel a deeper sense of contentment in my life than I ever have before. This contentment (Santosha) is like an underlying thread that runs through my days, that supports me even in my more challenging moments. The hard days somehow just don't seem quite as hard anymore. It is like the practice and deepening of contentment is a net to catch and cradle me during the challenging times.
I feel more connected to myself and am better able to tune into and honour my inner needs. This is helping me to set more healthy boundaries in my life.
I am more aware of my reactive patterns and am more able to catch them before they slip out. During the times that I don't catch them, I have more compassion for myself and tools to reflect upon what happened and growing edges.
Maitreyi offers so many tools through the Arkaya practice that are easy to integrate into daily life to support self-awareness, self-compassion, and self-nurturing and presence. I really appreciate all of the contemplative practices as well as these help me to truly integrate the deeper dimensions of authentic yoga and understand them through my lived experience. I feel new depth and richness to my own practice and the classes that I teach.
The on-line format for the 500 Hour Teacher Training has made it possible for me to participate. I appreciate being in the comfort of my own home and not having to worry about traveling or finding accomodation. Even though we are online, I feel very connected to Maitreyi and Ross and the other participants. I also really value having the recordings of the classes available as reference. This allows me to be more present in the live online classes as I know that I will have the recording to refer back to when needed. I also watch/do the classes again and know that I will continue to view the recordings even once the training is over. Each time I view them, I find new information and gems of wisdom that stand out.
I look forward to the continued unfolding of my Self through my connection to Arkaya and Maitreyi and highly recommend this Teacher Training, both for those who want to teach yoga and for those who are wanting to deepen into their own practice.
-
It has been one year since starting the 500 hr training offered through Arkaya…
My experience has been multilayered. I was initially skeptical of being able to connect deeply through an online platform, as many of us are. However, I took a chance because I felt a deep resonance with Maitreyi’s approach.
Over the year, it has been a slow and gentle process of what feels like osmosis. An absorption of teachings and practices made possible by the way the course is offered.
One very unique aspect of this particular teacher training is that Maitreyi brings in many guest teachers and speakers from India, which gives you a more comprehensive understanding of the culture from where these yogic practices originated. The result of this is learning that the essence of practice is woven into all different aspects of life.
Smaller sections of practice and study over the course of two years, allows for a lot of repetition which makes its way into your body, mind and heart in the most natural way. The Arkaya system is one that is gentle and yet profound. As a yoga teacher, it has helped me immensely, in being able to share this beautiful inner science in a much more inclusive way. I find myself sharing all the years of practice and study, but with much more awareness and sensitivity for other.
The beauty of the Arkaya practice is that it can be infused into everything you have already learned. With a new perspective rooted in cultivating awareness, more light inevitably flows in.
About the Teacher
The YTTC is led by Arkaya Founder, Yogacharini Maitreyi
Yogacharini Maitreyi is a traditional yogic and tantric knowledge keeper from South India. Her rich cultural expertise is the essential piece that sets Arkaya’s Yoga Teacher Training Certificate apart from other programs. Maitreyi specifically created the YTTC to provide the most robust yogic teachings, the most meaningful transformations, and the most significant impact. The abundant care she dedicates to the YTTC and its participants is unparalleled.
Since 1997, Maitreyi has held the titles Yoga Chemmal meaning expert, and Yoga Acharini meaning guide. Participation in the YTTC is a rare opportunity to receive true yogic mentorship from a profoundly revered expert in traditional Yoga & Tantra.
The YTTC also features an esteemed group of Guest Teachers who specialize in sacred yoga- & tantra-related practices. Click here to explore their offerings.
Tuition Breakdown
-
$690 CAD
This non-refundible deposit covers the Foundations for Life Progam (60-hour on-demand portion of Module 1 of the YTTC), which provides you with hands-on experience to inform whether you decide to pursue full certification. This is an expression of our decolonial values, as we know life presents unexpected shifts and we support participants' mindful choices. Although most have found the YTTC to be invaluable and continued along the learning journey until graduation!
-
$5300 CAD – Paid monthly or in full. Full payment due by start date of program.
-
We offer equitable payment plan options to support those who require additional flexibility. To inquire about this option, reach out to infoarkaya@gmail.com.
“Investment in the Self is an investment in the collective.” –Yogacharini Maitreyi
Experience the Arkaya Essence
We invite you to attend a Satsangh (online yoga class) for free!
Weekly Satsanghs are online yoga classes that represent Arkaya’s energy, modality, and values. Moving and breathing in this healing space will help inspire what your journey could look like in the Yoga Teacher Training Certificate program.
