Accessible Ashtanga:
200hr Intensive Teacher Training / Immersion

Module One: 7th-19th Sept 2025
Module Two: 8th-20th Mar 2026

We offer our Accessible Ashtanga Intensive Teacher Training  / Accessible Ashtanga Immersion in two fortnightly blocks, via two learning pathways:

  1. Accessible Ashtanga Intensive Yoga Teacher Training – for yoga teachers or yoga teacher trainees who are seeking an additional 200 hour teacher training.

  2. Accessible Ashtanga Immersion – for practitioners who don’t wish to teach, but desire the opportunity to focus on their personal practice at a new and challenging level.

The full Ashtanga Primary Series can seem like a practice reserved for athletic, strong and flexible students. This is due to the way it has been taught. This training shows you how to practise or teach the Ashtanga Primary Series in an accessible way, suitable to everyone regardless of  physical differences, life stages or injuries.

It will open up your world of yoga beyond just postural practice.

What's the difference?

Accessible Ashtanga: Intensive Teacher Training

Cost: £2,500 (payment plan available)

Our teacher training option requires both two week modules to be attended in full.

In addition to the four weeks of teaching modules, trainees will gain:

  • One observation and shadowing opportunity in our Mysore room.
  • A teacher training buddy to practise teaching skills with outside the training (online or in-person)
  • A 1:1 mentorship session per module
  • Between the modules, trainees will find a case study to teach for 8 weeks and document the students’ needs, their teaching choices and the outcomes the student experienced during that time. They will also reflect on anything they might have done differently
  • A Zoom group catch up with the whole training group between modules
  • To gain certification students must pass theory and practical exams at the end of the second training

If you wish to apply for the Teacher Training please fill in an application form.

 

 

Accessible Ashtanga: Practitioner Immersion

Cost of both modules: £1,950
Cost of individual modules: £1,050

(payment plans available)

Practitioners wanting to attend the programme but not wishing to take exams can choose whether to attend one or both modules.

You will not be required to take exams or do any of the homework’s required of the teacher trainees in the interim.

You also do not need to fill out an application form.

*NB Practitioners should be aware that the second module is based on the second half of the primary series

 

 

Application Form

Training Content

When Ashtanga was first taught by Krishnamacharya and Pattabhi Jois, the sequence was modified to each individual student. In this way, the practice serves the student by supporting their life and health rather than the student serving the practice by attempting to conform to an idealised image of each pose. Therefore, we see this as in keeping with the traditional method.

 

A Typical Day

(8 hours x 12 = 96 hours per two week module) *

06:30 – 08:30 Self Practice

08:30 – 09:30 Breakfast

09:30 – 11:30 Detailed alignment breakdown of primary poses with their vinyasa

11:30 – 12:00 Break

12:00 – 13:30 Philosophy and history OR anatomy

13:30 – 15:00 Lunch

15:00 – 17:00 Posture Breakdown, Assisting Workshop OR Teaching Practice

17:00 – 17:30 Meditation or Yoga Nidra

 

 

Syllabus for Module One – 7th – 19th September 2025 (Saturday 13th off) – First half of the Primary Series

 

Teaching Practice
  • Teaching, assisting, modifying and propping the first half of Primary Series
  • Teaching and learning styles: auditory, visual and kinaesthetic
  • Inclusive language for cueing classes
  • Complementary practice poses for standing and seated: hips and hamstrings
The Seat of the Teacher
  • Power dynamics in the student teacher relationship
Anatomy and physiology
  • Functional Anatomy for Primary Series: Forward Folds and Hip Opening
  • Subtle Anatomy: Bandha
  • Anatomy of the Breath
  • Avoiding and healing common injuries
Pranayama
  • Exploring our natural breathing patterns
  • Sama Vrtti Breathing
  • Breathing with sound or Ujjayi practise and teaching
  • Kapalabhati
Philosophy and History
  • Chanting with a focus on Opening and Closing Mantra, Shanti Mantra, Yoga Sutra of Patanjali
  • Historical overview of yoga
  • Introduction to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra
  • The definition of yoga in sutra 1.2, the fruit 1.3 and the method 1.12
  • The eight limbs of yoga
  • Sthira Sukham Asanam

 

Syllabus for Module Two – 8th – 20th March 2026 (Saturday 14th off) – Second half of the Primary Series

 

Teaching Practice
  • Teaching, assisting, modifying and propping the second half of Primary Series
  • Functional Anatomy for Primary Series: Backbends and Inversions
  • Modifying Drshti
  • Avoiding and healing common injuries
The Seat of the Teacher
  • Rules, etiquette and evolving culture in Ashtanga
  • Yoga teaching scenarios
Anatomy and physiology
  • Functional Anatomy for Primary Series: Backbends and Inversions
  • Modifying Drshti
  • Avoiding and healing common injuries
  • Subtle anatomy: nadi
Pranayama
  • Breathing Ratios for Stimulation and Relaxation
  • Nadi Shodhana practise and teaching
Philosophy and History
  • Chanting with a focus on Opening and Closing Mantra, Shanti Mantra, Yoga Sutra of Patanjali
  • Yoga Ethics in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra: Yama, Niyama and Beyond
  • Yoga as an Awareness and Awakening Practice: Samadhi States in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra
  • The Klesha (obstacles) to awakening in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra
Reading List
Required:

David Swenson, Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual  OR John Scott, Ashtanga Yoga (original orange cover edition, available on WOB)

BKS Iyengar, Light on Yoga

Tirumali Krishnamacharya, Yoga Makaranda   (free download online)

David Charlton and Ranju Roy, Embodying the Yoga Sutra

David Keil, Functional Anatomy of Yoga: A guide for Practitioners and Teachers

 

Suggested:
Ashtanga

Gregor Maehle, Ashtanga Yoga Practice and Philosophy

Petri Raisanen, Ashtanga Yoga

Matthew Sweeney, Ashtanga Yoga As it Is and Vinyasa Krama: Five Unique Sequences

Yoga

T.K.V Desikachar, The Heart of Yoga

Philosophy

Swami Muktibodhananda, Hatha Yoga Pradipika (free downloads available)

Edwin Bryant, The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali

History

Mark Singleton, Yoga Body

The Seat of the Teacher

Donna Farhi, Teaching Yoga – Exploring the Teacher – Student relationship

Jess Glenny, The Yoga Teacher Mentor

Matthew Remski, Practice and All is Coming: Abuse, Cult Dynamics and Healing In Yoga and Beyond

Ashtanga and Pregnancy

Anna Wise and Sharmila Desai, Yoga Sadhana for Mothers

Booking

Your Teachers

The Accessible Ashtanga modules are taught by Yoga Alliance Professionals Senior Teachers Amy Hughes and Jock Orton.

Jock Orton

Jock Orton

It is said that we all come to healing in our own time and this was true for me when in 2000, I fell down a mountain snowboarding, breaking my back in four places and shattering my collarbone. After numerous unsuccessful operations, I decided to take matters into my own hands so that I might stand a chance of being mobile by the time I hit forty.

I began a regular yoga practice and as the ancient saying goes, ‘When the student is ready the teacher will appear.’ I moved back to Cornwall at the same time as Bridget Woods-Kramer, a world renowned Anusara teacher.  I did my first two teacher trainings with no intention of ever teaching yoga, I just wanted to further my knowledge for my own practice. It was Bridget who dropped the bombshell on me that she needed cover for a Saturday class that forced me into teaching my first class. I was completely terrified………but I loved it!

I spent six years studying and teaching with Bridget and have developed a style that is physically challenging with attention to posture and alignment and above all, playful. My experience has taught me to cherish the physical practice of yoga, but it is the connection between mind, body and soul that inspires my practice.  Over the last decade, my personal practice has moved towards Ashtanga and I have undertaken Ashtanga teacher trainings with David Swenson, Manju Jois and John Scott.

I have been teaching for 20 years and over this time I feel deeply privileged to have been taught by some of the worlds best teachers from a range of different schools of yoga, including Richard Freeman, David Williams, Sianna Shermann, Rod Stryker, Doug Keller, Bruce Bowditch, John Friend, Nancy Gilgoff, and Doug Swenson. In my classes I call upon the teachings of all of my teachers to best serve my own students, with a blend of the styles, techniques and adjustments I’ve learnt along my yoga journey. I am also co-founder and director of Lime House Yoga with my partner Emma and a dad to two wonderful children who constantly inspire and challenge me to be more present in the world and on my mat.

Jock teaches:

Dynamic & Strong Vinyasa – Mondays | 6pm

Vinyasa: All Levels – Wednesdays | 6pm

Vinyasa: All Levels – Thursdays | 9:30am

Mysore – Fridays | 7-9am

Ashtanga Vinyasa – Saturdays | 8am

Amy Hughes 003 Website 500x500

Amy Hughes

I began yoga with my mum 20 years ago and it has been my tool kit for life’s challenges ever since. I began teaching Anusara Yoga – a Vinyasa style – under the close tutelage of Bridget Woods-Kramer (from Triyoga London) in 2004. I later teacher trained with John Scott as an Ashtanga Teacher and continues to assist him when he is in the UK.  I am a Senior Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance Professionals and my extensive trainings in two styles inform my teaching.

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is my daily practice and I teach Mysore style Ashtanga Yoga and practice full third series. My vinyasa classes are well themed and sequenced often around a specific bio-mechanical alignment principle. This way students learn to practice intelligently and pain free.

Amy teaches Mysore at Lime House – Mondays | 7-9am

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