Foundations of Yoga Therapy
Begins Oct. 17, 2025 - Hybrid format
Watch Robin’s live information session to learn more about our upcoming Foundations of Yoga Therapy program!
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.
The first residency will happen early in the training February 2026, and the second will mark the culmination of Foundations in January 2027. There will be a brief respite in class before we resume our learning process with Applications of Yoga Therapy (Part 2 of the EYT Therapist Training).
Program Overview
Duration: 18 months (Hybrid Format)
Start Date: October 17, 2025
Delivery:
Weekly online sessions
One three-day monthly online intensive
Two in-person residencies in Washington State, catered by Ayurvedic chef, Aria Peterman, 5-7 days duration.
Monthly mentor meetings
Cohort Size: Limited to 20 students
Cost: $6,725 - We offer flexible monthly payment plans—please contact us to discuss
Pre-requisite: A 200hr. RYT and a year of teaching experience
Foundations of Yoga Therapy: Oct. 17, 2025 – Jan. 31, 2027
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:
Historical overview of yoga therapy to contemporary application
Deep study of the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, chapters 1 & 2
The pancamaya model in a therapeutic context
The pancavayu model in a therapeutic context
The chakra system in a therapeutic context
Functional breathing and pranayama in a therapeutic context
Vedic chanting
The use of mantra and mudra in a therapeutic context
Anatomy Trains and the exploration of asana through the fascial lines
Structural anatomy of the spine in relationship to asana
The Science of Sequencing
Energetics of practice
Adaptive asana in a therapeutic context
Observation and body reading
Introduction to Ayurveda
Adapting group practice for specific considerations
Meditation techniques and cultivation of ritual in a therapeutic context.
Our Team
Robin Rothenberg will be your primary teacher for Foundations with support from mentors who have previously graduated from the EYT Foundations program. Portions of the Anatomy and Physiology will be taught by Dr. Jill Massengill, D.C. Mentors for the Foundations program are Llewellyne Arden, Margo Peña and Gayle Miyake.
To learn more about the EYT faculty, click here.
Robin Rothenberg, C-IAYT
Dr. Jill Massengill, D.C.
Aria Peterman
Taran Collis, C--IAYT, AWC
Gayle Miyake, RYT500
Llewellyne Arden, RYT500
Margo Pena, E-RYT500, YACEP
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