Your Ultimate Guide to 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Derby

Location, location, location

Derby is a city known for its history, culture and beautiful surroundings. It’s also a great place to train as a yoga teacher on a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Course (YTTC).

Derby sits in the heart of England, with good links north and south. The M1 and A38 make it easy to reach by car, and the railway station has frequent trains to London, Manchester, Birmingham and Nottingham. Our international students have found East Midlands Airport very convenient, just 25 minutes away by bus.

The city blends urban amenities with natural beauty. Parks and riverside walks give you plenty of chances to connect with nature and find some calm. Derby also has a thriving yoga community, so you can immerse yourself in a supportive network of fellow practitioners.

Why complete a 200-hour YTTC?

A YTTC200 goes beyond a certificate. It brings benefits to many parts of your life.

Personal growth. You’ll explore yoga philosophy and different styles, and build a dedicated personal practice. Through self-reflection you’ll gain insight into yourself and a deeper connection with mind, body and spirit.
A deeper practice. The Level 1 curriculum helps you refine your technique and alignment and expand your repertoire of asanas (poses). You’ll learn how to adapt poses for different people and bodies.
Career opportunities. You can go on to teach in studios, wellness centres, gyms and workplaces, or offer private sessions. Demand for qualified teachers offers both part-time and full-time work.
Mind-body connection. Regular practice builds mindfulness, body awareness and breath control, with real effects on stress and wellbeing.
Community. You’ll join a group of like-minded people who share your passion. Lifelong friendships often grow from these experiences.

Finding the right yoga school

Look for a programme that fits your goals and gives you a high-quality learning experience. The ethics of the studio and trainers matter as much as the quality of the course. Here’s what to look for.

Experienced and qualified trainers

Choose a programme whose trainers have at least 8 years of teaching experience. The Elevated Yoga Alliance International (YA) Standards require a lead teacher who holds ERYT500 (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, level 2) certification. You can look them up on YA to check their credentials.

Accreditation and CPD

Check the programme is accredited by Yoga Alliance International, an internationally recognised organisation that sets high standards for teacher training. Accreditation means your certificate is recognised worldwide. Make sure the course also counts towards your Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

Eligibility requirements

A good school insists on prerequisites for enrolment. It’s a sign of quality and ethics, and it makes sure everyone has enough experience to benefit fully from the course.

Elevated standards

Look for a programme that meets YA’s elevated standards. These set rigorous requirements for philosophy, anatomy, teaching methodology and practical experience.

Internationally recognised faculty

A faculty that includes internationally recognised trainers brings a wealth of knowledge, different perspectives and specialist expertise.

A personal, inclusive environment

Seek out a friendly, inclusive school. A supportive atmosphere encourages open discussion, builds connections between trainees and gives you space to grow.

Quality ongoing mentoring

Access to experienced mentors, during the course and beyond, is invaluable as you develop as a teacher.

A fully equipped shala

Look at the facilities. A well-equipped, dedicated yoga shala gives you a calm, focused space to practise and learn.

Our curriculum

The Level 1 YTTC at The Breathing Space follows the Elevated Yoga Alliance International Standards. The course covers:

Techniques, training and practice. Practices described in the ancient texts, including asana from our lineage, sequencing for specific effects, pranayama (breathing techniques) and subtle body practices.
Meditation, chanting, mantras and mudras. Key meditation terms and methods from our lineage, plus chanting, mantra and mudra.
Anatomy and physiology. The skeleton, the major muscles used in asana and types of joint movement, plus the nervous, cardiovascular and respiratory systems and how they relate to practice.
Yoga humanities. The history and philosophy of yoga, key texts such as the Yoga Sutras and Bhagavad Gita, our lineage and methodology, and yoga ethics.
Teaching methodology and class management. Sequencing, pace, cueing and creating the right environment, along with professionalism, marketing and promotion.
Professional development. Lifelong learning, professional bodies such as YA, ethical commitments and liability insurance.

Prerequisites for enrolment

We ask applicants to have 18 months to 2 years of regular yoga practice before they join. This gives you a solid grounding in asana, pranayama and basic yogic principles to build on.

Asking for experience lets the course focus on deeper teachings, so graduates reach a higher level as teachers. It also reflects our commitment to the safety and wellbeing of trainees and their future students.

The 200-hour YTT is a big commitment of time and money. A solid foundation helps you understand what you’re taking on and get the most from your investment. It also creates a cohesive, dedicated group of trainees.

Course fees and what’s included

Our course is reasonably and reassuringly priced for the quality of training. Be wary of very cheap courses: they’re a false economy, and you get what you pay for.

Unlike many online or home-study courses, ours is interactive and collaborative. It is taught purely in person, in small groups of between 6 and 12 people. Our faculty of four experienced teachers has over 50 years of teaching experience between them.

To suit different budgets, you can pay in full (the best value), in two parts with a deposit, or in instalments. See the 200-hour YTT page for current fees and course dates.

To promote diversity and equity in yoga, we also offer a Teacher Training Subsidy. Eligible applicants can apply for a 50% fee reduction if they can show a commitment to yoga practice and study and belong to the global majority.

Included in the course

200 contact hours at the studio, guided by experienced teachers
Ongoing 1:1 mentoring to support your assignments and assessments
Apprenticeship and mentoring throughout the course
A quality, full-colour printed training manual with supporting online materials
In-class resources, such as modelling materials
Personal lifetime support, mentoring and guidance
Free yoga throughout the year, so you can join any class on the timetable
Lifetime discounts on further teacher training courses once you graduate

Accommodation and local discounts

We’ve partnered with a local serviced apartments company to offer trainees a 10% discount on accommodation during the course.

We’ll also share our favourite local cafés and restaurants. The Cathedral Quarter, where the studio is, has a lively food scene, and trainees receive a Cathedral Quarter discount card for 10% off at participating cafés and restaurants.

Elevated standards and CPD

We follow YA International’s elevated standards, which bring several important requirements:

100% of the minimum training hours are taught in a classroom setting, tied to the core curriculum. A maximum of 40 hours can be online, and only in Anatomy & Physiology and Yoga Humanities.
Registered Yoga Schools must assess trainees’ knowledge, skills and experience before certifying them as teachers.
The requirements for the RYS 200 Lead Trainer are higher.

Our commitment continues after the course. We offer lifetime mentoring for all our graduates, and a year-round programme of CPD. Topics include Trauma-informed Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga, Hands-On Assists, Chair Yoga, Aerial Yoga and Yoga Nidra.

What can you earn as a yoga teacher?

Earnings vary with location and experience, but here is a rough guide to typical rates for a 200-hour teacher (RYT 200):

Setting	Typical rate
Yoga studio	£25 to £35 per class
Gym	From around £15 per class
Private 1:1 session	Around £50 per session
Community centre or church hall	Hall hire around £20 an hour; charging £6 to £8 per student covers costs and earns an income
Two-hour workshop	Around £25 per person

Some teachers also run annual or twice-yearly retreats. Income depends on numbers and the cost of catering and accommodation. Retreats take a lot of planning, but can be both fulfilling and rewarding.

These figures are approximate. As you gain experience and build your reputation, you may be able to charge more or offer specialist workshops and retreats.

In our graduates’ words

We were so grateful to receive this feedback from Rachel, one of our 200-hour graduates:

“I cannot believe we are approaching the end! Bitter sweet, so excited to have got this far and for what comes next, but will miss our 200-hour retreat weekends together so so much. My practice has transformed!

The School is led by amazing teachers, with so much lived experience. Christine, the lead teacher, is an incredible mentor with such a passion for yoga, and I’ve loved the teaching input from Bel and Yashwanth too. They are all so experienced, knowledgeable, generous, and caring. Thank you also to the rest of the Breathing Space community; the faculty of teachers who let us observe their teaching and the practitioners we have ‘practised on’ in our apprenticeships and teaching practice.

I have loved every single minute of the course, even the urdhva dhanurasana ones! Each module creatively allowed us to explore yoga through different prisms and went far beyond the physical but into the subtle and transformative layers of the practice. While I loved the opportunity to study in depth, I also really enjoyed the opportunities we had to explore Vinyasa yoga, Ashtanga yoga, Props, and Restorative Yoga too.

Most of all, I feel privileged to have shared my 200hr journey with six other amazingly strong, resilient, creative, joyful trainees. I have learned so much from each of them, and I will remember this time forever. We’ve come a long way in 10 months, but there’s a lifetime of learning still to come.”

Rachel, Registered Yoga Teacher 200 hours, lifelong yoga practitioner, and great teacher!

We’re proud of the journeys our trainees go through, and honoured to have been part of Rachel’s. The bond between trainees, and the support of our teachers and the wider Breathing Space community, are at the heart of the course.

Next steps

We hope this guide has answered your questions. Our training is led by experienced teachers who are passionate about yoga, and our YA-accredited curriculum covers philosophy, anatomy, teaching methodology and more.

The training is a real commitment of time and money, but the rewards are immeasurable. You’ll deepen your own practice and gain the skills to guide others. To find out about our next course, visit the 200-hour YTT page. We look forward to welcoming you.

The path of a teacher is a lifelong journey. Follow us on social media to stay connected, whether you’ve trained with us or are thinking about it.