If you want to expand your practice and knowledge of yoga, Costa Rica is an ideal destination for your Yoga Teacher Training. Known for its abundance of wildlife, volcanic landscapes, world-class beaches, and surfing, our Certified yoga teacher training course is the perfect setting to dive deeper into your practice and become a yoga instructor.
Spending time in Costa Rica is a truly breathtaking experience. This mountainous rainforest provides an endless number of activities and experiences! Explore National Parks and tour beach trails. Scout out your favourite waterfalls while enjoying the biodiverse wildlife. Watch the monkeys in the trees and feel the ocean breeze as you dive deeper into your practice. Sun, surf, and yoga with your soul family! Pura Vida! Click here to read our 20 Things To Do In Costa Rica after a Yoga Teacher Training.
It is also an opportunity to immerse yourself in a vibrant and diverse culture. Costa Rica has very warm and welcoming people and are always eager to share their traditions and culture with visitors. In Our Yoga Teacher Training you will be surrounded by a supportive and inclusive community of people who share your passion for yoga and personal growth. This will help you feel more comfortable in your yoga practice while you start your journey as a yoga teacher.
Our Certifed Costa Rica Yoga Teacher Trainings take place in the incredible towns of Mal Pais, Montezuma & Cahuita - which offer incredible culture, atmosphere, and endless amounts of local tropical produce. This area of the world is known as the happiest place on earth! Join our 200hr YTT and experience why!
As an organization, we are very selective about the locations where we choose to host our teacher training programs. We believe that the environment in which you learn has the potential to enhance your overall experience. Costa Rica is known as the happiest and most sustainable country on Earth, making it a potent place to complete your 200hour, 300-hour Yoga Teacher Trainings and YACEP Courses.
It’s important to be mindful of the impact we have on the places we visit. With that in mind, we always make an effort to collaborate with eco-friendly retreat centers that recognize and prioritize sustainability.
Click on the images below to learn more about each course
June 5 - 25, 2024
July 1 - 21, 2024
January 5 - 25, 2025
March 1 - 21, 2025
September 7 - 27, 2024
November 30 - December 20, 2024
February 1 - 21, 2025
April 12 - May 1, 2024 (Online) & May 4 - May 13, 2024 (In-Person) in Costa Rica
ONLINE: October 11 - November 6, 2024 ~ Virtual Program
IN-PERSON: November 10 - 19, 2024 ~ 10-day Immersion
Click on the date below for more information on this course
Click on the dates below for more information on each course
As an organization, we are very selective about the locations we choose to host our Yoga Teacher Training courses. We believe that the environment in which you learn has the potential to enhance your overall experience. Costa Rica is known as one of our favorite locations to guide transformative YTTs.
We always make an effort to collaborate with retreat centers who take a more eco-friendly approach by offering local and organic food and by eliminating as much waste as possible. We are currently working with three significantly different but equally amazing retreat centers in Costa Rica that are located in varying regions of the country.
May 4 - 24, 2024 con Javi & Carlie
June 5 - 25, 2024 with Javi & Carlie
July 1 - 21, 2024 with Jed, Lex & Bea
September 7 - 27, 2024 with Janani & Vanessa
October 11 - November 19, 2024 with Mindi and Nadine
November 30 - December 20, 2024 with Anita & Leslie
February 1 - 21, 2025 - TBD
March 1 - 21, 2025 - TBD
Pura Vida, a Spanish phrase used often in Costa Rica means "a way of life". A Costa Rica Yoga Teacher Training is the perfect setting to connect to the purity of life essence through an immersion in the abundance of Costa Rica’s beauty. At School Yoga Institute we are passionate about facilitating soulful connections that allow our students to drop into an awareness of their own divine nature. Costa Rica is known as the happiest and most sustainable country on Earth!
Costa Rica has the potential to enhance the entire experience of your Yoga Teacher Training with its diverse culture, welcoming spirit, and endless amounts of local fresh tropical produce.
Why Choose Costa Rica for your Yoga Teacher Training? Here we show a few reasons:
At any one of our gorgeous Costa Rica locations, you’ll be deeply immersed in the bounty of Pacha Mama. If you have the time, there’s plenty to explore. The Mantra ‘Pura Vida’ echoes through the life of people here, the essence of living a pure life is pivotally Costa Rica’s cultural appeal. The easy-going lifestyle is the perfect opportunity to discover the freedom within your heart, tap into the lightness of being and rediscover the truth of your passions. During our Yoga Teacher Training, we intentionally embrace the art of a yogic lifestyle through yogic purification techniques, self-inquiry, and connection to nature. Though teacher training can be an intense period of self-discovery, taking this training immersed in Costa Rica’s rich culture also allows the opportunity to come back to the simplicity of being and living with a true heart.
Called to the wild? Costa Rica is a nature lover’s paradise! Costa Rica has only 0.03% of the world’s landmass but is estimated to contain 5% of the world’s biodiversity making it one of the most biodiverse places on earth. Costa Rica is home to a uniquely rich variety of flora and fauna and diverse wildlife including the three-toed sloth, red-eyed tree frogs, white faced capuchin monkeys, and the quetzal bird. A quarter of the land is made up of national parks and protected jungles where nature thrives.
Costa Rica offers a variety of landscapes, microclimates, and something for everyone. Whether it is an adventure, enjoying some of the best surfing, hiking epic cloud forests, volcanoes, and rainforests, or simply allowing nature to slip you into a deep state of relaxation that you are seeking, the path is sure to lead to a wildly wonderful experience.
It's safe to say at SYI we’re a team of foodies, nourishing our bodies and sustaining a yogic diet is one aspect of our training students particularly enjoy as this training allows them to explore a vegan/ vegetarian diet possibly for the first time. In Costa Rica, this is easy to do with the abundance of fresh tropical fruits and vegetables that fuel our training with an emphasis on the purification of mind, body, and spirit.
All of our locations have a team of dedicated chefs who provide 3 soul-nourishing meals a day, as much as possible we source local and organic produce and offer a mix of local and international dishes. With an abundance of tropical. Most meals are served buffet-style. You’ll be introduced to the flavors of Costa Rica with dishes such as Gallo Pinto, Casado, Arroz con Leche de coco (coco milk rice pudding), Sopa Negra, Patacones (fried plantain served with guacamole). We cater to Vegetarian, Vegan, and Gluten-Free diets.
Costa Rica has a tropical climate meaning it is warm all year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 72°F to 82°F. Costa Rica is a large and diverse country with varying weather patterns. While the temperature remains the same the rains and location are something to take into consideration when planning your trip.
What a potent time in the world to feel the call to become a yoga teacher! The journey begins right here and right now - searching the internet for a unique experience that sparks your destiny’s curiosity. The call to break free from the mundane and step into transformation! You are here for a reason.
There’s no question that we offer experiences that gift students with so much more than just a certification. We receive this question all of the time: “What makes your yoga school unique?” We’ve broken it down into 8 Reasons Why School Yoga Institute is Unique.
Our school is deeply influenced by Peruvian Shamanism and the Native American Medicine Wheel. This is a significant reason why many say that SYI is much more than just a yoga teacher training. We provide students with a spiritually driven course that goes far beyond Asana (the physical postures of yoga). Through shamanic medicine wheel and ceremonies, we connect to the shadows of our past to understand how our patterns shape and feed our current state and perspective. We develop powerful inner tools and rewrite the personal narratives that keep us stuck, giving way to a new perspective and lasting change in our lives.
School Yoga Institute started over 18 years ago and has contributed to hundreds of lives being transformed along the way! As a spiritually focused organization, we are built upon a foundation of love, radical self-acceptance, personal growth, and deep connection. Our Alumni family is vast and continues to blossom throughout the world. Once you complete an SYI course, you’re family for life! We feel honored to do this work and continue to be inspired by each student and the uniqueness of their story.
We recognize that yoga should be accessible to every body! Wherever there is inequality, there is work to do. We offer yoga scholarships for all of our yog a teacher training programs and SYI is committed to amplifying and empowering the voices of people of color and folks who identify as BIPOC, LBGTQIA+, and members of marginalized communities.
“We want your voices in our community. We want your radiance in our soul family. We are ready to welcome you just as you are.” - Brooke, Visionary Team
As an organization, we are very selective about the sacred locations we choose to host our YTTs. We are grateful and humbled to hold these courses around the world on many different continents. We want the people who have grown up in these communities to have a chance to experience our programs at a discounted rate, so we offer 50% off for anyone who is from each location. For example, if you are from Central America, you have access to our programs in Guatemala and Costa Rica at a 50% tuition discount!
We truly can’t say enough about our incredible yoga facilitators. Like our course offerings, our facilitators are located all around the globe! Each one of our diverse world-class facilitators has completed a 300hr YTT and offers a plethora of experience and wisdom. We wouldn’t be who we are without them!
We offer continuing education courses both in-person and online! Our programs include Yin Yoga, Trauma-Informed Yoga, and Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga. We offer these courses in Portugal, Panama, Spain, and more! We are all students at heart and it’s important that we continue to learn and grow with one another!
What can we say! We love our team and we love what we do! If you have ever sent us an e-mail, requested a phone call, or reached out with questions, chances are you’ve heard back from our co-owner and operator, Keri Pennell!
Keri, and Co-Owner and facilitator Jed Pennell, pour their hearts and souls into this community and deeply care for each student’s journey and experiences. We call Keri our Mystical Mama! A vegan chef, wife, and mother of four, Keri’s leadership is contagious and welcoming! She’s joined by an incredibly supportive team of SYI visionaries!
At School Yoga Institute we are grateful to work with numerous international locations as passionate about sustainability as us. In our travels we make an effort to off-set emissions, during our yoga teacher training we provide students with the knowledge, means and opportunity to delve into self inquiry of the impact of their current lifestyle and an introduction to living more sustainably. Click here and read more about Sustainable Living.
The School Yoga Institute focuses a strong emphasis on encouraging originality and authenticity in instruction. As they transition into the role of a yoga teacher, trainees are urged to embrace their special talents and skills in order to build confidence and a strong sense of purpose. Yoga Teacher Training in Costa Rica at School Yoga Institute is an unforgettable and soul-enriching experience that combines the beauty of this tropical paradise with the profound wisdom of yoga.
In the middle of stunning beaches, thick jungles, and a tranquil setting, Costa Rica offers the perfect environment for spiritual development and self-discovery. As students immerse themselves in regular yoga practice, meditation, and self-reflection, they become more intimately connected to their inner selves and experience yoga's true essence.
Led by seasoned and dedicated instructors, our Yoga Teacher Training in Costa Rica covers a diverse range of subjects, including various yoga styles, asanas, pranayama techniques, anatomy, philosophy, and teaching methodologies. Our curriculum offers a comprehensive and well-rounded learning experience by fusing ancient knowledge with modern perspectives.
Beyond physical postures, the training delves into the spiritual and philosophical aspects of yoga, encouraging a profound sense of mindfulness, self-awareness, and compassion. The natural beauty and tranquility of Costa Rica serve as a catalyst for inner exploration and transformation.
With the world's largest rainforest ecosystem, the Amazon Rainforest spans 9 countries and is home to iconic species like the Jaguar, Macaw, Amazon River Dolphin, Black Spider Monkey, and Poison Dart Frog. By holding an estimated 90-140 billion metric tons of carbon, its forests play a critical role in the fight against climate change. Unfortunately, due to logging, unsustainable agriculture, and forest fires, it's also a high risk zone for deforestation and degradation.
School Yoga Institute commits to donating one tree for every YTT graduate!
Learn more here about ONE TREE PLANTED
Do you know we have a blog with content dedicated to yoga, spirituality, and many more incredible topics for our community?
“TELL ME, WHAT IS IT YOU PLAN TO DO WITH YOUR
ONE WILD AND PRECIOUS LIFE?”
- Mary Oliver
