Rachel | Portugal 200hr YTT Testimonial
My experience with School Yoga Institute’s 2026 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training in Portugal was stellar. The instructors were amazing and they were the main highlight of my experience. Both Anita and Leslie were very approachable, knowledgeable, and fun! They also made me feel comfortable being my authentic self and being vulnerable throughout the training.
I appreciated that they were both present for all segments of the training and that the way in which they organized the modules was logical and flowed well. In addition, Anita and Leslie’s strengths complemented each other well. Leslie taught the anatomy aspects of the training and Anita led the philosophy and Ayurveda modules. I could tell based on their teaching and demeanor that they were truly excited about the components of the program that they taught. Their expertise and kindness truly exceeded my expectations and I would highly recommend training with Anita and Leslie to other students.
Another great aspect of the program was the fact that we each peer taught two full flows – one in the middle of the program and one at the end. This experience gave me the confidence that I will be able to teach fearlessly and safely when I am ready to join one of my local studios.
Anita, Leslie and my peers provided kind and helpful feedback on my teaching to help continue developing my confidence and my skills. I feel that this training program prepared me well to teach yoga for years to come.
I learned how to become a teacher alongside my own personal growth as an individual, and a collective being. Though in reality, the days were long, the schedule and content made it feel as though every day was flying by. The intentionality of the longer breaks gave space and time for me to rest and recuperate between lessons. The flexibility of space was also a welcome experience.
The food and venue were both incredible. The location in Portugal was only about an hour and a half from Lisbon, but it still was very secluded and peaceful. It was only 15 minutes driving distance to two unique towns (Peniche and Obidos), which allowed for easy and fun excursions on our days off. Even more amazingly, it was only 15 minutes walking distance to the Atlantic Ocean, at a beautiful and barely developed part of the beach. This mix of accessibility with serenity was perfect for an immersive yoga teacher training.
The retreat center was beautifully decorated, comfortable, spacious and calming. There was a natural pool with sand surrounding it and beautiful lush gardens. We had ocean views from our rooms and most (if not all) rooms had balconies. The private chef prepared us three meals per day of fresh vegetarian food and her recipes were incredible. She made different meals for us every day with only one repeat – which was at our request because that particular meal was so amazing. There was always plenty of food and the chef was very mindful of dietary restrictions, making students with such restrictions their own separate gourmet meals. There was also unlimited tea, hot water and filtered cold water.
I would also like to share several key takeaways I will incorporate from the training into my regular life. I am confident that these and other experiences from the training will allow me to lead a happier and more fulfilled life!
First is the power of positivity. While I had thought about this concept before the training, previously it had not felt as accessible or as powerful as it does now. I learned that I can manifest what I think, and that I feel much better when I think positively. There is no use dwelling or worrying about the past, especially because the things we worry about are often very unlikely to actually happen. I truly believe that positivity can change lives and help me get through difficult times more seamlessly. This is an aspect of the training that could truly change my life for the better on a daily basis!
Next I want to share a little of what I learned from the Shamanic Medicine Wheel. The Medicine Wheel associates a cardinal direction to an animal and characteristics with four different stages. The stage that resonated the most with me was the Eagle (representing the East direction), which focuses on our ability to spread our wings and learn to soar above our challenges and difficulties so we can have new experiences. This idea is very empowering and motivating to me. The Eagle also teaches us to expand our horizons and see the world from a broader perspective. One tangible way to invoke the Eagle is to see new characteristics and details in each thing we observe, each time we observe it. The Eagle teaches us to live in the present moment, not in the past or the future, and reminds us of the oneness of the world. Thinking of the concept of oneness also makes me feel at peace because regardless of social status or appearance, we are all equal. I always feel a sense of calm and contentment when I think about the equality of all the world’s beings and the fact that we are all one. I will continue to work on mastering the Eagle’s teaching to stay in the present moment and fly past my challenges – this will help me soar!
From a personal perspective, I am excited to incorporate more silent meditation into my meditation practice and make my current meditation practice more consistent. While I have been practicing some meditation with guided meditations on apps like Happier and Headspace, I want to deepen my practice and feel that this teacher training program provided me with the tools to do so. Over time, I plan to increase the frequency and length of my meditations and get more comfortable with silence. Regular deep meditation will help me tune in with myself, and with the oneness of all beings, nature, and the universe. It will also help improve my mood and allow me to interact with others in the most genuine, empathetic and kind way.
I am also very excited to begin teaching at my local studio. I believe that more widespread yoga and meditation would have an amazing impact on society by developing more compassionate people, in a not so compassionate world. I look forward to being involved in bringing yoga and positivity to the world and my community. Thank you for helping make my experience possible!
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