During Phoenix’s first two years, keeping the studio running took most of our attention. Once it was steady, we were ready to build the teacher training course we wanted to offer.
But somewhere in year three, a question kept surfacing: what if we could help people become teachers?
Why it took a while
We didn’t rush into this. A Yoga Teacher Training is a serious thing to offer. It’s not a weekend workshop or a new class style — it’s a commitment to someone’s professional and personal development. We wanted to make sure that if we were going to do it, we were going to do it properly.
We could offer small groups, direct access to mentors and practice teaching in an operating studio from day one. Our size made those things possible.
We wanted to train teachers who think carefully, teach with warmth, and build the kind of connection with their students that keeps people coming back to yoga for decades.
The first cohort
When we opened applications, we weren’t sure what to expect. We got more interest than we’d planned for, which was both gratifying and slightly terrifying.
The first cohort was everything we’d hoped. A mix of backgrounds, experience levels, and reasons for wanting to teach — but a shared seriousness about what they were doing. Watching people who’d come to Phoenix as students start to find their own teaching voice was one of the most genuinely moving things we’ve experienced in running this place.
Some graduates now teach at other studios and some returned to teach at Phoenix. Each completed the qualification and left with a more regular, considered yoga practice.
What’s next
We’re continuing the YTT programme. Each cohort is small by design — that’s not going to change. The things that made the first one work (the intimacy, the mentorship, the real teaching opportunities from early on) only work at a certain scale.
Interested in training with us? Our Yoga Teacher Training page has full details on what the course covers, who it’s for, and how to apply. Find out more about YTT at Phoenix →
If you’re considering teacher training, come to an information session or contact us. We can talk through your experience, the course timetable and whether this is the right time for you.
This is one of the things we’re most proud of. Not because it’s a revenue stream or a clever business move (though it helps), but because it’s genuinely extending what Phoenix is for. Teachers who trained here carry something of this place with them. And that feels like exactly the right way to grow.
