Shanti Garudasana provides a vibrant and substantive yoga training experience for a select group of W&M students. Graduates from our program develop the skills and confidence to provide intelligently sequenced, safe, and well-rounded classes. Upon graduation, students are able to effectively integrate principles of pedagogy, communication, and cultural sensitivity in a manner that honors both the rich traditions and modern science of yoga philosophy/practice, mindfulness, and flourishing. While one of the goals of Shanti Garudasana is to develop mature and talented yoga teachers to then serve the W&M community at the McLeod Tyler Wellness Center and Bee McLeod Recreation Center, it is the intention of the school to create lifelong role models and ambassadors for optimal yoga education and practice.
The training is led by the following faculty:
Cindy Crace, E-RYT 500, CYT, Yoga School Director
Patti DeBlass, E-RYT 500, CYT, Yoga School Director
Yoga School information
Admissions Requirements for W&M Students
Applicants should be 18 years of age or full-time W&M students who will not be graduating until Dec. 2027 at the earliest in order to complete the program.
Applicants should have a regular yoga practice.
Applicants should submit a completed application.
New Course Layout for 2026
In order to make this course as accessible to W&M students as possible, we have collaborated with W&M Campus Recreation to create a new modular program. This program will start in January 2026. Please see the schedule below. The total cost and cost for each module is listed in a table below the schedule. Payments may be made per module. Students on financial aid may qualify for a lower total price. Please indicate whether you are on financial aid at W&M on the application below.
Virtual Interest Meeting
Tuesday, November 18th: 7:00-7:45 PM.
Yoga School Directors, Cindy Crace and Patti DeBlass, as well as Associate Director of Campus Rec, Jenny Dunfee, will be leading an interest meeting on Zoom.
All students in Yoga Teacher Training will go through Campus Rec's in-house FitWell Instructor Training Course. The course will meet once a week for 1.5 hours for 9 weeks: 13.5 hours total.
The course is offered in the fall semester and so students in the 2026 Yoga Teacher Training program may take the course in Fall 2025 (currently running through Oct. 28) or in Fall 2026
A total of 20 hours including reading/homework and a Red Cross training.
WINTER BREAK 2025-2026
Yoga Studies Online Module (History & Philosophy)
Approximately 20 hours of listening to audio lectures and completing quizzes that students can do from home over winter break.
Students will participate in 7 hours of virtual training.
Approximately 20 hours in total including reading/homework.
Teaching Hatha Yoga Part II (in person)
Saturday, Jan. 24 from 9:00 AM-6:00 PM and Sunday, Jan. 25 from 9:00 AM-5:00 PM (1 hour for lunch will be included on both days)
This instruction with focus on the Hatha Yoga script.
Teaching Hatha Yoga Part III (virtual and in-person)
Saturday, Feb. 28- 9:00 AM-5:00 PM (virtual) and Sunday, March 1-9:00 AM-5:00 PM (in-person) (1 hour for lunch will be included on both days).
On Saturday, students will participate in 7 hours of virtual training
On Sunday, there will be community Hatha Yoga classes team-taught by all students and supervised by the Yoga School Directors. Students will meet before the class to discuss their planned teaching sequence and practice teaching: 7 hours
Hatha Yoga Teaching Practicum (scheduled between students and Campus Rec)
Students will gain another 10 hours of teaching /training practice (with a mentor) from teaching yoga classes and attending continuing education credit workshops (such as trauma-informed yoga).
Anatomy
Saturday, March 21 (in person), 9:00 AM- 6:00 PM (1 hour for lunch) and Sunday, March 22, 8:00 AM-12:00 PM (virtual)
Students will spend a total of 17 hours in this module including reading and homework.
FALL 2026
Teaching Vinyasa Yoga I (virtual)
Saturday, August 15th from 8:00 AM-4:00 PM (includes 1 hour for lunch)
Students will participate in a total of 15 hours including reading/homework.
Teaching Vinyasa Yoga II (in person)
Saturday, Sept. 19 from 9:00 AM-6:00 PM and Sunday, Sept. 20 from 9:00 AM-5:00 PM (1 hour for lunch will be included on both days)
Students will focus on developing and teaching Vinyasa Yoga sequences.
Teaching Vinyasa Yoga III (virtual and in-person)
Saturday, Oct. 24- 9:00 AM-5:00 PM (virtual) and Sunday, Oct. 25-9:00 AM-5:00 PM (in-person) (1 hour for lunch will be included on both days).
Students will participate in 7 hours of virtual training on Saturday.
Sunday will include community Vinyasa classes team-taught by all instructors and supervised by the Yoga School Directors. Before the class, students will meet with their partner, come up with their teaching sequence and practice teaching: 7 hours.
Vinyasa Yoga Teaching Practicum (self-paced)
Students will gain another 10 hours of teaching/training practice from teaching yoga classes and attending continuing education credit workshops
WINTER BREAK 2026-2027
Finalizing Yoga Teacher Training (virtual)
Students will participate in 19 hours of virtual training on topics such as the 8 Limbs of Yoga, Subtle Energies, the Business of Yoga, and Special populations- these hours include homework, group studies and a final exam.
PRIVATE SESSIONS
One-on-one review with Cindy and/or Patti is available at $60 per hour per Instructor.
Graduation Requirements
Completion of all of the training sessions and practical teaching hours (totaling 200 hours).
Completion of asana cards for all asanas learned in the training, and revisions made as needed (this assignment will be explained in depth during the first training weekend).
A passing score on the in-house final assessment.
Maintenance of a personal yoga and meditation practice.
Pricing & Registration
Schedule
Cost per student
Hours earned towards 200 RYT
Program Initial Deposit
(this will be refunded at the end of the spring 2026 semester, as long as students have completed up through the Anatomy module)
$200
0
Textbooks
Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff
$20
0
The Heart of Yoga, by T.K.S. Desikacha
$17
0
A blank journal
$10
0
Fall 2025 or Fall 2026
FitWell Instructor Training Course
$150
23
Winter Break '25-'26
Yoga Studies Online Module (History & Philosophy)
$100
20
Total cost up to this point (not including the deposit): $300
Spring 2026- the following modules will be free of charge, thanks to a generous donation.
Teaching Hatha Yoga Part I
$0
20
Teaching Hatha Yoga Part II
$0
15
Teaching Hatha Yoga Part III
$0
14
After this point, the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training will be divided into modules that students will have to pay for individually.
Total cost to non-Campus Rec students (Includes the $300 up above for the Yogic Studies Online Module, FitWell Instructor Training Course and the textbooks)
$1,482
200 Hours
* Students may pay up front or per module.
** The average price for Yoga Teacher Training Programs in the United States is $2,500.
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