Balanced Planet Yoga · Advanced Teacher Training
300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training
Walk the Four Paths of Yoga — Raja, Jnana, Bhakti + Karma — guided by the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita.
A mentorship program at its heart. Learn online at your own pace, be guided in live mentoring sessions — on Zoom or in person — and graduate on your own timeline, with a serious education in yoga.
Prerequisite: a 200-hour yoga teacher training certificate
Yoga Alliance Registered School — RYS 200 & RYS 300 · Graduates are eligible to register as RYT 500
What Is Yoga?
Every 200-hour teacher has the answer ingrained: union with our source. Beautiful — but that's yoga's destination. What's its path?
Yoga is a scientific methodology for living better — and more free — in a very complicated world. This isn't spiritual bypassing. The world has real problems, and yoga doesn't ask us to look away from them. It trains us to meet them with steadiness, clarity, and an open heart.
Your community is searching for that kind of steadiness. Become the guide they need.
Sound Familiar?
"I finished my 200 hours… but I still feel like an imposter."
Too many online trainings skim the surface — a few sequences, a weekend of anatomy, a certificate. They never take you into the ancient teachings that give yoga its depth. Without that foundation, it's no wonder so many teachers feel like they're faking it.
"Online learning leaves me feeling disconnected."
Watching videos alone in your living room isn't a sangha. When no one knows your name, your questions, or your struggles, it's easy to disengage — and easier still to quit.
This training is the antidote.
This is a mentorship program at its heart. We take a deep dive into the ancient yogic teachings — the Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, and the philosophy behind the practice — so you teach from real understanding, not a script. And you won't walk the path alone: you'll be personally mentored by Cheryl Van Sciver and Jenna Kelly, both E-RYT 500s, through live sessions — on Zoom or in person — where your mentors know you, challenge you, and walk beside you. Expect a serious education in yoga.
Built for Real Life
Most of us are householder yogis — we practice and teach while holding jobs, families, and full lives. That's exactly who this training was designed for. Our 300-hour program is broken into four independent modules of 75 hours each. Take one, take all four, in any order. You graduate when you've completed 300 hours.
Learn Online, On Your Schedule
The training is largely asynchronous — lectures, practices, readings, and reflections live in our online learning platform, and you move through them at your own pace, from anywhere, on your own schedule.
Be Mentored, Not Just Taught
You're never alone on this path. You'll be personally mentored by Cheryl Van Sciver and Jenna Kelly — both E-RYT 500s — through live sessions, on Zoom or in person, where you can wrestle with the teachings and ask real questions.
Choose Your Pace
Complete all four modules in a single year, or spread them across four. There's no expiration on your journey — the path unfolds at the speed that's right for you.
Prefer In-Person? Swap a Module
Replace one online module with our in-studio 30-Hour Yin Yoga Teacher Training + 50-Hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training — 80 hours of hands-on learning at BPY.
Meet Your Mentors
Mentorship is the heart of this training. You'll meet with us regularly — on Zoom or in person at the studio — and we'll walk this path with you from your first module to your 300th hour.
Cheryl Van Sciver
E-RYT 500 · Founder, Balanced Planet Yoga
Cheryl has devoted her teaching life to the deeper study of yoga — the philosophy, the ancient texts, and the practices that transform a class into a path. As the founder of Balanced Planet Yoga, running a thriving studio for more than a decade, she knows firsthand what it takes to build community and hold space for others. She leads trainees through the teachings with warmth, honesty, and a healthy sense of humor.
Jenna Kelly
E-RYT 500 · Co-Founder, Balanced Planet Yoga
Jenna brings depth, devotion, and real-world teaching wisdom to every mentoring session. A master of sequencing and anatomy, she teaches trainees to build intelligent sequences — classes where every pose has a purpose and the body is honored at every step. She meets each trainee exactly where they are, helping them grow into teachers who lead from authenticity rather than a script.
The Four Paths of Yoga
Each of the Bhagavad Gita's eighteen chapters is itself a yoga — a path. From this vast teaching, the tradition distills four great paths: Raja, Jnana, Bhakti, and Karma. We use them as our map through the Gita's wisdom, with each 75-hour module immersing you in one.
Every trainee begins with Raja Yoga. Most 200-hour trainings are built on Patanjali's eight-limbed path, so Raja is where we establish a shared foundation — filling any gaps and deepening what you already know. From there, take Jnana, Bhakti, and Karma in any order.
In Every Module, You Will…
Study the key texts of each path — exploring the ancient teachings alongside multiple commentaries, never tied to a single interpretation.
Deepen your anatomy — expanding your knowledge of the body and its systems, physical and subtle.
Uplevel your practice — transforming the way you see and experience yoga on your own mat.
Elevate your teaching — becoming a stronger teacher of asana, pranayama, and meditation, and transforming how you engage your students from the first breath to the final bow.
Among the texts we study: the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and their commentaries, the Bhagavad Gita, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Vigyan Bhairava Tantra, the Upanishads, the Ramayana, Srimad Bhagavatam, Uddhava Gita, Vedanta Sutras, Drig Drishya Viveka, Ramana Maharshi's "Who Am I?", Swami Vivekananda's writings on the four paths, and key verses from many more.
Required First Module · 75 Hours
Raja Yoga — The Path of Meditation & Self-Mastery
Explore the royal path as mapped by Patanjali. Dive deep into pranayama, asana, concentration, and meditation to still the fluctuations of the mind. Study the body's subtle energy systems and Kundalini awakening, and develop the skills to guide your students into deep states of meditation.
Module · 75 Hours
Jnana Yoga — The Path of Knowledge
Immerse yourself in the wisdom of the ancient yogis through scripture and self-inquiry. Deepen your understanding of the nature of the self, the illusion of the material world, levels of consciousness, and the interconnectedness of all beings — and learn to guide students toward clarity amidst the chaos.
Module · 75 Hours
Bhakti Yoga — The Path of Devotion
Discover the path Sri Krishna calls the most accessible for our age. Immerse yourself in devotional chanting, kirtan, and mantra meditation. Learn to infuse your classes with heartfelt intention and create sacred space where students can open their hearts and deepen their spiritual connection.
Module · 75 Hours
Karma Yoga — The Path of Selfless Action
Experience the transformative power of selfless service. Learn to integrate karma yoga into your teaching, explore practical ways to serve your community, and discover the joy of giving without expectation — inspiring your students to embrace service as part of their yoga journey.
Crave the In-Studio Experience?
You may substitute one of the Jnana, Bhakti, or Karma modules (Raja is required for all trainees) with two of our in-person trainings, taken together:
30-Hour Yin Yoga Teacher Training
Slow down and study the quiet power of Yin — fascia, meridians, long holds, and the art of stillness.
Next session: October 2–4, 2026
Register for Yin TT →50-Hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training
Refine your teaching craft in person — advanced sequencing, hands-on skills, and the subtleties that elevate a class.
Two weekends: November 13–15 & December 4–6, 2026
Register for Advanced YTT →30 + 50 = 80 in-person hours, which count as one of your four modules. Complete the remaining three online, and you've earned your 300 hours.
How to Join
Because this is a mentorship program, enrollment begins with a conversation — not a shopping cart.
Apply
Tell us about yourself and your yoga journey, and share proof of your 200-hour certification (if you trained somewhere other than BPY).
Connect
We'll reach out to get to know you, answer your questions, and make sure this training is the right fit for where you are on your path.
Begin
Once you're accepted, we'll send your invoice through Arketa and your personal access to the online learning platform. Your journey begins with Raja.
Investment
Open to graduates of any 200-hour yoga teacher training program.
Module by Module
per 75-hour module
Pay as you go — one path at a time.
Full Program
all four modules — save $296
Commit to the full journey.
Now Enrolling · 2027
200-Hour Teacher Training
The prerequisite for this program — our foundational YTT covering the 8 limbs, anatomy, and how to teach.
Learn More →
Sept 11–13, 2026
Fall Retreat Upstate NY
A long, golden weekend at Super Soul Farm — kirtan, yoga, and stillness with Cheryl and Bob.
Learn More →This Week at the Studio
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Hot yoga, vinyasa, yin, sculpt, restorative, meditation + sound healing — reserve your spot.
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Sign Up →Your Path Is Waiting
Begin with Raja, then follow the paths of knowledge, devotion, and service in the order that calls to you. Complete all 300 hours and register with Yoga Alliance as an RYT 500.
Questions about the program? We'd love to talk.