Yin Yoga Teacher Training
A Balanced Planet Yoga Teacher Training
Yin Yoga Teacher Training
Stillness, the Subtle Body & the Art of the Long Hold
October 2–4, 2026
30-Hour Certification · Yoga Alliance YACEP Credit · Led by Cheryl, Jenna & Bob
Slow down, drop in, and learn to teach the quiet practice — a weekend immersion weaving the physical practice of Yin with functional anatomy and the yogic map of subtle energy.
The Practice of Slowing Down
Embark on an enriching Yin Yoga Teacher Training that weaves the ancient practice of yoga together with modern fascia science and the yogic understanding of subtle energy. This immersion blends time-honored and contemporary approaches to deepen both your personal practice and your teaching — so you can hold space for stillness with confidence.
Upon completing this program you will receive a 30-Hour Yin Teacher Training Certificate and continuing-education credit through Yoga Alliance's YACEP program.
"In the stillness of the long hold, the real practice begins."
What the Thirty Hours Actually Are
The weekend is the heart of it, but it is not all of it. Thirty hours means a little work before you arrive, three days in the studio, and a guided path afterward that takes you all the way to teaching your first Yin class.
Manual Lessons One and Two — the lineage and the philosophy — plus two chapters of Bernie Clark’s The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga (you’ll need your own copy — get it from our Amazon store). Then a short online homework page: a comprehension quiz and four written reflections, due Friday at 5:00 pm. We read them before you walk in, and Saturday morning opens with your questions.
Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday in the studio — anatomy, philosophy, sequencing, theming, the fusion formats, props in practice, and two rounds of practice teaching. You also take two public studio classes alongside the community, which are part of the training. We work through breaks and meals, so every hour in the room counts.
Two documented 60-minute home practices with journaling · three yin classes on our schedule with a short written observation on each, using your 5-class pass · a live online group practicum, where you teach a segment of your planned class and we work through your sequences and themes together · the 40-question final exam · and the Yin class you teach on our schedule, with a trainer present and a debrief after.
All thirty are contact hours: the full weekend, working breaks and meals included, plus the reading, practice and teaching assignments before and after. These hours count toward YACEP continuing education and toward our 300-hour certification.
Inside the Training
Thirteen lessons spanning the roots, science, energetics, and craft of teaching Yin — grounded in the lineage of Grilley, Powers, and Bernie Clark.
Roots & Philosophy
- The history & lineage of Yin
- Samkhya, the Yoga Sutras & Taoism
- Mindfulness & the mindful body
The Body
- Functional anatomy: fascia & connective tissue
- Skeletal variation & the Goldilocks zone
- The spine, hips, psoas & knees
Energetics
- The Three Tattvas of Yin
- Prana & Qi — where the traditions meet
- The subtle body: chakras, vayus & granthis
Teaching Craft
- Sequencing: class arc, 60- & 90-minute templates
- Theming, voice & counterposes
- Props, cueing & the art of holding space
- Yin fusion: Vin to Yin, Yin to Vin & Yinyasa
Every Body
- Hypermobility, larger bodies & aging
- Athletes & dense connective tissue
- Prenatal, postnatal & trauma-informed Yin
The Pose Library
- 24 Yin poses in photographic detail
- Variations, prop tracks & counterposes
- An energetic focus and a theming cue for each
Who It's For
Certified teachers expanding their offerings, and dedicated students ready to deepen their practice. No prior Yin certification required — just a willingness to slow down.
Come as you are. Leave able to teach the quiet.
How We Teach Yin
This isn't a training about achieving the perfect shape. It's about learning to teach real bodies with intelligence, honesty, and care.
Form Follows Function
A pose's purpose isn't how it looks — it's the stress it creates in a specific tissue, in a specific body. You'll learn to teach the Goldilocks zone: not too much, not too little, but the sustainable edge where the tissue is engaged and the breath stays calm. We cue experiences, not shapes.
Trauma-Informed & Every Body
Stillness doesn't feel safe for everyone. You'll learn to offer choice, respect autonomy, and normalize coming out of a pose — and to teach with skill for hypermobile students, larger bodies, aging bodies, athletes, and pregnancy. No two bodies are the same inside, and good teaching begins there.
One Map, Taught Well
Most Yin trainings teach the twelve meridians of Chinese medicine. We teach the yogic map instead — the nadis, chakras, koshas and vayus — because it's the map the rest of your yoga training already runs on. We'll show you where the two traditions meet, and you'll leave fluent in one rather than hazy in two.
"We stop measuring students against an external ideal — and start helping each one inhabit their own body more intelligently."
A Stepping Stone to Your 300HR
Working toward your RYT 500? This 30-Hour Yin Teacher Training, taken together with our 50-Hour Advanced YTT (80 hours total), can substitute one elective module of Balanced Planet Yoga's 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training. It's a hands-on, in-person way to earn credit toward your advanced certification while learning a practice you'll love to teach.
Note: the Raja module remains required and cannot be substituted.
To Register
Click below to head to our Arketa platform and reserve your spot. This is a registered YACEP course and counts toward continuing education for yoga teachers.
Register on Arketa
Already Enrolled?
Everything you need between now and your certificate lives on two pages. Both are password protected — the password comes with your manual.
Before We Begin
Your pre-training homework: the reading, a short quiz and four written reflections. Due Friday, October 2 at 5:00 pm — we read the reflections before you arrive.
Go to the homeworkThe Final Exam
Forty questions across all thirteen lessons. Open book, self-marking, and you may retake it as many times as you need. Take it once the weekend has settled.
Go to the examFrequently Asked Questions
Can I attend if I'm not a certified yoga teacher?
Absolutely! Immersive trainings like this can deeply advance and elevate your mindset, philosophy, and personal practice. At the end of the training you'll receive a participation certificate and be invited to support your fellow trainees in their test-out classes.
How proficient in Yin do I need to be?
You don't need to be experienced in Yin to join us. A regular yoga practice of any style is helpful — even if Yin itself is new to you. It's also useful to have some idea of what the practice of Yin Yoga entails before you arrive.
Do you teach the meridians and the five elements?
Not as the organizing framework, and we'll tell you why on the first evening. Most Yin trainings teach the twelve meridians of Traditional Chinese Medicine. We teach the yogic map instead — the nadis, chakras, koshas and vayus — because it's the map the rest of your yoga training already runs on, and holding two systems at once tends to leave students fluent in neither. We do cover where the two traditions meet, and where Qi and prana are describing the same territory in different languages. Nothing stops you studying the meridian system afterward, and you'll be well equipped to.
Is the whole thing that weekend?
No — and that's deliberate. The weekend is 20.25 hours in the studio, and we work through breaks and meals. Before it you have about an hour and a quarter of reading and homework; after it you have a practice log, three yin classes on our schedule to observe, an online practicum where you teach a segment and we work through your sequences and themes, the final exam, and the class you teach on our schedule. Teaching Yin well isn't something anyone absorbs in three days, and the weeks that follow are where most of it lands.
What are the certification requirements if I plan to teach Yin?
- Complete all thirty training hours
- Pass the 40-question final exam — 32 of 40, open book, retake as often as you need
- Submit a properly themed and sequenced 60-minute class lesson, and receive feedback on it in the online practicum
- Teach a 60-minute Yin class on BPY's schedule, with a trainer present and a debrief after
What if I have a scheduling conflict and have to miss a few hours?
Do your very best to attend in its entirety — but we understand life happens. If you need to miss time, let us know ASAP so we can record any lectures or classes for you to watch later. All content must be watched, with notes taken, to receive a certificate.
Have another question? Email us at getbliss@balancedplanetyoga.com.
Meet Your Trainers
Three experienced teachers guiding you through the weekend.
Cheryl Van Sciver
E-RYT 500 · Lead Trainer
Founder of Balanced Planet Yoga and lead trainer of its 200- and 300-hour programs. Cheryl teaches the philosophy, the subtle body, and the art of holding space — the parts of Yin that ask the most of the teacher.
Jenna Kelly
E-RYT 500 · Co-Trainer
Co-lead of BPY's teacher trainings. Jenna teaches the anatomy thread — the skeleton, human variation, counterposes — and carries it through into sequencing, theming, and the Yin fusion formats.
Robert "Bob" Healey
Co-Trainer · Trained with Bernie Clark
Bob brings a calm, steady presence and a direct line to the lineage. He teaches the history, the principles of Yin, the fascia deep dive, props in practice, and where Yin sits alongside yang and restorative.
Learn to Teach the Quiet
Join us October 2–4, 2026 for a weekend of stillness, study, and slow, spacious practice — then guide you all the way to your first Yin class.