San Francisco is one of the first American cities where yoga became popular. Today, yoga is basically a part of the local culture and going out for a nice dinner in your yoga pants is perfectly normal. While the abundance of yoga studios, events, workshops, retreats and trainings is fascinating, it also makes it a difficult task to pick the perfect spot for your first (or next) yoga teacher training. To make things a little bit easier for you, we did some research and selected the best programs in The Golden City.
Yoga Tree
Yoga Tree is an iconic network of seven yoga studios that has been around the San Francisco yoga scene for 20 years. Each studio has its own distinct style and atmosphere, however they all share the same dynamic and welcoming vibe. The diversity of the Yoga Tree Tribe - as they like to refer to their community – allows everyone to feel at home and find a style of yoga that suits them best.
Yoga Tree is also a premium yoga school covering all levels, styles and special fields. They believe that yoga’s true potential is found in the diversity of the teachers and students practicing within the community. To support this diversity Yoga Tree works with a number of world-renowned teachers whose expetise in eclectic yoga styles makes their studios a world-class destination for trainings and workshops.
As a committed student of yoga looking to deepen your practice or wishing to become a teacher yourself, you can obtain your first basic certificate by taking the Yoga Tree 200-Hour Teacher Training program. This training is available in a one-month intensive and a four-month extended format as well. Topics include anatomy, assisting and proper alignment, sequencing, philosophy, prenatal yoga and restorative yoga. Students enrolled in the program can take unlimited yoga classes for free at all Yoga Tree studios during a 4 month period beginning on the first day of their training.
If you are a certified yoga teacher already, you can up your game by completing the 300-Hour Yoga Tree Advanced Yoga Teacher Training Program which will qualify you to register with Yoga Alliance at the 500 RYT level. In addition to their signature teacher trainings, Yoga Tree also gives home to a variety of other Yoga Alliance registered 200-hour trainings and other speciality teacher trainings such as trauma-informed yoga or advanced yoga therapeutics.
WEBSITE: https://www.yogatreesf.com/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/yogatreesf/
Teacher Training: https://www.instagram.com/p/ByGawkOnTq7/
Yoga Tree Vibe: https://www.instagram.com/p/BkXyhkalW6y/
Yoga Garden SF
5-star rated Yoga Alliance accredited training school, Yoga Garden SF is another prominent yoga studio with a solid history of running in San Francisco for over 20 years. When founding the studio in 1998, the mission of the owners and teachers was to explore the relationship between traditional yoga styles in order to effectively share the benefits of the practice with their students. Yoga taught in Yoga Garden is rooted in classical schools such as Iyengar, Ashtanga, Hatha and Vinyasa.
Yoga teacher trainings at Yoga Garden SF are built on four values which are integrity, experience, innovation and expansion. Integrity comes from a deep knowledge of the human anatomy and the tools of Hatha yoga. Experience is gained by a rigorous training and professional guidance. Innovation means infusing skills, passions and wisdom in order to develop everyone’s own signature style of yoga. And by expansion the power of community is embraced and one’s practice is taken beyond the individual level.
Yoga Garden SF Yoga Training School has it all to help you discover your ability, become a world-class teacher and carve your niche. Full-time and part-time 200 hour trainings, modular 300-hour advanced trainings and a wide selection of specialized trainings are available throughout the year. Students gain real classroom experience by having to start teaching by day two, and a program called „Our Graduates Teach” helps them to cultivate their voice and perfect their own ways of teaching yoga. Other extras that make Yoga Garden SF attractive is free yoga membership during trainings, ongoing support through alumni resources and discounts for advanced study.
WEBSITE: https://www.yogagardensf.com/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/yogagardensf/
Yoga Society of San Francisco
Among all studios and schools in SF Bay, all claiming to be authentic and traditional, there is no doubt that the Yoga Society of San Francisco is the one closest to the source. To call it a yoga studio is actually an understatement, since it is an Indian style spiritual institute called an ’ashram’. It was founded in 1972 by Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati, a spiritual leader and recognized authority on Yoga, who was also medical doctor, neurosurgeon and a psychiatrist at the same time. He dedicated his life to the integration of ancient and modern, Eastern and Western with the intention of bringing harmony, universal peace and spiritual unity to the world.
The Yoga Society of San Francisco – or Brahmananda Ashram - provides an environment that develops, fosters, and promotes the experience of Oneness through various physical, intellectual and spiritual practices. Hatha Yoga, Meditation, Sanskrit, and Yoga Philosophy classes are offered on a regular basis here. Those who want more, can attend workshops and retreats on breathing, movement, detoxification and stress-reduction. And those who want even more, can take part in a residential program for intensive study and immersion.
It goes without saying that if you want to become a Yoga Alliance certified yoga teacher in an ashram setting while staying in San Francisco instead of going to India, you should definitely consider taking the courses offered by Brahmananda Ashram. Their programs are based on the teachings Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati and his translations and texts that stem from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Vedas. The emphasis is on meditation, Sanskrit, the eight limbs of hatha yoga and breath-work. The curriculum is full of special subjects such as learning how to lead a Vedic Fire Ceremony or the mystical and practical meanings of all the mantras.
WEBSITE: http://yogasocietysanfrancisco.com/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/yogasocietyofsanfrancisco/
Yoga Flow SF
One of the largest yoga studios in San Francisco is a family-run and community-based hot sweaty haven dedicated solely to Vinyasa Flow yoga. The majority of classes at Yoga Flow are heated, vigorous, dynamic and fast. And if that’s not enough, they host events like Hip-Hop Yoga + Afterparty and Deep House Mantra Flow. These folks definitely do know what it means to adapt yoga to modern western lifestyle.
Lovers of Vinyasa Flow wanting to become masters of this challenging style, the 200-hour yoga teacher training organized by Yoga Flow SF is waiting for you! This course is all about teaching you how to design exciting flow sequences and how to teach 75 minute long vinyasa classes confidently. First of all, you will learn how to take your own practice to the next level, and then you’ll get all the tricks and tips of teaching your beautiful passion. Of course, you will also be backed up with anatomy, yogic philosophy and basic Sanskrit.
Yoga Flow cares about certified yoga teachers looking for guidance as well. Their Advanced Teacher Training Mentorship Program is designed to help teachers develop their professional skills and find their confidence. Participants get paired up with a mentor who will work with them one-on-one for three months. During the program, students assist classes of their mentors, teach community classes on the Yoga Flow publich schedule and attend various workshops which are meant to expand their technical knowledge and help build their own personal brand as a yoga teacher.
WEBSITE: https://yogaflowsf.com/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/yogaflowsf/
Laughing Lotus
Best yoga studio of San Francisco Bay as of 2018, Laughing Lotus serves as an oasis in the urban jungle for those seeking a spiritual home and community. What makes this studio one of a kind is their idea that yoga’s ancient philosophy goes hand in hand with social activism. This core value inspires them to support non-profit organizations with the proceedings of certain classes organized regularly for this purpose. Passing on this mentality is a key part of yoga teacher trainings hosted by Laughing Lotus.
If you are passionate about human rights, equality and social justice, and want to learn how to combine all that with yoga in order to become a charismatic yoga teacher, Laughing Lotus is the yoga school you were looking for.
Another specialty of Laughing Lotus is their very own signature style of Vinyasa Yoga called Lotus Flow. In order to go beyond the physical practice of traditional yoga asana, a Lotus Flow class always starts with a dharma talk and some mantra chanting, while the sequence of asanas is built up along the chakra system starting with the first and going all the way to the seventh chakra.
Laughing Lotus has a sophisticated system of yoga teacher trainings. From 200-hour trainings available both in weekend and intensive format to a wide selection of advanced trainings and a unique apprenticeship program, your way is paved to become a confident and resourceful yoga teacher.
WEBSITE: https://sf.laughinglotus.com/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/laughinglotussf/