Yoga Therapy Foundation
100 hours · 10 days online + 2 days home study
Your first step from teaching group classes to working one to one with clients.
Yoga, applied to one person at a time
Yoga therapy is a growing professional field. This 100-hour Foundation is the place to begin.
A recognised profession
Yoga therapy is an internationally accredited field, with demand growing across healthcare and private practice.
Work one to one
Move from teaching a room to working with a person: assess what is in front of you, adapt the practice, and follow a client over time.
The first step
A clinically grounded introduction you can use with real clients right away and the entry point to our 625 and 875-hour diplomas.
IAYTAccredited school
100 CE creditsYoga Alliance
625-hourDiploma pathway
875-hourDiploma pathwayWhen you complete this module you'll be able to
A clinically grounded introduction to Yoga Therapy for practitioners who want to work more safely, skillfully and effectively with individual clients and small groups bridging general yoga teaching and therapeutic application, with tools you can use in practice right away.
Conduct a structured client intake covering health history, goals, contraindications and scope-of-practice.
Observe and assess physical patterns in posture, movement, pain presentation and functional capacity.
Assess breathing and respiratory function, spotting dysfunctions tied to stress, pain and nervous-system regulation.
Apply foundational yoga therapy tools accessible asana, breath and regulation practices, safely and client-centred.
Design and adapt individual sessions based on assessment findings rather than generic protocols.
Demonstrate clinical reasoning identify priorities, recognise contraindications, red flags, and know when to refer.
Maintain appropriate documentation for intake, sessions and progress tracking.
Establish a therapeutic container with informed consent, ethical boundaries and professional communication.
Support clients in self-management with clear education and realistic, sustainable home practices.
Prepare for further clinical training with a solid grounding in assessment, application and reflective practice.
This module can be taken on its own or as the starting point for The Yoga Therapy Institute's Diplomas, including the IAYT-accredited programme.
Is this course right for you?
Yoga Therapy trainees
Currently training to become certified yoga therapists and building a clinical foundation.
Experienced yoga teachers
Ready to deepen your understanding of Yoga Therapy principles and apply them with individual clients.
Healthcare professionals
Doctors, physiotherapists, coaches and therapists integrating a multidisciplinary, whole-person approach.
What you'll learn
Foundations of Yoga Therapy
Explore the roots, models and guiding principles that shape the practice of Yoga Therapy.
- Core principles: definition, origins and practical applications
- Traditional frameworks: Pancha Koshas, the Eight Limbs, Prana Vayus, Kleshas, Dosha models, Yoga Nidra
- Integrating traditional and modern approaches with critical thinking
- Health and disease from Yogic and scientific perspectives
Clinical Skills & Assessment
Develop practical tools to observe, assess and respond safely to individual client needs.
- Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual and biomedical models in observation
- Comprehensive intakes, physical assessments and breath inquiries
- Recognising contraindications and building safe strategies
- Identifying client priorities and communicating with clarity
Communication & Therapeutic Relationship
Build compassionate communication skills and confidence in client interactions.
- Trauma-informed interviewing that fosters safety and trust
- Navigating challenging client situations with professionalism
- Ethical awareness, professional language and emotional intelligence
- Documentation, report writing and small-group facilitation
Professional & Teaching Practice
Grow as a professional and integrate your learning into real-world teaching.
- Scope of practice, safety and ethical principles
- When and how to make referrals and collaborate with other professionals
- Self-care and self-protection as a Yoga Therapist
- A forward-thinking toolbox you can use in classes right away
What you can expect
Supportive & trauma-informed
A warm, inclusive environment where your safety and wellbeing come first, with trauma-informed faculty guiding every step.
Practical & interactive
Active participation, lively discussion, group work and break-out rooms, practice videos and guided audios, not passive screen time.
Expert-led demonstrations
Experienced C-IAYT teachers bring real client work into the classroom, with live demos and access to teachers seven days a week.
Learn at your own pace
Long-term access to all recordings and materials, revisit anytime, now or years from now, and fit study around work and family life.
A new digital experience
A student-friendly learning platform designed to make online study smoother, more intuitive and accessible for all learning abilities.
A global community
A vibrant international network of students across Europe, Asia, Australia, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa, learning and growing together.
Who you'll learn from
Every module is taught live by certified C-IAYT yoga therapists with active client practices.
What our students say
From teachers and healthcare professionals who took this module, in their own words.
it is a full training in itself
The Yoga Therapy Foundation Course is so rich it is a full training in itself, and it is so human-oriented. It vibrates with why we are following the training to begin with: what brought us here, learning to observe, listen, be cautious, gentle, and help as best we can with the best tools possible. All you want to do is start after that beautiful module.
The foundation module opens a different aspect of yoga and a deeper look into yoga therapy
The foundation module opens a different aspect of yoga and a deeper look into yoga therapy. Recommend all those who is curious about yoga therapy to take this course. By the way, even learning on demand, the teachers delivered in a very approachable way and interact with student.
we work with human beings and not with symptoms or movelists
The course has deeply changed my approach towards my classes as I understood that Yoga Therapy is not just a list of asanas that cure illness or solve problems, and also that many practices we take for granted (Yin Yoga or Vinyasa, for example) may not be automatically suited for everybody just because they are called Yoga – in fact, we work with human beings and not with symptoms or movelists, so it's necessary to learn to see a person for their specificity and not just as recipients for techniques.
See how we teach, first
Get a feel for our approach with a free introduction to movement in yoga therapy, a no-pressure way to see if we're the right fit for you.
- Seven short, guided videos
- Watch at your own pace, completely free
- A little gift waiting at the end
Getting started is simple
- Go to the course page
- Register to create your free account
- You're in, start straight away
Choose your dates
Each module runs entirely online, welcoming students from every country into our virtual classroom. Would you like some guidance first, contact us?
Not sure which dates suit you? Talk it through with us first.
Autumn 2026
Winter 2027
Summer 2027
Autumn 2027
The course is two weeks. You complete both weeks to finish the 100 hours and receive your full certificate. If paying in one go doesn't suit you, book week 1 and week 2 separately same course, same dates, payment split in two. Week 2 builds directly on week 1, so take them in order.
Do you prefer studying in your own time?
Study at your own pace with the latest recorded version, full access to class recordings, course materials, your teachers, and a Certificate of Completion. Eligibility within diploma pathways may vary.
*Module hours are approximate and may vary slightly with the flow and pace of each class.
One module, everything included
What's included
- Live and recorded sessions across both weeks
- All written materials, presentations and assignments
- Practice videos
- Ongoing on-demand access to the learning platform
- Direct access to your teachers seven days a week
Prefer to spread the cost? Book week 1 and week 2 separately from the dates above.
Would you like the discount? Use this code at checkout (new costumers only)
Prefer to talk it through first? Use the Apply button to book a chat with us.
Professional organisations may be eligible for VAT reverse-charging, contact us to find out more.
Frequently asked questions
Not at all. The Foundation Course is open to anyone who wants to understand yoga therapy, and there are no prerequisites for the course on its own. If you decide to continue, it counts towards both our 625-hour and 875-hour diplomas. The diploma entry requirements only apply if you enrol in a diploma.
You will find all upcoming dates in the dates section on this page, and you can book directly from there. If you are new to our learning platform, you will be asked to create an account after purchase. Once that's done, you have access straight away.
Yes. The course is one 100-hour module made up of two weeks, and you complete both to receive your full certificate. If paying in one go doesn't suit you, you can book Week 1 and Week 2 as separate payments from the dates section. The content is exactly the same either way. We recommend taking them in order: Week 1 introduces the foundational principles of yoga therapy, and the very practical Week 2 builds directly on them.
You can follow the course live, fully on-demand, or a mix of both. Recordings are usually uploaded within about an hour and a half of each session (during working hours), and you keep access indefinitely. On-demand students receive the same certificate and can email the teachers with any questions. If you are following the 875-hour diploma, the IAYT requires a certain amount of live attendance, so please check with us how this fits your plans.
Access to all live lectures plus unlimited access to our learning platform: written materials, presentations, full recordings, practice videos, audio files and assignments. You can also contact your teachers throughout the course.
A practical assignment. You will practise a client intake and a physical and breathing assessment, then write up a case study. You will receive full guidelines and plenty of support along the way.
Yes. It is approved for 50 Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Credits. When you have completed all materials, you can request your digital certificate through a form on the learning platform.
Yes. First-time students receive €100 off their first module, and we run other promotions throughout the year. Visit our Promotions page to see what's currently available.
Other courses for you
Bring yoga therapy into your practice
Start with a clinically grounded foundation you can use with real clients, fully online, taught live by experienced C-IAYT teachers.