25-hour Chair Yoga for Every Body Yoga Teacher Certification Program

Chair yoga is more than yoga poses or fitness exercises adapted to a chair. When taught well, it is a complete practice rooted in the philosophy, breath work, and nervous system awareness that make yoga transformative — and one that opens that practice to people who have been told, or have told themselves, that yoga isn't for them. This training prepares you to teach with depth, responsiveness, and evidence-informed confidence across a wide range of students and settings: from older adults and people managing chronic conditions to wheelchair users, those navigating neurological differences, and groups in workplace or community programs.

 

Grounded in the time-tested wisdom of yoga that aligns with contemporary understanding of the nervous system, movement science, and the science of pain, the Yoga Heals Us Chair Yoga Certification goes beyond pose modification. You'll learn how to adapt your teaching for students with complex needs, and how to use invitational language that supports autonomy and dignity in every body.

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A Note from Susanne

This program was originally developed by Karen O'Donnell Clarke over the course of two decades working with students with multiple sclerosis, cancer, those recovering from surgery, seniors, and individuals who needed a gentle, adaptive approach to yoga. Karen and I had been colleagues and friends since the 1990s, sharing the same foundational teachings and a deep passion for making yoga accessible to every student. When she asked me to continue her work, I was deeply honored to carry forward the legacy she had built.

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I've spent the last year deepening my research into the science of yoga and pain, and I'm collaborating with licensed physical therapist and yoga teacher Raquel Currah, who is completing her yoga therapist certification in 2027, to bring practical, grounded expertise to working with wheelchair users, people managing traumatic brain injury, and a deeper exploration of specific health conditions.

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The classes are small, with many opportunities to ask questions and learn in a comfortable, encouraging environment. Peer working sessions give you dedicated time to practice and integrate the material alongside other teachers — low-stakes, collaborative, and designed to build your confidence at your own pace. You'll have access to recordings of our training sessions and course videos for at least a year, and you'll keep the manual as a permanent reference. If there is anything I can do to support you in your teaching journey, please reach out. I look forward to serving you. —Susanne

 

The Training

Earn 25 continuing education hours approved by both IAYT and Yoga Alliance through a flexible hybrid format: 13 hours of self-paced asynchronous learning followed by one weekend of two six-hour live online days in October 2026.

Train in a small cohort where you can collaborate with peers, ask questions, and integrate what you're learning through peer working sessions designed to build confidence — not perform for an audience. You'll receive personalized support from faculty, a comprehensive illustrated manual, and access to recordings of the training for at least a year.

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Is This Training for You?

This training is for you if you want to offer yoga to the full range of human experience — people navigating injury, chronic illness, or age-related change; students who use wheelchairs or assistive devices; groups at workplaces, events, or community programs; and anyone who isn't coming to you with a mat and a flexible body.

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If you're like many of the teachers who have completed the Yoga Heals Us certification, you care deeply for your students. You want to teach with authenticity and clarity, and to adapt your offerings for the people you serve. You're committed to teaching with language that invites rather than restricts — cues that help students discover what their body can do today.

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How the Training Works

The 13 hours of self-paced learning let you move through the content at your own pace before the live weekend, so you arrive with questions, context, and a foundation to build on. The two live online days — each approximately six hours — give you dedicated time to go deeper, practice with peers in small working groups, and receive personalized guidance from faculty.

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What You'll Learn

Three levels of chair yoga so you can meet students wherever they are:

• Level 1 — Chair-supported modifications that deepen alignment, build confidence in challenging poses, and integrate seamlessly into any yoga class or environment.

• Level 2 — Chair-supported modifications to refine alignment and support balance and confidence across a full range of standing and mat poses — adaptable for any yoga class or environment.

• Level 3 — Using the chair as a tool for alignment and balance in mat-based and standing poses, including more challenging postures — adaptable to any yoga class setting.

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Joint warm-ups for the whole body — a systematic, breath-coordinated movement series that nourishes the joints, supports circulation, and settles the nervous system.

 

Seated sun and moon salutation variations using the chair, coordinated with the breath.

How to set up and adjust the chair to support balance, alignment, and safety in standing poses.

 

Fall prevention — a proactive, whole-practice approach to building the strength, balance, and body awareness that helps students move through their lives with greater confidence and stability, including a practical sequence for returning to standing.

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Options for rest and restoration including supported restorative positions in the chair, mudra meditations, and guided Yoga Nidra.

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The science of pain — how the nervous system creates and modulates the experience of pain, what current research tells us about yoga's role in pain management, and how to share this understanding with your students in plain language without overstepping scope of practice.

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Evidence-informed guidance for teaching students with complex needs, developed in collaboration with a licensed physical therapist, covering joint replacements, osteoporosis, sciatica, spinal stenosis, arthritis, chronic pain, wheelchair users, and students with traumatic brain injury or limb differences.

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Current research for health conditions and how yoga can help so you can make informed, responsive decisions in the room rather than relying on generic caution.

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Your Training Includes

A comprehensive illustrated manual with photographs of seated and standing chair yoga variations using one and two chairs, available digitally and referenced throughout both the self-paced modules and the live weekend. You'll also receive access to recordings of the training and to chair yoga classes for at least a year.

 

Prerequisites:

• 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification 

• Yoga teachers in training with Yoga Alliance-registered 200 hr YTT are welcome

• Health professionals with appropriate qualifications are encouraged to contact Susanne to discuss eligibility

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Live Training: Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25, 2026

10 AM to 5 PM ET | 9 AM to 4 PM CT | 8 AM to 3 PM PT

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Sliding Scale Tuition:  Community Rate: $350  |  Sustainer Rate: $400  |  Pay it Forward Rate: $450​