Once you’ve decided to do your yoga teacher training your next decision will be if you want to do an intensive YTT or one that is spread out over a few months. Both have their advantages and in this post we’ll take you through why an intensive YTT may be a good fit for you.

Complete immersion into the program

An intensive YTT allows you to completely immerse yourself into the program without any of the distractions of your daily life back home. Instead, your time is scheduled so that you’re able to absorb the most of yoga philosophy, anatomy, sequencing, asana and more from your YTT. The benefit of this immersion is that you won’t be overwhelmed with your daily life responsibilities because it takes you away from it. Instead of leaving the training each night to go back to your house, your job, your kids or your duties, you leave to go back to your cabina to spend time studying, practicing or simply relaxing. For these 200 hours, you are totally able to check out of whatever is going on back home and fully be in the moment.

You have the ability to focus on yourself

Because you’ve booked the time off to be away for this training, there’s nothing to pull your attention away from what you’re here to do: learn how to become a yoga teacher. Removing yourself from the distractions of your daily life gives you the unique opportunity to take the energy you usually reserve for your daily tasks and use it to dive deeper into yourself. A YTT naturally invites deep self-introspection and examination and an intensive YTT gives you the time to really explore it. The weeks you spend at the YTT are a fantastic opportunity to be the best version of yourself. Eating healthy meals, exercising daily, spending time in nature and daily meditation will all culminate in the healthiest, happiest you.

You’ll be surrounded by likeminded people

An intensive YTT not only brings you a certification to teach yoga but a brand-new family. Of course, it won’t be easy to leave your friends, family and partner behind for a few weeks but in exchange you will be getting a fresh community built on love, support and yoga. Your days will no longer be spent juggling between those you love, those you tolerate and those you wish you didn’t have to be around. Instead, you will be surrounded by likeminded people who all came to the training because they love yoga, want to learn more about it and have open hearts to share. You’ll find very quickly that you will have new best friends, study buddies and pillars of support as you navigate the emotional landscape of total transformation through yoga and personal growth.

Opportunity to travel

This kind of YTT is a fantastic chance to get out there and EXPLORE. Travel introduces you to new cultures, experiences and people. Travel plus a YTT takes you way deeper into the transformative effect of experiencing a new place. Choosing to do your yoga training over a condensed amount of time in a foreign country encourages you to both physically and mentally get out of your comfort zone, creating space for incredible growth and transformation to occur. It’s through this that you will be able to return home at the end of the training shining as the best version of yourself.

All our YTTs at Anamaya are intensive because we believe it allows our students to better focus, dedicate and grow through their yoga training. We work hard to make Anamaya feel like a second home to every guest that passes through its doors, infusing love into every touch and detail at the resort. You can learn more about how we make the intensive YTT a special experience for our students here or speak with us directly at [email protected].

Here’s what past YTT students have said about their experience:

“I lived in this place for a month. Literally. I promise to myself I will try to make my way back for a week retreat every year for the rest of my life. I went to Anamaya for my yoga teaching training program and as my birthday present to find my inner self, be a goddess and to escape my noisy and faster -than the speed of light – NYC life. 

Little did I know that not only Yoga, meditation, and the teachings we got from Jackie -our superb teacher- would make a dent in my memory and transform my life. There is an energy playing as a perfect symphony here: and the key components are the warmth, caring and amazing attentive staff at Anamaya, paired with extraordinary culinary daily delights prepared with love by the world class local chefs and last but not least the amazing nature – and all its glory – that surrounds this place playing as backdrop and of course YOGA! 

This place will always be of sentimental value to me. Time really stopped while I was here. (or slowed down significantly). The beautiful and serene surroundings include, lavish gardens, incredible architecture and design of each house/room of the hotel, the immaculate uninterrupted views of the Gulf of Nicoya from almost every corner of this property and mainly from the spectacular yoga decks ( where one will spend most of the day), a waterfall on premises, howling monkeys, butterflies, lavish jungle all- around, great sunny days and glorious thunder storms that make you feel as witness /as part of the universe from day one.

Anamaya is the place to stay if you are looking for a yoga retreat in Latin America, to reboot your life, disappear from your mundane routine for a while and make new friends and build unforgettable memories. Remote enough but easily connected to the world, this lavish paradise is perfect to escape, grow, connect and join others in the quest of discovering yourself and others while on the yoga mat and beyond the om…Namaste!”

“My experience at Anamaya changed my life. I recently participated in the 200hr teacher training and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. There is something about the energy there, the peacefulness, the beauty, the sounds of the jungle that leave you constantly wondering if you’re dreaming. And that sacred yoga deck. I’d never been in a space like that before, with such an expansive view of land, ocean and sky. Practicing on that deck made me feel connected to the universe, made me feel like I’m a part of something greater.

I used to have a really hard time making decisions. I hummed and hawed over whether or not Anamaya was going to be the best value for my money, if it would live up to the good reviews or if it was all too good to be true. And it turned out to be more wonderful than I could have ever imagined. It became my home, the staff my friends, the landscape familiar. It was the best money I have ever spent. I’d return tomorrow and take everyone I know with me if I could. If you’re looking for solace, beauty, peace, nourishment, awe, rest, and sunshine, you must visit Anamaya.”