200-Hour Teacher Training
We have been training yoga teachers in NYC
for over a decade
Returning February - April 2025
The Program
We offer an intimate program (maximum 15 participants) so that you can receive an unparalleled teacher training experience.
Our unique blend of intensive in-studio weekends in NYC + a weekend retreat in Upstate New York provides
exceptional and rich immersion into the deep practice and philosophy of yoga.
Interested in learning more? Set up a call with Director of Teacher Training Andrea Lodico.
The Yoga Common Teacher Training program is a highly regarded 200-hour Yoga Alliance registered teacher certification program.
Unfolding over 10 weekends, our training is designed for busy professionals and career changers who want the rigor of a personalized and intensive yoga teacher training program, while maintaining their current work and personal lives.
You may nurture a desire to teach or want to deepen your practice (or both!) — at whatever point you may be in your yoga journey, you’ll be welcomed into a community that invites study, discovery, and transformation.
Our teacher training will support you in honing your personal practice as well as give you the knowledge and tools you need to be a successful yoga instructor.
Join Us for a Life Changing Experience.
The Yoga Common 200-Hour Teacher Training will change your life…
Rooted in deep learning and abundant practice teaching, our program will enrich your understanding of yoga asana, philosophy, ethics, anatomy, meditation, subtle body, pranayama, sequencing, inclusive and accessible teaching approaches, as well as your own personal practice.
At The Yoga Common, we don’t just teach you how to teach, we also give you a chance to build a toolkit of self-discovery, allowing you to live your life with a spirit of abundance, both physically and spiritually. We invite you to join us on this powerful journey of self-inquiry and possibility.
Here’s what past participants say…
“Doing the 200-hour teacher training at The Yoga Common was one of the best decisions of my life. The program is very thoughtfully designed to provide the students with the learning of all aspects of yoga practice and teaching.”
—Jenny Lee, TT Graduate
“I had a great experience at The Yoga Common and I've found that the rigorous intensive training covered a lot of ground making me more prepared for my future as a yoga instructor. The mentors are incredibly supportive and I forged lasting connections with new yogi colleagues as a result of the program.”
— Sherylynn Sealy, TT Graduate
“An incredibly positive, life-changing experience. Through a combination of classes, recorded videos, and at-home assignments, I gained a well-rounded background on the history, practice, and special considerations of teaching yoga, as well as a greater understanding of myself...”
— Margot Zuckerman, TT Graduate
February - April 2025: 10 Weekends
Stay tuned for more details!
2025 Schedule
What’s Included
Unlimited Classes at The Yoga Common NYC: Livestream, On-Demand, and In-studio for the program’s duration.
9 Immersive In-Studio Weekend Sessions in NYC
4-day Retreat at the beautiful Lifebridge Sanctuary in the Hudson Valley, including accommodations and delicious vegetarian meals. *Ground transportation to/from Lifebridge not included.
One-on-One Mentorship Program with our skilled teaching faculty.
Library of Prerecorded Practices to take at your own pace.
Assignments & Projects: including creative projects and presentations, reading and journaling assignments, and partnered study sessions.
Program Materials: including a comprehensive 200-Hour TYC Teacher Training Manual, mala beads, and other materials.
The Curriculum
History & Philosophy of Yoga: Understand yoga’s roots and how to integrate the practice’s deeper meaning into your teaching.
Meditation & Pranayama: The power of meditation and breathwork and how to incorporate these practices into your life and teaching.
Asana & Alignment: Extensive study and breakdown of yoga postures.
Sequencing: Craft intelligent and safe classes, rooted in The Yoga Common’s Signature Flow.
Physical Anatomy: In-depth exploration of embodied anatomy and the physiology of movement as it applies to the yoga practice.
Subtle Body: Introduction to energetic anatomy, the Chakras, and the Koshas.
Sanskrit Immersion: A deep dive into the history of Sanskrit and oral traditions, as well as an exploration of the philosophical underpinnings and language analysis.
Inclusive Teaching: Learn how to create accessible and more sustainable practices for all types of students with a focus on inclusivity.
Restorative & Yoga Nidra: Gain insight on the value and importance of rest and how to support your students and yourself with these vital practices.
The Art & Business of Teaching: Practical tools to support your students and build a business.
Our Faculty
Andrea Lodico
Faculty & Program Director
-
Andrea Lodico is a New York-based yoga teacher. She found yoga through dance, beginning a new journey of movement and discovery. Since 2004, yoga has been a source of joy and calm within the hustle of life in NYC. In her teaching, she hopes to share the passion and peace she feels on the mat and provide students with an environment in which they uncover new insight, vibrant presence, and strength. Andrea infuses her classes with playfulness and dynamic sequencing in which students move through asana from a strong foundation of alignment. A vigorous and lighthearted practice works to encourage mindfulness of breathing and somatic awareness. Andrea is filled with gratitude for her teachers and the community that yoga has brought into her life, having completed a 200-hour certification at mang’Oh yoga in 2014 with Erica Whalen and her 500-hour training in 2017 at Boston Yoga School in Boston, MA under the mentorship of Ame Wren and Kevin Courtney. She received a 75-hour certification through Kula Yoga Project & The Sacred Fig with Nikki Vilella and Anton Brandt in September 2019.
In addition to teaching yoga, Andrea is an arts administrator, working with choreographers and dance companies to bolster infrastructure and guide change and strategic planning. Over the last decade, Andrea’s creative and strategic vision, along with her commitment to collaboration and innovation, has distinguished her as a leader in the dance field.
Danielle Figgie
Faculty Mentor
-
Love at first sight – that is how Danielle’s relationship with yoga began. She has been practicing since 2002, and like any truly great relationship, the connection has only gotten stronger over time. After spending five years in a very fast-paced corporate job, Danielle decided to turn her passion for yoga into a profession and became a Registered Yoga Teacher, certified at Laughing Lotus Yoga Center.
She wholeheartedly believes that happiness is a choice. And for her, yoga is happiness. In her teachings, Danielle incorporates asana flow with pranayama and meditative techniques. The goal, first and foremost, is to move in harmony with your breath, while tapping into a deeper awareness of your self to provide a balance that will bring you to a peaceful, happy place.
Phillip Pettiford
Faculty & Mentor
-
Inspired by his love for movement, Phillip crafts his classes striking a balance between strength and fluidity. He specializes in leading creative classes with challenging balance postures and a brisk pace which allows you to quiet your mind and connect with your body.
Phillip has been teaching Yoga for over 5 years. He has completed over 500hrs in Yoga Teacher trainings, first receiving his 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at Laughing Lotus, and his advanced teacher training at Laughing Lotus, Soulfull Solution, and studying under Rocky Heron. Phillip is masterful at teaching the student and encouraging his students to their highest potential. Off the Mat, he is trained in contemporary, jazz, hip hop, and modern dance. He currently teaches at various top yoga studios in NYC and choreographs contemporary jazz movement.
Marcus Berardino
Faculty & Mentor
-
Marcus found the practice of yoga in the 1990s after moving to New York. With a desire to be fit and healthy, but mostly to temper his new life in the unfamiliar fast lane of the big city, Marcus began exploring this ancient method of calming the mind at the local “sacred” YMCA. Following brief periods exploring several methods such as Ashtanga and Iyengar yogas, he decided to combine his professional skills as a NY State Licensed Massage Therapist with his deepening yogic discipline and completed his first of two yoga teacher certifications through Laughing Lotus, and his second training with Tias Little at Prajna Yoga. Marcus’s classes combine vigorous and inventive asana sequencing, along with breath awareness, yoga theory, alignment, humor, and lots of heart to invoke a sense of joy and celebration of one’s body and life. In 2012, during his time as a Health Coach in a Brooklyn medical practice, Marcus teamed up to develop 'Body Lab,' a yoga therapy workshop. Here, he used yoga, massage, and breathing techniques to assist patients in recovering from physical and mental challenges. These holistic practices continue to be an integral part of his healing approach today. In addition to teaching private and public classes locally, he’s taught yoga retreats around the globe in destinations such as upstate New York, Colorado, Vermont, India and Turkey. He’s been involved with several yoga teacher training programs with Prema Yoga Brooklyn. Life motto: Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever - Gandhi www.marcusberardino.com
Chintamani Kansas
Curriculum Advisor, Inclusive Teaching
-
Chintamani discovered yoga on a whim and quickly realized how powerful, yet simple, yoga can be to help bring balance and healing. Yoga helped Chintamani overcome trauma and redirect her life towards health and wellbeing. She quickly realized yoga was a gift that needed to be shared with everyone.
Chintamani teaches classic and specialty yoga, and is a longtime Teacher Trainer in the mang’Oh 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Program. She continues to study yoga, yoga for injuries and other healing modalities, including Anatomy, Pilates and Mindfulness Meditation.
Chintamani’s classes blend mindfulness, alignment and joyful movement; encouraging safety and skillfulness, as well as freedom and expression. Chintamani’s mission is to get us all to move, breathe, find our joy, and feel connected and smart.
David Ito
Restorative Yoga & Yoga Nidra, Business & Ethics
-
David’s journey in yoga started over 20 years ago. Being a former gymnast and of Japanese descent, he was immediately attracted by yoga’s vigorous yet meditative approach. During his decade long work as a relief worker for the Red Cross and the UN in Africa, Middle East, and South Asia he worked in terrible conditions, war, and natural disasters. Many elements of yoga – breath work, meditation and asana- helped him towards managing emotional and physical hardship.
However, such working conditions came with a price – PTSD, malaria, anemia, and Degenerative Disc Disease. His back pain was so bad he could not get out of bed in the morning. Eventually David decided it was time to recover and heal. That’s when a solid yoga practice and the will to become a yoga teacher emerged.
David is now a yoga teacher, a healer (Reiki Master) and certified in Thai Massage. In class, he focuses on balancing body and mind and strongly cues for proper alignment and safety.
David wishes to share his passion for yoga with his students and to encourage them to expand yoga practice beyond asana and help set a path towards healing and strengthening body, mind and spirit.
Julia Bembenek
Sanskrit Immersion
-
Julia Bembenek is a philosopher, scholar, and yogi based in Los Angeles, California. Drawing together the functional, spiritual, and communal aspects of the yoga practice and philosophy, as well as forging connections to diverse belief systems, Julia offers practices that encourage self-inquiry and exploration and aims to create a space where the most serious and most silly manifestations of the Universal can coexist. She holds her Masters in Eastern Classics from St. John's College and a 200-RYT certification from Namaste Highland Park.
TUITION & APPLICATION
Early Bird Tuition: APPLY BY 12/15/23
$4,250
Regular Tuition
$4,750
*Tuition includes all in-person training sessions & materials, access to The Yoga Common’s library of training videos, a shared room and meals on retreat, and more.
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
As part of The Yoga Common’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and the accessibility of our training programs, we are offering one full scholarship for our 2024 200-Hour Teacher Training to a BIPOC trainee. TYC also offers a range of partial scholarships and payment plans to students in financial need.
If interested in our scholarship opportunities, please fill out both the general application at the link above and the scholarship application below. Scholarship applications will also include a call with Andrea Lodico, Director of Teacher Training.
FULL SCHOLARSHIP FOR BIPOC STUDENTS APPLICATION DEADLINE: 12/1. Please contact Andrea with any questions at andrea@yogacommonstudio.com.
SPRING 2025 SCHEDULE
Stay tuned for more details!
The Yoga Common does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, height, weight, or physical or mental ability. All are welcome.
Schedule a Free Consultation
Book a 20-minute consultation with Andrea Lodico, our Director of Teacher Training, to discuss the program in detail and see if it is right for you! Here’s your opportunity to ask any questions you have, get all of the details, and hear about how the program can personally benefit you.
“Experiencing The Yoga Common teacher training was not only intense and rewarding, but I made lifelong friends, learned yoga inside and out, and felt it was life-changing. I recommend this course to anyone who is passionate about yoga. A wonderful gift to give to oneself.”
- Lauren McCulloch, Teacher Training Graduate