Bali Yoga Teacher Training — 14 Days to 200-Hour YTT Certification

Ngurah Rai International Airport, Jl. Airport Ngurah Rai, Kuta, Badung, Bali

Fly into Denpasar — Bali's only international airport. Clear immigration (visa on arrival available for most nationalities, IDR 500,000 / ~$30), collect bags, and arrange transport to Ubud.

Ubud, Gianyar Regency, Bali 80571

The drive from the airport to Ubud takes you through Kuta, Seminyak, and the transition from Bali's beach resort strip to the cultural heartland. Arrive in Ubud's lush green landscape — the contrast is immediate.

Ubud centre or Ubud area yoga school — confirm with your school

Many 200-hour YTT programmes in Ubud include shared or private accommodation on-site or partner guesthouses — check what your school includes. Room, meals, and daily yoga are often bundled in the course fee.

Your YTT school, Ubud

Most Ubud schools open YTT with a traditional Balinese welcome ceremony — a brief purification ritual with offerings, incense, and holy water. Meet your teachers and fellow trainees. Receive your course schedule, materials, and accommodation allocation.

YTT school or nearby warung, Ubud

Dinner with your fellow trainees — a chance to introduce yourself, learn where everyone is from, and set intentions for the two weeks ahead. Many schools provide dinner on Day 1. If not, the warung (small local restaurant) near most Ubud schools serve excellent Indonesian home cooking.

YTT school shala (yoga hall), Ubud

The first morning practice: led by the senior teacher, typically 90 minutes of pranayama (breathing), sun salutations, and opening asana sequence. This sets the daily rhythm for the entire programme. The Ubud dawn — mist over rice terraces, roosters, temple bells — is unlike any other yoga environment.

YTT school shala, Ubud

Formal asana training session: standing poses, alignment principles, verbal cueing practice, and hands-on adjustment technique. The teacher will work in pairs — one student teaches while the other receives. This is the core of the teaching methodology curriculum.

YTT school classroom, Ubud

The afternoon philosophy session introduces Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the eight limbs of yoga (Ashtanga), and the ethics of yoga teaching. This is the theoretical backbone of the YTT — often transformative for students approaching yoga as a physical practice only.

Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali 80571

On rest from formal sessions — the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary is a 12-hectare nature reserve inside Ubud housing 700 long-tailed macaques across three ancient Hindu temples. A fascinating contrast: spiritual and chaotic simultaneously.

YTT school, Ubud

Evening asana practice (typically 75 minutes) and group dinner. Many YTT cohorts eat together throughout the training — this is where bonds form. Talk about what you learned today, what surprised you, what felt difficult.

YTT school shala, Ubud

Day 3 morning practice shifts focus to pranayama: nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing), kapalabhati (skull-shining breath), and ujjayi (victorious breath). These are the breath foundations that underpin all vinyasa teaching.

YTT school shala, Ubud

Each student teaches a 5-minute sequence to the group — their first formal teaching experience. Simple standing sequence, clear verbal cues, eye contact. The group provides structured feedback. This is the most uncomfortable and most valuable session of the first week.

YTT school classroom, Ubud

Introduction to anatomy in the context of yoga: skeletal structure, joint range of motion, contraindications for common poses. Understanding why certain adjustments help some bodies and harm others. Critical knowledge for safe teaching.

Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Ubud

Return to the Monkey Forest's inner temple areas for a quieter, more contemplative visit than the tourist surface experience. Three Hindu temples within the forest: Pura Dalem Agung Padangtegal, Pura Beji, and Pura Prajapati — all active places of Balinese Hindu worship.

YTT school shala, Ubud

Evening guided Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep) — a 45-minute deeply restorative meditation that induces a hypnagogic state between waking and sleep. One of the most powerful recovery tools available to intensive programme students. Most YTT students report the best sleep of their lives after Yoga Nidra.

YTT school shala, Ubud

Day 4 asana focus: the backbend family — Bhujangasana (cobra), Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (upward dog), Ustrasana (camel), Urdhva Dhanurasana (wheel). Contraindications, safe adjustment techniques, and modifications for different bodies.

YTT school classroom, Ubud

How to structure a 60-minute yoga class: opening, warm-up, standing sequence, peak pose, cool-down, savasana. The mathematical logic of building a class. Practice writing your own sequence.

Jl. Tirta, Tampaksiring, Gianyar, Bali 80552

Bali's most sacred Hindu water temple — a natural spring temple where worshippers purify themselves in the holy spring water channelled through carved stone spouts. Visitors of any faith may participate in the melukat purification ritual with appropriate dress and respectful intention.

Tampaksiring village, Gianyar Regency, Bali

The village around Tirta Empul produces traditional ikat and batik textiles — artisans work in open workshops visible from the street. Watch the hand-loom weaving process and browse the fabric stalls. An honest look at Balinese craft tradition.

YTT school shala, Ubud

After today's temple visit, the evening practice takes on extra depth. End with 20 minutes of guided reflective journalling — schools often provide prompts connecting the day's physical practice to the philosophical and spiritual encounters.

YTT school shala, Ubud

Day 5 focus: inversions — Sirsasana (headstand), Sarvangasana (shoulderstand), Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward dog as a mini-inversion). Safety, contraindications, and wall-assisted practice. Many students experience their first unsupported headstand this week.

YTT school shala, Ubud

Hip-opening yin sequence: Pigeon, Dragon, Sleeping Swan — poses held for 3–5 minutes each to access the deeper connective tissue. Yin yoga theory: the meridian system, fascia, and the difference between yin and yang yoga styles.

YTT school classroom, Ubud

The anatomy of the lower body: lumbar spine function, hip joint anatomy, hamstring origin and attachment. Learn the most common yoga-related injuries and how sequencing and cueing prevent them. Case studies of common misadjustments and their consequences.

YTT school garden or room, Ubud

Scheduled free time in the programme — use it for personal practice, review of notes, reading your asana manual, or simply lying in a hammock. The body needs consolidation time during an intensive.

Ubud Traditional Market, Jalan Raya Ubud, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali

Ubud's night market (Pasar Malam Ubud) on Jalan Suweta comes alive after 18:00 — fresh Balinese food, local satay, roasted corn, and babi guling (suckling pig, Bali's most famous dish). A communal, affordable, and genuinely local evening.

Jl. Raya Tegallalang, Tegallalang, Gianyar, Bali 80561

The most photographed rice terraces in Bali — Subak irrigation system water flows through carved terraces in the morning light. Walk the paths between the paddies, watch farmers working, and understand the 1,000-year-old Subak communal irrigation system (UNESCO Intangible Heritage).

Tegalalang warung strip, above the rice terraces

Sit at one of the small warungs overlooking the terraces and drink Kopi Bali (Balinese coffee — powdered, not filtered) with a coconut pancake breakfast. The view at 08:00 with mist in the valley is among the finest in Southeast Asia.

Ubud Art Market, Jalan Raya Ubud; ARMA, Jalan Raya Pengosekan

Ubud's art market (Pasar Seni Ubud) sells Balinese paintings, wood carvings, batik fabrics, and silver jewellery. Then visit the Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA) — one of Bali's finest private collections of classical and modern Balinese and Indonesian art.

YTT school, Ubud

The rest day is designed for recovery from 5 days of intensive practice. Many schools have pools, gardens, or hammock areas for students. Foam roll, stretch gently, nap if needed. Tomorrow is the second week.

Ubud Royal Palace, Jalan Raya Ubud, Ubud / or Pura Luhur Uluwatu, Pecatu, Badung

The Kecak dance — a traditional Balinese performance retelling the Ramayana through chanting, fire, and elaborate costume — performed at sunset at Pura Uluwatu (1.5 hrs south) or at Ubud Royal Palace most evenings. An extraordinary cultural experience that sits alongside the YTT philosophy curriculum.

Ubud cooking schools — multiple operators near central Ubud

A 3-hour hands-on cooking class at a Ubud cooking school — market visit, spice paste grinding, and cooking 4–5 traditional Balinese dishes: lawar, sate lilit, jukut urab, and black rice pudding. Directly connects to the YTT dietary philosophy curriculum.

Pasar Ubud (Ubud Traditional Market), Jalan Raya Ubud

Most cooking classes begin with a guided market walk through Pasar Ubud — the teacher identifies vegetables, spices, and herbs. This morning market is the real Ubud, not the tourist surface.

Various — ask your YTT school for a trusted Balian recommendation

A Balian is a traditional Balinese healer — a practitioner of spiritual and physical healing using massage, herbs, prayer, and divination. A session is 45–90 minutes and deeply tied to the spiritual philosophy being studied in the YTT. This is a genuine cultural encounter, not a tourist performance.

YTT school garden or room, Ubud

After the Balian session, rest and journal. The mid-course break is intentionally placed at day 7 to allow physical and emotional integration before the second week's advanced teaching methodology curriculum.

Ubud restaurant — choose together as a group

Informal group dinner with fellow trainees to mark the end of week 1. Many YTT cohorts have a ritual for this evening — sharing what the first week brought up, expressing gratitude, or setting intentions for week 2. A deeply connecting ritual.

YTT school shala, Ubud

Week 2 begins with a longer, more advanced morning practice led by the senior teacher — a full vinyasa class at the level students will be expected to teach by the end of the week. Students are stronger than day 1; the increase in ability after one week is measurable and motivating.

YTT school classroom and shala, Ubud

Week 2 curriculum focus: the three modes of yoga instruction — verbal cueing (most important), hands-on adjustment (most discussed), and demonstration (most over-used). Developing a teaching voice, building command and calm presence simultaneously.

YTT school shala, Ubud

Each student teaches a 20-minute class to the group — the step up from week 1's 5-minute sequence. Full opening, warm-up, three peak poses, and a short savasana. Detailed group feedback follows each teaching.

Campuhan Ridge Walk, start at Warwick Ibah Luxury Villas, Jalan Raya Campuhan, Ubud

The Campuhan Ridge Walk — a 2km path across the ridge above the confluence of two sacred rivers — is Ubud's best free sunset walk. The path is walkable from the town centre and takes you into rice fields and bamboo groves.

YTT school, Ubud

Evening practice plus optional study group for tomorrow's anatomy exam. Week 2 typically includes a formal anatomy assessment — study groups of 2–3 students are more effective than solo studying for this type of applied knowledge.

YTT school shala, Ubud

Crow pose (Bakasana), Side Crow (Parsva Bakasana), and Firefly (Tittibhasana) — the arm balance family. Alignment, foundational strength requirements, and the exact cue sequence that helps students access their first arm balance. Arm balances are confidence-building milestones for students.

YTT school classroom, Ubud

The formal anatomy assessment — typically 30 multiple-choice questions on skeletal structures, joint function, and contraindications for specific yoga poses. Completed in the classroom before the afternoon activity.

Jatiluwih, Tabanan Regency, Bali (45km from Ubud, 1hr drive)

Jatiluwih ("truly marvellous" in Balinese) is a 600-hectare expanse of organic rice terrace inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012 for the Subak irrigation system. Unlike the more touristy Tegalalang, Jatiluwih feels genuinely remote and vast — a different scale entirely.

Jatiluwih terrace walking paths, Tabanan

Walk the tertiary paths around the base of the Jatiluwih terraces where Balinese farmers are working. The scale of the traditional agricultural system — unchanged for a millennium — puts the philosophy classroom in physical context.

YTT school shala, Ubud

Return from Jatiluwih to Ubud for evening practice. The 1-hour drive through Bali's interior — passing Hindu temples, bamboo forests, and small farming villages — is decompressing in itself.

YTT school shala, Ubud

Restorative yoga: how to sequence, prop, and teach classes for students in recovery, stress, injury, or trauma. This is one of the most valuable and undersupplied teaching skills — there is significant demand for well-trained restorative teachers globally.

YTT school shala, Ubud

A dedicated workshop on the ethics and technique of hands-on adjustment: consent protocol, the difference between therapeutic and directive touch, holds that help versus holds that harm. Practised in pairs with full feedback.

YTT school shala, Ubud

Each student leads a 15-minute Yoga Nidra for the group — writing the script the night before. Voice, pace, and the quality of silence between instructions are the primary skills. A completely different teaching challenge from asana instruction.

Puri Saren Agung, Jalan Raya Ubud, Ubud, Gianyar

Walk through the Ubud Royal Palace (Puri Saren Agung) grounds — still an active royal residence — and check the evening performance schedule. Legong dance, Barong, or Kecak are performed most evenings in the palace courtyard. A living cultural institution.

YTT school shala, Ubud

Evening practice and briefing on the final teaching practicum format — the culminating 30-minute taught class in week 2's final days. Students receive their practicum assignment topics.

YTT school shala, Ubud

The chakra (energy centre) system: a morning practice designed around the seven chakras with corresponding asana sequences, mantras, and mudras. This session connects the physical practice studied all week to the deeper energetic architecture of yoga philosophy.

YTT school classroom, Ubud

A practical curriculum module: setting rates, understanding insurance requirements for yoga teachers, the difference between RYT-200 and RYT-500 designations, continuing education, teaching in studios vs. independently vs. online.

YTT school shala, Ubud

Run your full final practicum sequence with a partner for feedback before the formal assessment. This is a mock run — identify what needs refinement, what feels unclear, where your voice drops.

Celuk village, Sukawati, Gianyar Regency, Bali

Celuk, 8km south of Ubud, is Bali's silversmithing village — family workshops produce traditional Balinese filigree jewellery using techniques unchanged for generations. Some workshops offer 2–3 hour introductory silversmithing sessions.

YTT school or accommodation room, Ubud

The night before the final practicum: review your sequence, practice transitions, speak your cues aloud, and get to sleep by 21:30. The body performs better with adequate sleep than with extra preparation.

YTT school shala, Ubud

The second-to-last group morning practice — led by the senior teacher with space for students to observe the pacing and sequencing of a professional class before their own finals. Notice what 12 days of daily practice has done to your body and perception.

YTT school shala, Ubud

Each student teaches a full 30-minute class to the group — the culminating assessment of the 200-hour programme. Evaluated on: clarity of verbal cues, sequencing logic, use of demonstrations and adjustments, safety awareness, and presence. Full teacher and peer feedback given after each class.

YTT school classroom, Ubud

The written theory assessment: yoga philosophy, teaching methodology, anatomy summary, and ethical guidelines for yoga teachers. Typically 60 minutes, open-book in some programmes. Most students pass on their first attempt if they engaged with the curriculum.

Ubud and surrounding rice fields

After the exams, free time in Ubud. Many students use this afternoon for a long lunch, a final massage, or a solo walk through the rice fields. Decompress.

Arranged by YTT school, Ubud

A celebratory dinner with teachers and the full cohort — usually organised by the school. Speeches, stories, and a genuine sense of completion. This community will often stay in contact long after returning home.

YTT school shala, Ubud

The 200-hour YTT graduation: certificate presentation, individual acknowledgement from teachers, a closing ceremony usually including a candle ritual or traditional Balinese blessing. The transition from student to teacher. Bring something to offer — a flower, a personal intention.

yogaalliance.org

Begin the process of registering as an RYT-200 with Yoga Alliance using your school's certificate and completed training hours log. Registration is done online and takes 15 minutes. Your school will provide the RYS code needed for registration.

Ubud town centre

Last afternoon in Ubud: revisit the art market for any final purchases, have a long lunch at a favourite restaurant, and walk the town with the perspective of someone who now knows it properly rather than as a new arrival.

YTT accommodation, Ubud

Pack, settle any outstanding bills, and say goodbyes at the school. Arrange the airport transfer for tomorrow morning.

Campuhan Ridge or Ubud north rice fields

One final sunset in Ubud — the Campuhan Ridge or the rice field paths to the north of town. Then dinner at your favourite spot discovered during the two weeks. This evening belongs entirely to you.

YTT accommodation, Ubud

If time allows before departure, a short solo morning practice in the room or school shala — a private acknowledgement of what the two weeks built. Even 20 minutes of pranayama and standing poses is sufficient.

Ubud → Ngurah Rai International Airport, Denpasar

Pre-booked private car from Ubud to Denpasar Ngurah Rai Airport. The 1.5–2 hour drive passes through the transition from Bali's cultural interior to its coastal airport zone — one final read of the island.

Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS), Badung, Bali

Check in, clear immigration, and fly home with a Yoga Alliance RYT-200 certification, a notebook of teaching methodology, an anatomy foundation, and two weeks of daily practice that has genuinely changed the body and mind.

In-flight

Rest, reflect, and plan. You have a 200-hour YTT certification, a Yoga Alliance registration, and a personal practice built over 14 consecutive days. The next step is to teach within 30 days.