200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training
Our next training begins in February 2025!
You can participate in the training in person at our studio in Los Angeles, on zoom from anywhere in the world, or a combination of the two - all the trainings are hybrid!
The Tree Yoga Co-op's Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) program is a diverse, dynamic, and unique training. This training is for all people who are interested in deepening their yoga practice with the option to teach.
We are a Yoga Alliance-approved training offering a level of credibility to attaining work as an instructor. The bedrock of this training is mindfulness, social justice, and self-practice. We seek to diversify yoga by training yogis from underrepresented groups to become yoga instructors. We emphasize yoga as a tool for social justice and community building and we are committed to creating a safe place for people of color. We do our best to ensure that participants are aligned with our mission.
We believe (or teach) Yoga not just as ancient poses, but as an ancient philosophy of the indigenous cultures. The cultures that founded the civility required for civilization. We approach the yoga practice from a holistic place to give a full well-rounded education.
It is deeply encouraged for students to find their own voice and expression of the practice that is rooted in the individual experience. Our approach is bringing the internal to the external, the subtle to the gross. This training is life-changing.
Areas of study
Yogic Philosophy + Mindfulness
Asana + Alignment
Anatomy + Safety
Self-Practice
Art of Teaching + Intelligent Sequencing
Decolonization of History / Yoga History
Kemetic Yoga
Toltek Philosophy + Yoga en Español
Trauma-Informed Yoga
Yoga as Social Justice
Yin Yoga & The Subtle Body
Ayurvedic Science
Restorative Yoga
Pre-Natal Yoga
Business of Yoga
What to Expect
To spend each session engaged in practicing, learning, and growing
Taking an additional class per week - virtual or in-person (for the summer intensive, the additional classes will be taken before the start of training)
Homework and reading
Optional office hours for one-on-one time with the instructors
To be challenged physically, mentally and emotionally
To not be the same person as when you started the program
Requirements
A core understanding and commitment to Social Justice
A minimum of one year of experience with the asana (physical) practice
A commitment to understanding the Self
Access to a computer/device with camera and audio and the ability to set up a view of your mat and practice
A space at ‘home’ that can be used privately for class and practice
Yoga props: 2 blocks, 1 strap, 1 bolster, 1-2 yoga blankets
You can easily find props online and there are home substitutes for various props (ex: a belt or leggings in place of a strap, thick textbooks in place of blocks, thick towels or folded blankets instead of a bolster and blankets). If you need assistance getting props, please email us here.
Required Texts:
Note: As a space for social justice, we reserve the right to refuse any person who does not align with the practice of social justice and corresponding responsibility.
Key dates
The following trainings are all hybrid meaning you can join us for the training in person in South Los Angeles or virtually via Zoom.
The registration forms below include the option to apply for a work trade/scholarship.
Spring 2025
Saturday, February 22 - Sunday, May 4
Weekly Schedule:
Saturdays at 12:45-7:30 pm PST - in studio or zoom
Sundays at 12:45-7:30 pm PST - in studio or zoom
Wednesdays at 7:00-9:30 pm PST - on zoom only
Work trade Scholarship deadline for Spring 2025 is Monday, January 20th.
About the Teachers
Ja Cole and Jana Johnson are the lead instructors for The Tree’s 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training. With over twenty years between them, they bring their passion for social justice and yoga to fully serve each individual with the opportunity to learn and deepen their practice. Their intention is for each yogi to develop their connection to the practice, and be equipped to guide their students safely, mindfully, and with trauma-informed understanding and language. The purpose is to provide students an opportunity to flourish through integrating the practice both on and off the mat. J and Jana approach the work with the understanding that the practice is rooted in the internal and that the external is a guide to gaining a deeper awareness of the Self.
Ja Cole
Ja began his practice of yoga in 2006. After experiencing the benefits of a dedicated practice of Vinyasa Flow, Ashtanga, Iyengar, and meditation, Ja received his 200HR Teacher Training Certificate with the Yogaden in 2011. In 2020 he received his 500HR RYT from Annie Carpenter’s SmartFlow Yoga Program.
In 2014 Ja began teaching yoga and meditation at Green Tree Yoga & Meditation. In 2017 Ja became co-lead of the Teacher Training alongside Raja Michelle.
Today Ja is a registered 500HR E-RYT yoga instructor. He works to spread the knowledge of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness from a decolonized perspective. Ja’s mission is to empower more BIPOC individuals through the practice of yoga as seen through the ancient teachings of the first civilizations found in Kemet/Egypt, Indus Valley/India, and Toltec/Central and South America. Empowerment starts with learning the spiritual practices of our ancestors.
Jana Janelle Johnson
Jana Johnson is an enthusiastic yogi specializing in Meditation, Vinyasa, Yin, and Ganja Yoga styles of yoga practice in both English & Spanish. Her classes tend to have a relaxing & rejuvenating feel as she sets the tone for authentically & intentionally connecting with oneself. Jana is committed to bringing focus, intention, and value to every class she teaches. She also brings a lighthearted & friendly attitude, and a desire to harmoniously connect with students in ways that effectively enhance their personal practice. Her intention is for her students to allow the benefits garnered in the class to extend "off the mat" for positive influence in everyday life that go well beyond the formal practice.
Jana is a 500-RYT with Yoga Alliance. She received her 200-hr yoga teaching certification from The Tree (formerly known as Green Tree Yoga & Meditation) and her 300-hr teaching certification with Melanin Yoga Project with Davina Davidson and SmartFlow Yoga with world-renowned instructor and teachers Annie Carpenter’s . Her current primary teachers are Jerome Mercier at Power Yoga East, her Inner Self, everyone she meets, and her Life Experiences.
Guest Teachers
Guest teachers, experts in various fields, offer modules to insure a well-rounded powerful program. Some are listed below and there are other guest instructors as well.
Jennifer Alvarez
Teaching our Aging Population & Public Health & Healing Justice
Rita Ortiz Contreras
Yoga en Español and Toltec Philosophy
Lauren Ross
Kemetic Yoga
Jasmine Rashae
Business of Yoga
Tuition
We do our best for this training to be both sustainable and accessible. The way we do that is by offering the following options:
Full Tuition: $2800
Discounted Tuition: $2500 - for making a one-time flat fee payment OR making a deposit & paying off the balance, in whatever increments, by the first day of training.
Worktrade/Scholarship: $1800 + Work-trade of 40 volunteer hours. This is a needs-based offering. Limited spots are available.
A deposit of $350 OR the flat rate payment of $2500 is required with your registration form in order for your application to be complete & accepted. You’ll see this link at the end of the registration form and the button is also below. The same $350 deposit must be paid in order to complete your registration, even if you are applying for worktrade.
Full tuition is due by the start of the program unless you are on a payment plan. Flexible payment plans are available for the full tuition & worktrade options. All payments are non-refundable however they can be transferred to a future training. If you are interested in applying for the worktrade/scholarship you can indicate this on the registration form and submit the appropriate documentation asked for in the form. All work-trade applicants will be interviewed once the deadline has passed and decisions are based on need, your ability to complete the volunteer hours, and your commitment to your practice. Worktrade positions are limited so requesting worktrade does NOT guarantee you will receive it.
*Work trade/scholarship application deadlines:
Fall - August 30th
Spring - January 20th
More About Work-trade:
We host interviews with everyone who applies for the work trade scholarship by the listed deadline. We generally award 3 students per cohort and always get a lot more applicants than that so the interviews allow us to get a better sense of your practice, your financial need, and your ability to complete your 40 volunteer hours. If you are awarded a worktrade scholarship, you will receive a $1000 scholarship bringing your training tuition down to $1800. The worktrade component of this is your commitment to completing 40 volunteer hours of work supporting The Tree. This will consist of cleaning the studio space, possibly working the front desk to check students in for class, and ideally, a use of your skills and interests (ex: photography, graphic design, marketing, writing, etc.) that can be used to support whatever our work is at the time.
The registration forms above include the option to apply for worktrade
YTT perks
During training, you will have the following studio perks:
Free monthly class membership
Free Tree T-shift
After training, you will have the following studio perks:
Free Tree Hoodie in exchange for a video testimonial
20% off monthly class membership
20% off merch
RELEASE OF LIABILITY WITH VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION: By taking a class, workshop, or training offered by The Tree Yoga Co-op, you acknowledge that you have read the Release of Liability Form and accept the terms for participation. Read the Release of Liability Form.