200-hour Manasa Teacher Training:
The yogic path towards self exploration
26+ years
experience in training yoga teachers
15 years & counting
as a Yoga Alliance Registered School
Best yoga school
in Malaysia by Yoga Life Magazine in 2020
About Manasa Yoga & Our Teacher Training
Manasa Yoga school was established in 1999 in Malaysia and we have been training yoga teachers since the year 2000. A recognized Yoga Alliance (YA) Registered School (RYS) since 2011, we run a 200-hour teacher training and a 300-hour advanced teacher training annually.
Our 200-hour teacher training is a four module program, ideal for anyone who is interested in deepening their understanding of yoga and themselves. Our 300-hour advanced teacher training is a 6-module program for yoga teachers, as well as for practitioners who have a deep interest in gaining wisdom. To be eligible to join our 300-hour advanced teacher training, one will need to have completed the Manasa 200 hour teacher training or a Yoga Alliance accredited 200-hour teacher training course. Graduates from our teacher training will be eligible to be registered as Yoga Alliance RYT 200 and RYT 300.
Our teacher training programs are the most comprehensive and in-depth because we feel it is our responsibility to make sure Manasa yoga teachers are not just out there making shapes out of people on sticky mats. Manasa teachers are yoga teachers well grounded in functional anatomy, neural and breath science as well as ancient yogic philosophy because yoga is a practice that involves more than just the body. The body is but a conduit for one to connect to the aspects of the Self that is beyond the body, and the role of the Manasa yoga teacher is to guide those who are seeking and lost in the world of shapes, towards higher states.
Our yoga school and our teacher training tend to attract the most dedicated and the most interested in wisdom and this is good because at Manasa yoga, we are a wisdom-centric kula (community). In a world increasingly fixated with attaining ‘perfect bodies’ and depressed by futile attempts to match impossibly high beauty standards, our focus at Manasa is definitely a breath of fresh air. Our intention is to connect you to Your Essence and we are recognized for this. In January 2020, Manasa Yoga was recognized as the Best Yoga School in Malaysia by Yoga Life Magazine and Tourism Malaysia.
If you love Manasa classes and you would like to enhance your personal yoga practice or to learn how to teach as we do at Manasa, you might want to consider joining our yoga teacher training. Start with the 200-hour and progress to the 300-hour advanced especially if you are still burning with the desire to learn more, to gain more wisdom and to elevate your teaching skills.
WHAT will you be learning?
Some of the topics you will be exploring in our 200-hour teacher training include:
- The purpose and directions of yoga
- Components of asana practice – breath, form and awareness
- Safety in alignment
- The art of observation and safe adjustments
- Manasa specific use of props and their purposes
- Restorative and therapeutic practice directions
- How we categorize postures and how to create sequences
- How to apply anatomy and biomechanics towards a safer and enhanced practice
- Pranayama (breathing techniques) & Manasa specific awareness practice
- Origin and history of yoga
- Different schools of yogic philosophy
- The art of articulation in teaching yoga
- How to adjust and enhance students with touch and directives
- How to creatively and skillfully teach a themed yoga class or workshop
- Introduction to stillness practice, towards meditation
- In depth study of anatomy and its application in yoga
- Learning about the different yoga systems
- How to teach and lead meditation & pranayama techniques
- How to enhance your own yoga practice
WHAT you need to commit to
- Attendance of all 16 course lectures & asana sessions on Saturdays 1-7PM
- Daily asana & pranayama home practice which corresponds to weekly teachings
- Regular assignments on the week’s subject of study (anatomical & philosophical)
- Regular teaching assignment videos
- Observation of a strict yogic vegetarian diet to connect to non-harming as a first hand experience
- Assisting a minimum of 8 basic classes at Manasa Yoga
- Keeping a daily journal to observe and record daily intentions and progresses
HOW is our 200-Hour teacher training structured
Our 200-Hour Teacher Training is a 4-module program with each module consisting of four weeks. Compulsory attendance of all lecture and practice sessions on scheduled Saturdays from 1 to 7pm is necessary for one to be eligible to sit for the final assessment upon completion of all four modules. Graduates from our teacher training will be eligible to apply as RYT 200 (Registered Yoga Teacher) from Yoga Alliance.
Question most asked: If becoming a yoga teacher is not my primary intention. Is this teacher training suitable for me?
Believe it or not, most yoga practitioners who join our teacher training are regular yogis who just want to KNOW more about this thing they do (yoga) which makes them feel good about themselves. However, after completing the course, many do go on to become yoga teachers as they feel empowered and compelled to share and spread the authentic teachings of yoga to others.
Learn to teach from a place of true understanding
For those who are embarking on our teacher training because they want to teach yoga, our program will equip you with the skills and tools necessary to teach from a true place of understanding. We will provide you with all the materials and guidance for you to gain a deeper understanding of yourself, to vastly improve your own asana and pranayama/ meditation practice, as well as to live your moments deeply and insightfully, enabling you to recognise yourself as a celebration of the universe. A win-win for everybody.
WHAT can I expect to learn in each of the modules?
First module (week 1-4)
Philosophy: Structural context of Manasa- Yoga Sutras. Learn, practice and teach Manasa specific opening sitting and breath awareness practices.
Anatomy: Detailed study of feet, knees and hips in purely anatomical ways as well as in the context of asana applications.
Asanas: Detailed study of sun salutations, standing postures and more.
Practice: Four weeks of daily practices, covering sequences which will enhance your anatomical understanding of feet, knees and hips. Sequences will range from Kalari movements (ancient martial art of Kerala, India), sun salutations, standing postures, arm balances, inversions, hip openers and more.
Teaching practice: Learn how to teach Sun salutations accurately with clear instructions as well as in the vinyasa method, standing poses, opening sitting practices and more.
Second module (week 5-8)
Philosophy: Concentration, meditation and absorption in Patanjali’s yoga, introduction to Vedanta, the anatomy of the self as in Vedanta philosophy, understanding karma and the different types of karma.
Anatomy: Brain, divisions, structures, applications in terms of yoga; abdominal musculature
Asanas: Abdominal sequences; applications of abdominal principles in all categories of postures
Practice: Deep meditation practices and abdomen strengthening asana sequences including the Manasa 100 Core Breath Sequences.
Teaching practice: Learn to teach Manasa specific abdominal sequences. Learn the essentials of skillful teaching, the three components you should stress in each class and forward bend essentials.
Third module (weeks 9-12)
Philosophy: Unlocking the symbolism and understanding the beautiful aspirations and teachings of the opening and closing chants, in-depth learning of the philosophy of ashtanga vinyasa as well as scriptures of hatha yoga which are aligned with the practice of ashtanga vinyasa. The study of the OM chant will also be explored.
Anatomy: Detailed study of biomechanical aspects of all the postures of the Primary Series.
Asanas: Ashtanga Vinyasa Primary series. Learning the exact counting method of the vinyasas and moving through the specific vinyasas according to the Ashtanga Vinyasa tradition.
Practice: Daily practice of the ashtanga vinyasa yoga system, with emphasis on tristhana.
Teaching practice: Teaching ashtanga vinyasa with the exact counting method.
Fourth module (weeks 13-16)
Philosophy: Chakras & Kundalini, Shaivism & Shaktism.
Anatomy: Nervous system, elbows and wrists
Asanas: Asanas to align with different chakras.
Practice: Daily practice of different sequences to align you with the different chakras to embody specific chakra teachings.
Teaching: Essentials of teaching yoga in the context of chakras; how to teach Manasa ropes & chair sequences
WHAT are the dates for the next 4 modules?
2026 Intake for 200 Hour TTC
Module 1
April 4,11,18 & 25
Module 2
May 16,23,30 & June 6
Module 3
June 13,20,27 & July 4
Module 4
July 11,18,25 & Aug 1
* Attendance of all teacher training lectures is compulsory for final assessment and certification.
All dates are tentative and may change due to unexpected circumstances
WHAT is the cost for self discovery?
Priceless may be the real answer however you should view our teacher training course fee as an investment towards forging a more meaningful relationship with your SELF and everything around you.
Fee per module: RM 2900 / per module
RM 2,900 non-refundable tuition due TWO WEEKS BEFORE scheduled start date of Module 1, 2, 3 or 4.
IF you are planning to sign up for all 4 modules in one go, we do have a special investment deal for you.
NOTE: Fees for the 200 Hour Teacher Training will entitle teacher trainees to 12 complimentary classes per module.
- Manasa 200-Hour TTC REFRESHER Fee*: RM 980 per module
- Manasa TTC Refresher Fee is only applicable to former teacher trainees who have completed the 200-Hour Teacher Training at Manasa Yoga.
Manasa Teacher Training Faculty
The director of our teacher training courses is Manasa Guru and Co-founder, Manoj Kaimal. Senior resident teachers at Manasa are also engaged to assist as mentors to provide personalized guidance and support to the teacher trainees in our programs. Please read on to find out more about our teacher training faculty.
Manoj is one of the leading yoga teachers with a unique ability for helping people release the physical, mental and emotional obstacles that prevent them from achieving their very best in life and business. He, along with his wife Sandhya, conceptualized Manasa Yoga as a specific style of yoga in 2002. Manoj was introduced to yoga at the tender age of seven by his grandparents and later, further refined his knowledge by spending time with traditions such as the Sivananda Ashram, Iyengar Yoga, Pattabhi Jois’ Ashtanga Vinyasa, etc. Originally from Kerala, India, he has been a resident of Malaysia since the late nineties. Yoga philosophy is his passion and everyday he looks forward to taking his students on a journey of embodying a piece of yogic philosophy through their mat practice. Off the mat, he delivers yoga related talks at international and local health related events and writes inspirational pieces. In the last 10 years, he has written 2 books that have been distributed by MPH Distributors. Manoj has been featured in the Star, News Strait Times as well as the Edge several times. He has also appeared on BFM, NTV 7 and Astro several times.
Susan Kee has been a student of Guru Manoj Kaimal since mid-2002. In 2007, after years of regular practice at Manasa, she decided to join the 200-Hour Teacher Training to expand her knowledge on all things yoga: philosophy, anatomy, and deeper practice. In 2010, she was part of the first Manasa 500 Hour Teacher training batch and has been assisting Manoj in the teacher training programs as a mentor since 2011. A resident teacher at Manasa since 2009, Susan is passionate about sharing and teaching how breathing and movement can be tools used by anybody to skillfully empower and positively impact their lives. She has been planning all the Manasa yoga retreats since 2007, co-hosted a yoga & fasting retreat in 2020 (just before Covid), lead her own Elevate Consciousness: Yoga & Food Awareness retreats to the Maldives (2024) and Paros, Greece (2025). Her next Elevate Consciousness retreat will be to Portugal in September 2026. To this day, she is still most proud of her week-long stint (appointed by Manoj and going in his stead) as a yoga philosophy teacher at the All Yoga Teacher Training in Koh Samui in 2020. Susan’s classes are known to be tough, and her students, tougher
Jean
Senior Manasa Resident Teacher
Jean started her regular practice at Manasa Yoga in 2002. In 2005, she completed her 200 Hour Teacher Training at Manasa Yoga School, and in 2013, she completed the Manasa Yoga 300 Hour Advanced Teacher Training. Jean has been teaching yoga in well-known fitness chains like Fitness First, and gyms since 2004. She also teaches a few personal and corporate classes. In 2006, she joined Manasa Yoga as one of the Yoga school’s resident teachers where she not only teaches regular classes but also assists in mentoring teacher trainees. Jean is a popular teacher in the local fitness circuit, and she has a strong following of students who would go from gym to gym, just to sweat under her instruction. Her strong personal practice and her kind demeanor both motivate and inspire her students through her often challenging classes.
