Friday May 1st, 2026

*Accommodation check-in from 2pm, for those staying on-site at Byron Yoga Retreat Centre

3pm-4pm

Orientation

How to navigate the online portion of the course, as well as community agreements for our time together. We’ll also review the course requirements, and introduce ourselves.

4pm-4:30pm

Introduction to Accessible Yoga

An overview of the training content and basic concepts of accessibility and equity in yoga. Also, covers different approaches to adapting practices. We'll explore how to keep the yoga in Accessible Yoga, by exploring the essence of yoga.

4:30pm-4:45pm: 15 Minute Break 

4:45pm-5:15pm

Introduction to Accessible Yoga (Continued)

Continuation of this session after break.

5:15pm-6pm

Integrated Accessible Yoga Chair/Mat Class

Sample integrated (chair / mat) asana practice class that begins in a chair and offers students a choice of staying in the chair or moving to the mat. This sample practice is designed to demonstrate how to teach multiple levels of students at the same time.

6pm-6:45pm: 45 Minute Dinner Break 

6:45pm-8pm

Accessible Asana Workshop

This is the first of our Asana Workshops where we'll discuss the main purpose and benefits of the practice and how to adapt them in creative and collaborative ways. We'll discuss how to start class, and what an intake process might be like, which we call the check-in. We'll also discuss centering practices, which get to the heart of yoga, as well as warm-ups focusing on major joints. We'll spend time discussing the importance of offering strengthening practices in Accessible Yoga, and explore creative ways to share them. We’ll also explore how to adapt Sun Salutation in chairs and at the wall.

Saturday May 2nd, 2026

8am-9am Breakfast (for those who have reserved onsite meals and/or accommodation)

9am-10:30am

Accessible Asana Workshop

This Asana Workshop will focus on Standing Balancing Poses, Backward and Forward Bends in a chair, standing, or on a mat. We'll consider how to use creativity based on a thorough understanding of the purpose of the practice.

10:30am-11am: 30 Minute Break

11am-11:30am

Accessible Asana Workshop

Asana Workshop on how to adapt Inversions and Twists in a chair, standing, or on a mat. We'll consider how to use creativity based on a thorough understanding of the purpose of the practice.

11:30am-12:30pm

Making Breathing Practices Accessible

In this workshop, Jivana will begin by reviewing the pre-recorded content on this topic as well as practicing the most common yoga breathing practices. We'll spend time discussing your personal pranayama practice as well as any questions you have about teaching pranayama.

12:30pm-1:30pm: 1 Hour Lunch Break

1:30pm-2pm

Chair Yoga Sun Salutation Practice Teaching

We’ll break into smaller groups to teach chair sun salutation to each other.

2pm-3:15pm

Accessible Asana Workshop

This Asana Workshop will focus on adapting Savasana, Yoga Nidra, and how to end class. It will also be a time to follow up on poses we haven’t yet covered and to answer any asana or teaching questions that have come up.

3:15pm-3:45pm: 30 Minute Break

3:45pm-4:45pm

Making Meditation Accessible

In this workshop, Jivana will focus on how to practice and teach meditation in a yoga context, with an emphasis on the role of meditation in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. He'll also discuss ways to make the practice accessible, safe, and enjoyable, with attention to trauma-informed teaching.

4:45pm-5:15pm

Integrated Chair / Mat Teaching

Workshop on how to teach students on the mat and in the chair in the same class, focusing directly on the skills needed to master teaching multiple levels at the same time. 

5:15pm-6pm

Integrated Chair / Mat Practice Teaching

Practice teaching integrated chair / mat classes in small groups.

6pm-6:45pm: 45 Minute Dinner Break 

6:45pm-7:30pm

One-on-One Teaching & Consent

As we prepare to do the Bed Yoga practice, Jivana will discuss the nuances of teaching one-on-one private yoga sessions, and discuss the importance of consent and reflecting on power dynamics between teacher and student.

Sunday May 3rd, 2026

8am-9am Breakfast (for those who have reserved onsite meals and/or accommodation)

*Accommodation check-out by 10am, for those staying on-site at Byron Yoga Retreat Centre. (Luggage storage available).

9am-10:15am

Bed Yoga

Jivana gives an introduction to bed yoga and he leads a bed yoga practice session. This session explores ways to adapt traditional asanas in bed, and how we can use creativity to explore ways to access some of the same benefits of the poses in a bed.

10:15am-10:30am: 15 Minute Break

10:30am-12pm

Designing Classes for Special Populations - Final Project

This will be a discussion of the key elements needed to design and teach classes for special populations and in special locations. Then participants will have a chance to work in small groups and create class outlines for special populations and share them with the rest of the class.

12pm-12:30pm

Closing Circle

Final thoughts and inspiration from our time together.

12:30pm-1:30pm Lunch (for those who have reserved onsite meals and/or accommodation)

Includes pre-recorded lectures:

• What Is Accessible Yoga?
  with Jivana Heyman
• Making Yoga Accessible
  with Jivana Heyman
• Adapting Asana
  with Jivana Heyman
• Working with Seniors
  with Jivana Heyman
• Common Medical Conditions
  with Jivana Heyman
• Making Breathing Practices Accessible
  with Jivana Heyman

Includes pre-recorded practices:

• 2 x 1-Hour Integrated
  Chair / Mat Sample Practices
  with Jivana Heyman (demonstrated from the chair and the mat)
• 20-minute Integrated
  Chair / Mat Sample Practice
  with Jivana Heyman
• 1-Hour Wheelchair Yoga Sample Practice with Rodrigo Souza
• 30-Minute Wall Practice for Balance with Jivana Heyman
• 30-Minute Couch Yoga Practice with Jivana Heyman

Includes pre-recorded lectures:

• What Even Is Yoga?
  with Anjali Rao
• The Four Paths of Yoga
  with Jivana Heyman
• Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 
  with Jivana Heyman
• The Bhagavad Gita
  with Jivana Heyman

Includes pre-recorded lectures:

• Foundations of the Science of Yoga with Ann Swanson
• The Why (Connection between Science of Yoga and Accessibility & Safety in Yoga)
  with Ann Swanson
  
• Science-Backed Benefits of Yoga
  with Ann Swanson
  
• Research on Safety
  with Ann Swanson
  
• Teaching Safely
  with Ann Swanson
  

Includes pre-recorded lectures:

• Disability Culture & Communication
  with Dani Anderson
• Creating Queer & Trans Affirming Spaces with Tristan Katz
  
• Race & Equity in Yoga
  with kelley nicole palmer
• Wheelchair Yoga
  with Rodrigo Souza
• Trauma Conscious Yoga & Race-Based Traumatic Stress
  with Nityda Gessel
• Teaching Yoga for People with Larger Bodies with Tamika Caston-Miller
• Neurodiversity & Yoga
  with Becky Aten
• Trauma-Informed Teaching & Incarcerated Populations
  with Amma Fandiño
• Considerations for Mental Health
  with Maria Kirsten †
  

Our Accessible Yoga Training (in-person + self-paced online modules) combines the benefits of our in-person training (which was our pre-2020 format for this course) with our new online delivery, which we began to offer in 2020. 

Trainees undertake a 3-day (15 hour) in-person training, led by one of our Accessible Yoga Trainers. This offers an opportunity to come together in community in person, and cover the most practical components of the training. The schedule for these 3 days will focus on adapting asana for the mat, chair, wall and bed, and how to lead integrated (chair & mat) classes.

Our upcoming in-person training will be led by Jivana Heyman in Byron Bay, NSW, Australia, May 1st-3rd, 2026.

Upon enrollment in this training, our trainees also receive access to our online portal, which includes 25 hours of additional learning via pre-recorded lecture and practice videos, reading, and homework, including our downloadable PDF course manual.

Topics covered in the self-paced online modules include Introduction to Accessible Yoga, Yoga Philosophy, Science of Yoga, and a series of lectures with special guest presenters including Disability Culture & Communication, Wheelchair Yoga, Trauma Conscious Yoga & Race-Based Traumatic Stress, Teaching Yoga for People with Larger Bodies, and more.

Trainees will have a 1 year of access to the online portal to work their way through the pre-recorded content, which can be commenced prior to the in-person training dates, but doesn't have to be completed in full before the live training begins.

After trainees have completed their in-person training, and all of the self-paced online modules, they can complete a feedback survey about the course via our online portal, and request their certificate of completion for the course (40 hours).

This course is designed as continuing education for qualified yoga teachers, however it is not a requirement to have completed a 200 hr Yoga Teacher Training to enroll in this course.

If you have 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training certification prior to completing our 40-hour Accessible Yoga Training, you will become a Certified Accessible Yoga Teacher upon completion of the Accessible Yoga Training.

This 40-hour training is not alone designed to qualify graduates to teach yoga classes, or become a Certified Accessible Yoga Teacher, if they have not also completed a 200-hour (minimum) foundational yoga teacher training in addition to this specialized continuing education course. 

If you are interested in teaching yoga but have not yet completed a 200-hour teacher training, we recommend doing so in addition to completing this course.

We welcome those who are not yet qualified yoga teachers to enroll in the course to support their personal practice, perhaps in preparation for completing a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Course in the future, noting that the course is designed as continuing education for qualified yoga teachers and is structured as such.

We welcome those who are not yoga teachers but qualified in other complementary fields (eg. physical therapy) to take this training to further their knowledge and skills to enhance their current offerings, within the scope of practice of their current qualifications. 

Part of the requirements for certification will be reviewing a series of pre-recorded videos (lectures and practices). You can access these before the in-person training weekend begins, or anytime before you request your certificate upon completion of the course.

For the in-person 3-day training we recommend bringing:

• A device or materials for note taking
• Water bottle and/or reusable coffee cup with a lid (filtered water taps and hot water urn are available in the venue dining area)
• Please wear appropriate clothing to be able to move as comfortably and freely as possible for asana practice, including layers as needed to stay warm during any relaxation practices offered. Shoes will need to be taken off at the entrance to the Yoga Shala, so wearing shoes that are easy to remove may be most convenient.
• All props will be provided (mats, chairs, bolsters, blocks, straps, blankets). You are welcome to bring your own mat if you'd like to and it's convenient to do so.
• Optional on-site Accommodation + Meals or Meals-Only packages are available through Byron Yoga Retreat Centre (further details & reservation links here). 
  • If you don't choose the on-site meal option, please ensure you bring your own meals and snacks for each training day. Byron Yoga Retreat Centre asks that no meat or fish are consumed on the property (vegetarian food only).

On-site meals and access to other food options:

• Meals are included for those who book on-site accommodation, however meals-only packages are also available. (Further details & reservation links here). 
• Meals are not included in the course fee, and are reserved and paid directly through Byron Yoga Centre.
• All on-site meals are vegetarian, served buffet style. (Check out the sample menu here).
• Meal packages include dinner on Friday; breakfast, lunch & dinner on Saturday; breakfast & lunch on Sunday, in accordance with our training schedule.
• Byron Yoga Retreat Centre also has an on-site cafe, open 8am-4pm daily for coffee, hot & cold drinks, and sweet treats.
• Byron Yoga Retreat Centre facilities includes indoor and outdoor designated dining areas. (Food is not to be consumed in accommodation rooms or yoga shalas). Byron Yoga Retreat Centre is also a smoking and alcohol free venue.
• Byron Yoga Retreat Centre is ~1.5km (3-5 minute drive / 20-25 minute walk) from Byron town centre, which includes a variety of cafes / restaurants and grocery stores. Please be aware that parts of the road from Byron Yoga Retreat Centre into the town centre don't have street lights or a footpath (see Google Maps street view of the Byron Yoga Retreat Centre entrance and road to town). Taxi and Uber services are available in Byron Bay.

Course Manual:

• The course manual is provided as a digital download (PDF) within our online course portal. To be as environmentally conscious as possible, hard-copy printed manuals won't be provided. If it is more accessible for you to work from a hardcopy manual, you are welcome to print one copy for your personal use.
• If you are enrolled in the course and choose to print your manual at a professional print shop and require written permission (as our manual is a copyrighted document) please contact us with at least 3 business days notice and we can provide this.

This training will be held in the 'Moon Shala' at Byron Yoga Retreat Centre, which is a ground-level studio (no steps at entrance or within the studio).

The venue has ramp (or stair) access to the dining room and toilet / shower block, including single-stall all-gender bathrooms (with composting toilets), and an ambulant toilet stall with grab rails. (The path from the Yoga Shala to the dining room and bathroom facilities is partly paved, and partly gravel).

All on-site accommodation options at Byron Yoga Retreat Centre are accessed via 1 to 4 steps.

Take a virtual tour of the Byron Yoga Retreat Centre facilities here. (Our training will be held in the Moon Shala).

This is not a residential training, however our training venue, Byron Yoga Retreat Centre offers optional on-site accommodation and/or meal packages for the days of our course, which are booked and paid separately through Byron Yoga Centre (not included in the course fee).

ACCOMMODATION

• RESERVE on-site accommodation at Byron Yoga Retreat Centre for the dates of our training.
• View Byron Yoga Retreat Centre on-site accommodation options and details.
  
  • Option to add additional nights of on-site accommodation before / after the training dates for some extra time to settle in or enjoy some quality time to yourself.
  • Standard accommodation package is 2 nights, checking in Friday May 1st from 2pm, and checking out Sunday May 3rd before 10am.
  • On-site accommodation bookings include access to unlimited herbal teas, on-site 20m solar heated mineral salt swimming pool, linen and bath towels, and the following meals:
    • Friday: dinner
    • Saturday: breakfast, lunch & dinner
    • Sunday: breakfast & lunch
  • Please note - all on-site accommodation options at Byron Yoga Retreat Centre are accessed via 1 to 4 steps. (No ground-level entry accommodation options).
• A variety of off-site accommodation options to suit various budgets and needs are available in Byron town centre, ~1.5km (3-5 minute drive / 20-25 minute walk) from Byron Yoga Retreat Centre. Please be aware that parts of the road from Byron Yoga Retreat Centre into the town centre don't have street lights or a footpath (see Google Maps street view of the Byron Yoga Retreat Centre entrance and road to town). Taxi and Uber services are available in Byron Bay.

MEALS:

If you book on-site accommodation, meals are included, however those not staying on-site can also book a meals-only package for the dates of our training. All on-site meals are vegetarian.

• RESERVE on-site meals at Byron Yoga Retreat Centre for the dates of our training. 
• View the Byron Yoga Retreat Centre sample menu and details.

GETTING TO BYRON YOGA RETREAT CENTRE:

• Byron Bay is accessible from three main Airports:
  • Coolangatta (Gold Coast) – approx. 50 mins drive north of Byron Bay (recommended - more direct flight options from major cities than Ballina, and closer than Brisbane)
  • Ballina – approx. 30 mins drive south of Byron Bay 
  • Brisbane –  approx. 2 hrs drive north of Byron Bay
• All three airports are serviced by shuttle services (with door-to-door options). We recommend you book your transfer in advance to coordinate your transfer with your arrival and departure flights.
  
  • Con-x-ion Airport Transfers
• Byron Yoga Retreat Centre is ~1.5km (3-5 minute drive / 20-25 minute walk) from Byron town centre and Byron Bay Interchange Bus Terminal. Byron town centre includes a variety of cafes / restaurants, grocery stores, accommodation options, and access to beaches. Please be aware that parts of the road from Byron Yoga Retreat Centre into the town centre don't have street lights or a footpath (see Google Maps street view of the Byron Yoga Retreat Centre entrance and road to town).
• Taxi and Uber services are available in Byron Bay.
• Further details about accessing Byron Yoga Retreat Centre can be found on their website.

PARKING:

• Free on-site parking is available.

After completing the in-person training, pre-recorded content and homework tasks, and certifying that all graduation requirements have been completed, you can request your certification to become an Accessible Yoga Teacher. As an Accessible Yoga Teacher, you are entitled to:

• Market yourself as an Accessible Yoga Teacher
• Use the Accessible Yoga Teacher logo on your website and in your marketing materials
• Use the Accessible Yoga name in your class listings
• 3 months free membership in the Accessible Yoga Ambassador & Mentorship program
• Ongoing membership in the Accessible Yoga Community Facebook Group where you can network and share best practices with other teachers

Additionally, you will receive a certificate of completion entitling you to 40 contact hour CEUs through Yoga Alliance or the International Association of Yoga Therapists.

This training is worth 40 contact hour CEUs. This includes 15 hours of in-person training (over 3 days) and 25 hours of self-paced pre-recorded lectures and practices with accompanying resources, homework tasks and required reading. Trainees receive 1 year of access to review online materials and complete course requirements to request their certification.

Attendance in person at the full 3-day (15 hour) live training component of the course is required to receive your certification. If the live training dates / times / location aren't suitable, we recommend checking out our completely online Accessible Yoga Training option, with live, online training via Zoom and additional pre-recorded content.

No, unfortunately due to the nature of this training, in-person attendance is required, and the 3-days of in-person training will not be available as a live stream online. If the live training dates / times / location aren't suitable, we recommend checking out our completely online Accessible Yoga Training option, with live, online training via Zoom and additional pre-recorded content.

Trainees will have access to the online student portal for 1 year from the commencement of the in-person training dates (until May 3rd, 2027) to access and review the pre-recorded content and resources, and will be able to download your course manual (PDF) to keep forever. 

Yes. This training is worth 40 contact hour CEUs. Eligible yoga teachers will earn CEUs through Yoga Alliance. Yoga therapists will earn CEUs through the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Upon completion of the course requirements, you will receive a downloadable certificate you can submit for credit.

Your student portal is web based and can be accessed through any internet browser, or via the Kajabi app on a smart phone / tablet.

Your online portal, where you access the pre-recorded course content, is web based and can be accessed through any internet browser, via various devices (computer, phone, tablet etc).

To easily access your course via a mobile device, you can download the free Kajabi app.

Kajabi is the platform we use to host the online portion of this course and create your online portal. Once you download the free Kajabi app, go ahead and sign in with the email you and password you selected upon registration in the course, and that's it!

With the Kajabi mobile app, you'll be able to access the course content right from your phone. The app also automatically saves your progress, even when you switch between sessions and devices. You can mark each session as complete when done to help you keep track of where you are up to in the pre-recorded course content.

The videos from the pre-recorded component of the training and manual are for your personal use. We ask that you don't share them with anyone who hasn't enrolled in the course. Each of our trainers often share wonderful free resources with overlapping information, and we encourage you to share those widely, or encourage friends / colleagues to take an Accessible Yoga Training if they might be interested in this content.

For our 40-Accessible Yoga Training (in-person, with self-paced online modules) we offer sliding scale equity pricing, payment plans and partial scholarships.

The course fee for our upcoming Accessible Yoga Training in Byron Bay, Australia is $1099 AUD - $1499 AUD sliding scale.

Early Bird discount available for enrollments made by January 30th, 2026.

Please click here for further details about our tiered pricing model and partial scholarships.

This is a non-residential training. Optional on-site accommodation and/or meals packages at Byron Yoga Retreat Centre are available, booked and paid separately through Byron Yoga Centre (not included in course fee). Please click here for on-site accommodation and meal package details and reservations.

Yes, you may split your tuition into 3 monthly payments (or 6 payments for early enrollments, made by January 30th, 2026).

Payment plans are available for each pricing tier.

Payments are charged monthly based on the date of your initial enrollment. For example, if you sign up on January 15th on a 3-month payment plan, your initial payment will be charged upon enrollment, and the remaining two payments will be deducted on February 15th and March 15th.

If our sliding scale pricing still isn't accessible to you, we do have a limited number of partial scholarships available. Please fill out this scholarship application to apply.

Partial scholarship applications are open through Friday, March 27th, 2026. (Please note - available partial scholarship places may be filled, or the course may be fully booked, prior to this date).

Due to the very high volume of scholarship requests we receive, we distribute available scholarship funds through a limited number of partial scholarships, rather than offering full scholarships, to make our offerings as financially accessible as possible to as many people as possible.

The refund policy for our Accessible Yoga Training (In-Person & Self-Paced Online Modules) is as follows: 

• Request for cancellation of enrollment from the course 4 weeks or more prior to the commencement of the in-person training dates (and after access to online training materials has been granted) will receive a 50% refund of the total course fee (if paid in full), or cancellation of pending payment plan installments equal to 50% of the total course fee.
• Refunds will not be granted within 4 weeks of the commencement of the in-person training component of the course.
• An alternate option to cancellation is to request a transfer to our next Accessible Yoga Training Online cohort (live & online via Zoom, with additional pre-recorded self-paced modules). If the amount paid for In-Person course enrollment is greater than the current enrollment price for the Accessible Yoga Training Online, the price difference will not be refunded. A $25 USD admin fee applies for course transfers.
• Accessible Yoga is not responsible for accommodation or travel expenses. We recommend flexible bookings and/or travel insurance in the event circumstances change.
• Please refer to Byron Yoga Retreat Centre directly regarding their cancellation / refund policy for on-site accommodation and/or meals packages.

If you have any questions about this training, please contact us and we'll be in touch.

Our contact page also includes FAQs which may answer your question/s most efficiently.