Since 2016, BodyBalanced Yoga Teacher Training has graduated 15 cohorts of yoga teachers who are now sharing yoga in studios, schools, community centres, wellness clinics, fitness facilities, and private practice throughout Ontario and beyond.
Upon completion of all training requirements, graduates receive a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Certification recognized by the Canadian Yoga Alliance, making them eligible for professional liability insurance and prepared to begin teaching with confidence.
A Special Collaboration
This unique program is the result of a special partnership between Jenny Jackson, founder of BodyBalanced Yoga, and Sugar Ridge Retreat Centre.
Jenny brings three decades of experience in yoga, education, fitness, anatomy, mindfulness, and adult learning to create a teacher training that is practical, inclusive, and deeply transformational.
Hosted at the peaceful Sugar Ridge Retreat Centre, students experience the perfect balance of structured education, community connection, and time immersed in nature. The hybrid format combines convenient online learning with inspiring in-person retreat weekends, allowing students to integrate yoga into everyday life while enjoying meaningful face-to-face practice and mentorship.
Two Learning Streams
We recognize that not everyone joins teacher training for the same reason.
Teacher Certification Stream
This is for you if you wish to complete assignments and assessments and your goal is to become an insured and certified yoga teacher.
Participants complete:
- 200 hours of required training
- Practice teaching and observation
- Assignments and independent study
- Final teaching assessments
- Written and practical evaluations
Graduates receive their 200-hour Yoga Teacher Certification recognized by the Canadian Yoga Alliance and are prepared to teach professionally.
Personal Study Stream
This is for you if you wish to deepen your practice and learn in community. You may challenge the exam and assessments at a later date for an additional cost (up to two years post graduation) if you change your mind and decide you would prefer to certify.
This stream includes:
- Full participation in all classes and training weekends
- All educational content
- Personal practice development
- Philosophy, anatomy, mindfulness, and meditation
Students are not required to complete teaching assessments or examinations. This option is ideal for practitioners who wish to enrich their lives without the goal of teaching.
Our Approach
Great yoga teachers are not created by memorizing poses.
They are developed through self-awareness, compassionate communication, thoughtful sequencing, and the ability to make yoga accessible for every body.
Our training honours yoga as a lifelong practice that supports physical health, mental wellbeing, emotional resilience, and personal transformation.
Students learn to teach from experience rather than performance.
Jenny leads in an engaging, fun, interactive and inclusive way that supports all learning styles. You will feel safe, inspired and in control of your learning.
Sugar Ridge is a place to get started on your path, or deepen your journey. It was created by Liz out of love and compassion for all creatures who visit this sacred space, and thus we are honoured to do our learning on this special land.
What You’ll Learn
The Eight Limbs of Yoga
Rooted in the teachings of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, you’ll explore yoga as a complete lifestyle, including:
- Ethical living (Yamas)
- Personal observances (Niyamas)
- Asana (physical practice)
- Pranayama (breathwork)
- Pratyahara (turning inward)
- Dharana (concentration)
- Dhyana (meditation)
- Samadhi (connection and integration)
Rather than studying philosophy as theory alone, students learn how to integrate these teachings into modern life and authentic teaching.
Accessible Yoga for Every Body
Yoga should be welcoming and beneficial for everyone.
Throughout the program you’ll learn how to adapt and modify poses for:
- beginners
- seniors
- different body shapes
- injuries and limitations
- varying levels of mobility
- athletes
- stress management
- nervous system regulation
Accessibility is woven into every aspect of the training.
Teaching Methodology
One of the greatest strengths of the BodyBalanced program is its clear, structured teaching methodology.
Students develop confidence through learning how to:
- confidently lead classes
- create intelligent sequences
- use effective verbal cueing
- demonstrate safely
- offer meaningful hands-on and verbal assists
- read the energy of a room
- build class themes
- teach with authenticity
- communicate clearly and compassionately
Practice teaching begins early and continues throughout the program with supportive mentoring and feedback.
Functional Anatomy
Gain a practical understanding of anatomy designed specifically for yoga teachers.
Topics include:
- skeletal alignment
- muscles and movement
- joint function
- common injuries
- movement mechanics
- posture
- breathing anatomy
- nervous system regulation
The emphasis is always on applying anatomy to real teaching situations rather than memorization.
Hatha & Foundational Vinyasa
Students develop a strong foundation in:
- Classical Hatha Yoga
- foundational Vinyasa Flow
- pose breakdowns
- alignment principles
- modifications
- transitions
- intelligent sequencing
The goal is to understand why we move—not simply how.
Meditation & Mindfulness
Develop a personal meditation practice while learning to confidently guide others through:
- mindfulness
- relaxation
- breath awareness
- Yoga Nidra-inspired practices
- visualization
- grounding techniques
Program Format
This hybrid program allows students to balance training with work and family commitments.
Online Learning
Twice monthly Wednesday evening sessions provide:
- philosophy
- anatomy
- teaching methodology
- meditation
- discussion
- mentorship
In-Person Weekends
Monthly weekends at Sugar Ridge Retreat Centre focus on:
- movement labs
- posture clinics
- sequencing
- teaching practice
- partner work
- community connection
- experiential learning
Students also complete guided independent reading, reflection, and home practice throughout the six-month program.
Who This Training Is For
This program is open to:
- aspiring yoga teachers
- dedicated yoga students
- health professionals
- fitness instructors
- educators
- therapists
- retirees
- beginners with a consistent practice
- experienced practitioners seeking deeper understanding
You do not need to be able to perform advanced postures to become an excellent yoga teacher.
Meet Your Lead Trainer
Jenny Jackson
Jenny Jackson is the founder of BodyBalanced Yoga Teacher Training and has spent 30 years helping people move, learn, heal, and thrive.
A certified yoga teacher, educator, fitness professional, and mindfulness facilitator, Jenny is known for making complex concepts approachable while creating learning environments that are welcoming, encouraging, and deeply supportive.
As a certified post-secondary educator, she brings extensive experience in curriculum development, adult education, anatomy, movement science, and effective teaching practices. Her passion is helping students build both personal confidence and professional competence.
Since launching the BodyBalanced Yoga Teacher Training Program in 2016, Jenny has guided 15 successful graduating classes, mentoring hundreds of students as they discovered not only how to teach yoga, but how to embody its principles in everyday life.
Her graduates consistently describe her teaching style as knowledgeable, compassionate, practical, and inspiring.
Jenny believes the best yoga teachers are lifelong students, and she is committed to supporting each participant’s unique path—whether they are pursuing certification or simply seeking personal transformation.
Why Choose BodyBalanced Yoga Teacher Training?
- Established, proven program since 2016
- 15 successful graduating cohorts
- Canadian Yoga Alliance recognized certification
- Eligible for professional liability insurance upon certification
- Hybrid format designed for busy lives
- Small class sizes
- Highly personalized mentorship
- Inclusive, accessible approach to yoga
- Strong focus on teaching confidence
- Practical anatomy and functional movement
- Philosophy integrated into everyday living
- Beautiful retreat setting at Sugar Ridge Retreat Centre
- A supportive community that continues long after graduation
Begin Your Journey
Yoga teacher training is about far more than learning to teach poses.
It is an invitation to deepen your understanding of yourself, cultivate meaningful connections, and develop the knowledge and confidence to share yoga with others in a safe, compassionate, and authentic way.
Whether you choose the Teacher Certification Stream or the Personal Study Stream, you’ll leave with practical tools, lifelong friendships, and a richer understanding of yoga that will continue to unfold long after the program ends.
Training begins January 2027. We invite you to join us for this life-changing experience at Sugar Ridge Retreat Centre.
Certification track: $3950 EARLY BIRD until November 11, 2026; $4200 after November 12
Personal Interest track: $3200 EARLY BIRD until November 11, 2026: $3500 after November 12, 2026.
Our Accomodation Types
