Yoga Therapy Institute

What Yoga Therapy Institute does

Yoga Therapy Institute is an Australian privately held education provider (Pty Ltd, founded 2009 as Enlightened Events, rebranded 2020) specializing in accredited yoga therapy training for practicing yoga teachers, teacher trainees, healthcare professionals, and yoga therapists. The company was founded by Trina Bawden-Smith and operates with a small core team of approximately 6 employees supplemented by an extended faculty network, led by Program Director Sal Flynn, with educators including medical doctors (Dr. Natasha Zajc-Dalcourt), research scientists (Sue Livingston), and subject-matter experts such as Dr. Shirley Telles. Over 430 yoga therapists have been trained across 25+ deliveries of the flagship Accredited Yoga Therapy Certification (AYTC), priced at $8,500 AUD full fee or $9,080 on a 12-month payment plan.

The core product, the AYTC, is a comprehensive certification integrating yogic philosophy with clinical knowledge, holistic client assessment, and supervised practical work. It is augmented by a portfolio of on-demand and live short courses covering therapeutic specializations (anxiety, pain, sleep, inflammation, menopause, chronic diseases, cancer care, autism), professional certifications (Yoga Breathwork, Clinical Ayurveda), and skill-specific modules (Mindfulness-Based Yoga Therapy, Somatic Yoga). Course delivery occurs in-person across four Australian cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast) and online via an in-house Learning Management System. The company also sells overseas retreats to India, Kerala, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka through a partnership with Bhutan & Beyond, and runs the Australasian Yoga Therapy Conference (8 events since 2011). The technology stack is straightforward: a WordPress-based e-commerce site processing payments via eWAY with 128-bit SSL, plus an LMS for on-demand content; no proprietary technology platforms or AI systems are present.

The business model is direct-to-consumer course sales with one-time fees (perpetual access to recorded content plus CPD points) plus retreat deposits. Lead generation runs through content marketing (blog, articles, videos, free guides such as The Great Yoga Teacher Myth, and a confidence quiz), organic social, email newsletter, and the recurring conference. Recognition comes from IAYT, the Australasian Association of Yoga Therapists, and Yoga Australia. The company is founder-owned, bootstrapped, with no disclosed external funding, and has not pursued institutional investment or acquisitive growth.

Name

Yoga Therapy Institute

Legal name

Yoga Therapy Institute Pty Ltd

Website

https://yogatherapyinstitute.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Yoga Therapy Institute is an Australian education provider offering accredited yoga therapy certification and continuing professional development courses for yoga teachers, therapists, and healthcare professionals, delivered in-person across four Australian cities and online globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yoga Therapy Education and Training

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Yoga, Pilates & Mind-Body Movement Education (EDAAAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Therapeutic/Adaptive Yoga & Clinical Pilates (HSADACAE), Ayurveda & Traditional Healing (Ayurvedic Retreats, Panchakarma, Herbal Therapies) (THAJAHAE)

Keywords

• Yoga therapy training
• Yoga teacher certification
• Therapeutic yoga education
• Professional yoga courses
• Yoga continuing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Randwick

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Course Fees - Accredited Yoga Therapy Certification: Primary revenue stream from the flagship Accredited Yoga Therapy Certification (AYTC) program. Full course fee is $8,500, with payment plan option at $9,080 over 12 months. Deposit of $1,000 required at enrollment.
2. Course Fees - Short Courses and Workshops: Revenue from shorter on-demand workshops and certification courses. Prices range from $79 (Yoga for Anxiety) to $1,250 (Mindfulness Based Yoga Therapy & Counselling Skills Course). These are one-time purchases for recorded content access.
3. Retreats and Overseas Travel: Revenue from international yoga retreats to destinations including India, Kerala, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. Deposit of $500 for retreats with additional land tour costs.
4. CPD Points and Certification: Professional development courses offering Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points for yoga teachers and therapists. Provides certification credentials that support career advancement in the yoga therapy profession.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Yoga Therapy Institute is an Australian education provider that delivers accredited yoga therapy training, professional certifications, and continuing professional development (CPD) courses to yoga teachers, therapists, and healthcare professionals. The flagship offering is the Accredited Yoga Therapy Certification (AYTC), supplemented by a portfolio of on-demand workshops, shorter certifications in breathwork and clinical ayurveda, and overseas retreats. Courses are delivered in-person in major Australian cities and online globally via a Learning Management System.

Product overview

Yoga Therapy Institute operates as a course and training provider, not a software platform. Their core offering is the Accredited Yoga Therapy Certification (AYTC), a comprehensive certification program for training yoga therapists. They complement this with a portfolio of on-demand workshops covering specialized therapeutic areas (anxiety, pain, sleep, inflammation, menopause, chronic diseases, cancer care), professional certifications (Yoga Breathwork, Clinical Ayurveda), and skill-specific courses (Mindfulness-Based Yoga Therapy, Somatic Yoga). Additional offerings include overseas retreat experiences and free resources such as a confidence quiz and educational guide. The portfolio spans live courses, pre-recorded on-demand content, and international retreats, all focused on professional yoga therapy education and continuing professional development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accredited Yoga Therapy Certification (AYTC) Flagship comprehensive certification program that trains yoga teachers to become yoga therapists; covers holistic client assessment, yoga therapy principles, clinical knowledge, and supervised practical work. Recognized by IAYT, Australasian Association of Yoga Therapists, and Yoga Australia. Fee is $8,500 (or $9,080 on 12-month payment plan) with $1,000 enrollment deposit. Available in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast and online.
• Mindfulness Based Yoga Therapy & Counselling Skills Course 5-day course that teaches therapeutic relationship development and basic counselling skills for yoga therapists and teachers, available in Sydney, Melbourne and Online for $1,250.
• Yoga Breathwork Certification 20-hour on-demand professional training covering anatomy, physiology, pranayama techniques, and therapeutic applications of yoga breathwork. Priced at $900.
• Somatic Yoga Practice Workshop On-demand workshop with Sal Flynn exploring somatic yoga practice as body-mind exploration, including 6 hours of recorded content. Priced at $320 including GST.
• Yoga Therapy for Anxiety Online workshop with Dr. Shirley Telles on using yoga as a therapeutic tool to manage anxiety. 1.5 hours of content with 12 months access, priced at $79 including GST.
• Inflammation and Yoga Workshop Workshop exploring the connection between inflammation and health, and how yoga practices help reduce inflammation. 1.5 hours with 1.5 CPD points, priced at $149-$170 including GST.
• Yoga and Menopause Training On-demand training on using yoga as a therapeutic tool for menopause and peri-menopause management. 90 minutes of content with 1.5 CPD points, priced at $115 including GST.
• Yoga and Chronic Diseases in the Over 65s Online workshop series with Liz Williams covering common chronic health conditions associated with ageing and beneficial yoga interventions. 8 modules, 16 CPD points upon completion, priced at $497.
• Yoga for Pain Care Online workshop on yoga practices for pain management, presented with Marlysa Sullivan. Currently on sale for $447 (reduced from $497).
• Yoga for Sleep On-demand course focused on yoga practices to improve sleep, available via the institute's online course catalogue.
• Yoga for Healthy Ageing Set of on-demand workshops for yoga teachers working with students aged over 65, covering age-related physical and mental changes and safe yoga modifications.
• Mental Health & Pranayama Workshop Workshop on pranayama practices for mental health support, available in the institute's online course catalogue.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder & Yoga Training on adapting yoga practices for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, available in the institute's online course catalogue.
• Grow a Successful Yoga Business Workshop on building a sustainable yoga therapy business, available in the institute's online course catalogue.
• Certificate in Clinical Ayurveda Certificate program in clinical ayurveda; $1,000 deposit required at enrollment with the balance paid before course start.
• Yoga and Cancer Training 20-hour online training providing a yoga therapy approach to cancer care, awarding 20 CPD points. Priced at $899 and scheduled to start October 2026.
• Overseas Retreats (India, Kerala, Bhutan, Sri Lanka) International yoga and meditation retreats to Kerala, India, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka, combining practice with cultural immersion. $500 non-refundable deposit per retreat, with additional land tour costs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 430+ yoga therapists trained
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Bhutan & BeyondminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecialist travel agent partner for overseas retreats. Provides customer service, travel advice including visas, currency, flight booking for group tours to India and surrounding regions.
• eWAY Payment GatewaycoreTechnology or IntegrationSecure payment processing provider for online credit card transactions. Handles payment processing under 128-bit SSL Certificate with encrypted data storage.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• S-VYASA Yoga University: Bengaluru-based university specializing in yoga therapy research, education, and certification, including integrated yoga therapy for clinical conditions. Directly comparable to YTI's flagship AYTC for therapeutic yoga training delivered with research and clinical credibility.
• Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram: Chennai-based yoga therapy education institution offering therapeutic yoga training grounded in the Krishnamacharya tradition. Comparable to YTI for its therapy-focused certification programs, faculty depth, and integration of yogic philosophy with clinical application.
• Integral Yoga International: Long-running US-based yoga education organization offering teacher and therapy training certifications, including therapeutic yoga programs. Comparable to YTI's registered yoga therapy training model with a flagship certification and continuing professional development portfolio.
• The Yoga Institute: Founded in 1918 in Mumbai, The Yoga Institute is one of the world's oldest organized yoga therapy education providers offering teacher and therapy training programs. Comparable to YTI as a long-running registered yoga therapy training school with a flagship certification program and structured curriculum.

Emerging players

• Yoga International: Global online yoga education platform offering subscription-based courses, articles, and teacher training content across therapeutic and traditional yoga topics. Comparable to YTI as a yoga therapy content and education provider, with broader digital reach but less clinical/accreditation depth than YTI's AYTC.
• Mind Body Solutions: Therapeutic yoga organization offering adaptive yoga teacher training and clinical programs for people with injuries, disabilities, and chronic conditions. Comparable to YTI for therapeutic/adaptive yoga training focus and clinical application.

Others

• Yoga Australia: National yoga teacher registration body in Australia that also accredits training providers. Provides the regulatory and accreditation framework YTI operates within; relevant peer for category structure and graduate certification pathways.
• Australasian Association of Yoga Therapists: Peak professional body for yoga therapy in Australasia that registers yoga therapists and accredits training programs. Closely tied to YTI's accreditation and graduate outcomes, and is a relevant peer for the Australian yoga therapy training category.

Broad incumbents

• Patanjali Yogpeeth: Large-scale yoga therapy, Ayurveda, and wellness education provider based in India offering teacher training, therapy training, and clinical services. Comparable to YTI as a yoga therapy and Ayurveda education brand, though operating at significantly larger scale and broader scope.

Regional players

• Pilates ITC: Australian-based Pilates and movement teacher training provider offering accredited certification programs. Comparable to YTI as an Australasian movement/therapeutic teacher training business with flagship certification, CPD offerings, and a similar scale and audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/yogatherapyinstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/YogaTherapyInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yogatherapyinstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/yoga.therapy.institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yoga Therapy Institute