Begin Your Teaching Journey
AWHI's flagship teacher training. 200 contact hours, Yoga Alliance accredited, and uniquely rooted in te ao Māori and the traditions of yoga.
A uniquely Aotearoa experience
Our Yoga Alliance accredited 200hr Vinyasa YTT is a comprehensive journey into the art and science of yoga teaching. Structured around the five pillars of Te Whare Tapa Whā each weekend intensive explores a different dimension of the whole person — physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and relational.
This training is equally powerful for those who want to become teachers and those who simply want to deepen their own practice. Either way, you'll leave transformed.
You do not need to be "good" at yoga to join. All bodies and experience levels welcome, although we generally recommend a minimum of six months' of regular practice before enrolling.
What's included
- Unlimited AWHI membership during training
- Training manual
- Graduation celebration and certificate
- Lifetime discounts on AWHI memberships
- Payment plans available
- Scholarships available — see Scholarship page
Five pillars, five weekends
Each intensive weekend is structured around one of the five pillars of Te Whare Tapa Whā— the Māori model of holistic health developed by Sir Mason Durie. Together, they form a complete education in yoga and in life.
The ground beneath your feet. We begin with the fundamentals: yoga history, anatomy basics, the structure of safe asana, and introducing yourself as a teacher.
The physical vessel. Deep-dive anatomy, biomechanics, applied physiology, and the intelligent application of alignment to a yoga class.
The inner landscape. Yoga philosophy, the Yoga Sutras, meditation methodology, and the psychology of teaching.
The unseen dimension. Pranayama, chakra theory, sequencing with depth and intention, and the philosophy of service in teaching.
The relational field. Practicum, peer teaching, ethics, and stepping into the world as a certified teacher.
Is this training for you?
Aspiring teachers
You've found yoga and want to share it. This training gives you the skills, ethics, and confidence to teach safely and authentically.
Deepening practitioners
You're not interested in teaching but want to understand yoga from the inside out. Many of our graduates never teach a class — they just become more themselves.
Career changers
You're ready for something that aligns with your values. A 200hr certification opens doors to teaching in studios, workplaces, schools, and more.
Scholarships available — fully funded places for Māori, Pasifika, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and other underrepresented communities.
Meet the team
Lead facilitators
Tom Brotherstone
he/him
Tom is the co-owner, staff manager and lead facilitator at AWHI Yoga & Wellbeing. A E-RYT 500, Tom completed all of his training in Rishikesh, India and has been teaching Yin and Vinyasa for over a decade. As co-owner of AWHI, his focus is now on building community through both practices, providing a supportive platform for the growth and self-discovery of others. Tom is an expert facilitator, having led numerous yoga and meditation workshops, seminars, teacher trainings and private classes in corporate, one-on-one, and studio environments. His facilitation style is easeful and approachable, with just the right amount of humour.
Kathleen Kuehn
she/her
Kathleen is a E-RYT 500 co-owner and Chief Enabling Officer at AWHI Yoga & Wellbeing. A lifelong kaiako, KK has trained and earned certification in vinyasa, yin, yoga nidra and Pilates, and has been facilitating yoga/meditation classes and yoga teacher training courses since 2019. She also holds a PhD in Media & Communications with nearly two decades teaching at the tertiary level and curriculum design. KK is a passionate, unpretentious and down-to-earth facilitator who places high value on openness, authenticity and holistic understandings of wellness. Her goal is to create safe spaces for self-exploration, self-expression, inquiry and community.
Assistants
Murray Hemi
he/him
Murray is from the small Māori community, Papawai. A 200-CYT in vinyasa with trauma-informed training from Yoga Education in Prison Trust and a Certified Hakomi Therapist practising as a men's relationship coach. A forever learner, Murray brings a strong mātauranga background and understanding of the many synergies between the traditional wisdoms of Te Ao Māori and yoga. Murray always brings with him his stories, insights, and understandings of Mātauranga Māori as a parallel window into understanding or re-considering our knowledge of the human condition. He shares with a compassion and wisdom gained through experience, with a strong desire to build learning experiences through collective group wisdom.
Marcelly Ribeiro
she/her · they/them
Marcelly is a Brazilian-born yoga teacher and dancer based in Aotearoa New Zealand for the past 10 years. She holds a degree in Physical Education, 200-hour Vinyasa and Hatha Yoga Teacher Trainings, and certifications in Childbirth Education, Doula support, and Active Birth. Her teaching blends alignment-based yoga with the fluidity and expression of dance, reflecting her belief that both practices are powerful tools for connection, presence, and self-awareness. Specialising in prenatal yoga, Marcelly integrates asana, pranayama, and birth education to support women in preparing their bodies and minds for labour.
Hana Buchanan
she/ia
Hana (Taranaki iwi, Te Ātiawa, Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika) has been developing her own yoga / pū āio practice for over 25 years. She loves exploring the synergies between mātauranga Māori and yoga philosophies — centuries old indigenous wisdoms supporting contemporary holistic wellbeing. Hana completed her 200-hour Vinyasa and 100-hour Yin teacher training with AWHI Yoga & Wellbeing and hopes to share the love, joy and challenge of yoga / pū āio with others. She is an established writer and poet from Te Aro Pā. Nau mai, haere mai e hoa mā!
Satvika Iyer
they/them
Satvika completed their 200-hour Vinyasa YTT at AWHI in 2022, then deepened their practice at an ashram in India — their birthplace — through a 50-hour Kundalini Meditation and 400-hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training. Since then they have completed a 100-hour Yin training at AWHI and a 100-hour Aerial Yoga training in Ecuador. Raised across India, Tāmaki Makaurau, and Canada, Satvika holds a deep reverence for yoga's roots and brings breath-led movement, moments of stillness, and yogic philosophy into their teaching — creating space for students to reconnect with their own inner knowing.
Ready to take the next step?
Register now or get in touch with any questions. We'd love to talk through whether this training is right for you.
Internationally Accredited by Yoga Alliance
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