Yoga East+West’s Teacher Training Program’s review in Bali

Are you considering becoming a yoga teacher? If so, you may have come across Yoga East+West as a potential option for your training. As choosing the right yoga teacher training program is a huge decision, we’ve put together this review to provide you with an overview of what Yoga East+West’s course entails.

Founded in either 2016 (according to the school’s website) or 2017 (according to an interview with the founder), Yoga East+West is the brainchild of American entrepreneur and businessman Adam Carney, who – having started on his own yoga teacher training journey in 2012 – saw an opening for a ‘high end’ yoga teacher training school that merged Western luxury with traditional Eastern teachings. The main success of his yoga ‘business’ (in his own words), comes from “great teachers and great marketing”.

Located in the bohemian, yoga-centric town of Ubud, East+West stands out as one of the most lavish yoga teacher trainings on the island. Just as the teachers and the accommodation facilities are carefully selected on this training, so too has the curriculum been specifically curated to guide aspiring students on the journey to become a yoga teacher.

1. Number of Students

Yoga East+West’s training program typically accommodates an average of 25-35 students per training, and they proudly state that every single training they have offered thus far has sold out, implying that the higher end of this range is to be expected. Photos on their website seem to corroborate this, showing a sizable number of students in a single class with only one teacher leading the session. This raises questions about the level of individual attention that students can expect during the training.

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2. Duration of Training

Yoga East+West’s 200-hour training program runs for 22 days, which meets the minimum length we recommend.

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3. Minimum Requirements for Course Admission

Although not a strict requirement, Yoga East+West does suggest a minimum of one year of yoga practice before enrolling in their course.

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4. Comprehensive Curriculum

Based on our assessment, East+West’s program appears to cover all these essential topics in their foundational training in Bali, with an additional online module on the business of yoga.

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5. School Experience

Yoga East+West was registered with Yoga Alliance in 2019. Considering the Covid pandemic where nobody could run in person course, The school has actually less than our our recommended minimum of three years.

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6. Does the Lead Trainer have over 7 years’ teaching experience?

Although Yoga East+West prides itself on the rigorous standards of their teaching faculty, they select teachers who have taught over 2,000 classes, rather than those with many years of experience. As a result, a full-time teacher might have only been teaching for two years before becoming a trainer at East+West. Additionally, it is unclear from the website which teachers will be present on a particular training, and prospective students must inquire with the school to obtain this information. That can also indicate that there is not a cohesive team.

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7. Does the training focus on teaching skills?

Yoga East+West recognizes the significance of teaching instruction, and their curriculum includes elements such as developing a teaching voice, class sequencing, and providing a set sequence for students to take home, earning them a point in this category.

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8. Is there an emphasis on self-practice?

Yoga East+West’s multi-style training program comprises a fixed, memorized yoga sequence that graduates can utilize for their own practice and to teach their initial class. Although we might contend that a Mysore-style practice would be more advantageous, East+West is heading in the right direction by providing students with a sequence to take home.

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9. Is there a dedicated faculty of internationally experienced teachers?

Yoga East+West’s training program boasts a unique feature in their carefully curated faculty selection process. Not only do they prioritize highly experienced teachers (as defined by having taught over 2,000 classes), but they also strive to blend Indian teachers from traditional yogic lineages with Western teachers. This approach results in a teaching team that comprises at least one Indian teacher and two to three Western teachers (who have international teaching experience) for every training program.

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10. Is the teaching faculty clear from the website?

Unfortunately, Yoga East+West’s website and brochure do not provide this information for their 200-hour training program in Bali. It is unclear who will lead the training, which guest teachers will participate, and what modules they will teach, along with who the support and additional teaching staff are. Although the school prides itself on their faculty selection process, it is essential to know precisely which team will lead a particular training before investing significant amounts of money into a teaching training program.

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11. Does the school have a good student-teacher ratio?

Yoga East+West has not provided any information regarding the number of teachers available per class, despite having a large number of students in each group. As a result, they do not receive a point in this category.

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12. Is their Yoga Alliance rating more than 4.6 and do they have more than 50 reviews?

Yoga East+West’s rating is 4.69. In addition, a higher number of reviews on Yoga Alliance increases the accuracy of the rating. With over 150 reviews, Yoga East+West’s score can be seen as credible.

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13. Is the venue (accommodation and facilities) comfortable, clean, and suitable for the training?

Yoga East+West recognizes this, acknowledging that only when physical needs are met can students delve deeper into the yogic journey. To this end, they select luxurious resorts with Western amenities for their trainings. Furthermore, the program includes three daily organic meals (excluding Sundays), with an emphasis on healthy, plant-based, nourishing food. Since a 200-hour residential yoga teacher training is an intense, transformative experience that typically involves daily instruction from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm, six days a week, it’s crucial to have a comfortable, restful space to recharge during free time and practice what you’ve learned.

Yoga East+West surpasses expectations in this regard by selecting locally-owned, luxurious resorts for their trainings. The resort in Ubud, for instance, features newly renovated rooms, a well-maintained yoga shala, and even a pool, providing students with a luxurious vacation-like experience while earning their yoga certification.

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14. Is the price reasonable and comparable to other 200hr trainings, and is it good value for money?

Compared to other 200-hour yoga teacher training programs in Bali, Yoga East+West’s training is significantly more expensive. The school justifies this by claiming that most other programs do not include accommodation or food in their fees. However, several other schools in Bali offer all-inclusive packages for less than half the cost of Yoga East+West’s program.

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15. Does the training program foster a sense of community and networking opportunities for students and alumni?

While only current students and graduates can provide insights into the sense of community at Yoga East+West, the school does not appear to have implemented any formal systems for graduates, such as a dedicated alumni page or networking events.

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Yoga East+West’s yoga teacher training in Bali has several strong points, such as excellent facilities, luxurious accommodation, and a comprehensive curriculum that emphasizes self-practice and teaching methodology. However, the training program received lower scores in several crucial areas, including class size, cost, and a lack of impartiality regarding available reviews (see below).

This is further brought into question due to conflicting information regarding the school’s founding date. While the website claims it was established in 2016, the founder mentioned in an interview that it was actually late 2017. Additionally, the founder himself embarked on his yoga teaching journey in 2012 and identified a market opportunity as an entrepreneur for a new type of school. His emphasis on successful marketing, a visually appealing website, and the fact that he was not actively teaching yoga prior to starting the school may raise some concerns. Ideally, one would prefer a school whose founder(s) and teachers are fully immersed in the practice and lifestyle of yoga.

Given the high cost of the program and the apparent mistakes on the website (such as text in the wrong place), investing in this foundational training should be carefully ponded, especially when considering other more affordable options.

Unfortunately, there are no reviews available on third-party platforms like Google or facebook. That could be seen as a red flag. The only available testimonials we found are from their own website and YouTube channel. It’s also worth noting that most of the reviews on the school’s YouTube channel are from several years ago, with only a few more recent reviews (from one year ago) related to the online training held during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is also concerning that the faculty is unclear, and some teachers may not have very many years’ experience despite teaching many classes. Moreover, the lack of impartial reviews raises questions about its credibility. Therefore, it’s essential for potential students to evaluate their objectives and requirements before determining if this training suits them.