350 hour The Yoga Factory Yoga Teacher Training
The Yoga Factory 350-hour Yoga Teacher Training is a fully in-person, 12-month training for students who want to understand yoga as a method and learn how to teach it competently.
At The Yoga Factory we practice and teach within the framework of 8-limb yoga, with a strong practical foundation in asana, breath, bandha, drishti, sequencing and the teaching principles inherited through the Ashtanga Vinyasa tradition. The aim is not to produce teachers who all sound or teach alike, but teachers who understand what they are doing and can make intelligent decisions for the students in front of them.
The training begins with a seven-night residential immersion in Leura in the Blue Mountains. This allows us to establish the method properly through daily practice, extended study, assisting and the beginning of teaching work. It is followed by six weekend intensives at The Yoga Factory in Annandale, Sydney, spread across the year. Between intensives, trainees continue their own practice and complete reading, observation, assisting, in-class private work and teaching assignments.
A central part of the training is learning how to translate personal practice into clear and useful teaching. Trainees study how to observe a room, communicate economically and precisely, teach with the breath count, understand progression and sequence, modify without losing the method, assist skilfully and appropriately, and respond when the people in front of them require something different from the class originally planned.
The course also includes functional anatomy and physiology; yogic philosophy and scripture; the historical development of yoga; Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra; the Bhagavad Gita; the Upanishads; Hatha Yoga traditions; pranayama; Sanskrit terminology; subtle body; lifestyle and ethics; professional responsibility; and the role of continued practice in teaching. These subjects support the practical work rather than sitting separately from it.
The year-long format gives trainees time to practice, teach repeatedly, receive direct feedback and return to the material as their understanding develops. Teaching is learned in a live environment with real students, rather than only through theoretical exercises.
The training is primarily facilitated by Mick Barnes, founder and director of The Yoga Factory. Mick has taught yoga for more than 20 years and trained teachers for more than 15 years. His approach is direct, methodical and grounded in helping trainees understand the principles behind what they teach rather than simply reproducing instructions.
Graduates who successfully complete all course requirements receive a 350-hour Yoga Teacher Training certificate and are eligible to apply for Yoga Australia Level 1 registration, subject to Yoga Australia’s current registration requirements.
Course Structure
Residential Immersion
14–21 September 2026
Leura, Blue Mountains
Weekend Intensives at The Yoga Factory, Annandale
14–15 November 2026
12–13 December 2026
20–21 February 2027
17–18 April 2027
5–6 June 2027
17–18 July 2027
The course runs across the 2026/27 training year, with practical assignments and study continuing between intensives.
Prerequisites
An established and reasonably consistent yoga practice.
Applicants do not need an advanced physical practice, but should have enough experience to understand the basic language and structure of a yoga class and be willing to maintain a regular practice throughout the training.
Regular attendance at The Yoga Factory before enrolment is helpful but not compulsory. Students living further away may still participate, provided they can attend all required in-person training dates and remain engaged with the practical work between intensives.
A willingness to study, practice, teach, assist, receive feedback and take responsibility for completing the course requirements is essential.
