300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training with Jonah Kest

MAY 16–30, 2027 Check In: May 16th · Check Out: May 30th

200 In-Person Hours · 100 Hours Online at Your Own Pace

Art of Living Retreat Center · Boone, North Carolina

Some things can only be learned by living them.

This is an invitation back to something we have quietly forgotten how to do: be in a room together, breathing the same air, looking each other in the eye, and letting that mean something.

We are living in a time when human contact has become rare enough to feel radical. This training is radical. It is 300 hours of showing up, face to face, in the presence of teachers who have given their lives to this work and students who are ready to share their experiences as mirrors.

Rooted in the lineage of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and led by Jonah Kest alongside special guest teachers from within the Kest lineage, this training carries decades of living knowledge passed down through bodies, not screens.

You will develop and refine real skill as a teacher. But what tends to happen here goes beyond that. A daily practice that you actually love starts to take shape. The body finds its rhythm again. Emotions that have been stuck begin to move. Something in you that has been waiting gets a little more room to breathe.

This is for the practitioner who is ready to stop consuming yoga and start inhabiting it.

Nestled among 380 acres of pristine Blue Ridge Mountain forest, the Art of Living Retreat Center is more than a venue. Ancient peaks, cathedral trees, cool mountain air, and a stillness that does half the teaching before Jonah even steps onto the mat. There is a reason people come here to change. The land itself is part of the curriculum.

YOUR TEACHER

Jonah Kest leads the training from day one. You will spend the majority of your time with Jonah directly — in the shala, in circle, in the nuanced, uncomfortable, and ultimately liberating work of becoming a teacher who actually changes lives. He has hand-selected special guest teachers from within the Kest lineage who will join him on the mountain. Details coming soon.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

The Seven Doorways: The Kest Method The only training outside of Jonny Kest's own where you receive the complete, unedited toolset of the lineage — the framework that unlocks the soul-reaching Ashtanga Vinyasa flow practiced by modern yogis worldwide. The secret is not complexity. It is elegant simplicity, the union of movement and meditation, and the understanding that nothing stays the same.

Architecture of Flow Vinyasa sequencing is everything. Learn to catch the current. Build Sun Salutations that are recipes for inner silence. Discover which postures support and propel one another and why, so your students arrive in their own experience without you having to push them there.

Teaching Mastery Beyond technical excellence is the art of returning a student to themselves. We will show you how to do this while maintaining your own equanimity, your growth, and your integrity as a professional in a world that needs real teachers.

Self Inquiry You cannot give what you have not touched. A significant portion of this training lives here — in journaling, in group dialogue, in the daily practice of seeing your own blind spots clearly. Equanimity through meditation. The courage to evolve. The realization that when you free yourself from old patterns, you cannot keep it to yourself.

Yin Yoga 30 hours of functional Yin — an integrative approach that weaves ancient wisdom with modern science to restore the physical body, settle the nervous system, and meet your students where they actually live.

Functional Anatomy 20 hours dedicated to the physical body including hands on learning, energetic optimal alignment, the study of tissue and joints, and the full map of human mobility. The science that makes your teaching safe, intelligent, and lasting.

Lymphatic Flow Learn the system of your body responsible for your radiance. The lymphatic system is your body's intelligence for immunity, detoxification, and vitality. Understanding and activating it through movement transforms both your personal practice and the way you guide your students toward genuine wellbeing.

Philosophy 60 hours of wisdom in context including the Patanjali Sutras, Hatha Pradipika, Bhagavad Gita, Tantra, and Samkhya. Not as history lessons, but as living tools.

Meditation The original practice. Without this, nothing else holds. You will leave with a personal Anapana meditation practice that will quietly transform every relationship in your life, including the one with yourself.

Pranayama Breath is life. You will learn a multitude of pranayama techniques and understand why breath is the bridge between the body and the mind, and the most powerful tool you will ever hand to a student.

Mobility and Animal Flow Raw, unscripted movement sequences designed to expand your range, unlock your joints, and elevate your sequencing to a level your students will feel but will not be able to explain.

Hands On Adjustments Discover the healing power of touch. Learn the art of the adjustment as an act of deep listening, presence, and care.

The Business of Yoga Jonah shares his trade secrets on building right livelihood — how to share this practice with the world in a way that is both sustainable and deeply aligned with why you started.

You will also refine your knowledge of the Ashtanga primary series, explore Ashtanga Remix, dive deep into Fascia and Structural Integration, practice giving and receiving honest and useful feedback, develop your rhythm and voice as a teacher, and work in intimate breakout groups for personalized mentoring.

Hybrid Element

Become a Certified Breathwork Facilitator

In collaboration with SOMA IQ

A focused, in-depth online training designed to help you understand and guide the power of conscious breath.

Through 50+ hours of immersive study, you’ll gain the tools, techniques, and real-world application needed to confidently lead breathwork experiences.

Whether you’re a yoga teacher, coach, or simply curious — this expands both your practice and your offering.

50-Hour Functional Yin Yoga Certification

Led by Travis Eliot

This training blends ancient yogic principles with modern science to support the body, mind, and nervous system.

Across 50 hours, you’ll explore:

• Functional anatomy & fascia

• Meridian-based practices

• Mindfulness & stillness

• Intelligent sequencing & energetic balance

Learn how to both teach and embody yin with clarity and purpose.

Philosophy

60 hours of wisdom, put into context.

Not just study — but understanding how these teachings apply to your life and your teaching.

Including:

• Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras

• Hatha Yoga Pradipika

• Bhagavad Gita

• Tantra

• Samkhya

THE LAND

Set among 380 acres of pristine forest high in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Art of Living Retreat Center is one of North America's most sacred wellness destinations. Between sessions, explore wooded trails, sit with the mountain quiet, and let the elevation do its work on you.

NOURISHMENT AND AMENITIES

Meals are served in the Purna Dining Hall — vegetarian, farm conscious, and crafted by a kitchen devoted to your wellbeing. All you can eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included daily, with every dish designed to fuel deep practice and genuine restoration. The award winning Shankara Ayurveda Wellness Spa is available throughout your stay. Full campus access includes hiking trails, meditation halls, spa facilities, and the quiet majesty of the Blue Ridge at every turn.

CERTIFICATION

Upon completion, receive a globally recognized RYT 300 Certificate from Yoga Alliance. A 200 Hour certificate is required as a prerequisite for all students. If you plan to formally register as an RYT 500 with Yoga Alliance, your 200 Hour certificate must also be YA certified.

WHAT IS INCLUDED

Full access to all Art of Living campus facilities including spa, hiking trails, meditation halls, and WiFi · Nourishing vegetarian breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily · All training materials

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED

Flights and ground transportation · Optional spa treatments.

All deposits are non-refundable. Tuition payments are non-refundable within six months of the training start date.