200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Diploma

Rooted in tradition. Taught for real life.

Freedom’s 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training is a year long, in-person journey in the big skies of Norfolk, created for those who feel called to deepen their relationship with yoga — both personally and professionally.

At its heart, this training centres on your own practice. You’ll be supported to grow physically, mentally, and emotionally, while exploring yoga as a lived, everyday discipline. Through study, practice, and reflection, yoga becomes something you embody — not just something you do.

Alongside this personal depth, you’ll develop the skills to teach with confidence, care, and integrity. Teaching is rooted in tradition and cultural respect, and guided by experienced teachers who value clarity, ethics, and real-world application.

On completion, you’ll graduate as a fully trained, insurable yoga teacher, ready to lead classes and register with professional bodies such as Yoga Alliance Professionals.

Freedom Yoga & Retreats Director Jax Heffer-Cooke

  • October 2026 – July 2027

  • SunFyr Barns, Norfolk (10 mins from Norwich)

  • Monthly weekend trainings (in person), 10am until 5.30pm Saturday, 10am until 5pm Sunday.

  • £2,200 annually or £2,400 via monthly instalments

  • £200 (required for instalment plans)

  • Minimum two years of consistent yoga practice

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What People Are Saying

  • Jess

    When deciding to do yoga teacher training, I was really anxious… so finding Jackie to learn from was a blessing. She is a beautiful person, who creates a space where everyone is welcome. Her warmth, knowledge and eloquent way of speaking makes learning with her an absolute dream. Through her YTT, she helped me find my voice, courage and also importantly, a wonderful friend and mentor.

  • Lynsey

    I discovered Jackie last July while searching for yoga training after two years of looking. From the moment I found her, I knew. Jackie is an exceptional teacher who creates a beautifully relaxed environment. I’m so grateful and excited to experience one of her breathtaking retreats next year. Highly recommended.

  • Jess

    When deciding to do yoga teacher training, I was really anxious… so finding Jackie to learn from was a blessing. She is a beautiful person, who creates a space where everyone is welcome. Her warmth, knowledge and eloquent way of speaking makes learning with her an absolute dream. Through her YTT, she helped me find my voice, courage and also importantly, a wonderful friend and mentor.

  • Rae

    I truly loved my yoga teacher training with Jackie. Yoga philosophy, historical texts, business skills, and practical understanding were taught clearly in a friendly, fun, and supportive way. The experience became a profound turning point in my life, shaping my path and leaving memories and lessons I will cherish forever.

  • Rose

    Finding Freedom yoga was a pivotal moment for me. Doing my YTT was a dream I had for a long time, but never found the right time or the right training. I like to think Freedom Yoga found me as much as I found it, and along with it the most incredible teacher I could wish for. Jackie pours her heart into her teachings, making the course deeply meaningful. It was life changing for me. I loved being apart of this community, we built strong connections because Jackie leads with an open heart, when you’re shown vulnerability it makes it safe to be vulnerable too. I loved every part of my training.

  • Monika

    Freedom Yoga and Retreats represented by Jackie taught me the basics of yoga. I have gone through the journey of completing my Yoga Teacher Training with Jackie, where I learned yoga philosophy, postures (asanas), physiology and safe teaching of all of this to wonderful people wanting to feel the benefits of yoga. Jackie has made the whole experience into a great journey with laughter, conversation, easy to access and clear information and wholesome communication. Time flew by! It has really been an experience of a lifetime and I wish I could do it again! Thank you Jackie!!

  • Gillian

    Attending Jax’s yoga classes for the first time earlier this year I was immediately struck by her warmth, depth of knowledge and ability to communicate the deeper aspects of yoga along with the asanas in an engaging and unique way. I am now on her Yoga Teacher Training course.

  • Dawn

    I completed my yoga teacher training with Jax and then returned to complete my children's yoga teacher training. Jax's knowledge and passion for yoga are infectious. Her magic spark that she shares so freely makes you believe that you can succeed in anything! I loved being part of the powerful community she built during our training. Can't recommend enough!

  • Liane

    Freedom Yoga Retreats has been a grounding, joyful and deeply nourishing experience, bringing a sense of ease and openness that allows real connection formed through movement, laughter, and meaningful conversation. Strangers quickly feel like friends. Jax & FYR offer me space to be fully myself—supported, cared for, and free—while feeling held by a warm, welcoming community.

  • Deb

    Thailand reset my nervous system in the best way. Jaxx held the retreat with calm confidence, warmth, and real depth—every class felt safe, grounded, and quietly powerful. She saw people properly, met us where we were, and helped us go further than we thought possible, giving us the space to find our answers and make connections in so many ways.

  • Kasie

    I couldn't have hoped for a more inspiring environment to begin my professional journey into yoga.

  • Chelsie

    This training was truly transformative, inspiring, and full of joy. It felt community-driven, empowering, and deeply supportive. Jackie is an incredible teacher - guiding with wisdom, care, and heart. By the end, she and my peers felt like family.

  • Rowena

    The timing was perfectly serendipitous when I bumped into Jax; having not practiced yoga with her since I was pregnant over 13 years ago, I'm now on her 200 hour yoga teacher training course.

    I'm loving my training with Jax. Everyone relates to her, she is a true inspiration! Jax is knowledgeable, a realist and has core yogic values that drive us to be the best versions of ourselves.

  • Carissa

    Yoga Teacher Training with Jackie at Freedom Yoga and Retreats was a truly transformative experience.

    Her depth of knowledge, grounded wisdom and authentic presence created a learning environment that felt both empowering and deeply supportive.

    Jackie doesn't just teach Yoga, she embodies it, weaving philosophy, anatomy and mindfulness into every session with clarity and compassion.

    I feel incredibly grateful for her guidance and would highly recommend her teacher training to anyone seeking an inspiring and heart-centered path into Yoga.

  • Cath

    What can I say…. Apart from amazing. Everything I wanted in a yoga teacher training, and more. For me it was important to learn the true essence of yoga… not just an asana or pranayama practice. Jackie teaches with heart, skill, professionalism, nurture, thoroughness, creativity and wisdom. An unforgettable journey, not only professionally but on a personal level too. Thank you so much.

Why this 200hr YTT

You’re needed in your community.
This training supports you to teach yoga with confidence and care, rooted in clear methodology, safe practice, and a thoughtful understanding of philosophy, anatomy and the inner work that gives teaching depth and meaning.

At Freedom, we teach with respect for yoga’s origins and an honest awareness of what it means to teach in the modern Western world. Transparency, cultural respect and practical adaptation sit at the heart of the training.

  • For people who want more than sequences… who are curious about the wider teachings of yoga, including the eight limbs, and who want to deepen their own practice while learning to teach in a way that is safe, thoughtful and deeply human.

  • You’ll graduate with a 200-Hour Diploma in the Foundations of Yoga, qualifying you as a fully trained, insurable yoga teacher. On completion, you’ll be eligible to register with Yoga Alliance Professionals (UK). You’ll know how to plan and theme thoughtful classes, cue and demonstrate with clarity, and work skilfully with props and adaptations. Through a deeper understanding of bodies in motion, anatomy, physiology, and nervous system awareness, you’ll learn how to teach responsibly and inclusively. You’ll also develop the ability to hold space with presence and integrity, creating classes that feel grounded, supportive, and genuinely nourishing for those you teach.

  • SunFyr Barns is a peaceful countryside studio space just 15 minutes from Norwich - light-filled, calm, and built for learning. It’s a setting that supports focus, community and long-term change.

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Course Content

This 200hr diploma is structured across seven core modules, designed to build your knowledge step by step and translate it into confident, real-world teaching. Open each section below to explore what you’ll study- from asana, anatomy and methodology, to philosophy, meditation, the subtle body, and the practical business skills needed to launch with integrity.

  • A thorough exploration of core yoga postures, focusing on alignment, safe adjustment, and how to build classes that are coherent, accessible, and purposeful.
    Teaching is grounded in the history and energetic alchemy of each posture, exploring not just how a pose looks, but what it offers physically, energetically, and philosophically.

    Beginner-level yoga is taught with integrity, precision, and close attention to detail, ensuring trainees develop a strong, safe foundation for teaching all bodies. Optional more advanced asana are offered with care, taught by Swami Atma Gyanama Saraswati, with the use of props and skilled assists guided by senior yoga teacher Tara Taylor. Throughout, an emphasis is placed on safe, respectful adjustments and intelligent adaptation.

  • The essentials for safe, intelligent teaching: structure, functional movement, contraindications, confident cueing, and an understanding of physiology and nervous system regulation.

    Taught by Jax alongside Kate Money, a senior yoga teacher and qualified physiotherapist, this element of the training bridges yogic tradition with contemporary movement science. Sessions are further enriched through collaboration with Nicola Stroud, psychotherapist and somatic body worker, bringing depth to how yoga can support regulation, resilience, and wellbeing.

    Trainees develop a clear understanding of how bodies move and respond, how to adapt postures responsibly, and how to teach in ways that support safety, confidence, clarity, and nervous system balance — both on and off the mat.

  • An accessible exploration of the subtle body, koshas, and yogic energetics, with a focus on meaningful integration into daily life.
    These teachings are approached in a grounded, inclusive way, bridging traditional philosophy with modern lived experience.
    Trainees are supported to explore how these concepts inform personal practice, self-awareness, and thoughtful teaching.

  • An exploration of the origins of yoga through its key texts, ideas, symbols, and philosophical foundations.
    Trainees are introduced to essential scriptures that all yoga teachers should know — including the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Ramayana — and how their teachings inform practice, ethics, and ways of living.

    These texts are studied with cultural respect and contextual understanding, bridging traditional wisdom with contemporary life. Emphasis is placed on teaching yoga in a way that honours lineage, avoids appropriation, and supports thoughtful, ethical, and relevant teaching in today’s world.

  • In yoga philosophy, the chakras are understood as seven primary energy centres within the subtle body.
    They offer a framework for exploring the relationship between physical experience, emotional patterns, and states of awareness.
    In this training, chakras are approached as a tool for inquiry — grounded in tradition and taught with cultural respect.
    Through practice and study, trainees learn how this system can inform both personal practice and skilful teaching.

  • The Eight Limbs of Yoga, outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, offer a holistic framework for living and teaching yoga.
    They extend beyond posture to include ethics, breath, sense awareness, meditation, and insight.
    In this training, the Eight Limbs are explored as practical guidance for everyday life and conscious teaching.

  • An embodied exploration of meditation and mindfulness, including traditional practices such as Antar Mouna, for those seeking a deeper inner and spiritual practice.
    These teachings support the development of your own steady, reflective inner life, while offering practical, ethical tools you can share with others.

    Rooted in tradition and taught with care, these practices support nervous system regulation and self-awareness, helping you navigate stress, anxiety, and everyday life with greater presence and ease, whilst at the same time developing your self realisation and spiritual awareness.

  • Teaching methodology focuses on the practical skills needed to teach safely, confidently, and with integrity.
    This includes lesson planning, intelligent sequencing, effective use of props, clear boundaries, and ethical teacher–student relationships.

    Learning is deeply supported through peer teaching and shared practice, offering a safe environment to experiment, receive feedback, and refine communication. Trainees are guided to develop clarity, presence, and adaptability, building the confidence to teach classes that are coherent, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of others.

  • Ethical business and marketing rooted in saṅkalpa, authenticity, and integrity.
    Guided by Jax’s experience as a former TV Executive Producer and long-term wellbeing consultant and founder of The Orange Grove Clinic, SunFyr Barns, ZenMuma, Freedom Wellbeing Project CIC and of course Freedom Yoga and Retreats, this module explores how to share yoga honestly and responsibly.
    Through interactive workshops, trainees clarify their values, voice, and purpose, learning how to position, plan, and promote offerings that reflect who they truly are and build genuine community.

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Dates

Training runs across ten in-person weekends from October 2026 to July 2027, held at SunFyr Barns. Each weekend builds on the last, giving you steady momentum, time to practise between modules, and space to integrate what you’re learning as your teaching confidence grows.

  • October 17–18

    November 21–22

    December 12–13

    January 9–10

    January 30-31

    March 6–7

    April 17–18

    May 8–9

    June 12–13

    July 3–4

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Your Training, Your Support

Eligibility, assessment, and what’s included

Applicants need at least two years of consistent yoga practice. Assessment is continuous throughout, supported by home practice and reading. Course fees include tuition, mentoring, manuals and handouts. Required texts and accommodation are not included. Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Meet your lead teacher: Jackie Heffer-Cooke (Jax)

Jax brings a grounded, thoughtful approach to yoga, shaped by many years of personal practice and extensive experience teaching classes, retreats, and yoga teacher trainings. Her teaching is rooted in real life — honouring yoga’s traditions while meeting the realities of the modern world with care, curiosity, and honesty.

Before working in wellbeing, Jax spent over a decade as an executive producer in television, leading teams and creating content in high-pressure environments. Since leaving the industry, she has spent the past 16 years applying those skills within the wellbeing world, founding and developing several successful yoga and wellbeing businesses, including SunFyr Barns, a rural wellbeing hub in Norfolk, and Freedom Yoga & Retreats.

Alongside Jax, trainees are supported by a trusted network of specialist teachers, including her lineage Swami, offering depth, continuity, and insight into traditional practice.

Jax holds an MA in Global Social Development from the University of East Anglia, where cultural integrity, ethics, and social responsibility underpin her work. She is also the founder of Freedom Wellbeing Projects, a Community Interest Company (not-for-profit) committed to delivering free yoga and wellbeing services to vulnerable and underserved communities.

Moving forward, a core pillar of Freedom Yoga is Jax’s commitment to supporting community-led projects local to the retreat centres and places Freedom partners with around the world.

Other teacher trainings (specialist pathways)

If you’d like to specialise alongside the diploma, or add new pathways after you qualify, these shorter trainings offer clear, professional routes into teaching specific groups. Each is designed with safety, inclusivity and real-world delivery in mind- with options to train in person or live online, depending on the course.

Discover ZenMuma

FAQs

  • This course is for dedicated practitioners who want to deepen their practice and/or qualify to teach yoga confidently and safely. It suits people based in Norwich, Norfolk, Suffolk and across East Anglia - or those willing to travel one weekend a month - who want an in-person training with steady structure and strong support.

  • Applicants should have a minimum of two years of consistent yoga practice. What matters is your commitment and readiness to show up consistently.

  • On completion, you’ll receive a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Diploma and be a fully trained, insurable yoga teacher. Graduates can also choose to register with professional bodies such as Yoga Alliance Professionals if desired.

  • No. You do not need to do advanced poses. You do need a consistent practice, openness to learning, and willingness to develop strength, mobility, awareness, and confidence over time.

  • The training is held at SunFyr Barns, a peaceful countryside studio around 15 minutes from Norwich.

  • It’s delivered as monthly weekend trainings from October 2026 to July 2027, Saturdays 10am-5:30pm, and Sundays 10am-5pm. This format is designed to be realistic alongside work, family life, and other commitments , with time to integrate what you learn between weekends.

  • Training runs 10:00–17:30 on Saturdays and 10:00–17:00 on Sundays (unless otherwise stated for special sessions).

  • You’ll explore yoga as a whole practice… from asana, anatomy and safe, mindful movement, to philosophy, meditation and the subtle body. Alongside this, you’ll be supported to develop your teaching skills through clear methodology, sequencing, peer teaching and reflective feedback, with space to understand the practical realities of sharing yoga in the world.

  • Assessment is continuous throughout the course via teaching practice, participation, coursework tasks, and home practice. The aim is steady progress, not pressure.

  • Fees include tuition, mentoring, pdf course manuals and handouts.

  • Required texts and accommodation are not included.

  • £2,200 if paid annually, or £2,400 if paying in monthly instalments.

  • If paying by instalments, a £200 non-refundable, non-transferable deposit is required at the time of booking.

  • All fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.

  • Yes- the course is designed so you leave able to plan, sequence and teach safely, with confident cueing, clear structure, and real practice teaching in the room.

  • Absolutely! If you’d like to talk it through, you can request a short call or email conversation with Jax to check the course is the right fit before committing.

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