Part time Yoga teacher training in London and online

If you’re searching for part-time yoga teacher training in London or online, you might be wondering whether it’s actually possible to train without putting your whole life on hold.

I’m going to let you in on a secret. When people hear “yoga teacher training,” they often picture someone with endless free time jetting off to Bali for a month.

The reality? Most people I know who’ve become yoga teachers have done it while working full-time, raising families, and juggling everything else life throws at them.

If you’re wondering whether you can train to teach yoga without pressing pause on your career, your income, or your responsibilities, the answer is yes. You just need the right approach.

Why Intensive Yoga Teacher Training Doesn’t Work When You’re Working Full-Time

You’ve probably seen them advertised:
Four weeks in India.
A month in Bali or Costa Rica.
Three weeks to transform your life.

If you’ve got a job you can’t leave, children who need you, parents you’re caring for, or a mortgage that won’t pay itself, those intensive trainings simply aren’t realistic.

This is exactly why part-time yoga teacher training exists — for people with real lives.

And even if you could take a month away, an intensive isn’t always the best option if your goal is to teach confidently and sustainably.

I believe — and I say this from experience — that longer training produces better teachers.

In my early twenties, I completed a month-long intensive yoga teacher training in India. It was immersive, transformative, and it deepened my practice enormously.

But when I came home and began teaching, something became clear very quickly.

I needed more support.
I needed better teaching skills.
I needed time to develop — not just to learn.

That’s what led me to train with the British Wheel of Yoga over a much longer period. And that’s when everything truly clicked.

An intensive can be a beautiful beginning. But for most people who want to teach yoga while working full-time, a longer, part-time training creates a far stronger foundation.

Why Part-Time Yoga Teacher Training Produces Better Teachers

When you train over 12, 14, or 18 months instead of a few intense weeks, something very different happens.

You absorb rather than cram.
Instead of frantically taking notes you’ll never look at again, you learn something, live with it, practise it, and return with questions. The knowledge becomes embodied.

You practise in real life.
Part-time trainings give you time to start teaching while you’re still supported. You can try things out with friends, family, or small community groups — and bring your wobbles back to your tutor and peers.

You build deeper relationships.
Training alongside the same group over a year or more creates trust and connection. You witness each other’s growth, support one another through challenges, and celebrate breakthroughs together.

You integrate yoga into your life.
Rather than yoga teacher training being something that interrupts your life, it weaves through it. You’re not waiting to “get back to normal” afterwards — this is your normal.

What Part-Time Yoga Teacher Training Looks Like (London & Online Options)

Part-time yoga teacher training programmes vary, but most follow a similar structure:

Regular contact days
Usually weekends or Saturdays, once or twice a month. These are your in-person learning days — practising, teaching, asking questions, and connecting with your group.

Online learning components
Many programmes now include online sessions, making them accessible even if you don’t live near the training venue. A hybrid of London-based and online yoga teacher training offers flexibility without losing depth.

Independent study
Between sessions, you’ll complete reading, assignments, and teaching practice. This is often around 3–4 hours a week and can be fitted around your schedule — evenings, early mornings, or weekends.

A longer timeframe
Most part-time trainings run between 1 and 2 years. The total hours are often similar to an intensive — the difference is how they’re spread out, and what that allows you to develop along the way.

Who Part-Time Yoga Teacher Training Is Designed For

Part-time yoga teacher training suits people with:

• Full-time jobs they can’t or don’t want to leave
• Children or other caring responsibilities
• Parents who need ongoing support
• Health conditions that require a gentler pace
• Financial realities that mean continuing to earn
• Lives that are already full, but meaningful growth still matters

In other words — most of us.

I’ve seen nurses, teachers, accountants, consultants, single parents, carers, people in their twenties and people in their sixties complete their training this way. I’ve even had several women get pregnant and have their babies during the course.

What they all had in common was this:
They didn’t wait for the perfect moment. They found training that worked with the life they already had.

• Full-time jobs they can’t or don’t want to leave
• Children or other caring responsibilities
• Parents who need ongoing support
• Health conditions that require a gentler pace
• Financial realities that mean continuing to earn
• Lives that are already full, but meaningful growth still matters

In other words — most of us.

I’ve seen nurses, teachers, accountants, consultants, single parents, carers, people in their twenties and people in their sixties complete their training this way. I’ve even had several women get pregnant and have their babies during the course.

What they all had in common was this:
They didn’t wait for the perfect moment. They found training that worked with the life they already had.

The Quiet Growth That Happens in the Background

This is what I find most beautiful about training over a longer period.

In the middle of your busy life — the deadlines, the family demands, the endless to-do lists — something is quietly growing. You’re working towards something that’s just for you.

Not for your boss.
Not for your family.
For you.

That steady thread of purpose changes everything. It’s not dramatic or flashy. It’s slow, grounded, and deeply nourishing — and often far more lasting because of it.

How to Choose the Right Part-Time Yoga Teacher Training Programme

Not all trainings are equal. If you’re considering part-time or online yoga teacher training in the UK, here are some important questions to ask:

What qualification will I receive?
In the UK, British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) Level 4 qualifications are regulated by Ofqual and widely respected.

How much support is included?
Look for ongoing tutor contact, feedback on teaching, and support between sessions.

Is it flexible?
Life happens. Ask what happens if you miss a session and how flexibility is handled.

Is there a mix of online and in-person learning?
A hybrid approach makes training more accessible, especially if you don’t live in London full-time.

What’s the group size?
Smaller groups usually mean more individual attention and deeper connections.

You Don’t Have to Put Your Life on Hold

The biggest myth about yoga teacher training is that you need to pause everything else to do it.

You don’t.

You can train while working full-time.
You can train while raising children.
You can train while caring for others or managing your health.

It takes commitment, yes. It takes showing up even when you’re tired. But it doesn’t require waiting for life to magically calm down — because it rarely does.

There’s just now, and what you’re willing to make space for.

Part-Time Yoga Teacher Training in London & Online: How My Training Works

If you’re looking for part-time yoga teacher training in London, with a strong online learning component, I run a 14-month BWY Level 4 programme designed specifically for people with full-time jobs and busy lives.

We meet one Saturday a month in London, with the rest of the training delivered online. You’ll need around four hours a week between sessions for teaching practice, reading, and assignments.

This is the training I wish had existed when I returned from my intensive in India — eager to teach, but realising I needed more support.

I’m the primary carer for my son and the main income earner in my family. I know what it means to juggle. This training was built with that reality in mind.

My next course starts in July. You can read the full details HERE, or get in touch for a chat.

And whether you train with me or someone else, please know this:
You don’t have to wait. You can do this now, with the life you already have.

You’ve got this!

Hana Saotome has been teaching yoga for over 18 years and is a BWY Diploma Course Tutor. She runs part-time yoga teacher training in London and online for people who want to become yoga teachers while working full-time — without putting life on hold.