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50 Hrs – Mindful Yoga – Based Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (MYACT) Teacher Training Certificate Course

50 Hrs – Mindful Yoga – Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (MYACT) Teacher Training Certificate Course

50 HRS – Mindful Yoga – Based Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (MY-ACT) Teacher Training Certificate Course

Introduction

In today’s rapidly changing world, stress, emotional imbalance, addiction patterns, anxiety disorders, and existential dissatisfaction have become increasingly common. While traditional yoga offers profound tools for self-regulation, awareness, and inner transformation, modern psychological sciences provide structured frameworks for understanding cognition, behavior, and emotional processes. The integration of these two streams gives rise to a powerful, evidence-informed and experience-based approach to holistic wellbeing.

The 50-Hour Mindful Yoga – Based Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (MY-ACT) Teacher Training Certificate Course is designed to bridge classical yogic wisdom with the contemporary psychological model of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT, rooted in mindfulness and behavioral science, emphasizes psychological flexibility – the ability to stay present, open, and committed to value-based action even in the presence of discomfort. This principle resonates deeply with yogic teachings on awareness (sakshi bhava), non-attachment (vairagya), disciplined practice (abhyasa), and purposeful living (dharma).

This course offers yoga teachers, therapists, wellness professionals, and serious practitioners a structured pathway to understand how mindful yoga practices can support ACT principles such as acceptance, cognitive defusion, self-as-context, present-moment awareness, values clarification, and committed action.

Through theory, experiential practice, teaching methodology, case discussion, and reflective inquiry, participants will learn to skillfully integrate mindful asana, pranayama, meditation, and contemplative practices into psychologically informed sessions.

This training does not replace psychotherapy licensure but empowers yoga professionals to work ethically and responsibly within their scope of practice while collaborating with mental health professionals when needed.

May this program serve as a meaningful contribution toward compassionate, value-driven, and psychologically flexible living.

 

Course Overview

The 50-Hour Mindful Yoga – Based Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (MY-ACT) Teacher Training Certificate Course is a foundational certification program designed to introduce the principles and applications of ACT within the framework of mindful yoga practice.

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), developed within contextual behavioral science, focuses on enhancing psychological flexibility — the ability to:

  • Accept inner experiences without excessive struggle
  • Defuse from unhelpful thoughts
  • Stay grounded in the present moment
  • Access a broader sense of self
  • Clarify personal values
  • Take committed action aligned with those values

Yoga, especially when practiced mindfully, naturally cultivates these same dimensions through:

  • Breath awareness (pranayama)
  • Body-based presence (asana with mindfulness)
  • Observational awareness (dhyana)
  • Non-attachment (vairagya)
  • Ethical living (yama & niyama)
  • Self-study (svadhyaya)

This 50-hour training presents a structured, accessible framework for integrating ACT processes into yoga teaching, making sessions more therapeutic, trauma-sensitive, and psychologically informed.

Purpose of the Course

The purpose of this course is to:

1.Introduce foundational concepts of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy.

2.Explore parallels between ACT processes and yogic philosophy.

3.Develop skills in delivering mindful yoga sessions aligned with ACT principles.

4.Enhance teacher sensitivity toward emotional and cognitive patterns in students.

5.Promote ethical practice within scope of competency.

Who This Course Is For

This course is suitable for:

  • Certified yoga teachers
  • Yoga therapists
  • Wellness coaches
  • Meditation facilitators
  • Mental health professionals seeking body-based tools
  • Serious practitioners interested in deepening integrative knowledge

Course Structure (50 Hours)

The program combines:

  • Conceptual theory sessions
  • Experiential mindful yoga practice
  • ACT-based experiential exercises
  • Group reflection and dialogue
  • Teaching practicum
  • Case discussion and ethical considerations
  • Self-reflection journaling

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:

  • Explain the six core processes of ACT
  • Understand psychological flexibility from both yogic and behavioral perspectives
  • Design mindful yoga sessions aligned with ACT principles
  • Use language that supports acceptance and diffusion
  • Facilitate value-based reflection within yoga classes
  • Maintain professional boundaries and ethical integrity

Vision of the Training

The MY-ACT approach envisions yoga not merely as physical exercise, but as a vehicle for cultivating resilience, compassion, clarity, and purposeful living. By integrating mindfulness-based yoga with ACT principles, teachers can create classes that help individuals:

  • Move with awareness
  • Breathe through discomfort
  • Observe thoughts without attachment
  • Clarify what truly matters
  • Act with courage and commitment

This training invites participants to embody these principles in their own lives before sharing them with others.

COURSE STRUCTURE

MODULE 1: Foundations of Mindful Yoga & ACT

  1. Introduction to MYACT
  2. Evolution of mindfulness-based therapies
  3. Why ACT integrates naturally with yoga
  4. Differences between ACT, CBT, MBCT, and traditional psychotherapy
  5. Overview of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
  6. Why ACT integrates naturally with yoga
  7. MYACT: scope, limitations, and teacher responsibility
  8. Yogic Roots of Psychological Flexibility
  9. Yoga Sutras: abhyāsa and vairāgya
  10. Kleshas and experiential avoidance
  11. Witness consciousness (sakshi bhava)
  12. Suffering, resistance, and embodiment
  13. Ethics & Professional Scope
  14. Teacher vs therapist roles
  15. Informed consent and participant safety
  16. Referral guidelines and red flags
  17. Cultural sensitivity and inclusivity

MODULE 2: Core Principles of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy

  1. The ACT Model (Hexaflex Overview)
  2. Psychological inflexibility vs flexibility
  3. Experiential avoidance in body and mind
  4. Values-based action vs symptom control

Six Core ACT Processes

1.Acceptance

  1. Allowing sensations, emotions, and thoughts
  2. Resistance vs willingness in asana practice
  3. Working with discomfort safely

2.Cognitive Diffusion

  1. Observing thoughts without attachment
  2. Thought labelling during movement
  3. Language, metaphors, and somatic diffusion

3.Present-Moment Awareness

  1. Mindfulness in static and dynamic asanas
  2. Anchoring attention through breath and sensation
  3. Interrupting autopilot patterns

4.Self-as-Context

  1. Observer self vs conceptual self
  2. Yoga Nidra and witnessing awareness
  3. Expanding identity beyond experiences

5.Values Clarification

  1. Yogic dharma and ACT values
  2. Differentiating values from goals
  3. Embodied inquiry into personal values

 

6.Committed Action

  • Translating values into behaviour
  • Micro-actions through daily yoga practice
  • Building sustainable habits

 

MODULE 3: Mindful Yoga Practices for Psychological Flexibility

  1. Asana as ACT Practice
  • Asanas as laboratories of acceptance
  • Holding, releasing, and choice-making
  • Working with fear, effort, and avoidance
  • Slow vinyasa, hatha holds, and somatic inquiry

 

  1. Pranayama & Nervous System Regulation
  2. Breath awareness vs breath control
  3. ACT-consistent pranayama principles
  4. Practices:
  5. Natural breath observation
  6. Extended exhalation breathing
  7. Pauses and tolerance building
  8. Avoiding over-regulation and suppression

 

  1. Meditation & Mindfulness
  2. Open monitoring meditation
  3. Body-based mindfulness
  4. Sound, mantra, and silence as anchors
  5. Working skillfully with wandering mind

 

MODULE 4: ACT Processes Integrated into Yoga Sessions

  1. MYACT Session Design
  2. Structure of a MYACT class (60–90 min)
  3. Theme-based sequencing aligned with ACT processes
  4. Embodied metaphors (mountain, river, space)
  5. Language of invitation vs instruction

 

  1. Process-Specific Applications
  2. Acceptance-focused classes
  3. Diffusion-focused movement sequences
  4. Values-based yoga flows
  5. Self-as-context meditative practices

 

  1. Reflective Inquiry
  2. Journaling and verbal reflection
  3. Asking open-ended, non-leading questions
  4. Avoiding analysis and advice-giving

 

MODULE 5: Applied MYACT for Mental & Emotional Well-Being

  1. Special Applications
  2. MYACT for stress and burnout
  3. MYACT for anxiety and emotional reactivity
  4. MYACT for chronic pain (non-clinical support)
  5. MYACT in corporate and educational settings

 

  1. Trauma-Sensitive MYACT
  2. Creating safety through choice and agency
  3. Language modifications
  4. Avoiding re-traumatization
  5. Grounding and resourcing practices

 

  1. Group Facilitation Skills

Holding emotional space

Managing silence and expression

Boundaries and containment

 

MODULE 6: Teaching Methodology & Practicum

  1. Teaching Skills
  2. Embodied presence and attunement
  3. Voice, pacing, and language
  4. Demonstration vs guided awareness
  5. Managing group dynamics

 

MODULE 7: Practicum

  1. Practice teaching MYACT sessions
  2. Peer feedback and reflection
  3. Case-based teaching scenarios
  4. Designing a complete MYACT class plan

 

 

 

 

 

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