Click here for more information on the Yoga 200-Hour Teacher Training Certificate
- Become a Registered Yoga Teacher and share your love of yoga.
- Learn to teach with skill, confidence and authenticity.
- Deepen your own personal yoga practice and knowledge.
The Yoga 200-Hour Teacher Training certificate program at Santa Rosa Junior College prepares students to teach Hatha yoga classes in yoga studios, health clubs, gyms, spas, tourism and recreation destinations, community and senior centers, and corporate and medical settings. Students may also choose to take this program for personal development and a deeper understanding of yoga, an ancient system for personal transformation and skillful living.
Classes are offered at the Petaluma Campus one evening a week and one weekend a month for two semesters. Upon completion of this 11-unit program, students will meet the eligibility requirements to register with Yoga Alliance as a 200-Hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT 200), an internationally recognized credential for yoga teachers. Topics of study in this skills certificate include: yoga techniques including asana, pranayama and meditation; teaching methodology, anatomy and physiology, the business of yoga, and yoga philosophy, lifestyle and ethics.
Students will also develop their teaching skills through a teaching practicum that can be completed at the College or in an internship with an industry partner. All classes emphasize hands-on, practical, experiential activities and are facilitated by faculty with professional and academic credentials in both yoga and kinesiology.
Investment
Tuition and fees for 11 units ($46/unit), textbooks, and costs associated with attending weekly yoga classes by enrolling in an SRJC yoga class or taking classes in the community.
Required Courses
- KINES 70 Yoga Techniques, Training, and Practice I (3 Units)
- KINES 71 Yoga Techniques, Training, and Practice II (2 Units)
- KINES 72 Yoga Teaching Methodology (1 Unit)
- KINES 73 Anatomy and Physiology for Yoga Teachers (2 Units)
- KINES 74 Yoga Philosophy, Lifestyle, and Ethics (2 Units)
- WEE 99I Occupational Work Experience Internship or KINES 50.2 Teaching Aide (1 Unit)
Faculty
Andrea Thomas, Program Co-Founder and Coordinator
Andrea Thomas is a passionate and experienced teacher of movement who deeply believes in the power of inclusive, evidence-based wellness and fitness practices. She holds a Master's degree in Exercise Science from The George Washington University, and has facilitated college students' learning in fitness modalities, yoga, pilates, health, wellness and nutrition for 23 years as a full-time faculty member. She is associate faculty in Kinesiology, Athletics and Dance at SRJC.
As an undergraduate student, Andrea channeled her childhood love and study of dance into teaching group fitness at the local YMCA. Eventually she started practicing and later teaching hatha yoga. Eager to learn, she completed the Asheville Yoga Center's 200-hour teacher training program and a 300-hour advanced teacher training course through Body Balance Yoga. She continues to deepen her study of yoga, mainly at Asheville Yoga Center in North Carolina. Andrea's other professional credentials include American College of Sports Medicine certified Exercise Physiologist, American Council on Exercise Group Fitness Instructor and Yoga Alliance Experienced Registered 500-hour Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 500). She has completed the Health and Wellness Coach certification through Real Balance, comprehensive pilates instructor training through Club Pilates and Balanced Body's Pilates Bridge program, and specialty trainings in barre fitness, distance running coaching, nutrition and indoor cycling. An accomplished endurance athlete, Andrea completed three Boston Marathons and more than 100 races from 5K to 50K distance.
As a yoga teacher Andrea has led practices at festivals and in Major League Baseball clubhouses, and especially loves introducing beginning students to the practice. In 2017 Andrea co-founded SRJC's Yoga 200-Hour Teacher Training certificate with the goal of making yoga education accessible to more people and for communities historically underserved by yoga in the West. One of her greatest professional joys is supporting and witnessing students become teachers who share yoga's ancient healing wisdom. In her free time Andrea loves line dancing, karaoke, being at the beach, supporting favorite causes, reading and spending time with loved ones, including her rescue cat.
Tara Jacobson, Program Co-founder and Instructor
Email: tjacobson@santarosa.edu
Tara Jacobson is a dedicated educator and practitioner in the fields of kinesiology, fitness, and health, with a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology from San Diego State University. With over 30 years of teaching experience, Tara brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role as a full-time Kinesiology Instructor, program coordinator, and department chair at Santa Rosa Junior College.
Tara's journey into movement and wellness began with her early love of dance, which eventually led her to become a dance and fitness instructor starting in high school. After college, she completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training in Integrative Yoga Therapy at Bodyworks in Petaluma and later expanded her expertise with a 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training in Shamanic Awakening in Sacred Valley, Peru.
In addition to her yoga training, Tara holds credentials from ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) as an Exercise Physiologist and NSHC (National Society of Health Coaches) as a Certified Health Coach. She is a Balanced Body certified Comprehensive Pilates Instructor with most of her training completed locally with Gwen Miller.
Throughout her career, Tara has been deeply involved in teaching a diverse range of lecture and activity-based classes in Kinesiology, Fitness, Yoga, and Pilates Instruction in a variety of formats: in-person, online, hybrid, and HyFlex. Tara has developed and coordinated three career education certificate programs in Fitness, Yoga, and Pilates instruction playing a crucial role in helping shape the next generation of instructors to meet local industry needs with affordable and accessible training opportunities. She promotes diversity and inclusion so that individuals of all experiences and abilities can thrive. She also teaches locally at Active Wellness Fitness Center in Petaluma.
Jenny Latourette, Instructor
Jen Latourette holds a Master's in Kinesiology from Sonoma State University. With over 30 years of experience, she is a dedicated educator, program manager, health, fitness, and wellness professional. Jen brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in her role as a full-time Program Director, part-time Kinesiology Instructor, Yoga Certificate Program Instructor, and co-founder/Instructor of the SRJC Pilates Certificate Program.
Jen’s wellness journey began as a student athlete in swimming, running (track and cross-country), dance, and yoga, leading to her certification as a personal trainer in high school. She later became an accomplished endurance athlete and coach, competing in ultra-distance trail running, triathlons, and cycling. Jen discovered Iyengar Yoga in college and earned her Yoga Teacher Certificate with YogaFit in Sacramento. She later deepened her yoga practice with a 300-Hour Advanced Teacher Training from the Baptiste Yoga Institute, as well as a 500 hour RYT certification with internationally renowned instructor Brett Larkin.
In addition to her yoga training, Jen is a Balanced Body Certified Comprehensive Pilates Instructor having completed most of her training with Gwen Miller. She is also a Certified Triathlon Coach (Ironman University), and a Certified Personal Trainer (ACE). Jen has also been a Sports Massage Therapist and ran her own wellness business for over 20 years. She is passionate about online learning and has earned certifications in Distance Education and Instructional Design, providing expertise in pivoting programs to online formats.
Throughout her career, Jen has remained committed to teaching and coaching students of all levels. She strives to create inclusive learning environments, helping individuals succeed in reaching their fitness and wellness goals. Jen has been deeply involved in pivoting programs to on-line instruction and has a wealth of experience in providing numerous modalities of instruction including: online, in-person, hybrid, asynchronous, and synchronous instruction. Jen currently teaches at Breath Diversity Pilates and Fitness, offering Pilates reformer and apparatus classes and private sessions. She also still teaches general fitness, yoga, and mat Pilates for seniors.
Outside of her professional life, Jen enjoys spending time with her family, being a dog mom, riding her bike, and hiking. She and her partner actively volunteer with Canine Companions for Independence and love traveling to new destinations around the world.
Venona Orr, Instructor
Venona Orr is a seasoned instructor in the Kinesiology Department at Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) and has been teaching part-time for over 30 years. With a background that includes a B.A. in Nutrition and Exercise and an M.A. in Kinesiology, she brings extensive academic and professional experience to her role.
Venona has a long-standing commitment to fitness and wellness. Much of her career has been devoted to dance—including performing, teaching, and choreographing—which included three years in Japan as a performer. Her other physical pursuits have included mountain biking, co-ed volleyball, half marathons, and Zumba. She also works with private clients both virtually and in person.
In alignment with her health and wellness goals, she completed her 200-hour yoga certification through YogaFit and is currently completing her 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) certification through Mark Stephens Yoga in Santa Cruz. She has taught a wide range of fitness and wellness courses, including Pilates, yoga, weight training, anatomy, teaching methods, and health and wellness coaching. To increase accessibility, she offers instruction in multiple formats: in-person, online hybrid, and HyFlex.
Dedicated to student success, Venona actively supports students in planning their educational and career pathways. As the program coordinator for the Fitness and Health Coach Certificate, she maintains strong connections with studio and gym owners and managers in Sonoma and Marin Counties. These industry contacts not only provide valuable employment opportunities for students but also offer insight into current trends, hiring practices, and talent acquisition.
Questions? Andrea Thomas athomas@santarosa.edu