• $4,250 or 12 monthly payments of $375

200-hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training

  • Closed

With Melanie Richards and guest teachers
January - June 2024 (registration closed)
At Morpho Bleu Studio

Join the waitlist for our 2025 cohort!

Prices included all taxes and service fees.

Your uniqueness is your superpower.

Being your beautiful, badass self is the key to impactful yoga teaching.
 
Join a movement of yoga teachers and leaders disrupting the industry's status quo of young, bendy white people doing fancy postures, leaving most of us feeling like we don't belong or we're not enough.

We're. So. Over it! 👏👏👏

These are exciting times of change. Yoga needs you because people who identify with what makes you different will know that yoga is also for them

Together we're creating a world that honours the true heart of Yoga: connection, consciousness, truth, joy, service and love for ALL! 💗

In a time where attention is the new currency, turning inward and getting to know your body, mind, and soul is not only wealth, it's power.

Develop a loving and trusting bond with yourself, and remember that what you seek is inside you. 

Through 

  • yoga practice, 

  • self-inquiry, 

  • yoga philosophy, 

  • group discussions, 

  • world-class guest lectures, 

  • and more practice, 

you'll explore Who You Really Are, all within a nurturing and supportive atmosphere. 


From there, sharing yoga with others will feel like the natural next step!

This training is for you if you....

  • LOVE yoga

  • want to become a confident, authentic yoga teacher

  • need to fill your cup and take time for yourself

  • want to deepen your practice

  • want to expand your knowledge of Yoga

  • are curious and have a thirst for learning

  • have the desire to grow and transform

  • intend to get to know and love yourself more deeply

  • long to be part of a grounding and like-hearted community

  • want to inspire and be inspired

  • are ready to make a REAL difference in people's lives while doing what you LOVE!

Training Schedule 2024

Dates

January 19-21
February 2-4
February 16-18
March 15-17
April 12-14
May 3-5
May 16-20 (5-day Urban Retreat)
June 7-9
Summer 2024 (Individual final evaluations and coaching)
September 22 (Graduation!)

Hours

Fridays from 6:00 pm - 9:15 pm - online with the exception of the first and last weekends
Saturdays from 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm - in person at Morpho Bleu
Sundays from 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm - in person at Morpho Bleu

Urban Retreat*
Thursday, May 16, from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm & 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm - online
Friday, May 17, from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm - in person at Morpho Bleu
Saturday, May 18, from 12:00 pm - 9:00 pm - In person at Morpho Bleu (including a dinner celebration!)
Sunday, May 19 from 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm - In person at Morpho Bleu
Monday, May 20, from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm - In person at Morpho Bleu

*Certain sections of the urban retreat may be taught outside, weather permitting.
Morpho Bleu Studio is located at 4260 Av. Girouard 3rd floor, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3C9

Curriculum

HappyTree is a Registered Yoga School with the Yoga Alliance, and we follow their 200-hour Core Curriculum:

Techniques, Training, Practice

75 hrs

Asana
Pranayama & Subtle Body
Meditation

Anatomy & Physiology

30 hrs

Anatomy
Physiology
Biomechanics

Yoga Humanities

30 hrs

History
Philosophy
Ethics

Professional Essentials

50 hrs

Teaching Methodology
Professional Development
Practice Teaching

Electives

15 hrs

This year's training has a special focus on Yoga for mental health.

International Guest Teachers

Author, international yoga teacher and founder of the Bhakti Nova School of Yoga & Dance

Nubia Teixeira

Yoga and the Art of Mudras: Embodying Devotional Yoga in Your Hatha Yoga Practice

More about Nubia...

Mindfulness Coach specializing in Mental Health Recovery, Relapse Prevention and Pain & Stress Management

David Behrens

The Stress Response & Polyvagal Theory
Trauma-informed Yoga
Awakening through Yoga and Mindfulness

More about David...

Author, world-renowned yoga educator, freelance writer and content creator

Sarah Ezrin

Mental Health and Yoga Teaching

More about Sarah...

Guest Teachers

Anita Sharma

Introduction to Ayurveda

More about Anita...

Barrie Risman

Biomechanics of Sequencing
The Bhagavad Gita

More about Barrie...

Bhaskar Goswami

Principles of Optimum Health

More about Bhaskar...

Brandon Dawson-Jarvis

Svadhyaya: A Journey into Self-discovery through the Power of Storytelling

More about Brandon...

Diana Perez

Anatomy 1: The musculoskeletal system
Anatomy 2: Yoga physiology
Anatomy 3: Biomechanics of safe movements
Anatomy 4: Contraindications, misalignments and posture adaptations

More about Diana...

Jessica Lemon

Ethics and Accessibility

More about Jessica...

Lauren Enright

Prenatal Yoga

More about Lauren...

Lisa Lajoie

Intention Setting

More about Lisa...

Nancy Zagbayou

Inclusion and Diversity
Inversions and Arm Balances
The Legal Business of Yoga

More about Nancy...

Sara Gallagher Bloom

Pranayama
Kundalini Yoga and the 5 Sutras for the Aquarian Age

More about Sara...

Sarah Surrenders

Sound and Voice

More about Sarah... 

About Melanie

Melanie Richards is the founder of Yoga HappyTree Inc., creator and leader of Yoga teacher training programs, and a mental health advocate. For ten years (2007-2017), she owned and operated HappyTree Yoga Studio, known for its vibrant community and regularly voted one of Montreal's top five yoga studios in Cult Mtl. 

Recently, Melanie received a Builder of Hope Award from The Douglas Foundation, recognizing her efforts and contribution toward establishing The Rebecca Joy Richards Award for Research in Eating Disorders. She also received a Quebec Notable Award for Social Entrepreneurship and has a TEDx talk with over 60K views on the power of intention setting (2014). In 2012, she was recognized by CTV's The Power of One for her work in the community with cancer patients and underprivileged youth.

Melanie is a 500-hour certified Hatha teacher, 200-hour certified Kundalini yoga teacher, and has sat multiple 10-day Vipassana silent meditation retreats over the past decade. Her teachers include Barrie Risman, Nischala Joy Devi, Nubia Teixeira, and her spiritual mentor, Lisa Lajoie

Melanie shares Yoga from her heart with relatability, compassion and enthusiasm, fostering a warm and inclusive learning atmosphere. She empowers people from all walks of life to take the path of Yoga back home to their hearts.

To learn more about Melanie, visit https://happytreeyoga.com/about

What Melanie's YTT grads are saying...

I found a mentor in Melanie. She is genuine and real. This was my third teacher training and by far my favourite!

Farnaz Mamizadeh

It would be tough to imagine a yoga community without Melanie. She continually offers community support and engagement. 

Brandon Dawson-Jarvis

Melanie's presence, the way she welcomes everyone into the space, her confidence in who she is, the enthusiasm with which she shares her knowledge and her openness to others’ ideas all had the biggest impact on me. 

Linda Viselli

Mel's loving, shining, guiding light aside, her ability to provide solid constructive feedback while honouring and acknowledging everyone’s gifts was beautiful to witness. I would do her training again and again if I could!

A. F.

The teacher training with HappyTree is not a regular one; it's a transformative one. Melanie is a true spiritual guide that accompanies each and every one of us in the achievement of our goals. In six months, I have not only learned about yoga philosophy and asanas; I have learned about myself, the kind of yoga I would like to teach, and most of all, what kind of human being I would like to be.

Mireille Courte

The space was so welcoming and gentle but structured. Thank you for sharing yourself, your experience, and your knowledge with me. For being light.

Farhana Begum

Melanie teaches from the heart and transmutes compassion and kindness to her students.

Irene A.

Melanie is honest and relatable, and her trainings are powerful!

M.A.

Melanie is a source of inspiration for everything related to compassion! 
In a word, her trainings are complete.

Stéphanie S.

Now for a bit of admin...

The application process

  1. Start by filling out the application form
  2. Once your application is received, Melanie will read it and email you within 2-3 business days, either requesting more information if needed or sharing the good news: That you're in!! (if you're still waiting to receive an answer after a few days, please check your spam folder or text Melanie at 514-806-9642 to make sure your application was well received!)
  3. Once you're in, you'll also get a link to register with the early bird discount (if paid in full by October 31st, 2023) or the BIPOC partial scholarship, if applicable. 
  4. If you'd like to discuss a payment plan or payment methods other than the ones offered, no problem at all! We can discuss it and come up with a plan together.

How to apply for the BIPOC partial scholarship

  1. If you're black, indigenous or a person of colour, you're eligible for a $1,250 scholarship when paid in full before the training starts or $1,000 on a payment plan.
  2. Simply fill out the application form, including the extra question related directly to the partial scholarship.
  3. Once your application is accepted, you'll receive a link to register with $1,250 off the regular price of $4,250 (all taxes and fees are included) or, if you prefer, 12 payments of $270.83/month instead of $375/month.
  4. If you'd like to discuss a payment plan or payment methods other than the ones offered, no problem at all! We can discuss it and come up with a plan together.

What's included in the tuition fee

  • Seven weekends of tuition
  • The 5-day urban retreat
  • 23 workshops with 14 world-class guest teachers
  • Unlimited lifetime access to the online guest teacher recordings and all course material through HappyTree's platform*
  • Donna Farhi's book, Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit
  • Individual evaluations and coaching with Melanie
  • A teaching certificate recognized by the Yoga Alliance upon successful completion of the course
* If you'd prefer to have a binder with all the handouts, a $50 fee applies. 

I want in! 🎉 How can I guarantee my spot?

Once your application is accepted (YAY!), you'll need to either pay in full or start your payment plan to guarantee your spot in the teacher training officially. In other words, we'll only reserve your place with a financial commitment, even with an accepted application.

What about refunds?

Before September 30th, 2023, you're eligible for a full refund—no strings attached!

Between October 1st, and December 31st, 2023, there's a $333 non-refundable deposit on all regular payment options and a $222 non-refundable deposit on partial-scholarship payment options. 

Refund requests after December 31st, 2023, will be reviewed case-by-case. 

Questions?

Call or text Melanie at 514-806-9642 or email melanie@happytreeyoga.com