With Melanie Richards and Guests
February 27 - June 14, 2026
At Morpho Bleu Studio, 4260 Av. Girouard, 3rd floor
$4,300 taxes and fees included.
12-month payment plan available at no extra cost.
Boxing Day Special:
Receive a $700 discount on all payment options when you apply and register by December 31st, 2025.
Partial scholarships of $1,000 off the regular price are available!
Prices included all taxes and service fees. There are no hidden costs or extras.
APPLY NOW for HappyTree's 2026 cohort!
Being your beautiful, badass self is the secret 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 your uniqueness 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!
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤
"I left with not only an enriched understanding of yoga and how to teach but also a deepened knowledge of and connection with myself. Melanie is an incredible instructor - she teaches with love, precision and a deep respect for her craft, which inspired us to do the same, in our own ways. I felt supported to find my own voice and style, to be the yoga teacher I want to be. This training was such a gift, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to experience it."
- Jodie-Ann Muckler (They/Them)
Class of 2024 graduate
February 27 - March 1
March 13-15
March 27-29
April 10-12
April 24-26
May 14-18 (5-day Urban Retreat)
May 29-31
June 12-14
Summer 2026 (Individual final evaluations and feedback)
September 20 (Graduation!)
All hours this year are in person at Morpho Bleu studio, located at 4260 Av. Girouard 3rd floor, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3C9
Regular Training Weekends
Fridays from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Saturdays from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sundays from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
An hour on both Saturdays and Sundays will be reserved for lunch.
Urban Retreat
Thursday, May 14, from 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Friday, May 15, from 1:00 pm - 8:00 pm (including potluck dinner and Kirtan!)
Saturday, May 16, from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday, May 17, from 10:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Monday, May 18, from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
"Melanie's specific combination of expertise and humility, knowledge and curiosity, wisdom and naive enthusiasm is simply priceless."
Elizabeth Hunt (She/Her)
Class of 2025 graduate
In Person
She/Her
She/Her
Biomechanics of Sequencing
The Bhagavad Gita
More about Barrie...
He/Him
Yoga in Action: How personal transformation leads to social change
She/Her
Anatomy 1
Anatomy 2
Anatomy 3
Anatomy 4
More about Diana...
They/Them
She/Her
She/Her
Breakthrough Coaching
More about Lisa...
She/Her
La Santé Globale
(Principles of Optimum Health)
More about Lyne...
She/Her
Kirtan
She/Her
Breath Mastery: Transforming Yoga Through Nasal Power
She/Her
Kundalini Yoga
More about Sara...
"The wisdom they shared with us is invaluable. I grew more in those 6 months than I did in my lifetime. I can't thank you enough!"
Gaby Morency (She/Her)
Class of 2024 graduate
75 hrs
Asana
Pranayama & Subtle Body
Meditation
30 hrs
Anatomy
Physiology
Biomechanics
30 hrs
History
Philosophy
Ethics
50 hrs
Teaching Methodology
Professional Development
Practice Teaching
15 hrs
This year's training has a special focus on personal and spiritual development.
"It was an amazing experience! I learned so much about myself, and I feel like I grew exponentially through this journey."
- Naïla Stoodley (She/Her)
Class of 2024 graduate
A solid foundation in every category of classic Hatha Yoga postures and their variations.
How to practice and teach biomechanically safe postures and sequences, and how to prevent common yoga injuries.
16 workshops with seasoned guest teachers who are experts in their subjects.
Plenty of yoga practices and the establishment of a home practice.
Pranayama (Breathwork), Meditation, Yoga Philosophy and Spirituality.
Personal development and breakthrough work.
Yoga beyond the mat, including health, lifestyle, ethics, community service, and Trauma-informed Yoga.
A 5-day urban retreat including a potluck and Kirtan concert with spiritual recording artist Myriam Turenne.
Teaching practice, group mentoring and one-on-one coaching with Melanie.
The business of yoga and entrepreneurship.
Plus, you'll have the opportunity to teach a full 60-minute Hatha Yoga class for your friends, family and classmates as your final teaching evaluation over the summer!
- M.G.
Class of 2024 graduate
Transform in alignment with your True Self
Become an authentic and sought-after yoga teacher
Deepen your practice
Nerd out on all things Yoga, including philosophy and spirituality
Learn the tools to live with more peace, joy and resilience
Uplevel your confidence
Fill your cup
Learn and grow as a person
Know and love yourself more deeply
Discover your unique voice and niche
Belong to an uplifting, supportive and inclusive community
Build lasting friendships
Inspire and be inspired
Make a REAL difference in your life and the lives of others doing what you LOVE!
These are just a few of the qualities that come to mind when I think about this beautiful journey in my life. I truly hope you keep sharing your love for yoga with many more students for years to come."
V.Y.
Class of 2025 graduate
Melanie Richards is the founder of Yoga HappyTree Inc., the 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 by Cult Mtl.
Melanie teaches yoga to psychiatry inpatients and outpatients. In 2023, she 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 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 Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 500) with Yoga Alliance. She is a certified Hatha teacher and 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, with whom she's led international yoga retreats.
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.
"I'm beyond grateful for my experience with the HappyTree YTT and wish I could relive it over and over again. Melanie's dedication to our success was evident in everything she did. She made sure we had the most up-to-date information, and her course structure was beautifully organized, with thorough instructions that kept us perfectly on track. She was always punctual, kept us on schedule effortlessly, and provided insightful, honest feedback to each of us. Melanie truly goes above and beyond for her students. Her commitment to excellence shone through in every aspect of the training, and I am profoundly grateful for her guidance and support."
Zoë Stopnicki (She/Her)
Class of 2024 graduate
"She makes everyone feel seen/heard and the wisdom and knowledge she has about yoga is remarkable. She gives people space to learn, absorb and create at their own rhythm. She leads in a very authentic way, making her students feel comfortable and supported. I truly enjoyed every minute of this training led by Melanie. A remarkable and unforgettable experience!”
Marianthy Ziavras (She/Her)
Class of 2024 graduate
Start by filling out the application form.
Once your application is received, Melanie will read it and email you usually within a week, 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 week, please check your spam folder or text Melanie at 514-806-9642 to make sure your application was well received).
Once you're in, you'll also receive a link to register.
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.
Fill out the application form, including the extra question related directly to the partial scholarship.
If your application is accepted, you'll receive a link to register with $1,000 off the regular price of $4,300 (all taxes and fees are included).
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.
Seven weekends of in-person contact hours with Melanie and guest teachers
The 5-day urban retreat
Workshops with 11 world-class guest teachers
Individual evaluations, coaching and feedback with Melanie
Unlimited lifetime access to the teacher training's online platform page, with all the course material
Donna Farhi's book, Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit
A teaching certificate recognized by the Yoga Alliance upon successful completion of the course
Once your application is accepted, you can guarantee your spot by either paying in full or starting your payment plan.
Before December 31st, 2025 you're eligible for a full refund—no strings attached!
Between January 1st and February 1st, 2026, you're eligible for a full refund, minus a $300 deposit, on all payment options.
Refunds requested after February 1st, 2026, will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
CTV interview with Nancy Zagbayou, 200-hour YTT graduate
YTT Grads Describe Their Experience In One Word... 🥹
In this 48-second video, you'll hear three testimonials from past Hatha YTT grads that I hope will inspire you to join me in 2026. ❤️
"Melanie is well organized, her spirit is calming and professional, and her knowledge of yoga is unlimited. She is well respected in the industry. I felt at ease in her class. There was no pressure to be anything but myself. I enjoyed every minute of her teaching. I would recommend without hesitation! Thank you so much, Melanie!"
"I can't say enough about how wonderful Melanie is. Top shelf on all levels and strongly recommend her 200h YTT. This is not simply Yoga; it is an interactive deep dive into the teachings of what it means to be a well-rounded Yogi."
"Melanie Richards really did a spectacular job of bringing so many unique voices to this course, which helped us find our own voice. I am grateful for her vast knowledge, life experiences, and encounters that she brings to this yoga teacher training course. She set the tone, and beauty unfolded!"
"Melanie is a great resource, teacher, and guide. Her warm and loving energy made our training much more meaningful and special. I'm so glad I waited to do my training with Melanie because it was so worth it! She designed such a complete and in-depth training for future yoga teachers that now, more than ever, I believe that practicing and teaching yoga play significant roles in changing the world and creating a better future."
"This experience was very well-rounded and touched on history, technicality, tools, meditation, and creativity. It was like walking through a door of possibilities. I always left each class feeling love, inspiration, creativity and wholeness. I will cherish this experience forever."
"Melanie is a wonderful person that I admire. She is professional and very attentive to each student. She is generous and provided us with great knowledge. I would add that the platform, web tools are very well organised and greatly appreciated. I am very grateful to have had the chance to have my teacher training with Melanie."