The Somāntra Approach | In-person training in East Lothian, near Edinburgh
Restorative Yoga Teacher Training in Scotland
Study rest, support and embodied awareness through the Somāntra Approach.
50-hour Restorative Yoga Teacher Training
in East Lothian, near Edinburgh, Scotland.
Access to supporting online course content from 27 February 2027.
4th | 5th | 11th | 12th September 2027 - In-Person section of the training in East Lothian.
About the Training
This 50-hour Restorative Yoga Teacher Training takes place in person in East Lothian, Scotland.
Alongside the in-person training, you will receive access to supporting online course content from
27 February 2027, so you can begin exploring the ideas and practices before we meet.
We study restorative yoga as more than a collection of supported postures. You will explore how to create the conditions for rest, use props with care, observe individual needs, guide breath and attention, and teach with greater clarity and sensitivity.
The training brings together yoga teaching, the study of stress and rest, and substantial practical experience. You will practise, observe, discuss, design and teach in person, with guidance and feedback throughout.
Why Restorative Yoga Matters Now
We are living in a culture that rewards speed, output, stimulation, and constant engagement. Even within yoga spaces, effort is often praised more easily than stillness, and visible intensity is often mistaken for depth.
But the body does not heal through pressure alone.
The nervous system does not regulate through force.
And many students who appear functional from the outside are carrying significant fatigue, emotional overload, sleep disruption, adrenal strain, muscular holding patterns, and chronic internal activation.
Restorative yoga offers a different doorway.
It supports:
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parasympathetic regulation
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physical and mental recovery
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improved sleep quality
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nervous system down-regulation
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breath awareness
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emotional steadiness
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sustainable teaching and practice
For this reason, restorative yoga is becoming increasingly important not only in yoga studios, but also in therapeutic settings, trauma-aware spaces, retreats, mental health support environments, and private teaching contexts.
What Makes This Training Different
This training gives as much attention to how and why we teach as it does to the postures themselves.
You will explore:
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the principles of restorative yoga and the conditions that support rest;
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the physiology of stress and rest;
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props, positioning and individual adaptations;
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breath, attention, meditation and guided rest;
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pacing, language and the skill of holding space;
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sequencing and class design; and
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teaching practice with observation and feedback.
The Somāntra approach invites you to see the body as an interconnected physical and experiential landscape. You will consider structure, breath, attention and lived experience together, then apply that understanding in practical teaching situations.
A seated forward fold using blankets and a bolster to support the head and upper body during restorative yoga practice.
A reclined restorative yoga pose using a bolster for support.
A forward-folding restorative yoga pose using a bolster and blocks to support the body.
A seated forward fold using blankets and a bolster to support the head and upper body during restorative yoga practice.
Training Format
50 Hours In Person
Your Restorative Yoga Teacher Training consists of 50 hours of in-person learning in East Lothian, Scotland.
In our sessions, you will practise restorative postures, work with props, explore adaptations, discuss the principles behind your choices, develop sequences and practise teaching with feedback.
You will also receive access to supporting online course content from 27 February 2027. This gives you a way to begin engaging with course ideas before the in-person training and revisit the resources during your enrolled course.
The online content does not replace any of the 50 in-person training hours.
If you would like to join a live Zoom discussion, please let us know after enrolling. We will email you about the available sessions.
Please refer to the dates and access period shown on this page when enrolling; online access is tied to this course and is not lifetime access.
The in-person immersion is not an afterthought. It is a core part of the learning process, where theory becomes practice and understanding becomes teachable.
Who This Training Is For
This training is suitable for:
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yoga teachers wanting to expand their teaching in an intelligent and relevant way
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trainees currently completing a wider yoga education
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practitioners interested in nervous system regulation and recovery
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therapists, bodyworkers, and facilitators who want to integrate restorative principles
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students experiencing burnout, exhaustion, overstimulation, sleep issues, or chronic stress
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those who want a serious, grounded study of rest
You do not need to be highly flexible or highly advanced in asana.
But you do need to be willing to slow down, pay attention, and engage sincerely with the material.
What You Will Study?
1. Foundations of Restorative Yoga You will study the principles, purpose, and function of restorative yoga, including what distinguishes it from Yin Yoga, gentle yoga, sleep practices, or general relaxation methods. We will explore why supported stillness can be profoundly effective, and why many practitioners find it deceptively challenging.
6. Meditation and Attention We will explore grounding meditation practices that support observation, inwardness, and presence. These are not taught as performance-based concentration techniques, but as ways to cultivate steadiness and reduce internal fragmentation.
2. The Science of Stress and Rest You will explore the autonomic nervous system, including sympathetic activation and parasympathetic recovery states. We will examine how chronic stress affects the body, mind, breath, digestion, sleep, immunity, mood, and muscular tone, and how restorative yoga can support regulation in a meaningful way.
7. Props, Support, and Physical Set-Up You will learn how to use bolsters, blankets, blocks, straps, walls, and chairs intelligently. This includes understanding how support changes the nervous system response, why comfort is not the same as collapse, and how to adapt poses for different bodies and needs.
3. The Vagus Nerve and Nervous System Regulation You will be introduced to the role of the vagus nerve, vagal tone, and the broader physiological mechanisms involved in safety, settling, and restoration. This section helps frame restorative yoga not as passive stretching, but as a practice that can influence systemic recovery.
8. Restorative Postures and Variations You will study a range of restorative postures and their variations, including supported backbends, forward folds, side-lying forms, inversions, hip openers, and supine shapes. Rather than memorising a list, you will learn how to understand the intention behind each set-up.
4. Breath, Pranayama, and Regulation You will study foundational pranayama and breath awareness practices relevant to restorative yoga. This includes understanding when breath can be used to support regulation, how to avoid over-efforting, and how breath influences mental and emotional states.
9. Sequencing and Class Design You will learn how to sequence restorative yoga classes with intelligence and coherence. This includes class pacing, posture selection, transitions, theming, energetic direction, and how to work with different populations and nervous system states.
5. Yoga Nidra and Guided Rest This training includes an introduction to Yoga Nidra as an essential companion practice to restorative yoga. You will explore states of awareness, guided relaxation, and how deeply supported rest can affect the nervous system, cognition, and emotional processing.
10. Teaching Language and the Art of Holding Space The way restorative yoga is taught matters. Tone, pace, silence, instructions, phrasing, and the capacity to observe without over-intervening all shape the learning environment. You will develop the skill of guiding without performing, holding without controlling, and teaching with grounded presence.
What You Will Receive
As part of your training, you will receive:
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50 hours of in-person Restorative Yoga Teacher Training in East Lothian, Scotland
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Access to supporting online course content from 27 February 2027 for the stated course access period
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A detailed course manual and educational resources
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Practical experience with props, postures, adaptations and sequencing
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Opportunities to practise teaching and receive feedback and
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a 50-hour Restorative Yoga Teacher Training certificate upon successful completion of the course requirements.
Assessment and Certification
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To receive your certificate, you must complete the required 50 hours of in-person training and the course assessments.
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Assessment may include reflective or written work, a restorative class plan or sequence, and a practical teaching component. We will explain the assessment requirements during the course.
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A 50-hour Restorative Yoga Teacher Training certificate is awarded upon successful completion of the training and its assessment requirements.
What You Will Need
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Please come prepared to participate in practical, in-person learning. We will tell you which props are provided at the venue and which items you should bring before the training begins.
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To use the supporting online course content, you will need a device and internet access. Access is provided for the period stated for this course; it is not lifetime access.
Training Outcomes
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explain the foundational principles of restorative yoga
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set up and adapt restorative postures using appropriate support
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discuss relevant ideas about stress and rest without making medical claims
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plan restorative practices with thoughtful pacing and transitions
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guide breath, attention and rest within your scope as a yoga teacher
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use clear language and offer meaningful choices; and
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design and teach a restorative sequence with greater confidence and care.
Course Fee
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Early Bird: £720 (limited spaces) until 31st October 2026
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Full Investment: £920
*2.5% service fee applicable to the total at checkout.
Spaces are intentionally limited to ensure depth and individual attention.
Alternate Payment Methods:- PayPal - madhurabhagwat6@gmail.com Bank Transfer Madhura Bhagwat Sort Code - 832543 Account No. - 15856419 Bank - RBS * If using PayPal or Bank Transfer, kindly make sure to email connect@theyoganerds immediately after making the transfer. Your spot will only be confirmed once we send you an email of successfully receiving your payment.
Sat 27 FebThe Bruiser House, Steading, Longniddry EH32 0QJ, UK
Sat 26 JunThe Bruiser House, Steading, Longniddry EH32 0QJ, UK
Frequently asked questions
About Madhura
Director of The Yoga Nerds & Move with Madhura
E-RYT 500, YACEP | Yoga Therapist | Ayurveda Consultant
Madhura Bhagwat is a yoga educator, teacher trainer, and founder of The Yoga Nerds, known for her nuanced and uncompromising approach to teaching yoga beyond the physical. With nearly two decades of experience and roots in a traditional yogic lineage, her work bridges classical philosophy with modern understanding of movement, anatomy, and the nervous system, alongside an academic background in politics, law, and business studies.
Her teaching is not about performance or aesthetics, but about awareness, integrity, and depth. Drawing from yoga philosophy, embodied wisdom arts, and subtle teachings rooted in traditions such as the Dasha Mahāvidyā, alongside fascia-informed movement, breathwork, and restorative practices, she guides students and teachers towards a more intelligent, embodied, and sustainable way of practising and teaching.
Madhura teaches internationally and is committed to preserving the essence of yoga while making it relevant to the realities of modern life, allowing space for both linear learning and non-linear, lived experience to unfold.
