It sounds like it is time to inspire yourself and others.
This program meets you right where you are, right now.

It is not for beginners. It is designed exactly for teachers like you, who have already completed a RYT 200 hour training — to deepen your experience, build your confidence, ignite your inspiration, and hone your practical ability to serve your students in the highest.

The goal is that this training re-affirms your initial calling to the path of yoga teacher — and that your skills, love and passion for your own yoga practice and your teaching are even further developed and refined.

Maintaining a small group setting, this course is intimate and deeply connective, with a focus on facilitating attention and growth within every individual. The Roots and Wings Teacher Training Program offers unique opportunities to learn deeply from seasoned specialists, and experience a wide spectrum of Yoga practices, philosophies and specialties.

About Roots & Wings Yoga School

Roots & Wings Yoga School is hosted at Yoga Branch Studio in Vista, California. Yoga Branch was opened by Lisette Hart in 2001 and has been a thriving, community focused studio in the heart of historic Vista Village ever since.
Serving a wide variety of yogis from all over North County San Diego and further afield, Yoga Branch is the proud winner of Best Yoga Studio as voted by The Best of North County for three years running in 2024, 2025 & 2026.

Roots & Wings Yoga School was founded by Lisette in 2005, providing RYT 200 & RYT 300 courses. Graduates of this program are teaching successful public and private yoga classes all over California, Colorado, Canada & more.

Meet Our Faculty & Staff

Director & Lead Instructor:
Lisette Hart, E-RYT 500, BA Ed.

Lisette Hart, E-RYT 500

Lisette is the owner of Yoga Branch Studio (est. 2001) & founder of Roots & Wings Yoga School (est. 2005). Lisette excels as a teacher’s teacher - her passion for this stems from teaching yoga classes and workshops full-time since 1999, & training yoga teachers since 2005.

With over 20,000 hours of yoga teaching experience in varying specialties and styles, Lisette has a dedicated personal practice & passion to share her love for yoga. She credits her amazing teachers in the Ashtanga, Anusara & Indra Devi lineage for all they have taught her – and she has learned that our students and peers are ultimately our best teachers.

Lead Instructor & Energy Body Specialist:
Louise McDougall, E-RYT 500

Louise McDougall, E-RYT 500

Growing up on a small island off the coast of England instilled in Louise a lifelong love for the beauty of nature, simple living, and handstands. While travelling through South East Asia in her 20s, she became influenced by Eastern philosophies, and has now been studying pranic energy, chakras & the energetic body for over 25 years.

A Gardener, Pranic Energy Healer and long-time Meditator, Louise loves sharing the many gifts of Yoga and Meditation, the awareness of mind, body and spirit that comes with the connection of fluid movement and breath, and the peace of journeying inward.

Meditation & Embodiment Specialist Presenter:
Geri Portnoy, MA, E-RYT 500

Geri Portnoy, E-RYT 500

With a Masters degree in Peace Studies from the University of Notre Dame, Geri is a spiritual awakening guide, somatic educator, senior yoga teacher, and founder of Yoga Del Mar and Yoga of Awakening. For over 25 years, she has integrated yoga, nervous system healing, embodiment practices, meditation, trauma-informed approaches, and spiritual inquiry into transformational experiences.

Anatomy & Physicality Specialist Presenter:
Dr Jennifer Wilson, PT, DPT, CAFS, RYT 200

Dr. Jennifer Wilson

As a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Jennifer has extensive knowledge of the anatomy of the body from a functional, scientific viewpoint. In addition to over 15 years of experience as a Physical Therapist & her work with Orthopaedic Specialists of North County, Jennifer also has first-hand experience as a Yoga Teacher and comes to the course to distill this specialist cross-section of knowledge into useful, practical lessons to integrate into your teaching.

Neuroscience & Pain Specialist Presenter:
Dr Stephani Sutherland, PhD, RYT 500

Dr. Stefani Sutherland

Dr Stephani Sutherland is a science communicator with a doctoral degree in Neuroscience. She has been practicing Yoga since 1995, and studying Yoga since 2007. Dr. Sutherland brings a unique perspective, combining her many years of training and experience as a neuroscientist and communicator together with her dedication to the study and practice of yoga.

Respiratory & Pulmonary Specialist Presenter:
John Bailey, AS, RCP, CPFT, RRT, RYT 200

John Bailey is a Registered Respiratory Care Practitioner & Pulmonary Rehab Therapist with 19 years of experience & expertise in pulmonary function testing, patient education & pulmonary rehabilitation. Skilled in effective respiratory care protocols and compassionate instruction, he is also a graduate of Roots & Wings 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training and shares his knowledge on how to build healthy breathing habits & stronger lungs for improved health.

Program Highlights

This 300 Hour Advanced Teacher Training is designed to build upon and deepen your understanding of the fundamental concepts of teaching yoga, which you have already begun to study at the 200-hour level.

With group training weekends, a 6-day Local Immersion Intensive Retreat and expert trainers, presenters and lead instructors, this program will help you to grow as an individual, hone your teaching skills and develop applicable knowledge in the following areas:

• Developing Self-Knowledge: Finding Your Authentic Voice
• Sequencing, Pacing, & Cueing: Practical Class Preparation at your Fingertips
• Understanding the Energy Body: Exploring The Links Between Physical & the Pranic Body
• Meditation: Deepening our Connection to Meditation as both Teacher & Practitioner
• Pranayama: Breath as Essence; Confidence & Competence with Pranayama
• Mantra: Deepening into Meaningful Mantra
• Yogic Texts: Wider Perspectives on Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita, & Hatha Yoga Pradipika
• Ayurveda: The Ayurvedic Science of Life & Yoga
• Health & Anatomy: Helping Students Heal, Managing & Preventing Injuries & Ailments
• Alignment & Adjustments: Healthy Alignment & Safe, Effective Adjustments

In addition to this, we cover all of the Educational Categories as designated by Yoga Alliance, which are as follows:

• Techniques, Training and Practice (TTP): Asanas, pranayamas, kriyas, chanting, mantra, meditation and other traditional yoga techniques.
• Teaching Methodology (TM): Communication skills; addressing specific needs of individuals and special populations; demonstration, observation, assisting and correcting; & more.
  
• Anatomy and Physiology (A&P): The study of physical anatomy and physiology (bodily systems, organs, etc.), & energy anatomy and physiology (chakras, nadis, etc.), along with their application to yoga practice.
• Yoga Philosophy, Lifestyle and Ethics for Yoga Teachers (YPLE): Further and deeper study of yoga philosophies and traditional texts; Yoga lifestyle, such as ahimsa,
  dharma and karma; Ethics for yoga teachers; & Seva Yoga - the value of being of service to others through yoga.
• Practicum (P): Practice teaching; receiving and giving feedback; observing others teaching; & assisting students.

Our 300-hour advanced training prepares its trainees to teach principles and techniques of yoga that are more advanced, more detailed, and/or more subtle - which in turn, enables you to teach with greater skill, depth & precision than could reasonably be expected of a RYT 200.

You will be introduced to some new and fascinating topics and perspectives, chosen to help hone your awareness, skills, confidence & authenticity as a yoga expert.

Our group size will most often be small and predictable, in order to ensure individual help & attention - as well as enjoyable group dynamics, peer feedback, and trust among known peers. On some other occasions, such as workshop settings, we will be in a larger group.

Maintaining a consistent, dedicated personal yoga practice during the program will provide you with the most rich & authentic experience possible, and is expected.

Components & Schedule

There are several components that make up the 300 Hours of your training.
Scheduled hours include 12 group training weekends over 6 months, & a 6-Day Local Immersion Intensive, including 3 days surrounded by scenic views at the nearby Questhaven Retreat & Nature Preserve. 
Plus, flexibly scheduled time for teaching practicum, homework, and service.

Expand through all 5 tabs to read more about each component:

Course Costs, Payment Plans, & Perks

Expenses for the Roots and Wings Teacher Training Program are reasonable & competitive. In addition, we also offer personal payment plans at no additional cost, and great perks, making program costs realistic for each participant.

Your Early Registration before November 1st for $4,350  $3,950 includes:

• $400 Early bird discount off usual price before November 1st
  
• 12 x Group training weekends over 6 months 
• 1 x 6-Day Local Immersion Intensive including 3 days at Questhaven Retreat
• Free Sunday morning classes on each of the group training weekends
• 25% off discount on all other classes at Yoga Branch for the duration of your course - $110 $85 per month for unlimited classes, or $20 $15 drop-in price
• Earn RYT 500 Certification with Recommendation to the National Yoga Alliance (dependent upon performance)
• Personalised payment plans at no extra cost

Cost goes up to $4,150 November 1st - 30th
Cost then goes up to the FULL PRICE of $4,350 on December 1st!
Registration closes end of December 2026. A $400 deposit is required to secure your place, to be paid upon acceptance into the program. Price increases to $4,350 on December 1st.

Applications for 2027

Applications are now open for the 2027 300-hour Roots and Wings Yoga Teacher Training with Lisette Hart. Scroll to the bottom of this page to fill in the application form.

The 2027 program runs from January through June 2027. We maintain a small group setting and take approximately 6 months to complete the 300-hour program, so that it is done at a pace that is digestible and manageable for your daily life.

Qualifications & Requirements:

We are a registered school; therefore, successful graduates can make themselves eligible for RYT 500 status with the National Yoga Alliance.

• You must have successfully completed a 200-hour Yoga Alliance approved Teacher Training to join this course.
• You do not need 100 hours teaching experience to join this course. However, if you wish to register with Yoga Alliance as RYT-500, you will need 100 hours teaching experience before qualifying. These hours can include teaching yoga classes before, alongside and after our training together.
• You must be committed to doing the course assignments, attending all sessions (unless previously agreed), and fully participating.
• You do not need to have an advanced asana practice, but you should have a regular yoga practice, warm-heartedness, excellent personal & work ethic, and a strong commitment.
• There is no final written exam or showcase class required at the end of this course. You have already passed a RYT200 - this course is to deepen, enhance and hone those skills which you have already shown to have.