10 courses compared
Yoga and Ayurveda Courses Compared: Which One to Take
NNWA's yoga, Ayurveda and holistic health courses fall into three groups: yoga teaching, traditional food systems, and meditation. The question that sorts you is what you want to do with other people: lead them through postures, guide them in stillness, or advise them on eating by Ayurvedic, naturopathic or yogic principles. Within each group, your present level decides the rest.
How these courses divide
The yoga teaching group is a ladder. Yoga Teacher Training and Yoga Teacher Training (200 Hours) are foundations that prepare someone to lead beginner-level classes. Advanced Yoga Teacher Training (400 Hours) is the next level and expects a solid foundation. Prenatal Yoga and Yoga Therapy are narrower: one adapts teaching for expecting and new mothers, the other adapts practice to an individual with an everyday lifestyle concern. Both ask for prior teaching experience or a strong personal practice, so neither is a first course.
The food group holds four courses from three traditions. Ayurvedic Nutrition and Ayurvedic Detox & Panchakarma Nutrition both rest on the doshas, the first for everyday eating and the second for seasonal, food-led cleansing. Naturopathic & Natural-Health Nutrition teaches whole-food eating and lifestyle from a natural-health philosophy. Yogic & Naturopathic Nutrition teaches sattvic eating for people whose interest begins with yoga. Two of the four are written for beginners and two are intermediate, which settles the order for most readers.
Meditation & Mindfulness Coach stands a little apart, since it teaches neither postures nor food. It also joins the groups, because yoga teachers and wellness coaches are among the people it is written for. Across the whole area the courses are complementary wellness education. They describe what each tradition teaches about practice and food, and a medical condition, a pregnancy or a mental-health concern stays under the care of the person's doctor or another qualified professional.
Yoga, Ayurveda & Holistic Health: every course side by side
| Course | Level | Duration | Fee today | Certificates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yoga Teacher Training | - | - | - | - |
| Yoga Teacher Training (200 Hours) | Foundation | 200 Hours | ₹24,999 | 2 |
| Advanced Yoga Teacher Training (400 Hours) | Level 2 | 16 Weeks | ₹44,999 | 1 |
| Prenatal Yoga | Specialisation | 6 Weeks | ₹12,999 | 2 |
| Yoga Therapy | Advanced | 3 Months | ₹29,999 | 2 |
| Meditation & Mindfulness Coach | All levels | 6 Weeks | ₹11,999 | 2 |
| Yogic & Naturopathic Nutrition | Beginner | 4-6 Weeks | ₹9,999 | 2 |
| Ayurvedic Nutrition | Foundation | 2 Months | ₹14,999 | 2 |
| Ayurvedic Detox & Panchakarma Nutrition | Intermediate | 6 Weeks | ₹12,999 | 2 |
| Naturopathic & Natural-Health Nutrition | Intermediate | 6 Weeks | ₹12,999 | 2 |
Fees, durations, levels and certificates are read from each course's own page whenever this page is rebuilt, so the figures here match what the course page shows.
The course for each goal
You are taking a first step towards teaching yoga
Yoga Teacher Training
Yoga Teacher Training is foundational training: a steady personal practice across core postures, basic pranayama, anatomy, philosophy, cueing and class design. It builds teaching skills from the foundations, so committed beginners are welcome, and it aims at leading a beginner-level class.
You want a structured foundation for teaching beginner classes
Yoga Teacher Training (200 Hours)
Yoga Teacher Training (200 Hours) is the foundation-level programme in asana, pranayama, anatomy, philosophy, meditation practices and teaching methodology. It prepares you to sequence and lead a coherent beginner-level class, and a regular personal practice helps.
You hold a foundation and want to advance your teaching
Advanced Yoga Teacher Training (400 Hours)
Advanced Yoga Teacher Training (400 Hours) is the second-level programme and expects a solid foundation. It extends asana, anatomy and philosophy, adds advanced pranayama and kriyas, and develops sequencing and class design for teaching yoga for general health and wellbeing.
You want to teach yoga to expecting and new mothers
Prenatal Yoga
Prenatal Yoga is a specialisation, so prior teaching or a strong personal practice is recommended. It covers trimester-appropriate postures, modifications, contraindications and postnatal recovery, and the teaching is done with the clearance of each woman's doctor.
You teach yoga and want to adapt practice for individuals
Yoga Therapy
Yoga Therapy is the advanced course, for experienced teachers and established practitioners. It trains you to observe posture, breath and lifestyle and tailor practice for everyday concerns such as stress, back care and sleep, as a complement to medical care and never in place of a doctor.
You want to guide meditation instead of teaching postures
Meditation & Mindfulness Coach
Meditation & Mindfulness Coach is open to all levels. It trains you to lead guided sessions for individuals and groups, choose techniques for stress, focus or emotional wellbeing and write your own scripts. Clinical mental-health concerns are referred to a qualified professional.
You practise yoga and want your eating to match
Yogic & Naturopathic Nutrition
Yogic & Naturopathic Nutrition is the beginner course on sattvic eating, yogic diet philosophy and the gunas, with naturopathic basics alongside. Every principle is introduced from scratch, and it ends in simple sattvic meals and habits that support daily practice.
You are new to Ayurveda and want its everyday food principles
Ayurvedic Nutrition
Ayurvedic Nutrition is the foundation course for complete beginners. It teaches the doshas, the six tastes, food qualities and agni, and ends with simple, seasonal, dosha-aware meals for yourself and your household.
You want Ayurvedic guidance on seasonal, food-led cleansing
Ayurvedic Detox & Panchakarma Nutrition
Ayurvedic Detox & Panchakarma Nutrition is intermediate. It teaches ama, seasonal eating, the foods, spices and herbs traditionally used in Ayurvedic detoxification, and gentle home routines. It explains the principles behind Panchakarma; the classical therapies stay with a qualified practitioner, and any illness with a doctor.
You advise clients and want a natural-health approach to food
Naturopathic & Natural-Health Nutrition
Naturopathic & Natural-Health Nutrition is an intermediate course on whole-food eating, digestion and elimination, lifestyle factors and food-led cleansing. Its outcomes are about guiding others on general wellbeing within an appropriate scope, as a complement to medical or dietetic care.
A starting point and a sensible order
Someone new to the area should begin at a foundation in the branch that interests them. For teaching, that is Yoga Teacher Training (200 Hours), after which Advanced Yoga Teacher Training (400 Hours), Prenatal Yoga or Yoga Therapy each build on teaching experience. For food, begin with Ayurvedic Nutrition or Yogic & Naturopathic Nutrition, both written for beginners, and move to Ayurvedic Detox & Panchakarma Nutrition or Naturopathic & Natural-Health Nutrition, the intermediate courses, afterwards. Meditation & Mindfulness Coach welcomes all levels and can be taken at any point, alone or beside either branch. The choice between the two levels of teacher training, and between teacher training and yoga therapy, is covered in the linked articles.
NNWA courses are private skill courses. They prepare you to educate and support people, not to diagnose, treat or prescribe, and completing one does not confer the Registered Dietitian credential.
Two-course comparisons in this area
Ayurvedic Nutrition vs Ayurvedic Detox & Panchakarma Nutrition: Which Comes First?
Ayurvedic Nutrition and Ayurvedic Detox & Panchakarma Nutrition both start from the doshas and then go different ways…
Ayurvedic Nutrition vs Naturopathic & Natural-Health Nutrition: Which Course?
Ayurvedic Nutrition and Naturopathic & Natural-Health Nutrition teach two different traditions of eating. Ayurvedic…
Detox & Cleanse Nutrition vs Ayurvedic Detox & Panchakarma Nutrition: How They Differ
Detox & Cleanse Nutrition and Ayurvedic Detox & Panchakarma Nutrition share a word and little else. Detox & Cleanse…
Meditation & Mindfulness Coach vs Yoga Teacher Training (200 Hours): Which Course?
Meditation & Mindfulness Coach and Yoga Teacher Training (200 Hours) both prepare you to lead other people in practice…
Naturopathic & Natural-Health Nutrition vs Yogic & Naturopathic Nutrition: How They Differ
Naturopathic & Natural-Health Nutrition and Yogic & Naturopathic Nutrition share whole, seasonal, plant-forward food…
Prenatal & Postnatal Fitness vs Prenatal Yoga: Which Should You Take?
Prenatal & Postnatal Fitness and Prenatal Yoga both prepare you to teach women during pregnancy and after birth, each…
Prenatal Yoga vs Yoga Teacher Training (200 Hours): Which Comes First?
Prenatal Yoga and Yoga Teacher Training (200 Hours) sit at different points on the same path. Yoga Teacher Training…
Wellness & Lifestyle Coach vs Meditation & Mindfulness Coach: Which Course?
Wellness & Lifestyle Coach and Meditation & Mindfulness Coach both prepare you to support other people's wellbeing, by…
Yoga, Ayurveda & Holistic Health courses: common questions
Which of these courses can a complete beginner take?
Ayurvedic Nutrition and Yogic & Naturopathic Nutrition are written for beginners, and Meditation & Mindfulness Coach welcomes all levels. Yoga Teacher Training (200 Hours) is a foundation that teaches from the ground up, though a regular personal practice helps. Prenatal Yoga, Yoga Therapy and Advanced Yoga Teacher Training (400 Hours) expect prior teaching, a strong practice or a solid foundation.
Do I need to practise yoga to take the food courses?
No. Ayurvedic Nutrition asks for no background at all, and Yogic & Naturopathic Nutrition is open to newcomers even though its nutrition is designed to complement a yogic lifestyle. The intermediate food courses say that some familiarity with wellness or nutrition helps; a yoga practice is not part of that.
Can these courses be used to help people with medical conditions?
They are complementary wellness education. The food courses teach general Ayurvedic, naturopathic or yogic guidance for wellbeing, Yoga Therapy works with everyday lifestyle concerns alongside medical care, and Prenatal Yoga depends on medical clearance. None prepares you to treat illness, which stays with the person's doctor, and a mental-health concern goes to a qualified professional.
Which courses in this area combine well?
A yoga teacher can add Meditation & Mindfulness Coach for guided practice, Yogic & Naturopathic Nutrition for eating that matches the practice, or Prenatal Yoga as a specialism. Ayurvedic Nutrition followed by Ayurvedic Detox & Panchakarma Nutrition forms a natural pair for anyone concentrating on Ayurvedic food.
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