Oncology Yoga Teacher Training

Yes. y4c certification is required or preferred by hospitals, cancer centers, and integrative oncology programs worldwide. More than 3,000 graduates are currently working in clinical settings including hospitals, cancer centers, and VA facilities. If you’re seeking a role in a healthcare institution — or want to be able to say yes when one asks — this certification is the credential to hold.

Oncology yoga is evidence-informed yoga practice adapted specifically for people affected by cancer — whether in active treatment, post-treatment recovery, or long-term survivorship. It prioritizes physical safety for a population with elevated risks: bone loss from chemotherapy, peripheral neuropathy affecting balance, compromised immune function, post-surgical limitations, and lymphedema risk, among others.

It also accounts for the psychological and emotional weight of cancer — trauma, fear, grief, and the disruption of body image and identity — in ways that general yoga training doesn’t address. Yoga that is appropriate for a general population is not automatically safe or appropriate for a cancer survivor. Oncology yoga teachers know the difference.

In short: the science of cancer, the clinical context of survivorship, and the specific knowledge required to teach this population safely. Your foundational training gave you yoga — this program gives you oncology.

Specifically, you’ll study cancer biology and how different cancers and treatments affect the body; the short- and long-term side effects that change what’s safe in a yoga practice; contraindicated poses and how to modify common sequences; lymphatic function and why breath-led movement matters clinically; trauma-informed teaching in an oncology context; how to read and apply research; and professional ethics and scope of practice for oncology yoga.

Your 200-hour training is the prerequisite. This program is the specialization.

The recommended pace is 2–4 months, which most students find manageable alongside a full teaching schedule. The program is fully self-paced — there are no required live events or weekly deadlines. You have 12 months of access from enrollment to complete the coursework and submit your practicum.

The program includes 120 individual lessons across 75 hours of instruction. Most students plan on 5–8 hours per week at the recommended pace. If you need to move faster or slower, you can — the structure supports both.

Yes. The program provides 75 hours of continuing education credits with both Yoga Alliance (YACEP) and the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT). You can apply those credits toward renewal requirements with either organization.

If you hold credentials with both, you earn 75 CEU hours with each — the program satisfies both requirements simultaneously.

Upon successful completion, you receive y4c certification and are listed in the yoga4cancer certified teacher directory — the largest oncology yoga professional directory in the world, used by cancer patients, oncologists, and institutions to find qualified practitioners.

You also join a global community of 3,000+ certified oncology yoga professionals with access to ongoing community events, continuing education, and resources to support your clinical practice. More than 87% of graduates report actively using their certification — in studios, hospitals, cancer centers, VA facilities, private practice, and online.

This is a question worth sitting with carefully. The program is designed to train professionals to support others — it is not a survivorship support program or a personal recovery tool. The content is intensive and often emotionally demanding: you’ll study treatment side effects, disease progression, and survivorship in clinical detail.

Many y4c teachers are survivors themselves, and that experience is genuinely valuable in this work. But the program asks you to hold professional boundaries and stay in the role of learner-becoming-teacher throughout. If you’re in active treatment or early recovery, we generally recommend waiting until you have some stability — physically and emotionally — before enrolling. You’ll get more from the program, and you’ll be better prepared to use it.

If you have questions about your specific situation, reach out before registering. We’re glad to talk it through. Contact

All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to info@yoga4cancer.com.

Refunds are issued as follows:

• More than 10 business days before program start: Full refund minus a $150 administration fee
• Within 10 business days of program start, or after start but before completing Orientation: Refund minus a $300 administration fee
• After completing the Program Orientation: No refund for any reason

Refunds are processed through the original payment method. Timeline is determined by the merchant.

Need more time? Transfers and extensions are available.

Life happens — and y4c wants you to reach certification. If personal or professional circumstances get in the way, you can request a program transfer (cohort programs) or a 3- or 6-month extension (self-study). Either option requires a $250 fee, must be requested in writing, and is available once per enrollment. Approval is at y4c’s discretion.

To request a transfer or extension, email info@yoga4cancer.com with your reason for requesting, your preferred new program or extension length, and confirmation that you understand the fee.