What is a 200hr Teacher Training?
If you've been practicing yoga for some time and you feel ready to take the next steps to deepen your practice physically, mentally and spiritually, this training could be for you!
If you've often felt "different" and didn't quite fit the cookie-cutter mold of what everyone expected of you, this training could be for you!
If you're looking for your "tribe" of like minded individuals that will lift you up and hold space for your healing as you learn more about your purpose on this planet, this could be the training for you!
If you would love to help others in our community learn the healing and abundant practice of yoga, this training could be for you!
If you believe movement is medicine and want to deepen your learned experience of the amazing things our vessels are capable of, this could be the training for you!
If you'd like to earn a little extra income with a flexible schedule to work around your lifestyle, teaching yoga at Grateful Hearts could be for you!
Crestview's FIRST 200hr Yoga Teacher Training launches in March 2024 and continues one weekend a month through December 2024.
What to Expect
Training will be held one weekend a month at Grateful Hearts Yoga in Crestview, starting in March 2024 and continuing through December 2024. Days will start at 8am and end at 5pm with a one hour lunch and breaks in between lecture time and movement times. Students should expect to arrive ready to learn, share and embrace the journey to becoming a well polished yoga practitioner and eventually an instructor if they so choose!
Meet Our Trainers
Gracie Simmons
Lead Trainer
GHY Studio Owner
Namaste! I began taking yoga classes once a week when my youngest of four children started preschool and the “me time” was finally available to me.
It wasn’t long before I realized I would forever be a student of yoga because the practice had changed me in ways I never could have imagined.
When the studio I had just started falling in love with classes at closed, I dove into becoming a teacher and a studio owner during a rollercoaster of a year in 2018.
I’m so grateful to have had both my 200 & 300hr trainings at Dragonfly Yoga Studies in Fwb, Florida with Laura Tyree in the Iyengar lineage of Hatha Yoga. I was blessed to study with Moira Anderson and Melissa Shalongo who brought such variety and compassionate styles of hands on learning experiences to our advanced yoga training. Melissa helped me to think outside of the box in terms of how we observe and relate to pain in our body while Moira helped me develop a deep love of taking care of myself before the burnout.
I’ve been so lucky to have traveled to beautiful Maui, Hawaii on two different occasions for week long yoga retreats. During the first I studied under Jennifer Lynn of Wisdom Flow Yoga and valued her wisdom and nearly 20 years experience as a studio owner and yoga teacher. The second retreat introduced me to Carla Herzenberg of Metta Yoga in California who leads truly beautiful and physically challenging 90 minute classes that pushed me to the limits of what I was capable of physically and mentally.. Both experiences taught me so much more about myself and the kind of teacher I strive to be.
I’ve also certified in Buti Movement methodology that has benefited me greatly and united my love of musicality, dance and yoga asana. The Buti community is incredible and a great addition to our studio.
I appreciate teaching fun classes like Goat Yoga and SUP Yoga at local zoos, RV parks and for our military community on base as well. Yoga is unifying and I love how these “non typical” classes bring beginners to the mat who are sometimes fearful of stepping into a studio setting.
I’ve held my own weekend retreats for three years and absolutely love the intimate setting of coming together to encourage one another and grow through yoga. I cannot wait to learn alongside all our newest YTT's in the 200hr Yoga Teacher Training 2024!
Melissa Shalongo
Syllabus Creator
Anatomy &
Movement Specialist
E-RYT 500, RCYT, YACEP
Melissa is a 500-hr yoga instructor, toddler-mom, and self-proclaimed “movement optimist". She earned her teaching certifications from the Nosara Yoga Institute of Costa Rica where she credits her teachers Don and Amba Stapleton for her unique, interdisciplinary style of yoga. Her approach to asana is FUNctional, skills-based and dogma free, allowing her to incorporate a variety of other movement modalities into her practice, including Functional Range Conditioning (FRC), Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) and Somatic Movement. Fundamental to her teaching is a reverence for all human form and function and a humble deference to the body’s innate intelligence. Melissa’s yoga is a true reflection of her childlike curiosity, compassionate nature, and genuine zest for life.
A perpetual student, her biggest teacher is her three year old son. Her “movement guru” inspires her to practice in a myriad of playful and adaptive ways serving as a powerful reminder of the value and importance of human creativity, variability and FUN. Motherhood has also sparked a new found interest in developmental movement patterns, motor learning and women’s reproductive health. Her other influences include fellow movement optimists, pain researchers, and “modern” yogis like Todd Hargrove, Greg Lehman, Trina Altman, and Jenni Rawlings, etc. When she’s not chasing her son around, she’s leading and developing curriculum for 200 and 300-hr YTT’s and hosting workshops and retreats.
Learn more at:
Somi Dokouhaki
Guest Trainer
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A dynamic and adventurous yoga instructor! Originally from Iran, I spent 12 years living in Finland before embarking on a new adventure and immigrating to the United States. I love to push myself out of my comfort zone, which is why I have taken the brave step of moving countries twice. With 3 years of experience teaching yoga in both Persian and Finnish languages, I am committed to offering power and vinyasa classes that challenge my students to reach their fullest potential. Aerial yoga is one of my personal favorite forms of exercise, adding a playful and unique element to my practice. My passion for travel and meeting new people has allowed me to immerse myself in different cultures and languages, which I believe has enriched my teaching style and ability to connect with others.
Amy Taula
Guest Trainer
​Aloha! My name is Amy and I love teaching and connecting with people. I have an insatiable love of learning, which has led me to various training in natural and spiritual practices. I am passionate about the body and its innate intelligence to heal. As a homeschool mother of 10, the practices of meditation and yoga have always been a grounding source of sanity. I have a multi-modality style of teaching, though Kundalini holds a special place in my heart as it was one of the catalysts in my own spiritual journey. I love helping others move energy in a conscious way through asana, pranayama and meditation. My deepest intention is to help awaken others to their own healing power and to experience the joy of living life fully through yoga and its principles.