WELCOME TO THE HIGHLAND SQUARE SCHOOL OF YOGA— 200 AND 300 HOUR yoga TRAININGS APPROVED BY THE YOGA ALLIANCe
We're happy you found us!
Are you a dedicated yoga student with a calling to share the practice of yoga with others? Or, are you looking to dive much deeper into your own spiritual & physical practice by studying the history & traditions of yoga, while learning correct alignment in all postures? And, are you looking to create more community in your life by finding people to talk to about the inevitable growth & development that comes with living a life on the yogic path? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you're in the right place!
Here you can find information for our Highland Square School of Yoga 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training. This is our ninth Yoga Alliance-approved 200-Hour training, and we have put so much thought and care into its creation. We have involved yoga teachers and other professionals who we truly feel will bring tremendous value to our program and its participants. It is with immense gratitude and pride that we offer this training to our community.
MEET YOUR TRAINERS!
Elizabeth Tipton (lead trainer)
Elizabeth (she/her) has been a dedicated yoga teacher for over eight years. Learning is a deep passion for her and trainings light her up -- she has completed two 200hrs trainings, a 300hr training, additional education, and has taught thousands of hours of classes to earn her position as an E-RYT500 teacher and YACEP. Throughout her teaching journey, Elizabeth found Katonah Yoga -- this awakened her passion for breathwork, assisting, traditional Chinese medicine, and connecting individually with students. She received her Katonah Yoga Teacher certification after an additional 200 hours of training in 2020. Yoga is the first thing that allowed Elizabeth to feel awake and at home in her body, and she hopes to create + hold space for others to find the keys that unlock doors in their own practice. Outside of the yoga studio, Elizabeth is passionate about photography + capturing moments of true embodiment, practicing many different movement modalities, and exploring the beauty in the world around her.
Nikki Shell (lead trainer)
Nikki (she/her) is the founder and co-owner of Yoga Squared and the co-founder of The Highland Square School of Yoga! As a 500-Hour E-RYT, she has helped to guide 12 Yoga Alliance-approved 200 and 300-Hour trainings over the last 8 years, and is passionate about teaching future teachers! As an RN for over a decade, Nikki learned firsthand the inextricable connection between body, mind, and spirit, and this led her down an unexpected path. She became a yoga student first, and eventually took her 200-Hour yoga teacher training. During training, she recognized that she was ready for a career shift, but it was imperative that she continue to fulfill her passion of helping people recognize their own capacity for healing. As an enthusiastic Highland Square resident for many years, she had the desire to help create a more vibrant neighborhood, too, and Yoga Squared was born! Now, Nikki works full-time for Yoga Squared, teaching weekly classes, workshops, facilitating trainings, and helping lead retreats all over the world through the YS retreat platform. In her free time, Nikki loves to spend time with her dogs, Raja and Haze, read, bake, and research new retreat destinations! She also runs, strength trains, and practices yoga regularly.
OTHER SUPPORTING TRAINERS:
Kevin James Karas (restorative), Yasmin Nizzer-Bates (yoga ethics), Brittany Cogdeill (prenatal), John Fondran (anatomy), Alexandra Krim (reiki)
A few things to note about this training experience:
SCHEDULE: Every other weekend + every other Wednesday evening {ONLINE} from October 10th, 2026-March 13th, 2027 (12 total weekends and 11 total Wednesdays). See exact dates below!
Saturdays from 1PM until 6PM
Sundays from 1:30PM until 4:30PM
Wednesdays from 6-8:30PM {ONLINE!}
PRACTICE REQUIREMENT:
You will be required to take at least 2 studio classes per week for the duration of the training! Recommend in-person classes, but online classes can also be utilized.
It is necessary that you be available during these times in order to receive important content and graduate from training. However, we understand that things come up! Make up work can be given in the instance of illness or an important occasion!
The price of your training includes unlimited free access to all in-studio and online classes at Yoga Squared throughout the training period. If you are already a member, your membership will be paused during training. Please let us know how we can assist you in determining whether this schedule is right for you!
There will be reading assignments and individual practices that will occur on your own time. This is one of the most important pieces of teacher training—the development of your personal practice. It is necessary that you are ready to devote this time on your own mat in order to develop yourself as a teacher. We are so excited to take this journey with you!
We have multiple payment options for your consideration. Note that the earlier you commit to YTT, the less expensive the training is. We are happy to speak with you individually about these options, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at any time.
Payment Options:
Early Acceptance: Training paid in full by July 1, 2026: $2700 (YES, you can break this into multiple payments (of any denomination), as long as the training is PIF by July 1!) A $500 deposit is required initially to hold your spot.
Regular Acceptance: Training paid in full by October 1, 2026: $2900 (YES, you can break this into multiple payments (of any denomination), as long as training is PIF by October 1!) A $500 deposit is required initially to hold your spot.
Payment Plan: Training paid in full by graduation. A $500 nonrefundable deposit is required to hold spot. After that, there will be 6 payments of $425 made monthly (October through March) for a total of ~$3050 (including deposit).
Price of training includes UNLIMITED yoga at YS for the duration of the training (starting the first day). You’ll also receive 10% off merch and an opportunity to purchase wholesale mats and props during the training period!**
**If you already have a YS membership, your membership will be put on hold until graduation. If you are a Charter member, you may gift your remaining months to a friend, OR we will pause your membership until after training so that you receive all 12 months of the Charter membership)**
Books:
Purchase of books will be the responsibility of each student. We honestly feel that this is a more economical option for you. Please let us know if you have difficulty sourcing any of your books, and we would be happy to assist you! Book list will be provided upon acceptance into the training and the placement of your deposit!
Reiki 1 Training:
Cost of Reiki 1 Training is included in the price of the training. If you have already taken Reiki 1 Training, you can either a. Take it again with the group or b. We can prorate your training, and you can skip it!
Dates: Note—dates are subject to *minimal* change. We value your time and your schedules outside of YTT immensely, and we want this to be an amazing experience for you! Part of that is knowing that you can count on us to keep you updated. Please know that we will work with you to ensure that you are able to complete training even if you know you’ll miss a day or two—the important thing is that OVERALL, this schedule works with yours!
Know that we are committed to providing you with a professional, organized, and inclusive teacher training that will meet your needs both individually and as a training group. Yoga Teacher Training is a life-changing experience, whether your goal is simply to deepen your personal practice and dive deeply into the history and philosophy of yoga, or to become a certified yoga teacher capable of leading a full class of students with poise and confidence! We’ve got you.
We hope that the information we’ve provided only deepens your interest in Yoga Squared’s Highland Square School of Yoga! If you have any questions please email us at hello@yogasquaredakron.com.
YTT Dates:
We will be meeting the following 12 weekends (Saturday, Sunday) from October 10th, 2026 until March 13th, 2027.
October 10th-11th
October 24th-25th
November 7th-8th
November 21st-22nd
December 5th-6th
December 19th-20th
January 2nd-3rd
January 16th-17th
January 30th-31st
February 13th-14th
February 27th-28th
March 13th—Graduation!
Additionally, we will meet ONLINE on the following Wednesdays:
October 14th
October 28th
November 11th
December 2nd
December 9th
December 23rd
January 6th
January 20th
February 3rd
February 17th
March 3rd
To apply for the Fall 2026 Training, Click Below!