Comprehensive Pilates Mat Certification
Haia® Method
Know your craft. Command the room.
Don’t Just Get Certified, Get Skills
You’re investing in becoming a teacher, invest in a program that gives you the time, practice and direct feedback to become one.
200 hours, in person comprehensive training built to prepare you to teach.
What You’ll Learn
Learn the language & speak it confidently
Study movement and anatomy, body reading, hands-on adjustments, teaching methodology, sequencing and programming.
Build the knowledge and practical skills to make decisions, make adjustments, and lead a class.
Know what you’re teaching, why & what to do next.
How the Certification Works
200 hours. Built one module at a time.
Complete eight in-person training modules covering the full Haia® Method curriculum, alongside observation, personal practice, practice teaching, and community teaching hours.
Modules can be taken individually and completed in any order, giving you up to a year to complete your certification.
Certification Requirements
To earn the 200-Hour Haia® Method Certification, students must complete:
Core Curriculum (120 Hours)
Practicum (80 Hours)
Personal Practice (37)
Observation Hours (18)
Practice Teaching (19)
Case Study Project (4)
Final Community Classes & Evaluation (2)
Total: 200 Hours
Students may complete modules in any order and at their own pace. All certification requirements must be completed over the course of a year before certification can be awarded.
The 200-Hour Haia® Method Certification is composed of eight core modules. Each module may be taken individually as continuing education or applied toward certification requirements.
Core Modules
Module 1 — Foundations of the Haia® Method
Explore the principles, philosophy, language, and observational framework that guide the Haia® Method.
Module 2 — Anatomy of Movement
Develop a practical understanding of anatomy, biomechanics, postural patterns, and movement analysis through the lens of teaching.
Module 3 — Foundational Movement Patterns
Learn the foundational movement vocabulary of the Haia® Method, including standing, kneeling, all fours, core, and bridge patterns.
Module 4 — Movement Patterns II
Continue building your movement vocabulary through planks, side lying work, seated patterns, prone work, upper body training, and more advanced applications.
Module 5 — Body Reading & Observation
Learn to recognize movement patterns, compensations, and postural tendencies while developing the skill of observation.
Module 6 — Teaching Methodology & Communication
Explore cueing, learning styles, demonstration, communication, and the practical skills required to lead a class.
Module 7 — Hands-On Adjustments & Individualization
Develop hands-on adjustment skills, modification strategies, and the ability to work with individual needs within a group setting. Study of special demographics, adapting movement for different bodies and abilities.
Module 8 — Sequencing, Programming & Class Design
Learn class architecture, programming principles, layering, progressions, regressions, music, counting, and practice teaching.
Choose How You Train
Complete 200-Hour Haia® Method Certification
All 8 training modules included
120 hours of in-person training
80 practicum hours
Save $200 off early enrollment
$800 off regular tuition.
Pay In Full - $2800
Complete the same 200-Hour Haia® Method Certification one module at a time.
$375 Early Enrollment
Register 2+ months before each module
$450 Regular Enrollment
Register within 2 months of each module
Pay by Module
Meet Your Mentors
Carolina Gabilondo
Carolina Gabilondo is the founder of Haia® and has spent more than 16 years teaching movement and over a decade mentoring teachers. Her background includes Pilates, Vinyasa Yoga, Katonah Yoga®, functional strength training, breathwork, meditation, prenatal and postpartum movement, and teacher development.
Throughout her career, she has trained and mentored teachers while helping hundreds of women develop a more intelligent relationship with their bodies through alignment, breath, and awareness.
What began as a personal practice eventually became a methodology. Through years of teaching, observing bodies, refining systems, and studying the relationship between structure, breath, and attention, Carolina developed the Haia Method as a framework for helping people move with greater support, clarity, and self-awareness.
This mentorship is the formalization of that work, a distillation of the principles, practices, and teaching philosophy that have shaped Haia from the beginning.
Founder & Lead Mentor
Lead TeacherValeria Alacron
Val is a comprehensively trained Pilates instructor with a deep appreciation for movement as both a practice and a craft. While she arrived at Haia with an extensive background in Pilates, it was the Haia Method's emphasis on alignment, observation, breath, and awareness that transformed the way she understood movement and teaching.
Her ability to blend technical precision with thoughtful observation makes her an invaluable guide for students learning how to see and organize the body more clearly. Val brings a wealth of movement knowledge, a sharp eye for detail, and a commitment to helping students develop confidence in both their practice and their teaching.
Within the Haia Method Mentorship, Val will lead movement labs, support students through the movement library, and help develop the technical foundations that underpin the Haia Method.
What Our Graduates Say
This has truly been a life training. Carolina takes the time to dive deep and tune in to what's going on on a deeper level so that you can actually uphold the standards it takes to teach movement, in a way that really brings people back to themselves, their alignment, and their centers. It has leaked into every other area of my life.
Alexis, Graduate 2025
Haia's mentorship has changed the way I live and lead my life. The confidence I have gained throughout this process will carry on way further than a fitness space. Without a doubt this has been the greatest investment I could have made for my personal development journey.”
Courtney, Graduate 2025
This mentorship has entirely transformed how I teach movement and how I approach it in my own life. I feel so much more confident as a teacher and so much more deeply embodied in what I am translating to people — because I have a deeper understanding of my own body, how it moves, and what alignment truly is.
Kenna, Graduate 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. The 200-Hour Haia® Method Certification is open to both members and non-members.
That said, because the program includes observation hours, practice teaching, and ongoing exposure to the Haia® Method, we strongly recommend maintaining an active membership throughout your training. Regular class attendance will help you accumulate hours, deepen your understanding of the method, and get the most out of the certification experience.
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Yes, please complete all modules in order as they build one on another.
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If you have been practicing consistently and feel a genuine pull toward guiding others through this work, you are ready. No prior experience is required.
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Yes. All modules may be taken as stand-alone continuing education trainings.
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Students may progress through the certification at their own pace. We recommend completing the program within 1 year for the most cohesive learning experience.
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No. Students who complete the certification may apply to enter the Haia® Teacher Development Program, which is a separate process focused on learning Haia class formats, teaching standards, and studio methodology.
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The program provides 200 hours of movement education and practical training and supports students pursuing nationally recognized Pilates testing and credentials as part of their broader professional education pathway.
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Upon completion of the 200-Hour Haia® Method Certification, graduates receive their certification and may continue their education through additional modules and continuing education opportunities. Students interested in teaching at Haia® may apply to enter the Haia® Teacher Development Program.
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Students register and pay for individual modules as they are offered throughout the year. This allows students to progress through the certification at their own pace.
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Students will learn how to observe movement, recognize common compensation patterns, teach foundational movement principles, provide modifications, sequence classes, communicate effectively, and work with a variety of bodies and abilities.
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Each module is capped at 15 students.
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The 200-Hour Haia® Method Certification is a certification issued by Haia®.
Upon completion of the program, graduates will have completed 200 hours of movement education, anatomy, teaching methodology, observation, and practical training. Students who wish to pursue nationally recognized Pilates credentials may use these hours as part of their professional preparation and may be eligible to apply for national certification examinations, depending on the requirements of the certifying organization.
We encourage students interested in national certification to review the most current requirements of the organization through which they intend to certify.
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Most teacher trainings focus on exercises and choreography. The Haia® Method emphasizes observation, body reading, teaching methodology, and the ability to adapt movement to the individual. Our modular format also allows students to integrate the material over time rather than rushing through it in a single intensive training.