Tips for Choosing an Online Yoga Teacher Certification Course

Do you feel compelled to become a yoga instructor? Maybe there have been signs that online yoga training is the right path for you. That’s great because people can benefit from a passionate, yet knowledgeable yoga teacher. Earning your yoga certification is a good first step in this process.

Why Yoga Instructor Certification is Important

One reason certification is important is because it confirms your abilities. It says you know how to be both a safe and effective yoga instructor. A yoga school doesn’t want someone teaching yoga in a way that puts students at risk. They also don’t want a yoga teacher who can’t provide results. Hiring a certified yoga teacher helps protect them from each scenario.

Another reason to pursue yoga certification is that it better prepares you for a teaching role. Having a long-standing personal practice can help you as a yoga teacher. You might know how certain poses feel, or which ones are easier or more difficult. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that you have the skills needed to help others develop a yoga practice.

As a yoga teacher, you must be familiar with yoga anatomy. This helps you understand how the body moves with each yoga pose. You must also know how to break each pose down and get students into the proper form. This reduces the risk of injury during their yoga practice.

Because people have different flexibility levels, it’s equally important to know how to modify poses. Modification may also be required due to other issues. If a client has trouble standing, for instance, you need to know which poses are good for a chair yoga routine. A yoga course provides this knowledge. It gives you the tools needed to lead a yoga class.

A yoga teacher training course also strengthens your foundational understanding of this practice. You learn about yoga history and how traditional yoga has evolved. You gain a greater appreciation of yoga philosophy. 

In teacher training, you also learn the scientifically proven benefits of a yoga practice. For instance, some studies have found that yoga helps reduce inflammation. (1) Other research connects yoga with a reduced disease risk. (2) Having this knowledge makes you a better yoga teacher. The more you know about this practice, the better your ability to teach it.

Benefits of Getting Your Yoga Teacher Training Certification Online

Finding an online yoga teacher training course offers many benefits. One of the most notable is convenience. You can earn your certification with minimum disruption to your life. If you are busy most mornings, do your studies in the afternoon. If you travel a lot, this isn’t a problem either. As long as you have access to the internet, you also have access to your yoga training materials.

Online yoga teacher training can also help prepare you to hold your own classes online. Being an online yoga teacher requires unique skills. You must know how to get students in proper form through video, for example. Notice how your online instructors get you into the correct form. Use similar strategies when developing your yoga teaching style.

5 Questions to Ask When Looking at an Online Yoga Teacher Certification Course

There are several online yoga school options. And each online yoga teacher training is different in certain ways. This makes it important to do your research. You want to look beyond the fancy website or persuasive language. Instead, pay more attention to the yoga teacher training itself. 

These five basic questions can help.

• Is the training Yoga Alliance certified? The Yoga Alliance is an organization that creates and upholds yoga teacher training standards. A training provider that meets Yoga Alliance standards is designated as a Registered Yoga School (RYS). Earn your certification at an RYS and you can apply to become a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) through the Yoga Alliance. This credential is widely recognized, which can help when trying to get a job as a yoga instructor.

• Does it teach the yoga style you want? Yin yoga is practiced at a slower pace. This is very different from Ashtanga yoga, which is more dynamic. Look for online yoga teacher training that covers the type of class you want to lead. This enables you to learn the nuances of that particular style. 

• Does it prepare you for the students you want to teach? Some instructors offer basic yoga classes. These are often suitable for anyone interested in a yoga practice. Yoga teacher training can help you prepare for this role. Other instructors cater to a specific type of student. Some offer kid’s yoga, for instance. Teaching yoga to kids requires a certain skill set. A kids yoga teacher training course would provide these skills more so than a training course focused on teaching yoga to adults.

• What type of training materials are included? Look at what materials the course offers to help you learn. Are you provided with a textbook? What about access to online videos? Some online yoga teacher training courses even include live instruction. Having access to a variety of materials provides a more comprehensive learning experience. If they’re included, it also reduces the risk that you’ll be hit with unexpected costs, such as having to buy a textbook not supplied with the course.

• Are the yoga school instructors experienced? If you want to learn a new skill, the best person to teach you is someone with experience. You want an instructor who is not only familiar with yoga but has also taught it. Someone willing to share what worked for them, as well as what didn’t. Choose an online yoga teacher training course with industry experts. Learn from their real-world experience.

How to Choose the Best Yoga Teacher Training for You

You’ve found online yoga teacher training and it’s approved by the Yoga Alliance. It covers the style of yoga you want to teach and prepares you for your desired student. It also includes a lot of learning materials and is taught by knowledgeable instructors. How do you know that it’s the best online course for you?

Every person is different. So, what they want out of an online teacher training course can differ as well. Things to look at when determining if a training course will suit you include:

• Its cost, including flexible payment options

• Whether it offers guided study, which can help you stay on track

• How much support is provided, should you need it

• If it’s self-paced, allowing you to dictate your learning speed

It’s also helpful to look at what others have to say about the yoga teacher training. What do they feel are the course’s pros? What about its cons? Look for themes in the reviews. If one person says something, their experience may have been unique to them. If several people say the same thing, you are likely to experience the same.

If you’re ready to earn your yoga certification and want online training, check out ISSA Yoga & Wellness Academy’s 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training course. This course teaches you how to effectively lead Hatha and Vinyasa yoga classes. It’s also approved by the Yoga Alliance and provides many of the features people look for in an online yoga teacher training course.

References

1. Estevao, C. (2022). The role of yoga in inflammatory markers. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity. Health, 20, 100421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100421

2. Madan, S., Sembhi, J., Khurana, N., Makkar, K., & Byati, P. (2022). Yoga for Preventive Health: A Holistic approach. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 17(3), 418–423. https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276211059758