Reading Time: 5 minutes
DATE: 2023-08-04
Have you thought about becoming a yoga teacher? Do you love practicing yoga and get curious about what it has to offer beyond the mat? Are you unsure about what to do next in your life? These are just a few of the signs that you are ready to enroll in a yoga teacher training course. Find out more and decide if a yoga instructor program is right for you.
Yoga instruction is not licensed or regulated by the government. Realistically, to work in the industry, you need to be certified. A certification or teacher training program provides background information, a deep dive into the practice of yoga, and instruction on how to teach others.
Certification courses are offered in-person, as retreats, and online. You can choose how you want to learn. For anyone with limited time or flexibility in their schedule, an online course is ideal.
Quality online yoga instructor programs offer everything you need to learn:
Training manuals and instructional materials
Asana guides
Live virtual sessions
Video lectures and demonstrations
Practice and homework
Study materials and exams
A final exam
Official certificate of successful completion
Yoga instructor courses are great for learning more about the practice and philosophy of yoga. They are also a stepping stone to a career in yoga. If you’ve been on the fence about it, here are some sure signs this would be a good move for your future.
First, it’s simply a feeling. If you love yoga, and you feel curious about where it comes from and what else it has to offer, you can benefit from a training course. You don’t have to commit to becoming an instructor. Many people take the classes to learn more and to deepen their own practice. An interest in yoga and a love of learning are the only prerequisites for yoga instructor training.
If you’re also curious about yoga beyond the asanas you do in a studio, an instructor’s course is a great place to start. You’ll learn the origins and philosophy of yoga and more about other aspects of the practice. These include meditation, breathing exercises, and elements of spirituality that might appeal to you.
Maybe you haven’t yet found the people who really get you. Or, you just want to surround yourself with people who understand how you feel about yoga and how it helps you lead a more authentic life. In a yoga instructor course, you’ll connect with a tribe of people who get it. Bonds you develop here can last a lifetime, but the coursework also opens doors to making connections all over the world with people like you.
Many people who practice and enjoy yoga get to this point. They think about what a great job it would be to share their passion with others. This is where many get stuck. They find excuses and roadblocks to taking the next step:
I haven’t been practicing long enough.
I don’t have time to take a course or earn a certification.
I’m not good enough at yoga yet.
I’m not very flexible and I can’t do the advanced poses.
If you have thought about working as a yoga teacher, it’s an idea worth exploring. You certainly shouldn’t let these barriers get in the way. You do not have to have been practicing yoga for very long to take a teacher training course. And not all yoga instructors are flexible or thing. Yoga is for every body and every ability level.
As for the time it takes to complete a course, there is more flexibility in this than you think. In fact, you can complete online yoga teacher training and get the same certification that you would in an in-person course. An online program allows you to start when you’re ready and complete the training at your pace.
It can be difficult to make a career change when doing so requires taking classes or earning a certification or degree. If you have to keep working to earn, when do you find the time to move into a more enjoyable field?
If you have been thinking about a switch to yoga or fitness but need to keep working, an online program is the right choice. You can complete an online course on your schedule and at your own pace. It’s perfect for anyone who needs to fit in classes around a busy work or family schedule.
You have options for yoga instructor training. Which is better, in-person or online? Find out here.
Many people turn to yoga instruction because of how the practice has impacted their lives. If yoga has been a life-changing experience, you might feel passionate about sharing it with others. You might be one of those rare people prepared to take proactive steps to make the world a better place.
Becoming a qualified yoga instructor is one way to do that. It allows you to change people’s lives for the better. In turn, those people may go on to impact others. It’s a chain of positivity that will make you feel good about your place in the world and your actions and decisions.
Another reason some people decide to start a yoga instructor course is because they have come to a crossroads in their lives. You might be in the midst of a practical or a spiritual crisis, or both. You might be deciding what to do next for your career or feel like you’re lacking meaning in your life and are unsure where to turn next.
Even if you don’t end up working as an instructor, taking the courses to learn more and to deepen your practice can help you find your way. Yoga is, at its core, a spiritual practice. It can help you connect more to your interior life and live more authentically and with greater purpose. An education in yoga can make you more confident in the decisions you make about your life going forward.
Now that you have a certification, how do you start your career? Check out this blog about getting your first job as a new yoga instructor that will help you get on the right path.
Getting certified to work as a yoga instructor is just one element of being ready for a career in this field. Not all certification courses are the same. You also need the reputation of the leading yoga organization behind your credential.
Without Yoga Alliance-approved certification, you might not be taken seriously by employers or clients. Check for their seal of approval before choosing any training course. It ensures that the course meets certain standards. These include the content taught, the credentials of the instructors, and more.
In completing an approved course with at least 200 hours of instruction from a registered yoga school, you become an RYT, a Registered Yoga Teacher. This is a credential that carries weight in the yoga world and will help you find a job or get clients if you want to become an instructor.
Enrolling in an online yoga teacher training course could be the best thing you’ve done for your well-being and your career. If you’ve been on the fence, let these clues guide your final decision.
Why wait? Get started on your dream career today by enrolling in the ISSA Yoga & Wellness Academy Yoga 200 course, a Yoga Alliance-approved certification course. In just months, you could be a certified, qualified yoga instructor.