What Are the Qualifications to Be a Yoga Teacher?

If you’re into yoga, you have probably thought more than once about what it would be like to teach. Having a passion for your own yoga practice is a good starting point, but a lot more goes into making a career out of yoga instruction. 

At a minimum, you need a yoga certification approved by the Yoga Alliance (YA). The YA stamp of approval is the most widely used metric for determining whether a yoga instructor is qualified to teach. You’ll need it to land a job at a gym or yoga studio or to strike out on your own as a small business owner. 

Minimum Qualifications to Be a Yoga Teacher

Legally, there are no requirements for calling yourself a yoga teacher and leading a yoga class. There are no government regulations as there are in other industries or careers. 

For instance, to be a nurse, every state requires that you meet minimum education and training requirements and have a specific credential. You would be breaking the law if you practiced nursing without it. For fitness-related careers like yoga, no states have set requirements for credentials, degrees, or certifications. 

In reality, there are qualifications to work as a yoga teacher or instructor. The industry is self-regulated to some degree. There are recognized organizations, most notably the Yoga Alliance, that approve teacher training programs and offer certifications. They set a standard for yoga teacher certification that any serious professional must meet to get a job or work with clients. 

Also consider the fact that if you don’t have a Yoga Alliance certification, you might not be able to get liability insurance. Many insurers turn down independent instructors without a credential because they pose too much of a risk. 

If you are serious about teaching yoga professionally, the minimum credential you must have is the Yoga Alliance RYT 200 certification. RYT stands for Registered Yoga Teacher. Approved RYT 200 programs include 200 hours of training. You can get more advanced certification, but this is a good starting point. 

Is yoga instruction really the right career for you? Check out these top signs that you should enroll in an online yoga teacher training program. 

What Is the Yoga Alliance? 

The Yoga Alliance is the most widely recognized certifying and professional organization for yoga instruction. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to representing all aspects of the yoga community. There are approximately 7,000 YA-approved yoga schools and programs and more than 100,000 YA-registered yoga teachers worldwide.

The YA is important for providing self-regulation in an otherwise unregulated industry. It sets standards for instruction and training to ensure safety and ethics. In doing so, the YA embraces a diverse range of yoga styles. 

For anyone interested in a yoga career, the most important thing the YA does is approve training programs. If you are serious about working as an instructor, you must complete a teacher training course approved by the YA. 

Qualifications for Being a Registered Yoga Teacher

There are no prerequisites or requirements to enroll in a YA-approved yoga teacher training course for becoming an RYT-200. It’s a good idea to have some personal yoga practice under your belt, but you do not have to be an expert by any means. You can enroll in any RYT-200 program with any level of yoga experience. 

Once you have completed an approved program, you can complete the application to earn the RYT credential. There are no requirements for teaching experience hours at this level. To maintain your certification, you have to take 30 hours of approved continuing education courses every three years. 

These are some of the topics you’ll study in a YA-approved yoga teacher training program: 

• Asanas (poses), their history and how to sequence them

• Safety in guiding students through asana sequences

• Pranayama (regulating breathing during yoga practice) and breathing exercises

• Meditation methods and practices

• Anatomy, physiology, and body mechanics

• The history of yoga

• Yoga philosophy

• Ethics in yoga instruction

• Teaching methodology

• Professional development

These are the areas of knowledge important to being an effective, safe, and successful yoga instructor. Any YA-approved program should include these subjects at a minimum. 

RYT-200 is just the first level of certification. You can continue on to RYT-500 either by completing an RYT-500 course or by adding 300 hours of additional training. You must also have 100 hours of teaching experience before you can become registered at the 500 level. 

Additional RYT certifications include the “experienced” designation. This means you have worked a certain number of hours as an instructor and qualifies you to train other instructors. You can also take YA-approved courses to become a registered kids yoga teacher or prenatal yoga teacher. 

If you have your RYT, it’s time to land a job. Here are some tips for getting your first gig as a registered yoga instructor. 

How to Choose a Yoga School and Program

If you’re ready to get started in yoga instruction, the next step is to enroll in a program. With a quick search, you can see that you have a lot of options. Start with YA approval, which is a must. Then you can consider other factors, like cost and timing. 

Choose Your Yoga Style

There are many styles of yoga to practice, from Vinyasa flow to hot yoga to Bikram, and more. When choosing programs, find out which types of yoga they use to train teachers. It’s a good idea to train for the most commonly practiced yoga types. This will make it easier to get a job and find clients. Many programs focus on the widely-practiced Vinyasa yoga and Hatha yoga styles. 

Who is Leading the Program? 

The developers of the program and the instructors should be qualified and experienced yoga practitioners and instructors. Consider the background of a yoga school or course and the people leading it before enrolling. 

Does it Have Good Reviews? 

No one can give you a better understanding of what a program has to offer than students who have already completed it. Look for reviews or testimonials from graduates of the yoga school. Most should have positive things to say about the program and instructors. 

Consider Online Yoga Teacher Training

Learning yoga instruction online is not only valid, it’s increasingly popular. Even before the pandemic lockdowns forced many people to do everything online, many successful yoga instructor courses were virtual. 

There are several good reasons to consider an online program. One of the most important reasons is flexibility. Many in-person programs are retreats. You have to take time off work and leave home for a couple of weeks. This is a nice option, but it’s not possible for a lot of people. 

An online program allows you to be much more flexible about how and when you complete yoga teacher training. Online courses are also typically more affordable. Even among YA-approved programs, some online schools are better than others. Here’s what to look for: 

• Self-paced study with all necessary course materials included

• Live virtual sessions where you can interact with instructors and other students and get valuable feedback

• Regular assessments to track your progress

• An exam that you can take at your convenience 

• A success team to coach you through any difficulties you encounter

• A curriculum that includes a wide range of poses and sequence development, yoga history and philosophy, meditation and breathing techniques, and cueing and transitions

• Business and marketing skills for instructors seeking to become small business owners

How to Become a Registered Yoga Teacher

Qualifications for working as a certified yoga instructor are simpler than most people realize. You don’t have to be an expert-level yogi or earn a college degree. Have a passion for yoga and working with others and complete a certification course and you’re on the way to a great new career. 

The ISSA Yoga & Wellness Academy now offers a Yoga Alliance-approved Yoga 200 certification course totally online. Get your dream career off to the best start with this enlightening credential. 

References

About Us. Yoga Alliance. (n.d.). https://www.yogaalliance.org/About_Yoga_Alliance