What Does RYT 200 Mean? About This Yoga Teacher Designation

Yoga certification enhances your credibility as an instructor. It confirms your competency in teaching yoga. But if you’ve done any research, you’ve likely found many options for becoming a certified yoga instructor. One is an RYT 200 designation. But what does this mean and how do you get it?

What Does RYT 200 Mean?

RYT stands for Registered Yoga Teacher. The ‘200’ signifies the completion of a 200-hour teacher training program. This designation is credentialed by the Yoga Alliance. To qualify for RYT 200 credentialing, you must complete your teacher training at a Registered Yoga School (RYS).

To be a Registered Yoga School, it must meet Yoga Alliance guidelines. It must have certain policies and procedures, for instance. It must also meet Yoga Alliance standards in trainee assessment, schedule, curriculum, and training materials. Once these terms are met, the institution can apply to become a Registered Yoga School. Individuals graduating from an RYS can then apply to become a Registered Yoga Teacher.

RYT 200 Training Course Curriculum

The Yoga Alliance provides each yoga school with a core curriculum. This ensures that yoga teachers have knowledge and skills in key areas. What does this curriculum look like for teacher training to become an RYT 200? 

Individuals can expect the 200 hours of training to be split as follows:

• 75 hours of yoga techniques, training, and practice. This covers all the elements of a yoga practice. This includes yoga postures, breathing, and meditation.

• 30 hours of training in yoga anatomy and physiology. This training covers the muscles involved in each yoga pose. It also discusses how yoga affects the body’s systems.

• 30 hours of training in yoga humanities. This section of yoga training includes its philosophy and history. You also learn about ethical considerations for yoga teachers.

• 50 hours of professional essentials. This portion of the training hours includes methods for teaching yoga, continuing education, etc. It’s basically everything you need to know to become a trusted and reputable yoga teacher.

• 15 elective hours. These electives must fall into one of the other training categories

Value of an RYT 200 Yoga Alliance Certification

The Yoga Alliance sets the standards in yoga teacher training. It determines what type of training a yoga instructor needs to be safe and successful in this position. It also ensures that a yoga teacher training course meets certain requirements. 

When you enroll in RYT 200 teacher training, you know the school and its training programs have been closely scrutinized. The Yoga Alliance has done its due diligence. It has inspected the yoga school and teacher training at all levels. This provides for a higher-level yoga teacher certification.

If you plan to work at a yoga studio, RYT 200 certification may be required. This credential tells employers you have at least 200 hours of instruction. It also says you have several teaching hours. So, the employer knows that you have experience leading a yoga class.

Another benefit? Earning your RYT 200 gives you access to an entire yoga community. You can connect with more than 100,000 Registered Yoga Teachers. You can learn a lot from others registered with the Yoga Alliance. It also gives you a place to go with any questions you may have as a yoga teacher.

RYT 200: A Pathway to Advanced Registered Yoga Teacher Designations

Another benefit of becoming an RYT 200 yoga teacher is that it opens the door for advancement. The Yoga Alliance refers to the RYT 200 as a “foundational” credential. As such, it sets the grounds for higher-level yoga teacher training opportunities.

Advanced Yoga Alliance designations you can pursue include:

• E-RYT 200. This stands for Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher. Someone with this designation has completed 200 hours of teacher training. They’ve also taught yoga for at least two years.

• RYT 500. This yoga teacher has 500 hours of training. Of these, 150 hours are in techniques, training, and practice. Sixty are in yoga philosophy, lifestyle, and ethics. Thirty-five are in anatomy and physiology. Thirty are in teaching methodology. Forty are practicum hours, and the remaining are electives. Additionally, 450 of the 500 hours must be contact hours. 

• E-RYT 200, RYT 500. This designation signifies the completion of a 500-hour teacher training. Individuals must also have two years of experience as a yoga instructor.

• E-RYT 500. Someone with this credential has completed 500 hours of yoga teacher training. They also have four years of teaching experience.

Individuals can also earn credentials in two specialty areas. You can become a Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher (RCYT). Or you can earn the designation of Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT). To pursue one of these specialty credentials, you must first complete a 200-hour yoga teacher training course and be an RYT 200 or higher.

How to Become a 200-Hour Yoga Teacher

If you’re interested in becoming an RYT 200 yoga teacher, you may be wondering the next steps. The first is to enroll in teacher training. Remember: this training program must be provided by a school registered with the Yoga Alliance. If the school isn’t an RYS, you will be unable to pursue the RYT 200 designation. 

You can find a Registered Yoga School by searching the Yoga Alliance online directory. You can look for one based on location, school name, or the desired designation. The Yoga Alliance provides helpful information for each school, such as:

• Information about the school itself and its yoga teacher training program

• Types of yoga taught, training formats, and languages

• Teaching staff and yoga training photos

• The school’s rating and past student reviews

• Contact information, including the school’s website and address

• Links to the school’s social media pages

What to Look for In Yoga Teacher Training

Information provided by the Yoga Alliance can help you choose a training program. But how do you know if it’s the best yoga teacher training for you?

Consider what you want from a training course. Do you want to learn in person or online? Online yoga teacher training enables you to complete your course at home. It also provides the ability to learn more about teaching yoga at your own pace. But maybe you do better face-to-face with a training instructor. In this case, in-person teacher training may be best for you.

Also think about the style of yoga you want to teach. Does the yoga school teach that style? If you want to teach restorative yoga, a course that focuses on Yin yoga may not be a good fit. Instead, you’d want a restorative yoga teacher training program. 

If you’re interested in leading a Hatha or Vinyasa class, ISSA Yoga & Wellness Academy’s 200-Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training Course covers these two styles. This program is approved by the Yoga Alliance. This means that it provides the information needed to excel as a yoga instructor.