Why Take Yoga Teacher Training Even If You Won't Teach?
Reading Time: 5 minutes
DATE: 2023-06-21
Two types of people take yoga teacher training: future yoga instructors and those with no teaching plans whatsoever. This type of training program offers benefits for each of these groups. Here are several to consider. We also discuss a few credentialing options and what to look for in a yoga teaching course.
Benefits of Yoga Teacher Training for Future Instructors
If you want to be a yoga instructor, a teacher training course is one way to prepare for this role. Not only do you learn all about how to create a safe and effective yoga practice, but you also gain skills that are helpful as a yoga teacher.
This includes learning how to cue clients into proper form. Using good posture helps protect your students from injury. It also helps them get the most from each pose.
In teacher training, you also learn how to modify yoga poses based on a client’s physical limitations. This enables all practitioners to enjoy their yoga journey.
Taking yoga teacher training serves another valuable purpose: certification. Earning your yoga certification tells potential clients that you have the skills needed for teaching yoga. This gives them greater peace of mind that you’re the real deal.
Since no formal education is required for this position, anyone can call themselves a yoga instructor. This makes it possible for someone without knowledge or experience to advertise as a yoga teacher. Being a Certified Yoga Instructor sets you apart from those without this designation. It establishes you as an authority in this field.
Why Take Yoga Teacher Training If You Don’t Plan to Teach?
What if you have no plans to become a yoga instructor? Yoga teacher training offers many benefits that extend beyond learning how to lead a yoga class. Among them are:
Deepening your own personal practice
Meeting others who share your passion for yoga
Learning more about each yoga style to identify the ones you’d like to try
Gaining a better understanding of how to use a yoga practice for better mental and physical health
Developing a stronger appreciation of yoga based on its history
Knowing which poses are good for the issues that concern you
Understanding proper posture for each pose, reducing your injury risk
Increasing your feelings of confidence and strength
Finding a greater sense of calmness and balance
What You’ll Learn in a Yoga Teacher Training Course
Yoga teacher training programs can vary with regard to their curriculum. They can also differ in terms of when certain information is presented. However, the more comprehensive courses tend to cover similar topic areas.
When taking teacher training from a recognized yoga school, you’ll likely learn:
yoga history and yoga philosophy
the physical practice of yoga and how it impacts the mind and body
research-proven benefits of a regular yoga practice
meditation and breathing techniques
different yoga styles (restorative yoga, Yin yoga, power yoga, etc.)
how to safely get into and out of each yoga pose
ways to cue clients for proper form
class design for beginners up to the more experienced yoga practitioner
pose sequencing when designing a full-length class
tips for teaching various student demographics (prenatal yoga, senior yoga, etc.)
how to modify poses based on a client’s anatomy or structural limitations
strategies for motivating a yoga student or class
what it’s like to work for a yoga studio
The more of these topics that are covered, the greater your understanding of the yoga practice.
What to Look for When Choosing a Teacher Training Program
Taking the time to look at the course curriculum is a good place to start when deciding which yoga teacher training is right for you. But there are a couple of other factors you’ll want to consider as well. One is whether the program is approved by the Yoga Alliance.
The Yoga Alliance sets the standard in yoga teacher training. If a program is approved by this organization, this means that it supplies the required knowledge and skills to become a yoga teacher. The process an institution must go through to become approved is rather strenuous. However, once it earns this approval, it is listed as a Registered Yoga School (RYS) through the Yoga Alliance. And if you take yoga teacher training from an RYS, you can apply for the Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) designation.
Before choosing a teacher training program, also consider its setup. Is the training offered in person or can you take the course online? In-person training may be preferred if you want more individual instruction. If it’s convenience and flexibility that you’re after, you may find an online course more suitable for your needs. Some programs offer both online instruction and live virtual training. This gives you the best of both worlds.
Look also at the learning materials that are included in the course. Some courses come with a hard copy of a textbook while, in others, the book is digital so you can download it on any device you wish. Also, consider whether the course comes with other learning materials. Things to look for include video lectures, audio meditations, and ready-made worksheets.
Choosing a course provider that offers mentoring and one-on-one support can also be helpful. This gives you someone to go to if you have questions or are facing a particular challenge. It also provides a source of motivation, encouraging you to keep going with your studies—whether to become a yoga teacher or if you’re simply interested in furthering your own yoga journey.
Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) Credentialling Options
If your goal is to teach yoga, there are several different credentials you can pursue through the Yoga Alliance. Most are distinguished based on the number of training hours needed.
RYT 200. This is the foundational RYT designation. The ‘200’ signifies that you’ve completed a 200-hour training program. This training must be completed with an RYS 200 school.
RYT 500. You must complete 500 hours of training to earn this credential. All these hours can be completed at an RYS 500. They can also be split. You can do 200 teaching training hours at an RYS 200, for instance, and 300 hours at an RYS 300.
The next step up is the Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT) credential. The Yoga Alliance offers three E-RYT designations:
Earning the ‘E’ designation requires that you have a certain number of years of teaching experience. For some designations, the minimum is two years. For others, it is four.
If you want to work with a specific demographic, you also have a few options through the Yoga Alliance. One is to become an RCYT or Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher. The other is RPYT or Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher.
Ready to start working toward the foundational RYT designation? The ISSA Yoga & Wellness Academy is a registered school with the Yoga Alliance. Its Yoga 200 course is an approved yoga instructor training program, providing 200 hours of teacher training.