Yoga Teacher Training

Yoga is one of the most popular physical activities in the US. For example, data shows that, in 2023, more than 34 million people enjoyed yoga(Statista). If you've mastered yoga and want to share your love of this invigorating activity with others, then you're probably considering yoga teacher training. 

Teaching is often regarded as one of the most rewarding professions a person can have. Those who teach yoga simply because they love this form of physical fitness won't consider it a job, but an opportunity to share their passion with others. 

If you're wondering how to become a yoga instructor, then this helpful guide has all the information you need to start your journey. 

5 Steps to Becoming a

Yoga Teacher

Benefits of Yoga Instructors

As you embark upon this exciting part of your yoga career, it's important to understand the benefits of taking your yoga from something you practice to an art you teach. 

One benefit of teaching yoga is the people you meet. Since yoga is known to release stress (Stanford), you're able to connect with other like-minded individuals and share with them your stress-management techniques. 

As you help students with their yoga techniques, you'll create healthy relationships. You might even train future yoga instructors! By helping others develop a sense of well-being both physically and emotionally and offering them the tools to reach their goals, you'll appreciate your newfound role of sharing yoga best practices. 

Do You Need to Be Certified?

No, you don't need a certification to teach yoga. However, many clients and yoga studios may require that you hold a certificate, so finding work without one might be challenging. 

When looking into yoga certifications, you'll need to find a studio that awards certifications approved by the Yoga Alliance. The most common certifications are the RYT-200 and RYT-500.

Consider the following:

  • For the RYT-200 certificate, you need to complete a 200-hour certification program. 

  • For the RYT-500 certificate, you need to complete a 500-hour certification program. 

There is a 300-hour RYT certification program available, which instructors can pursue after completing their initial training.  

How to Become a Yoga Teacher

Now that understand why becoming a certified yoga instructor is important, along with the benefits of teaching yoga, you can begin your journey of becoming an instructor! Here are the steps you need to take:

1. Find a Registered Yoga School

The school you select needs to be recognized and established with the Yoga Alliance. Once you find a school in your area, enroll in a training certification program that fits your schedule. 

This is where you'd take your first 200-hour training course. On average, you can expect this program to take between three to five weeks. 

If you choose to pursue the 300 and 500-hour training programs, you can take them for the following lengths of time:

  • ☀ 300 hours: 5 to 8 weeks

  • ☀ 500 hours: 8 to 12 weeks

Some yoga instructors opt to obtain certifications in a specialty area. This might be as a prenatal instructor or teaching children. It all depends on your passion!

2. Obtain Your Registration

After you enroll in an accredited school and complete the minimum number of hours required, you'll have to pay for your RYT yoga instructor certification. 

The application fee is $50, and every year you'll need to pay $65 for dues. If you find any specialty areas you'd like to teach, you'll have to pay an additional $50 per certification upgrade.  

3. Get Your CPR Certificate

CPR is essential for anyone working in the health or fitness field, yoga training included. This is crucial, as instructors need to know how to handle emergencies. 

The Red Cross, for example, has a list of online and in-person CPR training courses, so be sure to add this to your list of essentials. 

4. Start Teaching 

After you complete all the necessary training and certificate programs, you're ready to start teaching yoga! The best way of doing so is to look for yoga studios near you that are hiring instructors. You can also check out local fitness centers to see if they need someone to instruct a yoga class.  

5. Stay Current With All Certifications

This includes your CPR certification and all appropriate yoga certifications. If you want to expand what you can instruct, use this time to extend your portfolio of certification courses. This would also be the best time to renew your annual dues with the Yoga Alliance. 

Are There Special Requirements to Become a Yoga Teacher?

Besides a certification program helping you land a teaching position, yoga teachers should know different beneficial meditation techniques. This can help students with:

☀ Patience ☀

☀ Focus ☀

☀ Stability ☀

Meditation is also helpful when controlling breathing in yoga. 

Besides in-class techniques, any yoga instructor looking to start their own company needs business skills. This helps when marketing your brand and managing clients. 

Additionally, it's ideal for yoga instructors to have a flexible schedule to accommodate their students and help build their client base. When coupled with strong communication skills, you'll have interested participants in no time. 

Some yoga instructors opt to teach private classes independent of any yoga studio, fitness center, or gym. With this comes its own sets of challenges, from marketing to personal safety. Instructors should screen clients before meeting them and opt for public places during daytime hours, such as parks and beaches. 

Keep in mind that you may need a permit to teach yoga at a park or other public space, so always inquire about this to avoid legal issues. 

Yoga Teacher Training:

Is It Right for You?

If you're interested in yoga teacher training, then there's no time like the present to pursue your dreams. You can take a love of yoga and share it with others, incorporating physical fitness with elements of meditation. Additionally, you'll connect with other yoga enthusiasts, creating a network of people who enjoy this highly beneficial activity. 

At Yoga Farm Ithaca, we offer a variety of teacher training programs. This includes a variety of 100, 200, and 300-hour certifications, such as Kundalini, Hatha/Vinyasa, Ayurveda & Enneagram, and more.

Our online, non-profit yoga school has numerous self-paced options to help you achieve all your yoga instructor goals. We're also trauma-informed, factoring this into all our training programs so our students receive the best experience possible. Register for our online academy now to make your yoga dreams a reality.