How to Become a Registered Yoga Teacher

Thinking about becoming a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT)? Whether you're a yoga enthusiast or a personal trainer looking to expand your offerings, earning your yoga teacher certification can transform your career. Not only does it help you deepen your practice, but it opens up exciting new opportunities for teaching and guiding others. Keep reading to discover how becoming an RYT can enhance your life, career, and yoga journey.

Benefits of Becoming a Registered Yoga Teacher

Becoming an RYT isn't just about adding a credential to your resume. It’s a transformative journey that can lead to personal and professional growth. Here’s why more people are choosing to become certified yoga instructors:

• More Career Opportunities: If you are a personal trainer, earning your designation as a Registered Yoga Teacher, or RYT, offers another stream of revenue. It widens your client base, allowing you to work with even more fitness clients.

• More Fitness Options for Clients: Maybe your goal is to provide your current clients with another exercise option. This helps keep them motivated by preventing them from becoming bored. It also enables you to offer your clientele a more complete fitness program. You could create a yoga program for weightlifters, for instance.

• Build Credibility and Trust: Completing training at a Registered Yoga School bolsters your credibility. It tells potential clients that you have the education required to develop a safe and effective yoga class. Think like a fitness client for a moment. Who would you rather have as your teacher: someone who has completed a yoga teacher training program or someone who simply claims to know all about this age-old practice? In this way, becoming an RYT sets you apart from your competition. It also distinguishes you from a teacher who lacks this type of training.

• Effective Teaching Skills: Another benefit of earning your RYT designation is that you learn how to be a more effective instructor. It teaches you how to break down yoga poses so they are easier to understand. Or how to modify them for a client who is injured or less flexible. You also gain a better understanding of the benefits offered by each pose. This enables you to create a complete yoga training sequence.

By becoming an RYT, you’ll deepen your knowledge of yoga philosophy, anatomy, and teaching techniques, all while gaining the tools needed to develop your own unique teaching style.

Registered Yoga Teacher vs Yoga Instructor Certification

To be clear, RYT and certified yoga teacher are not the same. However, these titles are often used interchangeably.

Being an RYT means that you’ve completed a yoga teacher training program approved by the Yoga Alliance. This is an organization committed to creating and upholding standards within the yoga profession. Therefore, schools must meet Yoga Alliance standards to be credentialed through this agency. 

Other training institutions offer yoga teaching certification. Completing this type of teacher training program also shows that you have a basic level of knowledge in yoga instruction. The difference is that you can get your yoga certification from schools not registered with the Yoga Alliance.

Types of Yoga Instructor Training Programs

If you're considering a career as a yoga instructor, it's important to understand the different Yoga Teacher Training programs available. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to deepen your expertise, there are various options that cater to different needs, levels, and specialties. Here’s an overview of the most common types of yoga instructor training programs:

200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training (RYT 200)

The 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training is the most popular starting point for aspiring yoga instructors. This foundational program is typically the first step toward earning your Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT 200) designation through Yoga Alliance. During this course, you’ll cover a wide range of essential topics such as:

• Yoga philosophy and history

• Anatomy and physiology

• Asana (pose) breakdown and alignment

• Pranayama (breathing techniques)

• Teaching methods and sequencing

This comprehensive training equips you with the tools to teach a safe and effective yoga class to beginners and intermediate students. It’s a versatile program, making it suitable for anyone looking to teach yoga in a variety of settings, from fitness centers to private studios.

Advanced Yoga Teacher Training (RYT 500)

Once you’ve completed your 200-hour training, the next level is the 300-hour advanced teacher training. This is ideal for those who are looking to further develop their teaching skills and deepen their practice. Combining with the 200 hours, you’ll earn the prestigious RYT 500 designation after completing this more intensive program.

In a 300-hour program, you will dive deeper into advanced yoga practices, focusing on specific styles and philosophies, such as:

• Advanced sequencing and adjustments

• Chakra and energy healing

• Specialized anatomy for yoga

• Teaching advanced asanas

This level of training is perfect for those who want to specialize in particular yoga styles or broaden their teaching to include more advanced students. Whether you’re aiming to lead advanced classes or develop your personal practice, a 300-hour training provides the in-depth knowledge required to excel.

Specialized Yoga Teacher Training Programs

If you have a passion for a specific area of yoga, there are specialized teacher training programs that cater to various styles and populations. These programs allow you to tailor your teaching to your interests and the needs of your future students.

Some common types of specialized training include:

• Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training: Focuses on the flow of breath and movement, linking postures together in dynamic sequences. Perfect for those who want to teach high-energy classes.

• Hatha Yoga Teacher Training: Centers on the more traditional, slower-paced practice of yoga, emphasizing alignment and mindfulness in each posture.

• Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training: Designed for instructors who wish to teach yoga to pregnant students, focusing on safe modifications and specific techniques to support maternal health.

• Restorative Yoga Teacher Training: Emphasizes deep relaxation and healing through supported postures and extended holding. Ideal for instructors who want to teach students seeking stress relief or physical rehabilitation.

By choosing a specialized program, you can differentiate yourself as an expert in a particular field, attracting students who are looking for specific benefits or practices.

What You’ll Learn in a Yoga Instructor Training Course

Regardless of whether you decide to pursue your RYT or yoga certification, you can expect to learn similar things. Topics covered in both types of yoga instructor programs include:

• Anatomy and Physiology: Understand the human body’s movement to help guide safe and effective yoga practice.

• Yoga Philosophy and Theory: Explore foundational yoga texts such as the Yoga Sutras and gain insight into the ancient philosophy behind modern-day practices.

• Teaching Techniques: Learn how to structure and sequence yoga classes, while making poses accessible to all levels.

• Asana Breakdown: Gain a deep understanding of each yoga pose, including alignment, modifications, and adjustments for injury prevention.

• Breathing and Meditation Techniques: Discover effective breathing practices (pranayama) that enhance your teaching and help clients manage stress.

• Yoga for Special Populations: Specialize in areas like children’s yoga, prenatal yoga, or yoga for those with physical limitations or injuries.

• Creating a Successful Yoga Practice: Learn how to build a sustainable practice for yourself and your future students, while also gaining tips for growing your own yoga business or studio.

Some yoga teacher training courses provide instruction on specific styles of yoga. This is beneficial if you want to teach only restorative yoga, for instance. Some courses teach you how to instruct more athletic forms of yoga. Ashtanga yoga and Anusara yoga both fall into this category.

Maybe you want to work with a certain demographic. There are teacher training courses for children’s yoga or prenatal yoga, just to name two. Having more in-depth knowledge helps increase your success as a yoga instructor.

Where to Find Yoga Teacher Training

Obtaining your RYT requires attending a school with Yoga Alliance certification. The Alliance offers an online search. This provides a list of schools authorized by this organization, such as ISSA. You can use this same page to identify Alliance-approved continuing education courses.

When pursuing your yoga certification, you have even more yoga school options. A variety of institutions can certify you as a yoga instructor. It’s more a matter of choosing one that fits your wants and needs.

Before selecting a yoga teaching program, review its curriculum. This ensures that it provides the information needed to boost your fitness career. Does the program appear to be complete? If not, you might want to choose a different yoga school.

Another factor to consider is whether the course is in person or online. Online yoga teacher training offers the convenience of becoming a yoga teacher within your own home. There is no commute to class. And you can review the course materials at any time.

Attending in-person teacher training offers benefits as well. It provides access to a qualified instructor who is standing right in front of you. Plus, some people learn better face to face. If you’re one of them, choosing a classroom-based program may be best.

If you plan to teach for a specific yoga studio, also check its training requirements. Some employers require their staff to attend a certain yoga school. Completing a different training program does not qualify you for a position with that employer.

How to Become a Registered Yoga Teacher If You’re New to Yoga

The idea of pursuing your RYT designation may feel overwhelming. Especially if you don’t have a lot of experience with a yoga practice. 

Just remember that every instructor had to start somewhere. Plus, you don’t need years of teaching experience to help others learn the art of yoga. All you need is passion and a desire to promote its benefits.

It might also be helpful to take a few yoga classes. See what other trainers are doing when leading a yoga routine. Watch their techniques and learn from them. Meet with them after class and express your interest in becoming a yoga instructor. Ask them for their advice. 

What would they have done differently? Is there a particular yoga school they’d recommend? What are their tips for success? Get their input about what it’s like to teach yoga. 

The more you expose yourself to the yoga practice, the more comfortable it will become. Attending a few classes by different instructors helps you identify the techniques you like. It also helps you realize the teaching methods you don’t. You can learn something from each one.

And if you’re ready to enter the role of teacher, ISSA’s Yoga 200 is a teacher training course registered with Yoga Alliance. This online course teaches basic yoga philosophy and theory. It provides effective yoga instruction techniques. You will also learn tips for creating a successful yoga practice. Begin your journey today!