It can be hard to navigate the different kinds of yoga certifications when browsing the internet. Do I even need certification, and if so, which one? And what do they even mean or stand for? In this article, we aim to provide some clarification on the different types of certification for yoga, with a particular focus on Yoga Alliance certifications.
Importance of Yoga Teacher Certifications
Obtaining a yoga teacher certification, especially from an organization like Yoga Alliance, holds a lot of benefits. Most importantly, it provides credibility and establishes you as a qualified yoga teacher. Studios and students are more likely to trust yoga teachers who have completed a certified Yoga Teacher Training, as it demonstrates that you have undergone formal training and ensures the standard of the training. Yoga Alliance holds significant recognition within the yoga community and is internationally accredited and well-known.
But there are also other yoga organizations worth mentioning, such as Yoga Alliance Professionals and others.
Different Types of Yoga Teacher Certifications
200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification
The 200-hour yoga teacher training is the standard foundation certification for yoga teachers, and it is where everyone starts. Students who have completed a 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training can call themselves a 200-hour certified Yoga Teacher. If the training is Yoga Alliance registered, they can call themselves a 200-Hour Certified Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher.
Take a look at our Yoga Alliance recognized 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Bali
300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training
The 300-hour yoga teacher training is the next step that builds upon the knowledge acquired in the 200-hour training. It is not possible to do a 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training without having completed the 200-Hour Foundation Yoga Teacher Training.
Take a look at our Yoga Alliance recognized 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Bali
500-Hour Yoga Teacher Training
It is also possible to do a 500-hour yoga teacher training right away. This means you are completing both a 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training and a 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training in one go. Upon completion of either a 500-Hour Yoga Teacher Training in one go or a 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training followed by a 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training, students can call themselves a Certified 500-Hour Yoga Teacher. If the training is Yoga Alliance registered, they can call themselves a Certified 500-Hour Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher.
Specialized Yoga Teacher Certifications
In addition to the above trainings, Yoga Alliance also recognizes specialized certifications that cater to specific populations or styles of yoga. These certifications include pre & postnatal yoga, children’s yoga, yin yoga, meditation, and more. These trainings often fall under continued education course certifications or have their own certification processes.
An example of a specialty training could be our 25-Hour Online Meditation Teacher Training
Yoga Alliance Certification
Yoga Alliance is one of the internationally recognized organizations that sets standards for yoga teacher training programs and certifies both individual teachers and schools.
They provide two main types of certifications:
Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT)
The Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) designation is for individual yoga teachers who have completed a Yoga Alliance approved training. The RYT designation is further categorized based on the number of training hours completed, such as RYT-200 and RYT-500 as described above. It then furthermore goes on to E-RYT-200 or E-RYT-500 with E standing for experienced, meaning teachers that meets certain requirements to call themselves experienced yoga teachers.
Registered Yoga School (RYS)
The Registered Yoga School (RYS) certification is for yoga teacher training programs that meet the standards set by Yoga Alliance.
For more information about Yoga Alliance and their different types of Certification please have a look at Yoga Alliance’s Website.
