How to Become a Yoga Instructor

It is possible to complete a 200 hour training over the course of the year, usually at a studio that offers weekend modules, or as an intensive in a three or four week format. We have found that removing the student from the distractions of their everyday environment, and putting them in a beautiful, peaceful place enhances and optimises their learning ability. During an Intensive Yoga Teacher Training, you will be fully immersed: talking, thinking, and breathing Yoga with fellow yogis. This is considered by most participants to be a magical and transformational journey.

The requirements of Yoga Alliance Professionals are more stringent than those of Yoga Alliance USA. They both consider themselves as international, so you could register with either one of them, or both. British Wheel of Yoga is another similar organisation with more stringent guidelines for TTC’s.

As a certified Yoga teacher you are not obligated to join any of these bodies. You will still be a certified Yoga Teacher even if you don’t. Joining one of these bodies will make you a registered Yoga Teacher.

Yoga Alliance USA permits you to write RYT 200 or RYT 500 after your name to advertise how many hours of training you have completed. They also have the designation E-RYT 200 and 500, which is the experienced teacher level.

Similarly Yoga Alliance Professionals suggest you write SYT after your name to designate Senior Yoga Teacher.

Both Yoga Alliances offer special deals on Yoga Teacher Insurance and will list you on their website.

It is helpful for the training you take to be recognised by one of the above bodies, as that allows you to automatically register with them, for an annual fee.

You may also find studios who are willing to let you teach some donation based “community classes”, which will help you to get more experience under your belt.

Another very important tip is to keep attending classes and keep studying. A 200 hour training is really the beginning of your teaching career and it is important to know that it is a foundation which you need to keep building on. If you are determined and diligent about continuing to study, you will be successful.

This will vary a lot depending on your location and your teaching abilities. A great Yoga teacher is not necessarily someone with a really good practice, but someone who really cares about and engages with their students.

Learning how to give good cues and instruct skilfully takes time and energy, but it is not rocket science. If you really want to teach and you put in the work and practice, you will be able to be a full-time Yoga Instructor and make a liveable income. You will probably not get rich teaching yoga, unless you are very skilled at marketing, social networking and have an amazing practice, but there are plenty of teachers out there making a decent living.

It makes sense in the beginning to go through a transition period of continuing another career simultaneously, and gradually as things progress, making the transition to being a full-time Yoga teacher.