Yoga Teacher Certification- A vast number of yoga studios offer yoga teacher certification that lets you learn the sacred art and spread its knowledge to others. However, you just need the focus and dedication to pass the course in both theoretical and practical sessions. As a beginner, a major point of concern might be your knowledge regarding specific terms as RYT or finding the right place to enroll for the course.
The yoga certification is similar to a doctor earning an MD or MBBS degree. Hence, you get the opportunity to teach yoga to those who want to start their journey on this spiritual path. The Yoga Alliance has the authority to ensure the program has specific standards. Thus, you acquire the tools to advance the yogic practices and also have the opportunity.
A Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) training is the quintessential qualification you need to teach others the different yoga postures. However, you might wonder why choosing a yoga teacher certification is worth the time and effort.
Read on below to know the 10 major benefits of becoming a certified yoga teacher.
The Advantages of Yoga Teacher Certification
Earning a yoga teacher certification is no cakewalk as it requires hours of practical and theoretical lessons. However, rest assured that the results are completely worth the hard work. There are some major perks for taking up a yoga teacher training course.
Given below are the 10 major benefits to choosing a Yoga teacher certificate course;
1. Deepen Your Personal Practice
If you are someone with a little bit of experience in performing specific yoga postures, then the Yoga certification would help you take the practice to another level. Under the tutelage of experienced yoga teachers, you get access to in-depth knowledge behind each Yoga asana.
2. Chance to Connect with Inner Self
Did you know that breathing is the bridge between the body and mind? However, before you decide to teach this sacred art to others, it is necessary that you gain some mastery. The yoga teacher certification helps you learn breathing techniques and connect with the inner self. Moreover, you learn to unleash true potential with the regular practice of yogic asanas.
3. Expand Your Creative Energy
Post-training at one of the yoga teacher training courses helps you unleash inner creativity. Further, the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals can change your perspectives on a lot of subjects.
4. Create Life-Long Relationships
The chance to enhance the present yogic practices followed by a chance to meet like-minded individuals helps you form new relationships. Furthermore, yoga teachers help bring together beginners and advanced yoga students.
5. Perfect Exercise in Team Building
The yoga teacher certification takes place in small groups and offers a host of many other recreational activities. The regular classes and practice sessions give you the chance to help others. Hence, that leads to better teamwork skills in the long run.
6. Embrace Change
The yoga teacher training course gives you the opportunity to be part of a nurturing environment apart from meeting new people. Therefore, you develop an open-minded attitude and become more accepting of other people’s flaws and shortcomings.
7. Experience of a Lifetime
The yoga teacher certification gives you the opportunity to visit a place with higher spiritual energy and has the best of everything. You are doing what you love to do and get paid for the same.
8. Complete Healing of Body and Soul
Yoga sessions during the certification help you maintain good health. Therefore. yoga is a great way to keep both body and mind fresh and away from unnecessary stress. Moreover, regular practice at the yoga school helps you find relief from bodily pain and mental confusion.
9. A Sense of Fulfilment
Yoga is not just about physical mastery over specific postures and asanas. It is a multi-dimensional practice with multiple benefits including spiritual growth. Also, you get an opportunity to master and teach physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of yoga to other like-minded individuals.
10. Become a Certified Yoga Teacher
With yoga becoming a global phenomenon and its influence growing day by day, more people are becoming aware of the mental and physical benefits. Thus, you too become a part of this growing revolution with the yoga teacher certification and have complete knowledge of this holistic lifestyle.
Prior to starting the program session, you might have some questions to fully know what you are getting into.
Yoga Teacher Certification FAQs
With so many yoga teacher training schools promising great results, it can become hard for you to choose the right one. Do not worry as the FAQs below will provide you the complete information.
1. What is the Best Method of Learning for You?
You should know there are different methods of learning a course. The primary one is online courses that are best for those with limited time and budget. Moreover, online learning provides you with the convenience of learning at your own pace.
The second method includes destination learning where you have to be physically present at the venue of the course to earn the credentials. Also, you get the opportunity to learn personally within a class of like-minded individuals.
2. Does the Course Have a Yoga Alliance Certification?
Not every yoga program out there carries a Yoga Alliance certification. For you to become a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) the certification means everything. A Yoga Alliance certification carries worldwide recognition and helps you get the right designation in a yoga school.
3. Who Are the Teachers?
You are going to spend the majority of your time at the school learning and practicing yoga postures. Make sure the person teaching you carries the necessary Yoga Alliance certification. Do research on the school and Yoga teachers who would be your guides on this journey.
4. Does the Course Resonate with Your Learning Style?
You already might have some experience in practicing yoga postures. You would need to learn other complementary types of yoga.
To help you begin the journey to experiencing mental joy and calm, yoga experts recommend you complete the 200-hour yoga teacher training course.
The 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training
Read below to know why doing the 200-hour course is worth the time and effort.
200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course
The course provides you with in-depth knowledge of different yoga poses and how to practice each pose without fail. It includes two hours of daily yoga practice to improve physical and mental health.
You also get to learn;
1) Human anatomy including physiology and body alignment
2) Study of yoga literature including Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras among others
3) Practice technique of Pranayama
The 200-hour yoga teacher training provides you with the basic knowledge of yoga and its practices. You get to learn not only the different asanas but also gain in-depth knowledge of the yogic lifestyle including the right diet.
However, before you decide to enroll in a yoga teacher certificate course; there are a few tips you should remember to overcome the initial discomfort.
Tips to Prepare for the Yoga Teacher Certification
Firstly, congratulations on deciding to take up a hard yet promising path of becoming a yoga teacher. You are in for the experience of a lifetime with complete physical, mental, and spiritual growth.
However, you would need to prepare yourself both mentally and physically for some hard facts.
1. Know About the Yoga Teacher Training Program
Make sure to read up as much literature on the particular yoga teacher course as possible. You can browse the websites of other schools providing the same course or go through ancient texts. Ask around from the current and previous students of the course and ask about their experience with the program.
It helps you get an idea about the number of hours that program takes, how much break-time you get between each session, and the type of accommodation they offer among others.
2. The Start of Journey Towards Self
Practicing the various asanas and postures under the guidance of experienced teachers provides you a life-changing experience. You also come to the realization there are some emotionally painful memories you might have ignored for a long time. Yoga teacher training gives you the chance to work on the inner being.
3. Be Clear With Your Intention
Prior to enrolling yourself in a yoga teacher certification course, you should be clear about the reason behind doing so. Are you looking to deepen the yogic practices or just looking to gain some depth to the current yoga practice? You need to have clear intentions when deciding to become a certified yoga teacher.
4. Be Prepared to Learn New Things
If you decide to go with the traditional yoga teacher training then you would have to learn the Sanskrit names of asanas, and other yogic practices. The training also requires you to learn Yoga Sutras and dive deeper into the yogic philosophy including the knowledge of human anatomy.
5. Continue Your Practice
Your decision to join a yoga teacher certification school happens even if you have minimal knowledge of yogic practices. You need to work on the different yoga asanas to stay physically and mentally ready for the advanced practice sessions. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the different names of asanas and how each of the benefits the body and mind.
Simply enrolling in a course does not help you. You are bound to have certain expectations from the course. Read on below to know the six things you can expect from the training session.
Six Things You Can Expect During the Training
Before becoming a certified teacher and spreading the knowledge of Yoga to others, you need to clear the course both in theory and practice to become eligible. Given below are the six things that you can expect during your time at school.
1. History Lessons
You would need to go a bit in-depth into the history of its practical applications, and importance in ancient and modern times. Learning about sacred art gives you the chance to make the subject more interesting and easier.
2. Learning the Language
Yoga is a science with fixed roots in Indian tradition and culture. You come across the Sanskrit names of various yogic postures along with an in-depth understanding of ancient art. Knowing the original language of yogic culture would help you understand other complex lessons during the training.
3. The Atmosphere
Practicing yoga takes a lot of patience and composure, not to forget a serene and peaceful atmosphere to keep the mind and body relaxed completely. Peaceful surroundings always work in favor when it comes to learning about this sacred art.
4. The Perfect Postures
Yoga practice takes into consideration hundreds of different postures that have different effects on different parts of the body. A yoga teacher certification includes hours of sessions on the theoretical and practical aspects of Yoga.
5. Health is a Priority
The majority of individuals take up Yoga as a solution to having a healthy mind and body. There is no doubt that Yoga helps the individual in getting rid of many health issues. You have to be prepared to know the right time to practice a particular asana.
6. Improvement is a Choice
We all know that practice makes a man perfect and it is the same with Yoga. The yoga teacher training sessions help you practice each posture to perfection. You can then help other students to overcome the obstacles in their practice.
It is time for you to understand a bit about what exactly does Yoga Alliance does and what the yoga teacher certification includes.
Yoga Alliance – a Brief Intro
Yoga Alliance is a non-profit organization that keeps a record of all the Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) and Registered Yoga Schools (RYS).
Here, the RYT refers to a teacher who has completed a serious yoga teacher training program and has the necessary qualifications to teach yoga to others. To become eligible for an RYT certificate, you need to study five areas;
1) Different yoga techniques and postures
2) Human anatomy including physiology and psychology
3) Practical teacher training
4) Yoga philosophy including history and lifestyle
5) Methods of teaching yoga
It is time you understand the different types of RYT programs a Yoga Alliance certified school offers.
The Different Yoga Teacher Certification Courses
The two primary Yoga Teacher Training provided by Yoga Alliance is RYT-200 and RYT-500. The difference is in the number of hours both the courses need to complete. You can earn the 500-hour yoga teacher certification in two ways.
The primary method is to enroll straightaway in the 500-hour course and complete the training. Another way you can earn the 500-hour certification is by first taking the RYT-200 course and then going for the RYT-300 training. You get the opportunity to explore more complex techniques of Yoga.
Yoga Teacher Training Courses In-Depth
The yoga teacher certification provides you in-depth theoretical and practical knowledge of each asana and philosophy. It is time for you to learn a bit in detail about the different yoga teacher training courses.
200-Hour Yoga Teacher Certification
The 200-hour yoga teacher training is best suited for those just starting out their journey in yogic practices. You get to understand not only the basics of Yoga but also practices as Hatha Yoga, Pranayama, Yoga Nidra, and Mantras among others.
The 200-hour yoga teacher certification also provides you complete knowledge of;
1) Group Asana practice
2) Arm balancing postures
3) Knowledge of Shatkarma Kriya
4) Basic balancing, twisting, sitting, and standing postures
5) Introduction to different Yoga Mudras
6) Practice of Sun Salutations and other postures
7) In-depth understanding of human anatomy and physiology
300-Hour Yoga Teacher Certification
The 300-hour yoga teacher training certification helps you go a bit advanced over the syllabus of the 200-hour training. You get to learn advanced techniques of Yoga.
The syllabus at the 300-hour yoga teacher training course includes:
1) In-depth knowledge of yoga asanas including an introduction to human anatomy, and yogic diet
2) Asana practice to improve muscle strength and tone
3) Study of yoga anatomy and physiology including knowledge of yoga asana suiting each part of the body
4) Lessons on yogic philosophy including the history of Yoga, proper diet, and breathing
5) Practice of Pranayama, yogic breathing, and Mantra chanting
500-Hour Yoga Teacher Certification
The 500-hour yoga teacher training course provides you with a full spectrum of Yoga Alliance certified training. You will receive a complete knowledge of Yoga Mudras, yoga teaching methodology, and also get enough time to practice and master the sacred art.
Learning the 500-hour yoga teacher training course also gives you access to;
1) Complete history and background of Yoga
2) In-depth understanding of the techniques of Yoga
3) Understanding of Mysticism and Yogic lifestyle
4) Study of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra and other yogic literature
5) Practice of different yogic asanas and postures
6) Mantra chanting and meditation skills
Conclusion
A yoga teacher certification course gives you the opportunity to not only advance your present yoga practice. You also develop the confidence to help other individuals on their journey towards physical and mental well-being. The teacher training course offers you a chance to get the basics right and advance to the next level.
Read more: How Much Does a Yoga Teacher Training Cost?
FAQs
Q1) Are there legit online yoga teacher certification programs that are free or affordable?
Ans: No. There aren’t any online yoga teacher certification programs that are free. If you really are dedicated to learn and get to know more about yoga teacher training, then that can only be done in person.
Q2) Which level of yoga teacher certification is best?
Ans: There is no such level of yoga teacher certification that is best. It all depends on where you stand in the practice of yoga and what level you wish to climb onto (beginner, intermediate, advanced).
Q3) What do yoga teacher training study materials include?
Ans) The yoga teacher training course materials include an introduction to the history and methodology of yoga, lessons on Chakras, the practice of various asanas, and an in-depth study of human anatomy among others.
Read more: Cost of RYT 500
