Many yoga devotees consider getting certified yoga instructors with the hope of turning their passion into a career. But the question always arises of how to become a yoga instructor.
Though the path to certification is different for each person, there are standardized and internationally supervised programs that allow you to receive the accreditation that guarantees that you and your school can offer professional, high-quality yoga classes.
Choosing a program
To become a certified yoga teacher in the United States, start by choosing programs registered in the Yoga Alliance. In this case, some extra requirements to achieve certification can be set by the program of your preference.
There are intensive several hours a day courses that last for a couple of weeks, or extended training that can go on for several months, everything will depend on the dedication and level of commitment you can allow yourself at a given moment to reach that goal.
Whatever your case, certified Yoga programs demand that you demonstrate your experience and discipline.
Although each school may request other requirements, demonstrating your dedication, passion, and journey in conquering each yoga posture is essential to continue on the path to certification.
With levels of up to 500 hours to obtain the Advanced Teacher Training certificate, licensing in yoga is much more than fulfilling formalities, it is the most responsible strategy to offer your students the best care and guidance to achieve physical balance and spiritual growth included in the practice of this millenary discipline.
Yoga trainer Guide
Reaching a level of inner peace and learning to meditate is part of this journey towards personal development that, for some, also ends up becoming their call: a life at the service of others.
If you are considering getting the Teacher training certificate, it is essential that you:
- Evaluate your skills: undertaking the path of teaching others requires a lot of humility, are you prepared to face students with different physical conditions, questions, and eventualities in your class?
If you love yoga and practice it with assiduity, you will understand that each path is unique, and taking a little time to understand your call is essential for you to achieve certification at the right time. - Learn to breathe: It’s not just about repeating Asanas, breathing techniques and meditation are essential to reach the level of balance that yoga practice requires at a professional level.
Breathing helps you improve your blood flow, when you stop breathing while performing a complicated posture, you end up losing balance and focus.
Working on your breathing, it is essential to have conquered the complexity of a yoga posture and learn to breathe your way through it by staying several breaths and maintaining that pose. - Keep practicing: If you are here, we know that yoga is your passion. Repeat the basics, conquer complicated postures and don’t give up if you haven’t reached the flexibility level needed for certain positions, that’s what the Teacher training is about: helping you achieve goals you didn’t even know you had.
- Go further: Learning about Ayurveda, anatomy, and relaxation techniques is an ideal way to continue growing and provide your students with the guidance they seek in you as a professional yoga practitioner.
- Try new styles: Become an integral student and try new ways to practice yoga beyond Hatha Yoga. As you know, there are several types of yoga with different characteristics and purposes.
Some like Bikram are more intense and combine specific positions of Hatha Yoga practiced in a hot-heated room, in other cases like Kundalini yoga, they look for spiritual rebirth, awakening chakra’s throughout the body by singing and repeating mantras. - Discover your style: Once you’ve gone through all these steps and picked up all the necessary tools to get a Yoga teacher certification, it will be time to understand who you are and what your interpretation of the discipline is.
What is your mission in the world of yoga and meditation? That way you will achieve not only a more significant connection with yourself but conquer new skills to help your students in their path.
How long does it take to become a yoga teacher?
The journey of a yoga teacher begins even before signing up for a teacher training program. Indeed, before attending a 200-hour program, it is ideal to have already developed a consistent yoga practice.
Therefore, your body will be reasonably fit for physical rigor already, and your mind will be equipped with an understanding of the asanas and what happens during training.
Completing a 200-hour course will be your first official step to becoming a certified teacher. After that, you can go for a 300-hour program if you want to continue and become a 500-hour RYT.
It will rely on your current obligations and lifestyle and how much time it takes for you to become a yoga instructor. If you can commit to two to four weeks of daily practice, the best fit for you may be an immersion program.
In that scenario, within a month, you will be trained and ready to try your first job.
A longer period of study may be a better option for those who need to align their job or home life with learning. Only make sure you’re doing your homework.
The programs, as well as the teaching style and philosophy, vary in the depth of the material they cover. Choose the one that best suits you.
How do I get a yoga certification?
First, choose the style of yoga that you love the most and then complete a yoga teacher training course from a yoga alliance certified yoga teacher training school.
After that, you will need to enroll in the Yoga Alliance of America as a yoga teacher.
Once you are licensed, you will be identified as an instructor in their global folder who has met their minimum teaching requirements and completed their practice with an officially registered yoga class.
A good yoga teacher isn’t one who can perform all the postures, nor the one who has the best photos taken in exotic and impossible places.
A good yoga teacher is one who can inspire their students to keep trying and adapt the class to their needs by offering them all the support they need with responsibility and kindness.
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