Last updated on January 28th, 2023 at 03:00 pm

How to Become a Certified Yoga Instructor

Did you know that yoga grew in popularity by almost 64% between 2010 and 2021? It’s no surprise that there are millions of yogis out there that enjoy practicing on a day-to-day basis.

If yoga is more than a hobby for you, follow your passion and become a registered yoga instructor! If you are certified, you can share your love with others and get paid for it.

Keep reading to learn how to become a certified yoga instructor.

Learn Yoga

You can’t learn how to become a certified yoga instructor without first learning yoga. You need a thorough understanding of the practice of yoga and all of its moves.

There are different styles of yoga that you can specialize in. Take various yoga classes to find the style that suits your personal preferences. Some of the popular yoga styles are:

Hatha
Bikram
Vinyasa
Ashtanga

The way each style of yoga is taught will depend on the instructor and the location of the class. Consider trying several styles of yoga across different locations and teachers.

Not only will this help your practice, but it allows you to create your teaching style for when you receive your yoga teacher certification. If you find a yoga teacher that you enjoy, ask them to mentor you through the process.

Even if you consider yourself a know-it-all when it comes to yoga, taking classes in your community might surprise you. You never know what you’ll learn from others.

Complete a Training Course

After learning the ins and outs of yoga, choose a registered yoga school that follows established guidelines from the Yoga Alliance. From there, you can enroll in a yoga teacher training (YTT) program to become a certified yoga instructor.

There are two certification program levels. The first is a 200-hour certification program.

After taking this program, you can refresh your knowledge and advance your education with the 100-hour Yoga Alliance international accredited teacher training program.

Completing the 200-hour certification involves doing coursework in the following subjects:

Asana
Pranayama
Meditation
Yoga Philosophy and History
The Art of Teaching
Anatomy
The Art of Sequencing

These are standard yoga teacher training programs, but you can pursue a certification in a specialty area as well. Yoga for Kids, Children and Teens are a separate, specialised yoga teacher training certification and registered prenatal yoga teacher certifications are common options.

Teaching yoga is more than instructing postures and creating sequences. You need to know how to create a safe space for your students to connect to their body and mind. You will learn all of this throughout a yoga teacher training course.

200-Hour Certification Program

Loka Yoga School offers a 200-hour program over the course of four weeks in beautiful Bali. This internationally accredited yoga teacher training program provides students with the credentials needed to teach.

A typical day in the program will follow this schedule:

Daily yoga practice – including meditation, pranayama, asana, mudras and bandhas
Healthy, nourishing breakfast
Yoga Anatomy
Yoga Asana Posture Lab workshop
Yoga Philosophy
Teaching workshop
Yoga Nidra, Breathwork or alignment class

In the middle of the day and at the end of the day, you’ll get free time to enjoy the island. Sundays are rest days, in which you have the entire day off to spend as you wish.

If you can’t make it to Bali, consider taking online yoga classes that will allow you to become a registered and certified yoga teacher.

Get Registered

A registered yoga teacher (RYT) certification is internationally recognized. This credential proves that you have met the minimum yoga training standards established by Yoga Alliance.

Complete at least the 200-hour level registered yoga school training program to get your RYT certification. You’ll have to pay an initial application fee of US $50 and then an annual membership fee will apply.

To upgrade your RYT with your certification to the Registered Children Yoga Teacher (RCYT) in Yoga Alliance, you’ll need to pay an additional fee.

Decide How You Will Teach Yoga

There are several types of yoga teachers. Some choose to cater classes to specific groups of people while others prefer holding classes in certain locations.

For instance, a yoga teacher can decide to target a niche market, like professional athletes. They may also decide to teach yoga online or through a studio.

If you wish to teach yoga in a fitness or health center, you’ll likely need to become certified in First Aid and CPR. Fitness and health centers make this a requirement to ensure instructors can respond to basic health emergencies.

Start Teaching Classes

With all of the above steps complete, you are ready to begin teaching yoga classes!

To get your name out there as a certified and professional yoga instructor, you can begin teaching classes within your community to family, friends and network connections.

These events will help you establish yourself as a professional in the industry. You can even charge a fee for your teaching or offer it on a ‘by donation’ basis.

Talk to local businesses like yoga studios, gyms, clothing companies that offer communities classes (such as Lululemon) and other locations to see if you can begin teaching your own classes in their facilities.

Keep in mind that you’ll need to pay your annual dues to maintain certification. Stay up to date on any continuing education coursework you need to complete to keep your registration as a yoga teacher.

If you’re not feeling confident enough to start teaching right away, go deeper into your education with a 100-hour certification program at Loka Yoga School.

This program is accredited by the Yoga Alliance as a Yoga Alliance Continued Education Program (YACEP).