Yoga Alliance 200 hr/300 hr/500 hr Yoga Teacher Certification
Your first course will be a 200 hour Teacher Training course.
Most South African, US, UK and European yoga teachers and studios are certified under the Yoga Alliance. www.yogaalliance.org This is an American based organisation – the biggest in the world. Most studios and gyms require this certification for you to teach.
Unfortunately, to confuse matters other Yoga Alliances have sprung up including Yoga Alliance Int (India), Yoga Alliance (Aus) and some others. These organisations have no affiliation with the Yoga Alliance. See the bottom of the page for for more details on what your credentialing means.
Yoga Schools credentials
https://www.yogaalliance.org/Directory?Type=School
Before you do your chosen course head to the link above and check that the studio is registered with the Yoga Alliance for the right level of certification. If you plan to do a 300 hr (500hr) course then the studio cannot just be registered for a 200 hr level course. They must be registered for a 300 hr course too or you wont get accreditation.
How many people are on the course? This is a really important question to ask the studio. Many studios take too many students on their teacher training courses and you end up getting very little attention – it becomes like being in a big yoga class.
What do you want from the course? Is the course to deepen your practice? Or do you want to teach? Or to improve your teaching. Ask the studio how much time is spent on practice (ie being in a normal class like environment) and how much time is spent working on understanding most of the individual poses, both for your practice and for your teaching.
One month intensive or part time? This is of course a decision that is made based on your free time.
Teaching on the course? Many courses leave you unprepared to teach as they are too big to offer any teaching experience. Ask if you will get teaching experience and help on your course. Do you learn to sequence a class? To put together a good class for all levels of practitioners including your self?
What is your area of interest? Courses differ with their emphasis. Some courses are more anatomical, and understanding the poses from this point of view. Other courses don’t do any anatomy and are not concerned about alignment or the poses themselves, but may have a more spiritual outlook which may appeal to you.
Not All “Yoga Alliances” Are the Same
Since 1999, Yoga Alliance® has been the internationally recognized standards-setting organization for yoga.
“Yoga Alliance USA” = Yoga Alliance. “Yoga Alliance USA” is not our name. Rather it is simply a moniker that some other entities use to refer to us. Our organization should be referred to as Yoga Alliance and Yoga Alliance Registry.
Yoga Alliance is Not Affiliated with Other “Yoga Alliances” Yoga Alliance is not affiliated or connected with any of the following entities listed on this page.Yoga Alliance International India or any other Yoga Alliance International organisation.