Top Reasons to Choose an Online Yoga Teacher Training Program
In an ever-evolving digital world, more and more yogis are turning to online platforms to deepen their practice and expand their teaching skills. But why exactly should you consider signing up for an online yoga teacher training (YTT)? Let’s explore some compelling reasons that make this a popular and practical choice.
1. Flexibility and Convenience
One of the most significant advantages of an online YTT is flexibility. Whether you're juggling a full-time job, managing family responsibilities, or adhering to a busy schedule, most online programs offer the ability to learn at your own pace. Study during your lunch break, practice asanas in the evening, or dive into anatomy lessons on the weekend. The choice is entirely yours!
2. Accessibility
Not everyone has access to high-quality yoga teacher training programs locally. Online training breaks down geographical barriers, allowing anyone with an internet connection to enroll in top-tier courses. This opens up opportunities for individuals living in rural areas or countries where in-person trainings are scarce.
3. Cost-Effectiveness
Traditional in-person YTT programs can be pricey, with additional costs for travel, accommodation, and commuting. Online training often proves to be more affordable with lower tuition fees and the elimination of these additional expenses. This makes it a desired option for those looking to maximize their budget.
4. Variety and Choice
The online landscape is vast, offering hundreds of programs from renowned instructors worldwide. Whether you're interested in Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, or specialized trainings like Yoga Therapy or Prenatal, there is something for everyone. This variety ensures you can find a course that perfectly aligns with your specific interests and future goals.
5. Comfort and Familiarity
Learning from the comfort of your own home can be a significant advantage. Create a personal practice space that's conducive to your learning style — be it a quiet room with candles and incense or outside where you can connect with nature. This personalized environment can enhance your overall learning experience.
6. Replay Options
One of the biggest benefits of online training is the ability to revisit recorded sessions. Complex concepts and techniques can be challenging to grasp in a single take. With recorded lessons, you can go back as often as needed throughout your training, ensuring you thoroughly understand the material and refine your techniques.
7. Diverse Learning Materials
Online YTTs often come with a full library of digital resources like video tutorials, reading materials, interactive forums, and assignments. These varied materials cater to different learning styles and can deepen your understanding of yoga philosophy, anatomy, and teaching methodology.
8. Global Community
When you join an online YTT, you're connecting with a global network of aspiring yoga teachers and practitioners. This international community offers valuable networking opportunities, diverse perspectives, and the chance to form lasting friendships with people from all over the world.
By now, you’re likely seeing the many benefits of online yoga teacher training. If you’re inspired to embark on this transformative journey, we offer a comprehensive 200-hour online yoga teacher training that combines all of these benefits and more.
Our training is designed to provide you with a flexible, accessible, and enriching learning experience led by experienced instructors who are committed to your growth. Plus, with our diverse learning materials and supportive global community, you'll have everything you need to succeed.
Ready to take your practice to the next level? Learn more and join our next yoga teacher training today!
How Long Should I Practice Yoga Before Doing Yoga Teacher Training?
As you consider your direction towards becoming a yoga teacher, one of the most common questions asked is about how long you should practice yoga before enrolling in a yoga teacher training (YTT) program. The answer to this question depends on several factors, including your personal goals, the style of yoga you're interested in teaching, and the specific requirements of the training program.
The Importance of the Practice
Yoga is not just about the physical postures or what you can “do.” It's a mindfulness practice that encompasses deeper philosophy, breathing techniques, and meditation. Building a solid foundational understanding of all these aspects is necessary to become a competent and well rounded yoga teacher.
A More Traditional View
In traditional yoga trainings, it was often recommended that students practice for several years before becoming a yoga teacher. This allowed them time to develop a deep understanding of the practice, its principles, and how to apply the teachings to life. These trainings have changed a lot and are often more open to different experience levels within the practice.
Modern Perspective
The modern world of yoga has evolved significantly. Many students feel drawn to teach earlier into their practice, and they may not have the same level of physical or philosophical background as traditional practitioners once did. Yoga teacher trainings are more plentiful and welcoming of new aspiring teachers so they’re often geared more towards foundational understanding of the practice, postures, history and philosophies.
What's More Important Than Time?
Although time can be a factor, it's not the only point of consideration. Here are a few other key factors that can be more important than how long you’ve been practicing:
Consistency: Having a regular practice is crucial. Aim to practice at least 2-3 times a week or more. To become a good teacher will require you to be a good student.
Depth of Knowledge: How deeply do you understand the practice? This includes knowledge on things like the postures and class styles. You may even have a deeper understanding of anatomy, philosophy, history or teaching methodology. Trainings vary, but they often don’t require much (if any) prior yoga knowledge to join.
Personal Connection: Your personal connection to the practice is essential. You should feel a genuine love for yoga and a strong desire to share it with others. This typically forms from a consistent practice and a basic understanding.
Physical Ability: While being able to do fancy postures is not necessary, you should have the ability to demonstrate and teach the postures as needed for your students. This can range based on the style of yoga you plan to teach and the difficulty of postures you feel comfortable with in your own practice.
Practical Time Guidelines
Given the considerations above, here are some practical YTT time guidelines :
Minimum 6 months to 1 year: This is a good base for most students. This allows you to develop a consistent practice, understand the basics of yoga, and to begin exploring some of its deeper aspects.
1-2 years: At this time, you've likely developed a strong connection to the practice and are beginning to explore the philosophical dimensions of yoga.
2+ years: With several years of practice, you've likely grown a deep understanding of the practice and are ready to share your knowledge with others.
To Conclude
Less emphasis on time you’ve been practicing and more on the quality and connection of your practice time. You should feel passionate, curious, excited and ready to share the gift of Yoga with others.
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Picking a Yoga Teacher Training
Picking the right yoga teacher training program
When it comes to my first 200 hour yoga teaching training program, I wish I had known more about what to look for and research. It was, after all, going to be laying the foundational framework for the rest of my education to build from - no big deal. All I knew was that I liked yoga and wanted to become a teacher, so I looked up how to do just that. At that time, online teacher trainings weren’t around, so in person yoga teacher trainings were my only option. I soon discovered that the one yoga studio we had in town offered a teacher training, so I signed up the following day. Although I gained a lot from that experience, I also came out of the training with gaps in vital parts of my education. Here are 5 things I learned from that and other training experiences to help with picking the best 200 hour yoga teacher training for you.
1) You don’t know what style of yoga the training focuses on.
Time to do a little research! Are they mostly Yin & Restorative styles? Vinyasa or Hatha? Maybe Meditation? Although a 200 hour training should include general knowledge on what all these styles are, most trainings will focus in on a specific energy of the practice to build a solid foundation with. I mostly practiced Vinyasa Yoga and wanted to teach Vinyasa when I first started, but didn’t know that trainings would have different focuses or energy. The training I signed up for was geared more towards Restorative styles of yoga, and I did learn a lot from that, but it didn’t necessarily align me with where I wanted to be after I received my certificate. This meant, I now had to do a lot of additional trainings and spend countless hours practice teaching to my friends - there was a lot of trial and error. Be sure the training that you pick is setting up a good foundation for you to build upon. You can always add on more trainings later, so start with what made you want to start teaching to begin with!
2) You don’t know if the training follows any educational standards.
I. Cannot. Stress. This. Enough. No matter what 200, 300 or 500 hour program, there should be a format, standard and structure that it follows. Yoga Alliance sets the known standard in the yoga world for teachers & schools. They map out a comprehensive breakdown of the training hours, categories, topics and more that all of their schools are supposed to uphold and update. These trainings often promote themselves as RYS (registered yoga school) at either a 200, 300 or 500 hour level. This means they’ve taken the steps to apply, submit their curriculum and requirements for that level. You may still need to ensure the program stays updated as Yoga Alliance continues to raise their standards. Not all teacher trainings are registered with Yoga Alliance - some may choose to pave their own way. There are a lot of great teachers out there, but it’s important to know that they still have SOME kind of standard that they follow. Do not make the mistake of signing up for a yoga teacher training without knowing if you can use that training to start teaching after. A lot of studios may require you to have at least a 200hr program - some may require it to have been with an RYS. Do your research.
3) You don’t know about your lead trainers.
Who are these people? Were they referred to you? What is their background? How long have they been teaching? What is their experience with leading teachers? Who is THEIR teacher? These are really important questions to ask when you’re choosing a yoga teacher training program. So often we see the words “Yoga Teacher Training”, so we assume they must know what they’re doing….right? Without a standard, it allows anyone to call themselves a yoga teacher or a yoga school. This can make it extremely confusing when trying to sift through all the different options we have nowadays - both in person and online. This is why I personally stand behind Yoga Alliance standards - you know what you’re getting and it’s widely recognized. Aside from the standards, we have to understand that we will be learning from these people pretty intensely for a while, so who they are, their background in the practice and their experience level truly matters. When it comes to experience, it’s not just about who can do the fancy postures. You want a teacher who can educate you on all the deeper aspects of the practice and leaves you with the foundational information and tools to start teaching. Your lead trainers should have years of experience not only with teaching students but also with teaching teachers (AKA you). Yoga Alliance requires their lead trainers to at least have the title of RYT-500 (registered yoga teacher at a 500hour level). Get to know them , their credentials and ensure they also align with where it is you’re going. They are passing their education down to you!
4) You go for the cheapest or easiest training.
Yes, we need to be able to afford our training, but your 200 hour training is the most important. This is where you will build the necessary skills and foundational knowledge. We should be giving our education more mindful consideration the same way we do in our yoga practice. What we should start to shift our focus to more is QUALITY. Cheaper almost never equates to quality. Going back to my story above, don’t end up paying more in money and time by needing additional education on vital topics you should have learned in your 200 hour program. Nowadays, you don’t even need to go anywhere for a teacher training as many have shifted into the online world. Maybe you prefer an in person experience, and if so, find one that meets the standard and aligns with you and where you want to go. If you go for an online option, be careful, because there are many trainings out there tempting you with a cheap price tag & a flexible schedule. Although online trainings do have more flexibility in the schedule, it should still have structure & a combination of live & recorded hours. No matter what training you choose, be sure that quality is of the highest importance. 2 people can take 2 different 200 hour trainings on the same topic and come out with 2 completely different quality educations. Don’t settle for what’s easiest or cheapest - invest in your foundation.
5) You don’t know the vibe.
Although all are important and build upon one another, this one can change your experience entirely. Do you practice with the teachers already? Do you go to that studio? Do you know people within that community? If your answer is no, I’d strongly recommend doing all of the above to ensure they match your vibe. Why is this so important? Yoga teacher training can be such a life changing experience for many people, so imagine going through this transformative time with a group of people you don’t feel open or comfortable with? Every studio, teacher & teacher training program will have a different feel, vibe or energy. It doesn’t make those studios or teachers bad if we don’t vibe with them, but the energy changes instantly when you’re in a space with people who make you feel like…home. Do you feel like yourself in those spaces and with those people? Do you feel safe? Are you able to be vulnerable? Teacher trainings often go pretty deep into our lives (the practice off the mat) so pick a training that will align you with the people that match your vibration. I wish I had known this. Because I chose based on convenience in location for my program, I didn’t know much about my teachers, the styles that I’d be focused on or anything for that matter. Although I won’t say it was a bad experience, I also won’t say it was a good experience. If I could go back, I would find a program that aligned with my love for Vinyasa yoga but also with teachers and a studio that made me feel like home. Imagine a good education AND a good vibe.
The moral of the story is, do your research! These are only 5 common mistakes we make when choosing a teacher training program, but I’m there are many other things that you could consider. When it came time for me to choose a 300 hour yoga teacher training, I was a lot more intentional, and guess what? It was one of the most amazing training experiences ever - even as a fully online program. It opened my eyes to what a teacher training could be from afar. I hope this information helps you to pick your yoga teacher training investment wisely.
Sincerely,
Kaycie Nikole
(ERYT-500, YACEP, Lead Trainer & Founder of RYS-200 New Moon Yoga Academy Teacher Training