Why Does The Yoga Alliance Certification Matter?
Who is Yoga Alliance?
Composed of over 7,000 Registered Yoga Schools (RYS) and more than 100,000 Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT) as of April of 2020, Yoga Alliance is the largest nonprofit association representing the yoga community. Their mission is to “foster and support the high quality, safe, accessible, and equitable teaching of yoga.” Advocacy is a key component of the Yoga Alliance, but they have taken it to the next level to ensure quality and safety in yoga teaching and practice by:
Creating quantitative standards for yoga instruction
Establishing a member-wide Ethical Commitment that includes a Code of Conduct, Scope of Practice, and dedication to equity.
Fostering accountability through fair and full feedback regarding RYSs.
Why Does The Yoga Alliance Certification Matter?
Founded in 1999 to protect diversity and set quality standards for yoga training and teaching, Yoga Alliance has worked diligently to improve the yoga education experience and continue to help positively shape its progression. Thus, the Yoga Alliance-approved certification has become the benchmark by which most practitioners measure trainings and teachers. So, why does the Yoga Alliance Certification matter? Because it is the most highly respected authority on yoga training. The immense work has ensured that quality yoga teachers are available and accessible. This is the reason why many fitness facilities, gyms, and studios require yoga teachers to become certified with a Yoga Alliance-approved program. To become a certified yoga teacher, you need to complete a 200 hour program. Although different schools offer shorter certificate programs, in terms of the number of hours, Yoga Alliance requires that you to receive 200 hours of educational training, at a minimum, before becoming a recognized yoga teacher. As part of the Yoga Alliance Credentialing system, trainees that complete a teacher training with a Registered Yoga School (RYS) are required to review and give feedback on the school and their yoga teacher training journey before they are able to continue registering as a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT). In other words, Yoga Alliance isn’t telling you one training is better than another, the students are. They become the eyes and ears for Yoga Alliance in teacher trainings around the world, and the yoga community becomes more accountable as a whole.
Choosing the Right Yoga Teacher Training Certification
Pursuing a training that is internationally recognized is key for a successful yoga teacher career. More importantly, investing in the right Yoga Alliance approved training can dramatically increase your chances for fantastic results in the long run, and actually make you a more knowledgeable and more effective yoga teacher. I highly recommend that the Training you pick to trust with your yoga education should always have these factors:
The Teacher is an Experienced Teacher registered in Yoga Alliance 500Hs
The school is registered with Yoga Alliance
