Hey yoga babes! We’re now officially in SUMMER, it’s one of my favorite seasons in the year. The sun’s out, the beach is calling, and our horse trails are well lit. Today, I’ll answer a question I get asked at least once a week, can you teach yoga without certification? Hmm…while legally you can, but it’s a bad idea. Why? You put yourself and your clients at serious risk of injury without a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals of yoga. I cannot imagine you would want to open yourself up to those legal ramifications or the guilt of knowing you misguided someone. Allow me to explain further.
Who is a Yoga Teacher?
First let me say a yoga teacher is not just someone who teaches great asanas.
Borrowing from Indeed, a teacher is defined as:
A teacher is a professional who shares their knowledge on a particular topic or set of topics with a group of students in hopes of advancing their knowledge, skills, thinking or overall characters. They give their students the tools to solve problems by applying the facts and concepts they learned.
You see that bit right there about sharing knowledge on a particular topic? That right there is the winner, winner, chicken dinner. As a yoga instructor versus an aficionado, you’ll need to master, and respect the terminologies. Even more, you need to fully grasp its anatomical benefits, its rich history and of course master its methodology. This is why all recognized and respected yoga teachers dedicate the time and effort required to master their craft through formally trained schools.
What is a Yoga Teacher Certificate?
Just like our scholastic counterparts, yoga teachers also have our own certification programs that work as a mechanism to maintain a standard of excellence. There are a few yoga teacher certification programs that are the hallmark of a well verse yoga teacher. Below are some internationally recognized certification programs that you can check out.
E-RYT 200® Certification Program
This yoga certificate program is offered by Yoga Alliance and allows yoga teachers to be certified only after following comprehensive training AND teaching requirements.
- They are required to complete a 200-hour yoga teacher training course (YTT), like our very Mind & Body Complete Online Yoga Teacher Training Program
- They must complete these training hours through one school/training program only
- New yoga teachers must submit 1,000 teaching hours to be designates as E-RYT 200 certified.
Learn more about this certification program here.
E-RYT 500® Certification Program
This program is the more advanced version of the E-RYT 200 ®. Yoga teachers can only achieve this designation after they have completed a 500-hour yoga teacher training program register with Yoga Alliance. This can be a combination of 200-hour teacher training and 300 hours of advance training from a RYS 300. Finally, teachers are required to show proof that they have complete 100 teaching hours after their RYS 200 or 500 training.
YACEP ®
This certificate, which is also completed through Yoga Alliance, the Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP) ®, is designated to yoga teachers that teach continuing education courses. This means that you can teach courses that will count towards your students Continuing Education hours for RYT certification. Essentially, this is for yoga teachers who are certified to teach other yoga teachers.
Why You Need a Yoga Teacher Certificate
Yoga is a multi-millennia old craft that is steeped in history, philosophy, lifestyle, anatomical sciences, and mental wellness through guided meditation, breath work and postures. As I’ve mentioned above, when you’re a great yoga teacher, it means you’re well versed on the practice. It’s the only way to pass on the best knowledge and practices to your students. What’s more, a great YTT course will also include a module on building your own yoga business. In fact, we include it in our Mind & Body 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training.
I know we’ve just covered quite a few acronyms and definitions. At first, I’m sure it can seem quite daunting, but I promise you it isn’t. With the right YTT program, you can attain your yoga certification from the comfort of your own home, retreats or in-person classes. The benefit of pursuing an online yoga teacher training certification program is that you can go at your own pace. Plus there are amazing support groups in the online yoga training program community.
To truly be a fountain of knowledge, you’ve got to go to the well and build from there. The the same with yoga teaching, you’ve got to dedicate the hours to learn the craft and get educated on its history. That’s when you’ve got the best chance to be hired and recognized as a top yoga instructor. I always and only recommend that you teach yoga after completing a yoga teaching certification program.
See you next week babes!
