yoga teacher training: how to choose the right one for you

Have you decided to enroll in yoga teacher training? Do you want to pursue your yoga certification?

That’s fantastic!

Enrolling in a 200-hour yoga teacher training program is one of the most beautiful, life-changing things you can do for yourself!

And even if you decide not to become a teacher, you will still have this knowledge to use!

How to pick your 200-hour yoga teacher training

Nowadays, there are many different training choices available!

How do you choose the best program for you?

Can you predict if this course in which you will invest money and time will pay off?

Here is a quick summary of the 11 best online yoga certification programs we picked. Please keep reading to discover more!

Training NameStyleOptionsYoga Alliance Rating
My Vinyasa PracticeVinyasa200 – 300 – 500 Hrs4.79
Movement Wisdom 200 HR YTT with Jess RoseLearn to Teach 4 Styles200 Hrs5.0
Stephanie’s Online Yoga SchoolYin, Restorative & Vinyasa200 – 300 Hrs4.82
Santosha Yoga SchoolHatha, Vinyasa200 – 300 – 5004.34
Vinyasa YogashalaMulti Style200 Hrs4.86
Scott Moore Online Yoga Nidra CertificationYoga Nidra20 Hrsn/a
Brett Larkin, Yoga UpliftedHatha / Vinyasa200 – 300 & 500 Hrs4.83
Zaz Online Yoga SchoolVinyasa / Yoga Nidra/ Restorative200 Hrs4.88
Yoga RenewVinyasa200 Hrs4.82
Akasha Yoga SchoolHatha200 – 300 Hrs4.91
IthacaVinyasa – Hatha Mindfulness200 Hrs4.83
Siddhi YogaHatha / Vinyasa  
Uplifted Pregnant & PowerfulPrenatal10 Hours4.83
Kundalini DemystifiedKundalini20 Hours4.83
Business LaunchpadYoga Business22 Hours4.83
Breath Work Teacher Training with NirajBreathwork14 daysn/a

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Set the intention for your yoga teacher journey

Yoga is an intentional practice, therefore it’s always important to set an intention during your yoga practice if you want to become a yoga teacher. Your destination can be whatever you want to develop and bring to your students.

Doing yoga with an intentional goal can make your practice more meaningful.

Some of these intentions could be:

  • to feel better
  • develop more compassion
  • build strength
  • reduce weight
  • become more aware
  • manage stress
  • alleviate pain

What yoga style should I choose?

Finding the perfect teacher training style will be easy if you set your intention. You can choose between different styles of yoga like Vinyasa yoga, Nidra yoga, and Power yoga, among others.

What should be also taken into consideration is the time you have at your disposal. You can choose a 200-hour, 300-hour, or 500-hour YTT, or you can also attend some smaller online and live classes.

You will need some good training, personal practice teaching yoga, and official certification to teach yoga. However, a good community and some personal commitment are also essential for your yoga practice and your journey as a yoga teacher.

1. Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga

Hatha Yoga focuses on the harmony between the masculine and feminine sun and moon energies. The goal is to work on the connection between your mind and your soul.

VINYASA

This is the perfect yoga style if you want to connect the mind, body, and breath through the coordination of breathing and movement. Even without a set series of asanas, this kind of yoga gives you high energy.

The time spent in postures is shorter than in Hatha, and the classes are more rhythmic and flowing.

Also Read >> seven things to know before you commit to a yoga teacher training

HATHA

Hatha is the most common practice for beginners, because it has a slower pace and can fit any group.

The yoga postures, known as Asanas, are out together in sequences and aligned with the flow of the breath, making the practice more intense.

Here are some of our favorite training to become a yoga teacher in the Hatha and Vinyasa styles:

My Vinyasa Practice Training: The Most Accessible Yoga Teacher Training

Screenshot from the website of My Vinyasa Practice Training

yoga teacher training and 200-hour yoga teacher training

Vinyasa Practice online yoga teacher training course is an alternative to conventional studio-based yoga teacher training programs.

It provides the same level of instruction, knowledge, and customized experience.

After completing the program, instructors who graduate from this 200-hour certified yoga teacher training are qualified to teach classes and retreats for individual clients and groups.

Brett Larkin Yoga Uplifted: A Personalized yoga certification

Screenshot from the website of Brett Larkin Yoga Uplifted

yoga teacher training and 200-hour yoga teacher training

The 10+ hours of business training provided by Brett Larkin’s yoga teacher training UpliftedTM aims to help students thrive and obtain their yoga teacher certification in the digital era.

It covers everything from how to promote yourself online to how to negotiate your price with yoga studios. If you want to start your own yoga business and teach yoga to your students, this is the course for you!

Zaz Yoga: Supportive Teacher Training Community

Screenshot from the website of Zaz Yoga

yoga teacher training and 200-hour yoga teacher training

Zazyoga’s online yoga certification online has its personalized approach. The Zazyoga student becomes part of a group that learns a lot about the theory of yoga.

The most exciting aspect of this course is the possibility of receiving personal feedback and one-on-one coaching from the instructors.

Yoga Renew: Well Rounded Foundation

Screenshot from the website of Yoga Renew

yoga teacher training and 200-hour yoga teacher training

For the same cost as a weekend course, this programme will improve your yoga knowledge. It is appropriate for all levels—beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

The yoga classes are very cheap and have a strong foundation for the yoga philosophy they teach.

Yoga Farm Ithaca: In-Person Yoga Teacher Training

Screenshot from the website of Yoga Farm Ithaca

yoga teacher training and 200-hour yoga teacher training

Online Yoga & Mindfulness with Radiant Warrior Hatha yoga and Mindfulness training are included in the online yoga teacher training course.

This course focuses on practising mindfulness exercises and calming the mind. In addition, it makes a great course

A charity puts on this yoga teacher training to show that its goal is to get as many people as possible into yoga classes.

Siddhi: Profound Registered Yoga Teacher Training

Screenshot from the website of Siddhi Yoga Teacher Training

yoga teacher training and 200-hour yoga teacher training

This teacher training program is a comprehensive course based on the excellent teachings of Siddhi Yoga institutions all across India.

This online yoga teacher certification is taught by three Indian yoga instructors who guide students through advanced yogic practices based on authentic yogic principles. It is a yoga class if you want a low-cost, fun yoga experience.

16 Week – Movement Wisdom 200 HR YTT with Jess Rose

Yoga’s physical and spiritual aspects are covered in great depth during the Movement Wisdom YTT so that you can enter the workforce as a highly regarded instructor who is genuinely knowledgeable in your field.

In addition to instructing more than 1 million yogis worldwide, lead trainer Jess Rose has spent significant time in India researching and putting yoga philosophy to use in her thorough, technical teaching methods.

Santosha YTT 30, 200, 500-hour teacher trainings

Santosha Yoga institute is a prestigious registered yoga school that offers different kinds of teacher trainings online and live in Bali. It also allows you to obtain a Yoga Alliance’s certification after completing the course.

The teachers involved in this course are well-prepared and ready to guide you; with them, you will learn a therapeutic method of yoga that promotes true well-being and provides powerful and transformational yoga knowledge.

2. Power Yoga

The yoga teacher training course Power yoga is a more dynamic version. As a result, it suits people who love yoga but also want something more intensive.

It is often performed at gyms and it is a more active form of yoga. Other techniques, like ashtanga yoga, have influenced it.

Also Read>>> How to use yoga straps

Yoga for Athletes: Sage Certified YOGA teacher Training

Screenshot from the website of Yoga for Athletes Yoga International

yoga teacher training and 200-hour yoga teacher training

The professor, author, and trainer Sage Rountree created Yoga for Athletes, a dynamic online yoga instructor training for athletes and sportspeople.

In this course, she examines the intricate relationship between these two disciplines, yoga and different kinds of Sports.

On this platform, you can find online courses, readings, lectures, weaving, and discussion groups, and it will allow you to become a yoga instructor certified to teach.

This online yoga teacher course will help you improve your practice, make a business plan, explain your yoga philosophy to your students, and teach athletes of all levels.

3. Restorative Yoga

In restorative yoga, the asanas are held for shorter amounts of time, usually between five and twenty minutes.

Asanas are done with the help of props like eye pillows, walls, bolsters, blocks, blankets, yoga sandbags, belts, and chairs. This helps reduce any strain or tension that might occur.

Restorative yoga instructor training is a great way to share this excellent practice with students!

Stephanie’s Online Yoga School: 200 and 300-Hr: Yin & Restorative teacher training

Screenshot from the website of Stephanie's Online Yoga School

yoga teacher training and 200-hour yoga teacher training

This comprehensive online yoga teacher training course dives into the foundations of philosophy and practice. It’s a self-paced yoga teacher certification program that runs on any computer.

Once you finish the course, you will have full access to the online community for free for the rest of your life and get a lot of extra help.

Yoga International: Comprehensive restorative online yoga teacher training program

Screenshot from the website of Yoga International

yoga teacher training and 200-hour yoga teacher training

Cyndi Lee guided students to attend online yoga teacher training to learn how to deal with issues like body size, shape, and abilities. At the same time, you will learn how restorative postures can help you heal and grow.

If you don’t have access to some props, Cindy will teach prop hacks to support you.

In this course, she also teaches two Buddhist meditation techniques as part of the course’s complete set of sequences.

Siddhi Yoga Restorative: Restorative online yoga certification course

Screenshot from the website of Siddhi Yoga Restorative

yoga teacher training and 200-hour yoga teacher training

Yoga Master Dr. Shobhit Ghanshyala in Rishikesh, India, offers a 25-hour self-paced online yoga teacher training. 

The teacher

Shobhit, also known as Govinda, began his yoga practice in his early twenties. He trained with several instructors like Sivananda Ashram, Ashtanga Ashram, and Iyengar Ashram.

He is a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider and E-RYT 500 certified by Yoga Alliance USA.

4. Iyengar Yoga Instructor Training

Iyengar Yoga is based on Iyengar’s yoga teaching style. He teaches asanas and yoga styles with great technical rigor in this online yoga class.

The person rapidly develops energy by bringing the flow of prana to his cells, getting in contact with his body awareness, and enhancing his overall health.

Yoga Vastu: Beginners Yoga Instructor Trainings

The Yoga Vastu platform provides live streaming of Iyengar yoga videos. 

They’ve been teaching yoga for forty years, but as a matter of fact, they are still up to date on the newest musical trends.

Also read >>> Online Yoga Teacher Training Course

They have a lot of different online courses and certification programs, but this course is mainly for people who are just starting.

This online yoga teacher training for beginners takes you through the basic yoga poses step by step and lets you keep improving from class to class.

5. The Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training

Kundalini is a deeply spiritual discipline, compared to other types of yoga. Kundalini yoga focuses on our bodies’ physical and energetic parts, with breathing exercises and pranayama getting the most attention.

Despite what you may believe, everyone may practise the Kundalini technique, making it a universally accessible kind of yoga. This is so because breathing is frequently more important than physical activity.

Kundalini Warrior: 200-Hour Yoga teacher Trainings at Yoga Farm Ithaca

Kundalini Warrior Training at Yoga Farm Ithaca will teach people how to teach Kundalini yoga in a safe and caring environment.

Yoga Farm Ithaca’s Teacher Trainers believe that yoga can be a therapeutic and accessible practice, and this idea is firmly based on their trauma-informed approach.

6. Anatomy Training

The main goal of all yoga students when they start a yoga instructor program is:

  • to learn about creating a sequence of yoga poses
  • understand yoga practice on a spiritual and philosophical level.

Despite that, all good yoga teachers should also be well-versed in anatomy.

Knowing the skeletal and muscular systems of the body can help you better comprehend how the body functions and keep your pupils safe in your lectures.

Shoulders: Anatomy, Dysfunction, and Application with Tiffany Cruikshank and Rachel Land

The shoulders are not just one of the most flexible parts of the body, but also one of the most fragile.

The shoulders play a crucial role in our yoga practice. To avoid getting hurt during practice, you must know the anatomy and mechanics of the shoulders.

Tiffany Cruikshank and Rache Landl, the teachers of this course, are anatomy experts and yoga teachers.

In this short 55-hour training, they will explore the anatomy of the shoulder, its ranges of motion, how to identify injuries, and a variety of movement practices that you can use to help your students to protect the shoulder and harness its incredible potential.

7. Nidra Yoga Teacher Training

Online yoga training Yoga Nidra is a meditation method that leads to profound physical, mental and emotional relaxation. It is profoundly restoring and provides a feeling of completeness.

Scott Moore Yoga: Build Your Voice

This online yoga Nidra training may help you better understand Yoga Nidra.

It also teaches students about its philosophy and how to improve their voices so they can be honest and forceful in their speech.

8. Yin Yoga

The Taoist perspective of the universe, the division that it does everything in yin/yang, and the constant change of energy are linked to yin yoga practice.

The Functional Approach: Pranamaya Yin Yoga

The notion that everyone must attain a visually “perfect posture,” according to Paul Grilley, master instructor of The Functional Approach course, is a misconception that may lead to ineffectiveness and even damage.

9. Ayurveda

Yoga and Ayurveda complement each other, and both of them are Indian systems that promote meditation, breathing, and postures as part of a healthy lifestyle. The chanting of mantras and using medicines are also part of it.

It’s as though Ayurveda is a science, and yoga is how that knowledge is practiced. An Ayurvedic yoga instructor training will teach you how to combine both practices.

Siddhi Yoga Ayurveda: Experience and yoga teacher training support

This 25-hour course, given by Dr. Vikas Kumar Sangotra of Mohali, India, is an excellent introduction to the three doshas of Ayurveda.

The teacher

He is a North Indian Ayurveda Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) graduate. He acquired the technique of Gunna Siddhanta and was exposed to a wide variety of clinical situations and panchakarma while studying under Dr. L Mahadevan’s guidance.

Yoga Veda School: In-depth and Professional

Screenshot from the website of Yoga Veda School yoga teacher training and 200-hour instructor certification

This multimedia (online) course was explicitly designed for a high-quality distance learning program. It offers all of the essential advice, support, and ongoing education for Ayurvedic Practitioners to improve their skills and yoga teaching abilities.

10. Prenatal Yoga

A Prenatal teacher training course is perfect to level up in your profession while guiding pregnant people through pregnancy and preparing them for a smooth labor.

Brett Larkin’s Prenatal Yoga: Pregnant & Powerful Yoga Training

The Uplifted Pregnant and Powerful course is teacher training that focuses on tapping into the inner wisdom that already exists inside you as a woman and teacher.

These courses include mental exercises, mantras, and affirmations in addition to stretching poses to help you overcome any worry about pregnancy and delivery or learn to teach it to your students.

11. Breathwork

Breathwork is a breathing practice that alters your breathing patterns to change your feelings and enhance your mental and physical health.

Soma Breath: A Transformative Journey

Screenshot from the website of Soma Breath yoga teacher training and 200-hour

This course includes topics like the science of breathing, music, and meditation as therapeutic tools. In addition, you have access to five basic breathwork methods, crucial to help your students reach their maximum potential.

In Level 1, you’ll learn how to do SOMA Energized Meditation step by step, and in Level 2, you’ll learn how to lead a complete Awakening Journey.

Is it worth getting yoga certified?

“There is no end to self-development, and it’s work, step by step. The gift of teaching yoga is you don’t have to jump to the top of the ladder and take the first step.

Don’t worry about the last step. What presents itself to you is the next step.

Then the next step becomes obvious. But if you try to figure out how to get to the top, you may become discouraged and go away.”

Gary Kraftsow, Yoga for Self-Transformation

Remember that you will not be fully qualified Yoga teachers after completing a training program. You are, first and foremost, a Yoga student, and we are always learning and developing. Maintain this modest, inquisitive mindset throughout your life, and your teaching yoga skills (and life) will shine.

Leading people on their yogic journey is both a pleasure and a huge responsibility. Keep in mind that we’re all on this path as students.

Find a YYT near me.

We all know we should practice yoga at home.

But why should we choose online training?

Attending lessons at a local studio can be more convenient, efficient, and productive.

According to studies, having a home practice promotes better health and well-being. It also saves money, improves self-awareness, encourages play and self-discovery, and increases discipline.

Also, starting a yoga teacher training program will be easier if you have enough self-control to practice yoga at home.

According to 2012 research, the frequency and length of your yoga practice at home may be the key to getting the most significant health advantages.

Researchers sent anonymous questionnaires to 4,307 randomly chosen participants among 18,160 Iyengar practitioners at 15 Iyengar studios throughout the United States for the study. Physical, behavioral, and psychological well-being were all assessed by the researchers.

Also Read >>: What is an average yoga instructor’s salary?

Choose the hours that work for your yoga instructor certification. 

Some people find that completely removing themselves from their daily lives and attending a retreat-style yoga program is much more beneficial for learning. Others find that completing their training in their hometown on nights and weekends is the most convenient option.

If you know that life will distract you from your yoga studies, you should probably get out of there.

If you know you need time away from the classroom to process information, scheduling your teacher training over a more extended period will be more beneficial with breaks between sessions.

Consider your learning style and how much life will distract you from your studies. The first thing to remember is to understand what training will benefit you after that.

Also Read >> Online Yoga Schools

Make sure your training is yoga alliance certified. 

The Yoga Alliance, the world’s governing body for yoga, has set the minimum requirements for a well-made 200-hour teacher training program.

If you wish to teach yoga in the future, be sure the yoga teacher trainings you select will provide you with a registered yoga teacher certification, which only a registered yoga school can provide.

I know it doesn’t seem very yogic, but insurance is a part of our reality, and it’s essential to remember when you’re looking for a program.

I’m not suggesting that attending a non-yoga Alliance certified program is a bad idea—there are much excellent non-accredited training out there—but you should be aware that your chances of safely teaching increase if you are properly

Become a certified yoga instructor

Oh, there’s more. Keep yourself occupied! You pick your life experiences, so do not fear reaching your wildest dreams. Let your imagination run wild! Is it possible to become certified yoga teachers at the best yoga school in the world? You’re the same person, but you’ve got to remember the same person every moment. Is that true? Get going!

Being a registered yoga teacher will allow you to teach yoga worldwide.

To depart, congratulations!

Congratulations on taking this new road, dear yogi!

Yoga will help you open your mind and heart more fully. And if you accidentally make mistakes, know you’re not alone.

It is something that every teacher, even the most experienced ones, has done. And students continue to return.