Yoga Certification - The Road To Yoga Certification

You know all the yoga breathing techniques and positions. You’ve practiced them nearly every day for the past ten years. You have a attained a deeper level of understanding of yoga and its benefits and now you wish to share that knowledge with others. But what does becoming an instructor of yoga really entail? If you are truly willing to find the right training program then the steps to becoming a certified yoga instructor are quite simple.

Despite the great popularity that yoga has attained over the years, the training of its teachers remains a far way off from being standardized. Majority of the training programs have a minimum prerequisite level of experience that aspiring instructors must attain prior to commencing the program. Some require headstands and other yoga postures (asanas); others will insist that your current instructor must approve you. Interestingly enough, not all certification courses require correspondence: some may be taken online. Truth be told, the concept of classes is a relatively new one since the ancient discipline of yoga was traditionally passed from one teacher directly to one student on an individual basis. Nowadays, with the changes brought about by the speed with which information is exchanged, everything, including the traditional training forms, has had to change.

Though several groups exist to somewhat organize the study of yoga, there remains no single “official” program for certification. The general practice is that a certifying body will train an intern who after 200 training for hours will be appointed a Certified Yoga Teacher (CYT). This is usually all that is needed to begin teaching public yoga classes. One may, however, opt to train for 500 hours to earn the credential of Registered Yoga Teacher.

Yoga registration is purely optional in the U.S. and is overseen by the Yoga Alliance which is recognized throughout the industry as being a multi-level registration body which helps in maintaining yoga’s high standards.

Sometimes required to gain employment in a yoga studio, the first program consists of a two hundred hour training period. This is followed by a program of five hundred hours for persons requiring advanced registration. There is a then more experienced registration level bearing the designation E-RYT.

Various hatha yoga disciplines, e.g. Bikram or lyengar, will require that you study under the tutelage of their certified instructors. Other forms show more lenience in this regard. Whichever school you choose will assist you along the road to becoming a certified yoga instructor. The length of the certification program is important to consider. Some classes may run for up to nine months, meeting only on weekends; whereas others may last only one month with meetings almost every day. Ensure that you make the necessary enquiries at whichever school you are interested in and pick a class which fits your schedule.

In addition to yoga certification, a basic understanding with a working knowledge of the human anatomy is essential to host students. For instance, a thoroughly trained instructor should be able to advise persons with arthritis or back pain.

It is also prudent to gain full understanding of the philosophy involved in the discipline of yoga and not just the techniques and positions. Studying some important texts like the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Pataniali’s Yoga Sutras and Bhagvad Gita will grant you greater knowledge and understanding of yoga as a discipline as these works guide the prospective instructor in the philosophical teachings of yoga.

An important point to remember is that, despite these important texts yoga is no way a religion. No adherence or compliance is required with any specific belief systems and no deities exist. This discipline is focused on enabling self-awareness so though some teachers will profess various religions; they are in no way connected to yoga.

Taking the step to become an instructor of yoga gives you the satisfying knowledge that you have the ability to improve your students’ lives. As you continue to grow and advance in your yoga studies you will also gain great joy for yourself. Whatever means by which you choose to pursue certification as a yoga instructor, rest assured that your new career will certainly bring you a great deal of happiness.