Yoga Teacher Training Forum

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Yoga Teachers Don't Have To Register With Yoga Alliance!

It is not necessary for Yoga teachers to register with the Yoga Alliance. The Yoga Alliance is an organization in the United States that has standardized the core components of the certification process to be a registered Yoga teacher at both the 200 and 500 hour training levels. There are other Yoga teacher training programs in the U.S. that meet the same exacting standards and offer a professional certification for Yoga teachers through their own organizations.

It is highly advisable for a Yoga student who wishes to teach Yoga to study and graduate from a professional Yoga teacher training program. In a comprehensive program, an aspiring Yoga teacher will learn the fundamental principles of a well rounded Yoga practice including relaxation techniques, asanas, pranayama (Yogic breathing) exercises, meditation techniques and special needs modifications. These are very important areas to cover if a Yoga student would like to move into the role of teacher in a safe and effective manner.

A Yoga teacher may choose to register with the Yoga Alliance in order to benefit from the generally accepted registration through them and the perceived benefits of being associated with the organization. Some of those benefits might include networking opportunities, access to continuing education courses and workshops and the solidity of being backed by a supposedly accepted Yoga teachers' organization. However, many of these benefits may also be obtained by becoming certified through an independent Yoga school that offers a comprehensive and professional Yoga teacher training program. Better benefits would be attained by joining a state level Yoga teachers association. The track record of state level associations tends to be much more friendly that the supposed national registry.

If you have a Yoga instructor certification and you are certified by a high quality Yoga teacher training program, you need not necessarily register with the Yoga Alliance. A certified Yoga teacher designation will give you the same level of credibility with many Yoga studios, health clubs, hospitals and schools throughout the United States. Do remember to enroll in a Yoga teacher training program that gives you a similar number of instructional and practice hours as the generally accepted amount of most professional Yoga teacher training programs.

It is also important that the Yoga teacher training program you choose covers the basic elements of asana practice, meditation techniques, pranayama exercises, scriptural knowledge, anatomy, physiology and modifications for special populations of Yoga practitioners. Becoming a certified Yoga teacher, either with or without being registered with the Yoga Alliance, is an important step in developing your career as a Yoga teacher.

Thanks for all the info! I am in the middle of completing my aura teacher training 200 hour level distant learning course. When i've officially become a "certified yoga teacher" through aura, I will register with the IAYT. Thanks!