How To Become A Certified Yoga Instructor (Updated)

Even in this day and age, with a number of researches and study sessions, there is no hard scientific evidence about the benefits of yoga. There are limitations that modern scientists cannot cross because of the methodology they use to gauge the benefits of doing yoga.

On the other side, there is evidence that points to the benefits of yoga. There are many scientific journals that have conducted studies and come to the conclusion that yoga has therapeutic effects on the behaviors and lives of people that were facing depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies, etc. There are also brain studies that indicate that doing yoga activates the brain parts that are associated with joy, calmness, ecstasy, etc.

Despite the presence of these studies, there are some myths that even downplay the obvious benefits of yoga. For instance, the hyped-up legends about traveling to farther lands by yogis during their meditation are too far-fetched, even for yoga enthusiasts. You cannot suspend yourself in the air while chanting the mantras because you are connected to the spirit of the world and become lighter than air. They are hoaxes that have no scientific evidence or even the backing of yoga communities at large.

If you are a yoga fanatic, you can use it to transform your life and that of others by becoming a yoga instructor.

Just like yoga, the profession related to yoga practice is shrouded by a number of myths and malpractices. There are masters and yogis who claim to have achieved nirvana, the highest state of the union of both mind and body, but in reality, they are just mortals!

In order to become a yoga instructor, you need to do more than becoming one with the spirit of the world while chanting OM. There are certifications and mandatory hours that you need to put in before you can form your group and attract practitioners to meditate and chant with you and pay you for it.

In this article, we will discuss the steps that you need to take to become a certified yoga instructor.

By becoming a yoga instructor, you can capitalize on what you already know and do best. Doing that, you will also help others in leading a healthy, relaxed life in a safe and regulated fashion.

There are many routes that will lead you to your destination of becoming a yoga instructor. Some take a long-term approach, while others take a short-term approach. In the end, it all depends on your work schedule and your transition from what you currently are and what you want to become – A certified yoga instructor!

These steps are a surefire way to become what you long to be, so understand and follow with a clear mind and strong determination.

If you want to be a yoga instructor, you already know that there are many different styles of yoga. Although, every instructor changes many things safely to bring variations in order to avoid monotony in the group working. But on a broader level, there are many yoga styles that focus on different goals to achieve with their regimen.

Following are some of the most common yoga styles that are in practice for a long time with no fading for future references:

• Gentle Yoga

• Vinyasa Yoga

• Hot Yoga

• Bikram Yoga

• Hatha Yoga

• Yin Yoga

• Power Yoga

• Sivananda Ashtanga

& Many More!

Many of these yoga forms are identical to each other. For instance, gentle and vinyasa yoga focuses more on the inner state of your body, which is keeping the mental excitement and agitation at ease. They follow serene and composed poses with mild chanting to bring peace to the nerves. Hot yoga and power yoga focus more on the physical form of the practitioners and were pioneered to fill the gap that was between a full-fledged exercise regimen and serene practice of gentle yoga.

On your way to become a yoga instructor, you need to make sure which style sits perfectly with your approach to yoga. In other words, which form of yoga helps you make a better version of yourself than you already are. If you are on the athletic side, then hot yoga or power yoga would be your cup of tea. On the other hand, if you are a spiritual person, then yin yoga and gentle yoga would call you.

Deciding a yoga style from the point of view of a prospective instructor requires a lot of understanding and thinking. While you are zeroing in on the yoga style, you should keep in mind the demographics of the area you want to operate in. For instance, you cannot teach power yoga to elderly people because they would not stand the physical pressure. Same way, young people are attracted to the agile regime and hot yoga or power yoga would be a great fit for them when compared to gentle yoga. So, this is something that you should do before picking a style and place to open your shop and teach people to live in harmony on both physical and spiritual planes.

If you are not quite a master yet and need to know all about yoga, there is a special program devised by The Yoga Alliance. It requires the candidates to complete a 200-hour training session in which they will learn all about yoga and its poses. It includes all the yoga forms and their postures accordingly. There are alternative modified forms of yoga, its benefits, human anatomy & physiology, etc., that makes a direct reference to yoga practices.

There were times when yoga was all about unachievable poses, hums, meditations, and talking about chakras. But now, yoga has taken a more scientific route and become more of a semi-scientific area of practice.

Apart from these core studies in yoga and its practice, you will learn about the philosophy of yoga through Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga. In this way, you will learn about the background of yoga and why it is important to lead a meaningful and happy life.

The best part about his training is that it can prepare you for the actual work that you will do with your group, practicing yoga. In order to complete this course, you have to practice yoga for about two hours each day. This is a complete package for someone who wants to become a certified yoga instructor because it covers both the science, technique, philosophy, and application of yoga doctrine.

This 200-hour program is a baseline program that will make you an eligible candidate to apply for the certificate for most of the institutions of yoga. You can also go for 300-hour and 500-hour programs to go through each aspect of yoga more thoroughly and come up with your innovations to apply yoga into every aspect of life. With the 500-hour program, you can become a teacher that will instruct the new teachers and help them in becoming a certified yoga instructor.

Once you are done with your extensive yoga learning program, you are done with the most grueling part of your training. Now, you can apply for the RYT certification. RYT stands for Registered Yoga Teacher, a certification that can be obtained through the Yoga Alliance of America. Although there are some establishments that do not require an RYT to offer jobs to new yoga instructors, you can add to your resume so much authority after obtaining an RYT certification.

Here are other benefits that you can enjoy with this certification:

• It is an internationally-recognized credential which is a big plus

• Enrolled in online fresher courses to keep your knowledge and practice up-to-date

• You are included in the RYT directory. It is a business profile from the institution which will allow you to market your potential to prospective clients and employers

• You are invited to community-related events in the area

• Enjoying discounts on yoga-related products and services such as clothing, insurance, business software, etc.

• Subscriptions to yoga-related platforms

CPR certification is not mandatory for new candidates of yoga instructors but it is certainly a plus. Imagine a client having a hard time to breath and you call the ambulance but there is still time before it can reach the location. You can perform CPR procedures if the need arises and keep the person in much better shape. As stated earlier, it is not required by many establishments, but having one can earn you a lot of points.

Read more about Yoga