How To Choose a Yoga Teacher Training Program

So you are considering doing yoga teacher training. Perhaps you don’t even want to be a teacher, but you’ve got that deep sense inside you that you’d like to know more about yoga. Or perhaps you know in your gut that you can make it as a yoga teacher and that it is your true calling.

Either way, choosing your 200-hour teacher training is a huge, exciting stepping stone in life. You’ve probably visited dozens of websites already, but it’s really difficult to know what programs are really like. So, how do you know which one to choose?

Step 1: Be clear about what you want to get out of it.

Your intention will determine what kind of training you should choose.

A transformational experience

Are you longing for transformational life experience? Choose training in Bali, Thailand, India or somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit and turn it into an adventure. I highly recommend setting aside a couple weeks after the training to just travel and explore as well.

You’ll likely to make lots of new friends in your training to travel with which will make this adventure even more special. I wouldn`t recommend travelling around Asia before your training as you don’t want to be exhausted by the time you begin your training. Admittedly I am a little biased because I own an international yoga studio, but I feel if we consider all factors, this is the best option for many reasons. Mainly:

  1. You get way more for your money – for the same price as a YogaWorks training you get full accommodation at a resort and all your food for a full month.
  2. The teachers are typically better and more connected. There’s simply a different resonance for teachers who live in tropical areas, doing nothing but meditate and share their teachings at training. You can definitely go deeper with them.
  3. The group dynamic is stronger. Something about being in another country on your teacher training brings people closer together. It kind of feels like being on the MTV show real world, in the best way imaginable.

To teach professionally?

If you want to teach professionally, I highly recommend figuring out where your dream studio is to teach and do your teacher training there. The best way to get a job at a studio is to be an enthusiastic and dedicated member of their community.

Large studios like Yoga Works & Core Power often require that teachers take their own teacher training before they start teaching there, so it’s best not to waste time training somewhere else.

Tip: Ask the studio how many of their own graduates teach for them.

To go as deep into yoga as possible

If you are a bit of an extremist who has a sense that going to the ultimate depth of yoga is right for you, I recommend going to India, or to find a native Indian teacher. As someone who went through this myself, it truly is like night and day training with someone from India.

I started the East+West Institute because I wanted to give people this experience without having to go all the way to India (travelling in India can be a nightmare).

Do you want to deepen your connection to your local community?

If this is the case, I recommend doing your training at a smaller, local studio. You will make new friends, get to know your local teachers, and get involved with the local yoga community. Teacher training is an important source of revenue for small studios, and your participation will help to foster the spread of yoga in your own community.

Teacher training is also a wonderful opportunity to nurture relationships; what better way to strengthen your ties with like-minded people in your hometown?

The down-side of training at smaller, local studios is that the programs might not be managed as well. Often times they just provide with a very basic syllabus, professional expectations are not met and they can feel disjointed.

Are you a passionate learner who wants the best education around?

If you want a little of everything, then it’s time to do some research. Each teacher training program will have a different lineage and focus, so you have to find your personal best match. What inspires you most: asana, meditation, philosophy? Follow your intuition. If you know what you want to focus on, search for courses that focus on your passion. For inspiration, feel free to browse through our blog posts about the best teacher training around the world.

Step 2: Learn as much as possible about the program you are signing up for

Although they are often marketed similarly, not all teacher training programs are created on equal grounds. With thousands of new teachers becoming certified every month, there’s an oversaturation of training, but very few meet the highest quality of education. Here are the questions to ask to see if you’re going to get your money’s worth:

“Are you registered with Yoga Alliance?”

Yes, BUT! Yoga Alliance does not truly regulate quality yet. There is great training that is unregistered, and terrible training that is registered. But it does set a bar, albeit a low one. To their credit, they are becoming increasingly strict in their requirements and now post reviews of teacher training on their site.

Tip: Student testimonials can be shady. Testimonials are often taken on the final day of training when everyone is full of excitement and brimming with love. In other words, one student’s enthusiastic testimonial may not provide you with an objective snapshot of the program.

I recommend asking to speak to other graduates about their experience one on one for a more complete picture. Some great questions to ask: How did you spend most of your time in the course? What are the skills you`ve learned? Did you feel prepared to teach after the training? Did you feel like your teachers were highly knowledgable?

“What lineage is the program based in & who are the teacher’s influences.”

If they don’t have a clear answer to this question, you should stop your conversation on the spot. The trainers should be able to give you a clear idea of the foundation of the training. For example, they should know if the training is inspired by Vinyasa, Iyengar, Ashtanga, or Tantra. India should be included somewhere, as yoga was invented in India. If the founders can’t name its practices and techniques back to a lineage from India, then it is probably missing the true heart of the practice.

“What are the learning objectives for students of your course?”

Many trainings are taught by great yogis who actually aren`t good teachers at all. It’s one thing to be able to do yoga properly, but teaching others is another thing altogether. Also, teaching yoga and teaching people to teach yoga are two different things. Often, great yoga teachers don’t have the structure, skills, and basic professional expectations to run a course effectively. If there are no set information of the program`s outlines in detail on their website, it`s probably a no go.

“What kind of teachers are you creating?”

The school should have a clear mission statement and be able to clearly articulate their vision for their students. They should know exactly what kind of skills they want their trainees to leave with. For example, a school might prioritize creating teachers who can facilitate asana-centred, alignment based, structured practice. Other training will create more heart-centred, spiritual teachers.

“What is the typical day like in the training?”

There is a huge variance in the way training set up their daily schedules. Some will have you waking up at 5 am with strict, hour-by-hour structures, others are more relaxed, but all in all, there should be some sort of planned organization. Any vague answers to these questions is a red flag. Other good questions do ask:

  • What pranayama practices are shared and how often?
  • What are the book and texts you will use in the training?
  • How many hours of asana practice is there each day?
  • What is the teacher/student ratio?

And of course, you want to make sure you like the actual teacher trainers. So google them to find as much as you can about them. Get a sense of what they focus on and see if that aligns with you. Take their classes online or in person if available to you, and make sure you get a good feeling before you decide to spend a month with them.

Step 3: Ask “Which course structure is right for me?”

There are 200-hour courses (this like undergraduate college) and 300-hour courses (think of this like grad school). A 200-hour course will allow you to teach yoga at studios and gyms. After the 200-hour course, you can take your studies to the next level and complete your 300-hour certification which will make you a 500-hour certified teacher, meaning that you`ll be able to teach at yoga teacher training as well.

If schools market as a 500-hour training, it means you’re getting the 200 and 300 packaged into one. Unless you are working in a very competitive area (like NYC or LA), most studios only require you to have a 200-hour certification to begin teaching there. However, the more competitive studios often require the 500-hour certification.

Either way, complete the choice of your training with a school that`s registered with Yoga Alliance so your certification will be globally recognised and proves that you participated in quality education.

Program Types: Intensives vs. Weekends

Some programs are intensives that last about a month. Others are spread out over three to twelve months on weekends. Neither is better, it completely depends on what you are seeking to get out of it. If you’ve got a full-time, year-round job, it’s likely going to be hard for you to do the intensive training.

Both types have their advantages, so it’s a matter of preference. I highly recommend the intensive experience though, if you can get away from your life for a month. It brings you into a depth of practice that you don’t receive when doing it only on the weekends.

Some parting thoughts: If you are inspired to be on this path, it’s likely that the 200-hour training will be the first of many and the set foundation for your practice. Everything you learn will be layered on top of it, so make sure you make a very considered decision. Don’t be afraid to spend the extra money on a better program, rather than getting the cheapest one just for the sake of completing a course. You will not regret it!

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