Yoga Teacher Training: Accreditation?

Nowadays, there are many yoga studios which offer yoga teacher training. Not only in Vancouver or Victoria, BC but also across Canada. When you search for yoga teacher training, you may see the words “200RYT” or “500RYT”. The International Yoga Alliance has put out such distinctions as 200RYT and 500RYT. But what do they really mean?

200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training

students listening in yoga teacher training
Students listening in a yoga teacher training program

A 200-hour yoga teaching certificate means that your yoga teacher has completed set number of  hours. As well as all of the necessary elements as listed by the International Yoga Alliance to become a certified teacher.  This means there has been some study into yoga philosophy, anatomy, postures, and history.  The Yoga Alliance outlines a certain designation of hours of study that must be placed in each of these subjects in order to achieve the certificate of Yoga Teacher.

500-Hour Yoga Teacher Training

A 500-hour training is the next level.  It goes more in depth into the study of philosophies, sutra, and often there are other specialized modules involved as well.  Some 500-hour trainings will be focused on a specific area of yoga. For example: advanced studies in Yin yoga, advanced anatomy courses, a specialty in inversions, and so on.  In addition, a 500-hour yoga teaching certification notes that the yoga instructor has taught for at least 100 hours. In addition, teachers with a 500-hour yoga teaching certification can offer continuing education in the form of workshops or classes to yoga instructors of all levels.

All this being said, the International Yoga Alliance follows the honor system.  Sure it would be great to assume that all yoga teachers are extremely honorable. However,  it is up to each individual school to register their own curriculum that fits in with Yoga Alliance standards.

Our studio in Victoria, BC offers 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training several times a year.  If as a yoga teacher it is important to you to seek out extra education then by all means, go for the next level certification. As a student you really want a teacher who has certain credentialing there are plenty of instructors out there who will have it. If you are interested in taking yoga teacher training with us, check out our website (www.karmayoga.ca) or feel free to ask  our teachers how our yoga teacher training like.