Yoga teacher training

Yoga teacher training is the training of teachers of yoga as exercise, consisting mainly of the practice of yoga asanas, leading to certification. Such training is accredited by the Yoga Alliance in America, by the British Wheel of Yoga in the United Kingdom, and by the European Union of Yoga across Europe. The Yoga Alliance sets standards for 200-hour and 500-hour Recognized Yoga Teacher levels, which are accepted in America and other countries.

## Standards

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Yoga teacher training in India. The student is in Virabhadrasana I.

In America, the Yoga Alliance sets the 200-hour and 500-hour Recognized Yoga Teacher levels (RYT-200 and RYT-500). Training courses (200 hours initially for the RYT-200, then 300 hours to reach RYT-500[1]) to qualify at these levels are provided by many independent yoga schools, teaching varied styles of yoga, both in America and other countries, including Britain.[2] Yoga International notes that established yoga studios often require their teachers to pass the studios' own training courses.[1]

The British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) in the United Kingdom offers Level 4 qualifications (Certificate in Yoga Teaching, Diploma in Teaching Yoga), stated to be equivalent to an HNC or the first year of a university degree. Training is provided by BWY itself; accreditation is by a separate organisation, BWYQ which split from BWY in 2009.[3] The BWY is recognised by Sport England as the governing body of yoga in Britain (and in Northern Ireland, the Yoga Fellowship of Northern Ireland), though without power to enforce decisions.[4] Qualifications are in turn regulated by the regulator of qualification standards Ofqual.[5] By 2015, nine schools were accredited to teach to BWY standards; other schools were free to offer their own courses, often shorter and cheaper than the BWY's, as long as they did not claim to be to approved by the BWY.[6]

Across Europe, standards are set by the European Union of Yoga (EUY), which has some 24 member associations in at least 15 countries including Austria, Belgium, Britain, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, and Switzerland. The EUY standards require a minimum of 500 hours of class instruction over a period of four years, assessed by an oral examination, a written examination, and a practical teaching demonstration.[7] Member organisations such as Germany's Yoga Teachers' Union, the BDY [de], organise their own training in compliance with EUY standards.[8]

## Syllabuses

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Syllabus elements[9] Hatha yoga | Other activities | Yoga context | Practical skills

|
|
|

Asana
Pranayama
Bandhas
Subtle body

Meditation
Other styles e.g. Restorative Yoga
Yoga Nidra

Yoga history
Yoga philosophy
Yoga psychology
Anatomy and physiology

Teaching methods
Running a yoga business

The syllabuses taught to trainee teachers vary with the school but include the components of hatha yoga, namely asanas, pranayama, and bandhas, and sometimes details of the subtle body with chakras, nadis and koshas; meditation; anatomy and physiology; psychology and philosophy of yoga; teaching methods; and the practicalities of running a yoga business. Some attention may be given to specific techniques such as Restorative Yoga and yoga nidra. Syllabuses are more tightly constrained if they are for registration with the Yoga Alliance or the British Wheel of Yoga.[9]

## Courses

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Further information: Yoga tourism

Yoga teacher training, as of 2017, could cost between $2,000 and $5,000.[10] It can take up to 3 years to obtain a teaching certificate.[6] Shorter courses are offered in India, especially in the yoga hubs of Rishikesh and Mysore, and many Westerners travel to India hoping to learn "authentic"[11] yoga in ashrams there.[11][12]

## See also

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* Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
* Bikram Yoga
* Iyengar Yoga
* Sivananda Yoga

## References

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1. ^ a b Scott, Rachel. "How to Choose a Teacher Training". Yoga International. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
2. ^ "Yoga Alliance 200-Hour Teacher Training". Yoga London. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
3. ^ Witts, Mat (2014). "Reportage: The British Wheel of Yoga". yuj.it. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
4. ^ "Sporting Activities and Governing Bodies Recognised by the Sports Councils" (PDF). Sport England. April 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
5. ^ "Become a yoga teacher". British Wheel of Yoga. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
6. ^ a b Lisinski, Anna (22 June 2015). "The truth behind becoming a yoga teacher". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
7. ^ "40 Years European Union of Yoga" (PDF). European Union of Yoga. 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
8. ^ Mullins, Daya. "Yoga and Yoga Therapy in Germany Today" (PDF). Weg Der Mitte. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
9. ^ a b "One Yoga London 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training: Syllabus for Registration with Yoga Alliance UK" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 May 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
10. ^ Delaney, Brigid (17 September 2017). "The yoga industry is booming – but does it make you a better person?". The Guardian.
11. ^ a b Maddox, Callie Batts (2014). "Studying at the source: Ashtanga yoga tourism and the search for authenticity in Mysore, India". Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change. 13 (4): 330–343. doi:10.1080/14766825.2014.972410. ISSN 1476-6825. S2CID 143449133.
12. ^ Ward, Mariellen (15 March 2012). "How to 'do' a yoga ashram in India".

## External links

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* Yoga Alliance
* British Wheel of Yoga
* BDY (Berufsverband der Yogalehrenden in Deutschland e.V.) (in German)
* European Union of Yoga

* v
* t
* e

Yoga as exercise

Topics|

| Asanas|

* List of asanas
* Standing asanas
* Downward dog
* Lotus position
* Meditation seats
* Sun Salutation
* Tree pose
* Warrior
* Accompaniments
* Drishti
* Pranayama
* Vinyāsa
* Hasta Vinyasas

|

Teacher training|

* Standards
* British Wheel of Yoga
* European Union of Yoga
* André Van Lysebeth
* Yoga Alliance

Therapy|

* Yoga using props
* 1979 Accessible yoga
* 2002 Trauma-sensitive yoga
* 2007 Restorative Yoga
* 2008 Yoga nidra
* International Association of Yoga Therapists • Richard Miller
* Janice Gates

Events|

* Competitive yoga
* International Day of Yoga

Journals|

* Asana Journal
* Yoga Journal

Props|

* Yoga brick
* Yoga mat
* Angela Farmer
* Hugger Mugger
* Yoga pants
* Lululemon

History|

| Early|

* Early modern yoga
* Vivekananda
* 1896 Raja Yoga
* Pierre Bernard
* Harmonial gymnastics/yoga
* Marguerite Agniel
* Mary Bagot Stack
* Genevieve Stebbins
* Physical culture
* B. C. Ghosh
* K. V. Iyer
* Seetharaman Sundaram
* Paramahansa Yogananda
* Autobiography of a Yogi

|

Aspects|

* Hot yoga
* Science of yoga
* Sexual abuse by yoga gurus
* Matthew Remski
* Yoga and cultural appropriation
* In advertising
* For children
* For women
* Geeta Iyengar
* Yoga tourism

Hybrids|

* 1938 Naked yoga
* 1990 Mindful Yoga
* Frank Jude Boccio
* Anne Cushman
* Janice Gates
* Jon Kabat-Zinn
* Cyndi Lee
* Phillip Moffitt
* 2003 Acroyoga
* Doga
* 2013 Paddleboard Yoga
* 2014 Aerial yoga
* Beer yoga

By country|

* America
* 1961 Yoga for Health
* 1970 Lilias, Yoga and You
* Britain
* 1976 Lyn Marshall
* France
* Germany
* India
* Italy
* Russia
* Sweden
* 2015 Rachel Brathen
* Switzerland
* 1941 Selvarajan Yesudian

Books|

* 1996 Yoga Tradition of the Mysore Palace
* 2004 Yoga in Modern India
* A History of Modern Yoga
* 2005 Positioning Yoga
* 2010 Yoga Body
* The Subtle Body
* 2015 Selling Yoga
* 2016 The Path of Modern Yoga
* 2017 Roots of Yoga
* 2019 Yoga in Britain
* 2020 The Story of Yoga

Films|

* 2006 Guru
* 2009 Enlighten Up!
* 2012 Breath of the Gods

Schools
(Gurus)|

* 1918 The Yoga Institute
* Shri Yogendra
* Hansa Yogendra
* 1924 Kaivalyadhama
* Swami Kuvalayananda
* 1934 Viniyoga
* Tirumalai Krishnamacharya
* Yoga Makaranda
* T. K. V. Desikachar
* A. G. Mohan
* Indra Devi
* Srivatsa Ramaswami
* Vanda Scaravelli
* c. 1948 Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
* K. Pattabhi Jois
* Mysore style
* Tim Miller
* Kino MacGregor
* Larry Schultz
* 1959 Sivananda Yoga
* Vishnudevananda Saraswati
* Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga
* 1963 Bihar School of Yoga
* Satyananda Saraswati
* 1965 Ananda Yoga
* Kriyananda
* 1966 Integral Yoga
* Satchidananda Saraswati
* 1966 Kripalu Yoga
* Amrit Desai
* Stephen Cope
* 1971 Himalayan Institute
* Swami Rama
* 1973 Bikram Yoga
* Bikram Choudhury
* 1975 Iyengar Yoga
* B. K. S. Iyengar
* Light on Yoga
* Yoga the Iyengar Way
* 1975 Dharma Mittra
* c. 1975 Yin Yoga
* Paulie Zink
* Paul Grilley
* Sarah Powers
* 1982 Forrest Yoga
* 1984 Jivamukti Yoga
* Sharon Gannon
* 1995 Power Yoga
* Beryl Bender Birch
* Bryan Kest
* 1997 Anusara Yoga
* John Friend
* 2006 Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga (Sadie Nardini)

Related|

* Yoga
* Hatha yoga
* Modern yoga
* Post-lineage yoga
* Asanas (template)
* List of yoga schools
* Yoga scholars (template)
* Yoga teachers (category)
* Modern Yoginis (template)

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*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template