If you feel the desire to deepen your practice & understanding and to become a yoga instructor then you are sure ready to start this journey.

(BLOG>>>how to choose the right teacher training for you) 

Yoga Alliance with the yoga community has set a standard curriculum for learning how to start teaching yoga.

The content includes yoga classes covering the topics below, yoga practice and practice teaching with yoga instructors.

The main content areas are as follows

• yoga traditions, the lineage and history of yoga
• yoga philosophy
• yoga poses & postures (asanas)
• pranayama & meditation
• yoga anatomy and learning the body energy works
• teaching methodologies where you discover your inner teaching voice & philosophy

The content of the modules change depending on the course and style.

Search for the course and style that you are most comfortable with.

Research the yoga school, lead trainers, teaching practices and graduate reviews.

If you are able to you could attend their yoga classes first.

Letting go of ego, being vulnerable, all your emotional baggage is important to the process, leading you to grow and develop off the mat and your heart opening in ways you didn't expect; and finding out that Yoga isn't the physical practice only... it really truly is a personal development experience of a lifetime.

If you aren't quite sure yet then read up if it's what you are looking for.

(BLOG>>>Is a Yoga Instructor Certification Course for me?)

Search for the course that touches your heart and the yoga style that you are comfortable with.

There are Yoga Teacher Trainings in all styles, combinations and disciplines.

Hatha and Vinyasa is a popular mix or on their own, as is Ashtanga and/or Vinyasa.

Some courses offer the opportunity to focus on a holistic modality, like the Meditation or the increasingly popular Therapeutic programs, which can include Ayurveda, Yoga Nidra, Tantra...

You can also find trainings in Sadhana Yoga, building discipline and inner peace through letting go of the ego, and mix this with Shamanic practices.

There are trainings for groups of people too - women only, children with mothers, prenatal and postnatal mothers, yogis who surf.

A Teacher Training is commonly a combination of yoga styles, leaving you with the ability to run a simple class.

There are courses that include teaching practice in all styles we know of - there is the slower Restorative and/or Yin Yoga; the heat of Ashtanga and Vinyasa, and different mixes of all these styles in classes.

If you enjoy focus on precision and alignment then there are Iyengar courses for you.

And you will find Kundalini yoga too, the feminine power, and Tantra, combining asana, mantra, bandha and chakra. Then there is Aerial Yoga, a combination of Pilates and dance using a hammock, and Bikram or Power Yoga, hot yoga.

Yoga Alliance has a standard for yoga trainings and furthering your education as a yoga teacher.
Deepen your practice and further your knowledge & understanding with these yoga certifications.

The 200-hour YTT is the standard foundational-level course everybody starts with to attain their first level of certification.

The yoga school and course will need to meet the Yoga Alliance standard.

It doesn't mean they are all the same though.

Find the course that matches the classes, content, and yoga teaching & experience you are looking for.

Every course listed here is Yoga Alliance certified. That means the school is registered and meets the requirements to provide you with your teaching certification.

The majority of intensive courses are 20 days to one month long.

Most schools have different accommodation options in their pricing. 

This will generally include two meals a day, the course training and materials,

aswell as the all-important yoga teacher certification at the end.

Most Yoga Alliance accredited schools ask for a minimum period of practice, at least 6 months or a year. 

For yourself if you are committed to going deeper into your practice, growing and expanding your knowledge then your desire is the only requirement.

A typical schedule starts at dawn and ends at dusk with a well earnt big break in the middle.

Its normal that there is one day off a week to stop and play.

Your practice, knowledge and flexibility will grow week by week.

We refer to these yoga courses as intensive because that's exactly what they are.

Aswell as the classes and learning to teach yoga, there is a considerable amount of study so your evenings after each day's practice will be mostly spent reading and learning.

If you have a desire to go deeper into your practice and expand and grow then a life changing experience awaits you.

If you are interested in teaching then there is an amazing and revealing journey ahead of you, with a continuing education as a student too.

Here are two informative blogs for you to read to glean more about what is involved in teaching.

(BLOG>>>Find your voice as a Yoga Teacher)

(BLOG>>>Yoga Sequencing Flow Ideas)

Most of the yoga community agree that about a year is the right time although there is no correct answer here. Experimenting with different styles and teachers at the start can help. When it comes to selecting your first teacher training, a course that focuses on the style that you are most comfortable with makes sense.