At the end of a teacher training you receive a certificate from your school. For many graduates the next step is to register with Yoga Alliance, so that they can call themselves a Registered Yoga Teacher and be found in its international directory. This article explains what that involves and what it does and does not mean.
What Yoga Alliance registration is
Yoga Alliance is a non-profit organisation based in the United States that keeps a registry of yoga schools and teachers. Schools whose curriculum meets its standards are listed as Registered Yoga Schools (RYS); graduates of those schools can list themselves as Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT). It is a voluntary register rather than a government licence, but it is the credential most studios, gyms and insurers outside India ask for.
The main designations
- RYT 200: you have completed a 200 hour training at an RYS 200.
- RYT 500: you have completed 500 hours of registered training, typically a 200 hour course followed by a 300 hour course. Our guide to 200 vs 300 vs 500 hour training explains how the levels fit together.
- E-RYT 200 and E-RYT 500: "experienced" designations for teachers who have logged a substantial number of teaching hours over several years after their training.
How to register, step by step
- Complete a training at a Registered Yoga School and keep your certificate. Before you book any course, confirm the school appears in the Yoga Alliance directory at the right level; Yoga Bhawna Mission is listed as RYS 200 and RYS 500.
- Create an account on the Yoga Alliance website.
- Add your training by selecting your school and the course you completed. Yoga Alliance asks the school to confirm that you graduated, so make sure the name you use matches your certificate.
- Agree to the code of conduct and pay the application fee and the first year's annual fee. Check the current amounts on the Yoga Alliance website, as they change from time to time.
- Wait for confirmation. Once your school has verified your training, your designation appears on your profile and in the public directory.
Keeping your registration current
Registration is renewed every year. Yoga Alliance also requires continuing education in each three-year period, combining hours of teaching with hours of further training. At the time of writing that is 75 hours every three years, of which at least 30 are training hours, but check the current rules on its website. Workshops, advanced trainings and courses run by schools or providers registered for continuing education all count towards the training hours.
Do you have to register?
No. Your school's certificate is your qualification; registration is a listing on top of it. Many teachers in India never register, and some studios abroad care more about how you teach than about the letters after your name. But if you plan to teach in Europe, North America or Australia, registration is usually worth the small yearly cost, because employers and insurers recognise it.
Indian certification: the Yoga Certification Board
In India, the Ministry of AYUSH runs its own scheme through the Yoga Certification Board, which certifies yoga professionals at several levels by examination. It is increasingly recognised within India and is separate from Yoga Alliance. Some teachers hold both.
If you are still choosing a course, our article on how to choose a 200 hour yoga TTC covers what to check first, and the 200 Hour YTTC in Uttarkashi leads to RYT 200 registration. Questions about your registration after training with us? Get in touch.
