200 hour Certification - Yoga Alliance

[madeline_sweet]

Hello! there are many 200-hour certifications near me {I live in Utah, at this present moment} and I am researching SEVERAL of them! I am wondering - how important is it that the studio is certified through YOGA ALLIANCE? I am visiting several different yoga studios - in research of the different options, how important is it that the Yoga School that i choose be registered with Yoga Alliance?

when i go to the yoga alliance website - it shows two studios in my immediate area {or close} that offer teacher trainings for 200 hours.

[InnerAthlete]

The importance varies.

For yoga teacher trainings that are not affiliated with Yoga Alliance I would like to know why not? Additionally, just because a school or studio has not gone to lengths to register I believe you can still apply for your own ad hoc registration. You simply have to document your hours and fulfill the requisite categories. Check me on that because it may have changed.

The value in your training is not in the registration with YA. Though it's nice to have for a variety of different reasons. The value is in the quality of the training. Look a the curricula of the places you are researching.

There may come a day when that YA registration is critical. I don't think today is that day. Likewise I think there will be a day when yoga teachers are licensed but clearly that day is not today

[Nichole]

Originally Posted by InnerAthlete

I believe you can still apply for your own ad hoc registration. You simply have to document your hours and fulfill the requisite categories. Check me on that because it may have changed.

FYI The opportunity to do an independent study has passed; for 200RYT it was 2 years ago and for 500RYT it ended on Dec. 31, 2007.

[Pandara]

Hi Madeline,

I connot comment on the YA as I do not live in the US, however I would like to make a general comment about a regulation body for yoga teachers. I speak here purely from a pov in South Africa, so take it as it comes. In SA we have the Yoga Teachers Fellowship who regulates not yoga but their members and in belonging to the YTF potential yogis know that the teacher had a good in depth and effective training and also practical exposure and experience in teaching, giving the yogi the added peace of mind. This also allows yogis to report any poor/bad conduct by the teacher to a legitimate body who will investigate and take the necessary steps to correct the teacher. On the other hand it place a huge onus on teachers to be sensitive to their yogis and not to take chances with the physical well-being of the people in their classes.

I am against a body who wants to regulate yoga per se, but a body who regulates teachers, I am all for it. There are so many yoga cowboys out there at the moment that some regulation is necessary.

For the first time in my teaching career I did something this week which some would say was incompassionate and not right. I refused to take a person who did yoga with somebody whom I know has no training at all, but who teach yoga/pilates. He badly hurt his back in this person's class, is seeing a chiropractor at the moment and is searching now for another teacher/class. The point is if there was stricter regulation of teachers and more emphasis on the training and experience of teachers, injuries like this one could have been avoided.

[InnerAthlete]

I'm sorry Nichole. I was not clear. I was not referencing Independent Study. I was speaking about graduating from a non-registered school and applying forthwith for an RYT-200.

According to the Yoga Alliance web site: "After December 31, 2005, all teachers who do not attend a Registered Yoga School (RYSSM) 200 will be required to complete this application and accompanying forms to register as an RYT® 200."

Pandara: just as students choose their teacher so too do teachers choose their student. I'd have no problem with you opting to not work with this student or that student, presuming it was a clean decision. I don't find it lacking compassion at all. We are not charged with taking all comers.