Frequently Asked Questions
How do I register as a RYT 200?
There are two ways to qualify at the 200-hr level:
How do I register as a RYT 500? Do my 200 hours count towards the 500?
Yes. There are two ways to become a RYT 500:
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Certification from a RYS 500 (many programs have both a 200 and a 500 hour program).
- The initial 200 hours of training may be from an RYS 200 or through an unregistered, qualified 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training program. The final 300 hours must be advanced training (see definition below) only. You may request that the school accept you as a transfer student into the advanced portion of its training if you already have 200 hours of training from another source. It is at the school’s discretion whether or not to accept qualified transfer students. The training hours must be assigned among Yoga Alliance’s categories as prescribed by our standards (available at www.yogaalliance.org).
Effective January 1, 2008, teachers who do not attend a registered school for their advanced training will be required to attend only one qualified school that has a program equivalent to an RYS 500. Applicants will have to document their training in a similar manner to that required of an RYS applicant.
"Advanced" is defined as training that requires applicants for the program to have an RYT 200 or equivalent, in order to take the advanced training. Yoga Alliance® policy is that advanced training is not a second 200-hour training from a second tradition. Although we acknowledge the value of studying with other teachers and with other traditions, we believe that advanced training:
- assures that all RYTs continue to strive for an ever-higher level of understanding of yoga and its spiritual tradition;
- refines teaching skills;
- offers inspiration for teachers to pass on to their students by maintaining the creative edge in their own practice and teaching; and
- advances each teacher's training as a professional.
*Note that in order to register as an RYT 500 by either of the above methods, an applicant must also document 100 hours of teaching experience.
How do I find a registered school if I am looking for Teacher Training?
Please visit the Registered Schools link on the our website.
How do I renew my registration?
Please visit our Payment Options page for detailed instructions on how to renew.
My membership has expired/lapsed. How do I reinstate my registration?
There are two ways to reinstate your registration:
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Pay retroactively back to when your registry expired ($55 per year for each year in arrears, keeping the same “Registered Since” date in our registry) OR
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Reinstate as of the current date on which you pay your renewal fee. Your new "Registered Since" date will be the date on which we receive payment.
You may fax in a Credit Card Renewal Form to 571.482.3336
If you would like to reinstate and renew using a check or money order, you may mail your payment (see criteria on Payment Options page) to:
Yoga Alliance * 1701 Clarendon Boulevard* Suite 110 * Arlington,VA 22209
How do I qualify to be an E-RYT 200 and 500?
- To become an E-RYT 200 you must have a minimum of 2 years and 1,000 hours of
yoga teaching experience since becoming certified at the 200 hour level.
- To become an E-RYT 500 you must have
a minimum of 4 years and 2,000 hours
of yoga teaching experience (2,000 hrs = 1,500 hours of teaching since becoming certified at the 200 hour level + 500 hours of teaching since becoming certified at the
500 hour level.)
- E-RYT 500 – if you do not have a certificate but have 5,000 or more hours of yoga teaching experience before December 31, 2002, the Grandparenting option remains available to you. Document hours by filling out the grid on the application form.
To apply, please go the How to Apply.
What do I do if my school is not registered?
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At the 200 hour level - Complete the application for RYT – Graduate of Non-registered School.
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At the 500 hour level – Complete the application for RYT - Graduate of an Non-registered School. Effective January 1, 2008 teachers who attend a non-registered school for their advanced training will be required to attend no more than one qualified school that has a program equivalent to an RYS 500.
How can I register if I have been teaching for over 15 years, but have no certificate?
Complete the application for RYT through Grandparenting.
May teachers and schools from outside the USA register with Yoga Alliance®?
Although Yoga Alliance encourages teachers and schools to become associated with their own local yoga associations, we do register teachers and schools from other countries should they choose to do so.
Is training in another country valid with the Yoga Alliance?
Yes. If the school attended is registered with Yoga Alliance or is equivalent to a RYS.
Can I apply other courses and workshops for a higher level?
No. After registering at the 200-hour level, the advanced level of study for the 500 hour level will need to be with a “qualified” school (registered or not registered) that has an advanced program in place. The 500 hour level indicates a level of study from up to 2 different schools. One school would fulfill the 200 hours of foundational yoga teacher training. One other school would fulfill the 300 hours of non-repetitive, advanced yoga teacher training'
Is Yoga Alliance® the only nationally-recognized organization which has this type of Registry?
Yes.
What are the benefits of registering with Yoga Alliance®?
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An RYT® designation enhances your credibility as a yoga professional. Yoga Alliance RYT® designations are trusted symbols of knowledge, training and experience for employers and students.
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You can use the RYT® and/or RYS® designations following your name and on your marketing materials and website. Members also have the opportunity to increase their visibility through co-branded marketing materials and participation in events such as Yoga Day USA.
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Your contact information, education and experience will be listed on the YA website, allowing prospective students and employers to easily locate you. Our Members Only site (coming soon) offers access to news, research, events and information tailored just for yoga teachers.
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You will receive a subscription to Yoga Matters and discounts on a variety of yoga-related merchandise.
What is the Continuing Education requirement for RYTs and E-RYTs? (See CE on website sidebar for entire policy.)
The program began January 1, 2004 and requires for each CE accounting period:
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30 hours of CE Training, at least 10 of which must be contact hours (classroom hours in the physical presence of the CE faculty member)
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45 hours of teaching yoga (including private clients or yoga therapy)
If you were registered before January 1, 2004, the first CE accounting period began with your 2003 renewal date and extends thru your 2007 renewal date, so that you have 4 years to accumulate your training and teaching hours.
If you were registered January 1, 2005 or later, your CE accounting period begins on your registration date and ends 3 years later. The following CE period begins at the end of the first CE period and extends for the next 3 year period.
The CE course subjects are limited to areas that fall within the scope of traditional yoga studies.
Contact hours (in the classroom in the physical presence of the CE faculty member) One contact CEU hour comes from 60 minutes of class time in the presence of a qualified teacher.
Non-contact hours: One non-contact CEU comes from five (5) hours of non-contact study. There are several ways to accumulate these hours:
Reading a book
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Taking an on-line course related to yoga
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Taking a correspondence course related to yoga
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Being mentored by telephone through a yoga-related program
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Publishing yoga books or articles in newsletters/newspapers/magazines
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Developing yoga class materials for distribution to students
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Producing yoga videos or yoga tapes
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You may be required to write an explanation of each activity and how it influenced your practice or teaching of yoga.
CE class requirements:
- Classes must be at least 2 hours in length
- Classes must be taught by a RYT 500 or E-RYT, or equivalent
- Classes in Anatomy & Physiology and Yoga Philosophy/Lifestyle/and Ethics for Yoga Teachers must be taught by faculty that has equivalent training and experience in these topics (at least 100 hours of education and/or experience).
What’s the difference between Registration and Certification?
Certification is given by a yoga teacher training school or a yoga tradition. Yoga Alliance registers, or acknowledges those who have met minimum training and education standards set by YA in the 5 standards areas: (Techniques, Teaching Methodology, Anatomy and Physiology, Philosophy/Lifestyle and Ethics for YTs or Practicum – student teaching)
I want to help promote the benefits of yoga. Does Yoga Alliance provide information that can be distributed?
Please visit our Yoga Fact Sheets page for downloadable handouts on the health benefits of yoga, including weight management and stress reduction.
Why doesn’t my non-yoga study, such as BA, MBA, PHD, Massage, Fitness, etc. apply toward my RYT?
The minimum standards for yoga teacher used for the Yoga Alliance registry represent yoga specific education and training for the purpose of assuring non-yoga employers of qualifications in hiring yoga professionals.
Do I need to be insured in order to teach Yoga?
Having insurance is a safeguard for your personal assets and liability. It may be required by some employers. Yoga Alliance provides a list of insurance providers used by our members. Please see our Insurance Information page.
Are there scholarships or is financial aid available for Yoga Teacher Training courses?
Any scholarship or financial aid would be at each School’s discretion; many have partial scholarship programs. Check with schools you are considering attending. Yoga Alliance is also preparing a database of schools who are offering scholarships. Please check our website soon for updated scholarship information.
Is there a Community Bulletin Board on the Website?
No. We are considering options for registrants to be able to communicate with each other and will be considering the options and the needs and wants of registrants during the upcoming year.
Where can I find Yoga Conference and Yoga workshop information?
We will have a Conferences Page on our website within a few months. In the meantime, refer to Yoga Journal or Yoga+ Joyful Living Magazines or websites for the latest information.
How can I add a link to the Yoga Alliance website from our own website?
We encourage yoga-, fitness-, and health-related sites to link directly to the Yoga Alliance website and/or the Yoga Day USA website by inserting a hyperlink to <http://www.yogaalliance.org> and/or <http://www.yogadayusa.org>. If you need further assistance with adding a link to our website from your website, please send an email to info@yogaalliance.org.
What organizations united to become Yoga Alliance®?
The Yoga Alliance Ad Hoc Committee comprised of no less than 10 diverse yoga representatives united with Unity in Yoga, a not for profit yoga organization, formed in 1986. Unity in Yoga turned over the organization to Yoga Alliance in 1999. View Our History.
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