Best Intensive Course: Himalayan Institute
Himalayan Institute
Why We Chose It: Youll enjoy three straight weeks of immersive training at the Himalayan Institute in rural Pennsylvania, complete with instruction in anatomy and physiology, breathing, asanas, meditation, philosophy, diet and lifestyle, teaching methods, and more.
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In-person, immersive experience facilitates connection to nature, self, and others
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Offers 200- and 300-hour programs, plus a meditation teacher training program
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Emphasizes physical and structural teaching over spiritual aspects, which isnt a fit for all yogis
The Himalayan Institute offers 200- and 300-hour yoga teacher training. The 200-hour training in particular is a great choice for people looking to kick off a career as a yoga instructor.
With a decades-long teaching history and a robust curriculum, the Himalayan Institute provides an exceptional education for aspiring yoga teachers. Unlike some of the other courses on this list, which offer on-demand learning or extended formats to accommodate busy schedules, the Himalayan Institute training requires three weeks of on-campus learning.
The time commitment is hefty, but if youre looking for an immersive, in-person, on-campus experience in the U.S., theres no better option. Tuition for this yoga teacher training costs $2,399 and accommodations are not included.
What Is A Yoga Teacher Training Program
A yoga teacher training program is a training program for people who want to become yoga instructors. Specifically, a yoga teacher training program allows you to become a registered yoga teacher of 200, 500, or 1000 hours .
RYTs register with Yoga Alliance, the accrediting agency for yoga teacher training programs and schools. Yoga Alliance provides curriculum standards for yoga schools to abide by, ensuring quality instruction across programs.
According to ZipRecruiter, full-time yoga teachers make about $46,000 to $64,000 annually, depending on the state. Part-time yoga teachers can expect to earn an hourly wage of about $20 per hour to about $31 per hour, according to the ZipRecruiter data.
Wanna Become A Yoga Instructor
Yoga is amazing. Thats why youre reading this post right?
It can help fight chronic illness in a holistic manner, promotes gentle physical activity to foster self-regulation, connects the mind and body through breathing exercises, reduces stress
and best of all it places you within a community of like-minded people.
Yoga is just an all rounder for your health and well-being to improve the quality of life.
So of course you wanna teach it!
Whether youre looking to study integrative yoga therapy, Kundalini, Raja yoga, or are still looking for your fortay of classes we think we may have a variety of programs here for you.
Check out a few of our favs.
Location: Iguana Lodge, Calle a Calle Platanares, Provincia de Puntarenas, Puerto Jiménez, Costa Rica
Youre extraordinary, which is why we know you wont settle for any ordinary teacher training.
Become a certified yoga instructor with this dynamic training program designed by master energy manipulator Cat Kabira.
She will not only teach students all the necessary physical and philosophical aspects of yoga but also incorporate a Shamanic journey to the deeper self.
Practitioners will participate in activity of meditation, pranayama breathing, asana, mantra, anatomy, special lectures, teaching practice and so much more.
Youll come out of this training with knowledge and tools to teach both Vinyasa and Yin classes.
Perfect balance.
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How We Chose The Best Yoga Teacher Training Programs
To compile this list of the best yoga teacher training, we scoured the Yoga Alliance directory of accredited yoga schools. From there, we combed through the finest details of more than 40 yoga teacher training programs and created a shortlist of 15 programs based on location, tuition cost, COVID-19 precautions, 2021 availability, and more.
Each yoga teacher training had to meet the following criteria to make this list:
- Registered with Yoga Alliance
- Minimum of five years in business
- Majority positive reviews
- Tuition cost of less than $5,000
- U.S. based
Reputation Of The Yoga School

There are some yoga schools that are world-famous in yogi world.
You know the kind.
Their daily yoga classes are jam-packed, making an otherwise normal-looking yoga studio feel like a massive sauna.
Theyre located in places like Costa Rica, Bali, Thailand, or some other faraway place where dreams come true.
Some of Instagrams most famous yoga teachers are hopping into these popular yoga studios to lead exotic yoga retreats in a picture-worthy destination. #yogaeverydamnday amiright?
Well, those beautiful gems of yoga studios and yoga schools will likely fill up fast and come with a high price tag.
If you can swing it, though, it will probably be worth every penny.
And if not?
Those other yoga studios will also be incredible and worth every penny, just a lot fewer of them.
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How Much Is A Yoga Certification
The cost of a Yoga Alliance-certified teacher training program ranges from around $1,000 to $3,000, depending on where you go to school. Although it is not the least expensive alternative for obtaining a yoga instructor certification, it does have several advantages: A curriculum that is extensive and well-regulated. Teaching experience in a classroom setting.
How To Become Yoga Alliance Certified
Yoga teachers who achieve Yoga Alliance standards in terms of training and teaching experience obtain the Registered Yoga Teacher credential. An RYT must be able to:
1. Complete 200 or 500-hour training at a Registered Yoga School and gain confirmation from them
2. Every three years, complete 30 hours of Continuing Education
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Key Features Of The Policy
Temporary Policy Adjustment During COVID-19This policy will allow you to teach yoga classes online. You can find out more about the requirements and limitations on this FAQ page found here!
Covers Professional, Public & Products Liability
£6,000,000/6,500,000 limit of indemnity
Unlimited claims during a policy year
Theres One More Step To Becoming A Registered Yoga Teacher
After youve completed your teacher training, you will need to register as a yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance of America. Once registered, youll be listed in their global directory as a teacher who has met their minimum requirements for teaching and has completed their training with an officially registered yoga school.
You are now ready to teach yoga. Remember that the role of a teacher is very important. Keep learning and expanding your own practice, so you can share the wonderful gift of yoga with everyone.
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Yoga Alliance Yoga Teacher Registration Information:
Upon successful conclusion of your Yandara training, you will be qualified to register with Yoga Alliance. To assist you in this process, at the conclusion of the Yandara training, we will supply you with the following:
What Other Factors Can Influence Yoga Certification Costs
As you can see in the section above, the cost of getting a yoga certification depends somewhat on the type of training course you take. But you probably noticed that the cost can vary quite a bit even for the same type of training coursefor example, the fact that 300-hour courses can range between $1,000 and $7,000.
What causes this wide range of costs?
Lets take a look at some of the factors, in addition to the types of trainings, that can contribute to the cost of any given yoga certification course.
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Yoga Alliance Certification In India
Yoga Alliance is the national education and support organization for yoga in the United States. Yoga Alliance supports students to learn and teachers to teach yoga. The Yoga Alliance directory represents over 25,000 yoga teachers and schools that meet internationally recognized standards of training, experience, and ongoing professional development. Protecting the health and safety of society these standards encompass the many aspects of yoga including anatomy and physiology, yoga lifestyle and ethics, teaching methodology, and techniques training. Yoga Alliance standards provide teachers with an important foundation for their yoga teaching practice. Acknowledged by the designation RYT, E-RYT, and RYS, Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teachers and Registered Yoga Schools can be found at www.yogaalliance.org.
Additional Factors That Influence The Cost Of Yoga Teacher Training

Other things that affect the cost of yoga teacher training courses include:
- Yoga Alliance registration Registered Yoga Schools pay an annual fee for their YA membership that could be reflected in your tuition. These trainings could also be considered higher value as they allow you to become a Registered Yoga Teacher .
- Yoga style While Hatha yoga is one of the main styles that people train in, Vinyasa is a type of Hatha, if you decide you want to train in something more specialized like Ashtanga yoga or yoga therapy it could increase the training cost.
- Teacher experience and credentials You may pay more to train with a highly experienced teacher with many credentials and years of experience teaching and practicing yoga, and of course this increase in cost will be matched with an increase in the value you receive as a student
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What Type Of Certification Will I Be Eligible For
UW Recreation is recognized by Yoga Alliance as a Registered Yoga School which means the program meets the standards of a 200-hour program. Most yoga studios, gyms, retreat centers, etc. will only hire yoga teachers that have done a Yoga Alliance accredited 200-hour training. You may choose to become an RYT, registered yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance after your training . This training qualifies you to teach domestically or overseas.
Experience Above All Else
In my twenty years of practicing, Ive learned that book knowledge can only get you so far.
Practice teaching on other training participants is good. However, in order for teachers to truly learn and grow they must actually be teaching to real live students.
Think about your own practice.
Was your main concern when selecting a class about whether or not the teacher was registered with Yoga Alliance?
Probably not.
An RYT designation after someones name does not guarantee they are a great teacher.
My own knowledge came through a mentorship. Yoga Alliance was not yet formed and formal teacher training programs were a distant idea. The fact that both my mentor and I never went through an organized/formalized 200-hour yoga teacher training program does nothing to lessen our experience and ability.
Time and experience made us better teachers.
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How Much Does It Cost To Get Certified In Yoga
This fully depends on what kind of training youre after. There are so many aspects to a training that can affect the price, like which styles of yoga are taught, whether its a 200-hour yoga course or 500-hour course, where the course is located, and what kind of certification you would like.
What Is The Yoga Alliance And How Does It Work
Yoga Alliance was founded in the United States as a nonprofit membership trade and professional group for yoga teachers.
The headquarters of the organization are in Arlington, Virginia. In the United States, a Registered Yoga Instructor is a designation that recognizes a yoga teacher who has completed 200, 300, or 500 hours of yoga teacher training at a Registered Yoga School accredited by the Yoga Alliance.
In 2007, there were 9,940 yoga teachers who met the requirements for registration.
According to the Yoga Alliance, its registration is a voluntary certification mechanism. The teacher register is not a certification program, but rather a list of teachers who have finished their training at a Registered Yoga School and meet Yoga Alliances requirements for teaching experience.
Rather than providing specialized training, Yoga Alliance offers educational training guidelines that teachers, studios, and schools should adhere to in order to provide adequate study time.
Its essentially a volunteer register of yoga teachers who have previously graduated from Yoga Alliance-accredited schools and want to add more legitimacy to their yoga credentials.
Though there are no specific curriculum guidelines, there is a set number of learning hours needed to receive a Yoga Alliance credential.
The feedback gathered from these reviews is then used to enhance the courses and classes offered by schools and education providers for future benefit and progress.
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Frequently Asked Questions Regarding The Yoga Alliance Certification
The Yoga Alliance certification program:
- Trains teachers with quality standards
- Ensures they are up to date on research findings of teaching methods
- It Covers legal topics like how to protect yourself from liability lawsuits as an instructor.
- Provides continuing education for life.
With all the information provided, there are still some frequently asked questions about Yoga Alliance Certifications, like Yoga Alliance registration and more.
How Do You Become Yoga Alliance Certified?
The Yoga Alliance is an organization of yoga teachers and schools that offers certification levels. The first level, RYT-200 , can be done two months through online courses or a condensed weekend workshop at a retreat center.
You can become Yoga Alliance Certified by taking a Yoga Alliance-approved course from an RYS or Registered Yoga School. You can also be certified through the Certification of Experienced Registered Yoga Therapist program .
The original Yoga Alliance standards called for 100 hours of training today, the 200-hour certification is standard practice and most popular among teachers. The 500-hour level offers a deep dive into teaching adults and children with disabilities and using props like straps or blocks to teach alignment principles and advanced poses.
Can I Teach Yoga Without Being Certified?
Benefits Of Yoga Alliance Certification:
How Many CEU Do You Need for Yoga Alliance?
Yoga Alliance certification courses are divided into the following three categories:
- Asanas
Start Making Money Teaching Yoga
Step five is charging money for people to take your classes. This could mean that youre teaching in a studio, or maybe youre hosting events in your home.
Maybe youre teaching in corporations, like youre going into businesses, and teaching there, or partnering with local restaurants to have yoga and wine nights.
You could lead retreats.
You could teach yoga online, like me.
There have never been more opportunities to find success as a yoga teacher in the way that you really enjoy, and are passionate about.
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Moving Forward: Your Options
Downside Of Yoga Alliance

In one blog post, the author states, A Yoga Alliance certificate does not denote the credibility it claims.
First, Yoga Alliance is not a certifying body and doesnt issue certificates. The certificate you earn during teacher training allows to register with YA and use the designation of RYT.
Another downside is the standards are designed mostly for posture-based yoga practices. It doesnt take into account the many forms of yoga.
They have tried to address this issue by making the categories broad enough to encompass the many ways yoga can be taught.
This means not all teacher training programs are created equally and leads to disparately different programs. Many teachers participate in a second training program because the first one, even ones approved by YA, fell short of their expectations and needs.
Finally, most places outside of the yoga community like fitness centers, corporations, and school districts, have never heard of Yoga Alliance.
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How Much Does A Teaching Certificate Cost
The cost of a yoga instructor certification is variable, but here are some basic facts and figures on what you can spend on a yoga teaching certification.
Type |
Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher
Teachers can register as an RPYT if they have successfully completed both a 200-hour yoga teacher training and an 85-hour prenatal yoga trainingin either orderthat are registered with Yoga Alliance. Applicants must submit 30 teaching hours in prenatal yoga, which must be performed after completing a training with a Registered Prenatal Yoga School .
Need more help? Have questions about our yoga trainings or Yoga Alliance certification?
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Restorative Yoga: Arhanta Yoga Ashrams
Arhanta Yoga Ashrams, with locations in both the Netherlands and Madhya Pradesh, India, offers a variety of online YTTs, including restorative yoga training.
Restorative yoga is a specific style of yoga that is designed to help practitioners deeply relax. All poses are done lying or seated, and theyre meant to be passive, allowing the body to rest .
This training dives into the purpose of restorative yoga, details 30 key restorative asanas, teaches sequencing, and includes meditation and breathwork practices that are relevant to restorative yoga.
Hours: 75
How Much Does An Ryt Certification Cost
The cost of yoga certification varies widely, ranging from $200 to $7,000 depending on the type of instruction and accommodations you want.
Depending on the sort of training you pick and where you acquire it, a 200-hour yoga teacher training will cost you around $1,000 and $3,000, while a more comprehensive yoga certification course would cost you between $1,000 and $7,000.
Timeframe for TTC Pricing, Specializations range in price from $200 to $999 and last anywhere from one to three weeks.
- TTC for 200 hours ranges in price from $999$4,000 and lasts anywhere from three to four weeks.
- TTC for 300 hours ranges in price from $1,000 to $7,000 and lasts anywhere from three to five weeks.
- TTC for 500 hours ranges in price from $1,500 to $5,000 and lasts anywhere from three to eight weeks.
Low-range: $200 $999:
This price range is often reserved for specialized training courses that do not lead to a teaching certificate. Theyre ideal for individuals on a tight budget, looking to stay close to home, or merely passing through a location with cool training.
Middle range $1000 $2999:
If it is local or headquartered in a super cheap place, such as India, a Yoga Alliance-registered yoga teacher training will most likely fall into this price range. Any YTT course in this range is a bargain, and you can complete it in Mexico, the US, India, or Nepal depending on where you reside.
High-range $3000 and Above:
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