Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, millions of people were stuck inside their homes without any contact with the outer world. This led people to start new hobbies, learn new trades and enroll in online programs and courses. During this time period, Yoga Alliance decided that for the first time ever, they would begin to accept online yoga teacher training schools in their directory of registered yoga schools. This was a huge deal because Yoga Alliance previously only accepted yoga schools in their directory of yoga schools who taught yoga teacher training in a face-to-face format.
Yoga Alliance was a little late to the party of online education. In modern times, people get college degrees and even advanced, graduate degrees online. There is no reason why yoga education should not be made available to students who are eager to learn in an online environment. Yoga Alliance does have certain requirements for their registered yoga schools that the schools must meet to earn their place in the exclusive directory. There are requirements for yoga schools that involve teaching specific numbers of hours for each educational category.
Educational category for yoga teacher training programs include yoga history and philosophy, anatomy and physiology, esoteric body, yoga teaching methodology, yoga as a business and yoga postures and breathwork. Yoga schools are required to disclose to Yoga Alliance exactly what they will be teaching in their training programs, and to complete paperwork and certifications that attest to what specifically will be taught throughout the training program. It is a vigorous application process, and not all schools are approved.
Once a yoga school is approved, the school is then placed in the highly acclaimed directory of registered yoga schools. When potential yoga teacher trainees are searching for a school that meets their needs, there are many factors that come into consideration. Some of these factors can include the style of yoga that is taught, the requirements for graduation and information about the lead trainer. Understanding all of this will help prospective yoga teacher trainees able to choose the best online yoga teacher training program for them.
There are many different styles of yoga and not all yoga schools teach the same style of yoga. Some of the more popular yoga lineages include Ashtanga, Iyengar, Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin and Restorative. Within each of these styles of yoga, there may be sub-styles. The yoga teacher who leads the training, or the lead trainer, may have an extensive background in the lineage or may be relatively new to the lineage. It’s important to learn as much as possible about the lead trainer. Within the teacher trainings, there may be different requirements for graduation. Some teacher trainings have more extensive requirements than others and it is important to learn what will be expected before choosing a yoga teacher training program.
Once a yoga teacher trainee completes a yoga teacher training program, they are a certified yoga teacher and eligible to register with Yoga Alliance. Once registered with Yoga Alliance, yoga teachers are expected to have continuing education. The most popular continuing education category is breathwork certification. Choosing the best breathwork certification online can be tricky, but the directory offers many options.
