On a global scale, the field of job opportunities for yoga instructors has recently opened up, and the many new “fusion” styles of yoga offered provide teachers with even more material to cover. Considering this, the question of how long and what it takes to become a yoga instructor is on the minds of many.
Yoga is a diverse, polyglot, and a multinational phenomenon, so to define standards for yoga in totality would be impossible. Around the world there is no single body that regulates yoga. Some forms of yoga are good for mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health. Some styles focus on only one of the four aspects, while others focus on two or more.
Many Hatha Yoga styles provide a basic framework for yoga teacher training, which suggests that a teacher complete a minimum of 200 hours of training. The training should be made up of hours, spent in observation, writing, researching, and other activities. Beyond this minimum, teachers may be certified at higher levels (such as the 500 hour certification) and in specialties, such as prenatal yoga or children’s yoga. Yoga teacher training programs offered through various institutions for 200 hours of training usually last about three months.
Similar to martial arts, and many forms of alternative healing, yoga is a unique field with many aspects. For the most part, there is no mandate for teachers to have the student background suggested by some of the ashrams and certifying bodies. Anyone studying yoga may choose at any time to begin teaching. Online courses and other correspondence courses of yoga teacher training, offer curriculums lasting an average of three months to a year.
If you wish to become an instructor in a specialized subset of yoga, such as a hot or power style, training is usually proprietary. Bikram teaching must be handled directly through Bikram’s Yoga College of India, which owns the trademarked name. Such training is nine weeks long and offered all over the world.
Others studying yoga choose to receive training in India, where many schools cater to English-speaking yoga teacher trainees. Training at a yoga center in India lasts from one to four months on average. Although the plane ticket may be prohibitively expensive, the training itself is quite affordable, with some courses costing as little as an online yoga instructor certification course.
Research several options, because very few training programs will teach you how to find a yoga teacher position or how to start your own business. While a solid foundation in yoga, and how to teach, can launch you on your career path for years to come; it is important for teacher trainees to know where the jobs are and how to get them.