Yoga Alliance Certification: Do You Really Need It?

By Om Shanti Om Yoga Ashram

Yoga Alliance certification is for two purposes, one is for people looking their a career in Yoga and they want recognition as a yoga teacher. The second is for the yoga school, which is also called RYS, and the name is based on the number of hours of practice: RYS 200, RYS 500, etc. So it is a global recognition to practice yoga, the body is in the USA, and called Yoga Alliance USA. After the completion of the certificate course, you are ready to instruct others.

The certificate provides greater recognition for the practice and serves as a global standard for others. At the school level, certificates from Yoga Allied schools are more recognized worldwide. These certifications are based on the level of practice that you can do; you can’t go directly into the 500-hour yoga course, a 20- hour needs to be completed first.

Benefits of the Yoga Alliance Certificate

There are different benefits of the Yoga Alliance certificate, as it gives global recognition to everyone who qualifies. In Yoga schools, you will notice a healthy community formation during the course and certification programmes. The purpose of these community building is to help each other find resources and allocation. Here are some benefits of Yoga Alliance certification programmes:

Gives a global recognition as a Yoga practitioner and instructor.
Moving to a different level of practice by itself shows a continuous line.
Helping people in community-building purposes gives a professional opportunity in a yoga career.
Many organizations required Yoga Alliance certifications at the time of selecting a yoga teacher for their institute.
As a yoga professional, you will gain more opportunities, respect, and recognition.
During the course, you came to know about different yoga practices and techniques to instruct others after the course.
A Registered Yoga Teacher certificate is a trusted credential for every person.
Best for teaching discipline to the body and helping in forming a routine.

How to Get a Yoga Alliance Certificate?

Yoga certification from a Yoga Allied school is the best for a person looking for a career opportunity in the same field. You have to go through the registration procedure, and before that, it is good to select the best Yoga School for yourself. By selecting the school, you will see an option for the different certification levels, and you can register there with the ‘apply’ button. Here are the steps for getting a Yoga certificate:

First of all, don’t just pick any random yoga place you find on Instagram. Check for the Yoga Alliance school, or if it is backed by the Ministry of AYUSH in India.
Next, figure out what kind of course you’re looking for. Most people start with a 200-hour YTT.
If you’re feeling it easy, you can level up later with a 300-Hour YTT or even 500 YTT. More hours, more yoga, more bragging rights.
Now, prepare yourself for training. It’s not just stretching and chanting “om.” Read some Books and dig into yoga philosophy, twist your body into all sorts of shapes (asanas), breathe work (pranayama), sit in silence (meditation), learn about human anatomy, and figure out how to teach without sounding like a robot.
Before you get a certificate, yoga instructors in the centre test you—probably make you teach a class, maybe throw in some written stuff or practical exams.
Survive all that, and they will give you a certificate. Now you’re officially allowed to teach yoga anywhere people want to get bendy.

Do I Need a Yoga Alliance Certificate?

If you are looking for a career opportunity in the same field, then yes. You need a Yoga Alliance certificate for professional skills, and if your motive is just to hang out for some time, then no need for the certificate. This is a very simple answer, looking for the certifications of the AYUSH ministry and other Indian standards will bind upto the national level. For global recognition, Yoga Alliance is the best.

At Om Shanti Om Yoga School, we are teaching students yoga and preparing them to instruct others. If they qualify, then a Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) Certificate is given. Also, we need some more discipline. If you think you are doing anything at our place and get a certificate, that is not possible.

The Bottom Line

There is no eligibility required for the yoga certifications, and you have to practice with discipline for the Yoga Alliance Certificate. The certification courses depend on the hours of practice, like 500-hour, 300-hour, and the easiest is 200-hour. You may increase your status by practising for some more time, which means practising yoga will increase your experience in the certification. At Om Shanti Om in Rishikesh, there is a perfect place for learning yoga skills and preparing yourself to become a yoga teacher.

Your Top Questions, Explained

Yes, it is a globally recognized certificate for people in the same career field. There are different places in Rishikesh, which offer giving best yoga teacher training, but choose one that is certified as a Yoga Alliance School. Teachers registered here are called Registered Yoga Teachers.

YTT is the training program that gives you the knowledge to teach yoga. On the other hand, RYT is the credential that validates your training on a global platform or in any other nation. But they both are interconnected, with YTT being the first step and RYT providing recognition, credibility, and wider career opportunities.

200-hour teacher training program usually takes one to two weeks. It depends on the overall speed of the batch and the time of performance per day. 15 days accommodation is required for 200-hour yoga teacher training.

An e-RYT certificate is the highest level to practice yoga at a global level. This certificate needs renewal on a time-to basis.