Yoga India Foundation

Should I (RYT-200) Upgrade to An Advanced Yoga Teacher Training?

According to an estimated survey conducted in 2016, more than 100,000 yogis have been approaching the 200 hours of yoga teacher training course (RYT-200) all over the world. It is the most common certification offered by registered yoga schools nowadays. The 200 hour yoga teacher training course covers the fundamental yoga anatomy, philosophy, alignment, and asana practice. After the completion of this course, you can register with Yoga Alliance as RTY-200 (Registered Yoga Teacher with 200 Hours) and are eligible to teach yoga anywhere in the world.

Yoga has thousands of years of history. In India, countless scholars, practitioners, researchers contributed their valuable part to develop yoga philosophy and its practices. In India, Student devote themselves with a complete heart to absorb and learn it from their Guru, master, the mentor before they are ready to take on their own first students. In 1999 Yoga Alliance made a declaration that 200 Hours will be a minimum amount of training required to become a yoga teacher. But, it is very important to keep in mind that the course curriculum is not standardized so it completely depends on yoga schools to design their curriculum for their different set of courses. Apart from the quality of training, Yoga Alliance agrees that 200 hours of training offers a quality foundation for new yoga teachers and after completion of the course, they are entitled to teach new students. 

Students join yoga teacher training  programs for different purposes. Some students take it just as a career option and start teaching just after the completion of the course. Some students really want to deepen their knowledge in both areas – Yoga philosophy and practices. They go for the next levels of their yoga teacher training. And, with dealing with public queries, many yoga teachers really want to upgrade their certification by improving their knowledge and practice.

In recent years, the demand for advanced yoga teacher training courses has increased rapidly. It reflects the growth of the yoga teaching profession and now, yoga professionals are seeking to deepen their wisdom and practice to take their yoga journey to next level as a person and turn it into more value to their students. 

RYT 200

What are the advanced level courses for yoga teacher training?

There are two advanced level courses – 300 hours of yoga teacher training (RYT 300) and 500 hours yoga teacher training (RYT 500). Both courses are recognized at the international level by the Yoga Alliance and most of the schools design them to cover the advanced knowledge of yoga and its practices.

Should I upgrade my RYT 200 Certificate with Advanced yoga teacher training?

300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training

The RYS 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training is considered a second or intermediate-level yoga teacher training in India course. It is suitable for students who already passed the RYT 200. It is recommended that you must enroll in this course after the completion of RYT 200. This course is designed to advance your teaching skills and personal yoga practices. In this course, you will sharpen your understanding of fundamental asanas and learn to teach more complex asana. Its advanced training prepares its trainees to teach advanced principles and techniques of yoga. This advanced certification displays the advanced level of your knowledge and skills.

500 Hour Yoga Teacher Training

500 hour yoga teacher training is the highest international standard for yoga professionals or yoga teachers. After the completion of this program, you will be entitled as an advanced yoga teacher or RYT-500 with Yoga Alliance. After this course, you will be equipped with the history and origin of yoga asanas and yoga philosophy. You will also be taught the physiology of the human body to teach safe classes to students of all age groups, different backgrounds, and various experience levels. You will also be trained with different meditation and concentration techniques and improve your own practice of Yoga Asanas.

Benefits of Advanced Yoga Teacher Training Course as a Yoga Teacher

1. Building up a great level of Self-Confidence – The advanced knowledge of any subject will boost up your self confidence. Similarly, advanced yoga teacher training develops a deep understanding of both physical and energetic anatomy that improves your approach to teach your students according to their skill level. The more advanced yoga poses, adjustments, techniques, and experience you develop, the more you can naturally boost your self-confidence. It will help you to mentor the different levels of your audience during class and teach with more diversity and variations.

2. Stand you out from the Crowd – In the modern yoga world, every day new yoga teacher are emerging as just after completing the RYT-200, everyone will be entitled to become a yoga teacher. To become a well-paying yoga professional, you need to stand out from the crowd. The best way to stand out is to be equipped with advanced knowledge and practice with advanced yoga teacher training.

3. Learn the deep roots of Yoga – Definitely, the advanced yoga teacher training is designed with deeper knowledge and the entire wisdom of the philosophy of yoga. It helps you to explore the roots and spiritual nature of yoga. The philosophy of yoga revealed the divine aspect of your personality that you can offer to your personality.

4. Help you to find your niche – In a generic sense, RYT-200 yoga teachers are required to teach all levels of students. But, specific yoga classes are in demand as yoga evolves. Then an advanced yoga teacher training helps you to discover your preferred niche. It gives more depth to your yoga knowledge and allows you to choose your interest. You can focus either on yoga asana, pranayama, yoga for children, yoga therapy or different meditation techniques. The advanced yoga teacher training helps you to emerges as a true master of a specific stream of yoga.

5. Develop Lifestyle of a Yogi – In our everyday routine of life, we lose the essence of the yoga practice and yogic lifestyle. But, advanced yoga teacher training tests us in many ways and requires a great level of strength, discipline, courage, and commitment. It requires us to be a student again and to live a yogic lifestyle. If you have acquired your RYT-200, then you must think to upgrade yourself with advanced yoga teacher training. You can enroll yourself for 300 hours of yoga teacher training. Stand out from the crowd and become a True master of Yoga Philosophy & Practice with advanced yoga teacher training.

Author Name - Irina Kruse

Irina is a certified yoga professional with 500 Hour of Yoga Teacher Training from Yoga India Foundation, Yoga School in Rishikesh. She loves mentoring new yoga students, traveling to different places in the world, meeting new people, and tasting different foods. 

Irina loves to write about yoga, meditation and consult people on how it can help them to live healthy and peaceful life.