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9-Step Check to Choose Your Online Yoga Teacher Training

Online yoga instructor certifications were such a rarity in the pre-pandemic days.

By Sudhir SinghPublished about a year ago 4 min read
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Online yoga instructor certifications were such a rarity in the pre-pandemic days. They have become fairly common to find now. Many organizations that were hesitant to offer online yoga certificate courses during the pandemic are coming around to seeing merit in this trend that continues to grow even though government restrictions on movement are long gone.

With so many options around, it can be a tough call to select an online yoga certification that suits your needs best. In this article, we offer suggestions on the steps you can take to choose a suitable online yoga teacher training.

1. Decide on the type of yoga you want to learn

The yoga you see most people perform is called Hatha yoga. It combines asanas (poses) with pranayama (breathing techniques). Other than that, there are many other schools of yoga, each with its own unique characteristics and purposes. Among the most popular ones of these are Ashtanga yoga, Vinayasa yoga, Iyengar yoga, Kundalini Yoga, and Sivananda yoga.

Before choosing a yoga instructor certification, make sure to learn about each school of yoga to identify which one you would like to practice professionally so you can choose a certification accordingly.

2. Examine the syllabus

Once you have made up your mind about which yoga style you like, shortlist all the online yoga certificate courses that offer that style. Then, compare all the courses in terms of the syllabus they offer. You obviously want to go with the yoga instructor certification that gives you the most comprehensive coverage of all the relevant topics for your budget.

3. Find out what’s included in the fee

An online yoga certification can include just the learning material and may require you to pay separately for any mentoring sessions, the exam, and the final certification. Or, it can be a complete package of learning material, mentoring sessions, and exam fee. Neither option is good or bad, and each has its own pros and cons. But it’s important that you know the complete picture at the outset to make an informed decision and prevent any conflict from arising in the future.

4. Learn more about the teacher/s

When are teachers not important? They are always important, right? For a yoga certification, especially an online yoga certification, they are particularly important because of the emphasis yoga makes on proper form and technique. A well-trained teacher alone is qualified to produce trained yoga instructors like themselves.

There are online yoga certificate courses created by freshly-minted teachers who have yet to become firmly established in the discipline of yoga. Beware of them. You want to be led by experienced teachers and not newbies.

5. Do a thorough research on the content delivery mechanism

Yoga is best learnt online during live sessions with a teacher. Of course, if there are way too many students, the live presence of the teacher does not have the same impact. Pre-recorded video tutorials are also great because you can pause and go back and forth as often as you want to get a given technique right.

Remember to find out the content delivery mechanism of your shortlisted online yoga certificate courses. If a course does not explicitly mention it, contact them to find out more.

6. Look into the feedback mechanism

Getting an asana or a pranayama right is non-negotiable. With a live session, it’s easy for a teacher to give feedback to a student. With pre-recorded sessions too, it’s possible for students to record their own videos of performing yoga and send them to the teacher for feedback. That is, if a certifying organization has such an option.

When you are deciding on which online yoga certification to choose, make sure to find out how, if at all, there is a mechanism for you to receive feedback from the teacher/s.

7. Investigate the credentials

You want your online yoga certification to have recognition in the industry for your prospective employers or clients to accept the certification. When choosing a yoga instructor certification, spend time finding out how long the certification has been around, what kind of reputation the certifying organization has, and what former students have to say about the certification.

8. Enquire if there is a community

Community is such an essential element of yoga. It’s the place for you to interact with fellow yogis, find motivation, exchange ideas, and support each other in whatever way possible. With traditional classroom yoga courses, community is a given. With online yoga certifications, this is not so.

Before selecting an online yoga certificate course for yourself, find out if the certifying organization has an online community of which you can be a part.

9. Check out eligibility requirements with employers

If you plan on taking up employment as a yoga instructor after completing your online yoga certification, it’s important that you choose a course that meets employers’ eligibility requirements. While employers can sometimes have unique needs, they tend to have standard industry requirements most of the time. These requirements can be in terms of the minimum number of hours of certification. A 200-hour certification is the bare minimum. If you have more number of hours, your prospects of getting hired improve.

Becoming a certified yoga instructor has become easier than ever before. Spending some time figuring out exactly what you want and doing due diligence are key to choosing an online yoga certification that’s right for you. Here’s an affordable yoga instructor certification course and an advanced online yoga certification that you can explore as you make your decision.

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About the Creator

Sudhir Singh

Sudhir is a writer, who covers online certification-related topics. he writes columns and articles for various websites and internet journals. In the domain of health, fitness, beauty and education.

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