Is It Worth It to Get Certified in Yoga?
By: Isabella Koepf, Yoga Therapist, Clinical Herbalist, Holistic Nutritionist, Ayurvedic Practitioner, 500-Hour Yoga Teacher, Health Coach
Pros and Cons of Getting Certified to Teach Yoga
The decision to get certified in yoga has many pros and cons, and it is crucial to make this decision consciously to do what is best for your needs. Getting certified in yoga is the start of an exciting new path that can open up many opportunities for you, both personally and professionally. But any new course has a time and financial investment, so it is vital to ensure this investment is worth it in the end.
In this article, we will go over some of the primary benefits of getting certified in yoga to support you in making this decision. Starting a yoga teacher training is an exciting process. Still, it is essential to understand the pros and cons of getting certified in yoga to ensure the investment is suitable for you. Now, let’s begin exploring this topic!
1. Deepen Your Personal Yoga Practice
Perhaps the most significant benefit of getting certified in yoga is what it can offer you for your personal yoga practice. A yoga teacher training course is often the best way to dive deeper into yoga and learn the philosophy, theory, anatomy, and modifications to your yoga practice. With this added training, you can develop a healing personal yoga practice that is perfectly suited to your unique needs.
2. Learn Yoga Teaching Tools
In a yoga teacher training, you will also gain valuable teaching tools that can help you in your efforts to guide your students through various yoga practices. Becoming a good yoga teacher takes time and effort, and the yoga teacher training course is the first step to building a solid foundation for your future as a teacher. With an online YTT, you will learn the best yoga teaching tools to teach a wide range of yoga styles.
3. Start a Career as a Yoga Teacher
In order to work as a yoga teacher, a yoga teacher training is an essential requirement. However, in some traditional yoga ashrams, you may not need a certification as this format typically follows a mentorship or apprenticeship model. But if you are planning to teach in yoga studios, gyms, or retreat centers, then a yoga teacher training certification from Yoga Alliance is often a requirement for employment.
4. Discover Modifications for Yoga Poses
Each person has a unique body structure, and for this reason, it is vital to understand the principles of functional anatomy so you can modify each yoga pose for an individual student’s needs. In our online YTT, you will learn how to modify each yoga pose for your own body first, as well as how to adapt yoga poses for various physical issues and body types. This adaptive and functional approach to yoga is an essential step in highlighting the therapeutic benefits of yoga in your yoga practice.
5. Improve Your Reputability as a Yoga Teacher
With a yoga teacher certification, you will be recognized and respected for your skills in the yoga field. Having a Yoga Alliance credential is considered the base level to teach yoga in most places. With a Yoga Alliance yoga teacher certification, you can show your students and employers that you have the skills necessary to safely and effectively guide students through a yoga class. This gives your students greater comfort and ease as you guide them through a yoga practice.
6. Dive Into the Philosophy of Yoga
When many people begin practicing yoga, they are typically only exposed to the physical practice of yoga poses and perhaps a few breathing techniques or guided meditations. In a yoga teacher training course, you can begin exploring the deeper aspects of yoga through yoga philosophy and theory. Yoga is truly a profoundly transformational system of philosophy, and in an in-depth yoga course, you can explore these many wonderful teachings and apply them to your own life.
7. Connect with Likeminded People
Perhaps the most fulfilling benefit of a yoga teacher training course is the ability to connect with many like-minded people who are on the same path as you. Those who are interested in studying yoga are truly a unique and heartfelt community of people who are interested in moving beyond the material and into the spiritual. It can be hard to come by these types of communities, and by pursuing a yoga teacher training course online, you can connect with like-minded spirits from all over the world!
8. Spread Healing Wisdom to Others
As a yoga teacher, you have a unique opportunity to share the healing wisdom of yoga with others. There is nothing more satisfying than witnessing the stress of your students melt away at the end of a yoga class. With a yoga teacher certificate, you will be equipped with a unique set of skills to support the healing of your students through body, mind, and spirit. Yoga is a truly holistic practice, and in a yoga teacher training course, you can learn how to use these practices to support students with a range of needs.
9. Create a Systematic Yoga Self-Practice Routine
In addition to learning how to teach and create yoga sequences for your students, a yoga teacher training course also gives you the skills to design your self-practice yoga routine. Many students who practice yoga at home have a hard time knowing what to practice. However, learning the art of sequencing a yoga class in a yoga teacher training is a particular skill that will serve both you and your students. With practice, you will be well on your way to creating transformational yoga sequences in no time!
10. Be Your Own Boss as an Independent Yoga Teacher
With a yoga teacher certification, you have the opportunity to launch your own yoga business or teach private yoga classes and become your own boss. There are limitless opportunities in the field of yoga – the only limitation is your creativity! The first step to starting this process of entrepreneurship is to complete a yoga teacher training course. Once you have your certificate, you can begin teaching group classes in the park, private classes online, create your own yoga course, or even run retreats in tropical destinations.
11. Learn Functional Anatomy and Adaptive Yoga
Yoga poses are not a one-size-fits-all approach. One of the most important lessons you will learn in a yoga teacher training is the principles of functional anatomy and adaptive yoga. Functional anatomy is the understanding that each person’s body is unique, and it is a way of approaching each yoga pose with curiosity to adapt the pose to the person rather than force the person’s body into the pose. This person-first approach to yoga is a valuable and transformational way of practicing yoga to truly harness the therapeutic benefits of this practice.
12. Cultivate a Healthy Lifestyle
When you pursue a yoga teacher training course, you are not just learning how to practice yoga on the mat – you are learning how to live and embody yoga in your daily life. Yoga is a way of being, and by learning yoga philosophy and the practices of yoga, you can transform your entire being. A yoga teacher training course may be the first step on your profound healing journey. Yoga is ultimately a path that leads you to your true self and to an awakened state of consciousness.
13. Follow Your Dreams!
If you have made it this far into the article, then one thing is clear – you are passionate about yoga! If a yoga teacher training is something you have been dreaming about, then this is your sign to take the leap and pursue your dreams. There is no need to wait to follow your heart. Your destiny as a yoga teacher is waiting for you right around the corner. So, don’t hold yourself back from this exciting new opportunity – you deserve to live the life of your dreams and become a yoga teacher once and for all.
As you can see, there are many benefits to getting certified in yoga. The path of a yoga teacher offers profound healing on a personal level, opening you up to the depths of yoga as you dive deeper within yourself. The journey of a yoga teacher is so much more than a career; it is a life calling that beckons you to something more profound. The work of a yoga teacher is genuinely some of the most meaningful work you can do!
If you are ready to take the next step and get certified in yoga, then make sure to check out our online YTT. Our yoga teacher training courses provide you with a strong foundation in yoga, along with continued guidance and support to become the best yoga teacher possible. So, take this next step on the journey of a lifetime and get certified in yoga online today! This is just the beginning of a genuinely transformational path.