Congratulations on deciding to become a Yoga Therapist. Sharing the teachings of yoga to ease suffering is a wonderful way to serve others. However, before you can enroll to become a certified Yoga Therapist, you need to complete a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training.
These types of training are easy to find, but which one is right for you? If becoming a Yoga Therapist is your goal, then completing a 200 hour yoga teacher training created and led by Yoga Therapists is the way to go. Here are three reasons why:
- You don’t have to play catch up. Although there have been attempts to standardize 200 hour training programs, the truth is that they vary widely. It’s not uncommon for a training to focus heavily on physical postures, strictly adhere to a lineage, or be more devotional or spiritually based. None of these are wrong, but as a Yoga Therapist, you need a wide range of knowledge. For example, if you have not been exposed to practical anatomy concepts, fundamental yoga techniques like bandhas and mantra, or have spent any time with yoga texts, there will be gaps in your education. As a result, you will not be able to take in the nuanced instruction that makes yoga therapy certification training so valuable.
- You’ll learn from very experienced teachers. In a perfect world, yoga teacher training programs would be taught by teachers with at least 500 hours of training. In reality, there’s nothing stopping a 200 Hour teacher from hosting a 200 hour yoga teacher training program. Yoga Therapists have over 500 hours of training, with C-IAYT Yoga Therapists having over 800 hours of training. In addition, Yoga Therapists have hours worth of real-world client experience, too, and you’ll be able to learn directly from them.
- Group classes can be therapeutic, too. As a Yoga Therapist, most of your work will be one-on-one with your clients. However, teaching group classes is something most Yoga Therapists do, whether it’s working in schools or hospitals or teaching niche classes for specific conditions. Learning how to approach and design group classes through a therapeutic lens is an important skill set for any Yoga Therapist, and in our opinion, anyone teaching general classes.
When deciding which yoga teacher training to enroll in, the choices are endless and can be overwhelming. It can be difficult to know how to vet the training and the teachers and it can be tempting to choose a quick and/or cheap training. However, in the end, cutting corners only short changes your education.
So if your intention is to help others suffering regardless of age, gender, condition, health history, physical and mental ability, then taking a 200-hour yoga certification created and led by Yoga Therapists is an important piece of your yoga education. Making sure you start your training by learning from seasoned Yoga Therapists over an extended period of time simply makes the most sense, and it will guarantee you get the knowledge and mentoring you need to become a successful Yoga Therapist.
Are you ready to start your journey towards becoming a Yoga Therapist? Learn more about our 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Program today!
