Those interested in pursuing yoga professionally have ample educational opportunities, including yoga degrees. Explore three of these options today!
Yoga is quickly growing in popularity as physically and emotionally exhausted individuals seek out proven methods of rehabilitating their minds and bodies. Those who choose to study yoga can thus rest assured that there will be plenty of work in the future, though few are familiar with yoga degrees and how certified experts are credentialed.
Do you really need a master’s in yoga therapy to become a professional success? Where should those interested in studying yoga turn to first? Here are 3 types of yoga degrees to explore if you seek to become a professional yoga master.
Do You Need a Master’s Degree in Yoga To Be Successful?
First, let’s address the question above. No, you do not need a master’s degree in yoga therapy from a university to be a successful yoga therapist. Thankfully, there is a better option: Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy. It’s possible to become a certified yoga therapist without getting a degree from an expensive university. In fact, the Yogatique names us as the best online yoga therapy training in 2022!
Breathing Deeply offers students extensive yoga therapy training programs built to help you turn your passion into a profession. You will grow and learn from certified yoga professionals during your courses and receive expert mentoring opportunities.
If you are still interested in weighing your options and learning about yoga degrees, read on to hear about three different degree options.
3 Yoga Degrees To Consider
Few people in the general public are familiar with yoga degrees, but it is indeed possible to receive higher education in the field of yoga. Some academic institutions offer a formal degree in yoga therapy to undergraduate students. Others offer more advanced master’s in yoga therapy that graduate students can take advantage of. A few also offer degrees that aren’t specific to yoga but could easily apply to the trade, such as a degree in mindfulness.
Bachelor’s Degree
Most yoga degrees offered by accredited universities will likely be Bachelors of Arts. Naropa University in Colorado offers a Bachelor of Arts in Yogic Studies, for instance, which entails anatomy lessons and more traditional yoga classes. Students at Naropa can choose to minor in yoga studies, too, illustrating how flexible the undergraduate path to a yoga degree may be.
Specialized Studies
Other undergraduate institutions may offer students the chance to secure a Bachelor’s in Special Studies, which allows them to formulate a custom, individualized degree program tailored to their individual desires. Students can then devise a clever curriculum for themselves after receiving approval from their guidance counselors that teaches them valuable yoga lessons which can be put to use by getting yoga degrees or credentials elsewhere.
There are also tangential degrees to consider which may not be centered on yoga studies but are quite relevant to the field. Mindfulness studies are popular with those who are interested in the yogi lifestyle.
Mindfulness is a meditative practice that can yield helpful insights for yogis seeking to help their clients, though they may not help you secure industry credentials that are important for commercial practice. Sometimes referred to as “contemplative degrees,” these may also be pursued as minors or certificates in many universities if you’re uninterested in majoring in their study.
Master’s Degree
Finally, those who aspire to become true experts in the field of yoga can pursue a master’s degree in yoga offered by institutions like the Maryland University of Integrative Health’s Master of Science in Yoga Therapy.
A more advanced graduate program of this nature will include detailed knowledge of yoga therapy and other insights which prove valuable in the field of commercial meditation, therapy, or rehabilitation services. Advanced degrees typically require an undergraduate degree in hand before you apply, however, so recognize that this may be a long-term goal if you’re just entering the yoga practice.
For more information, read our blog post about whether you need a master’s in yoga therapy.
Yoga Degrees Aren’t Essential To The Trade
While many newcomers to yoga believe that yoga degrees are the key to success, there are professional certifications provided by current yoga therapy providers that are far more likely to result in personal and professional success in yoga.
Expert organizations full of yoga professionals like Breathing Deeply offer professional training courses that will equip you with the skills and certifications you need for commercial yoga work.
Breathing Deeply lets would-be yogis turn their budding passion into a profession without having to undergo the hassle and expenses of a four-year program. Instead, 200-hour yoga teacher training will ensure you’re familiar with yoga therapy’s core principles and the industry’s best teaching practices before you’re ever in charge of a classroom.
Lectures, forums, assignments, and assessments provided by Breathing Deeply will create a truly authentic educational experience without the immense debt generated by most universities. Those who pass the 875-hour advanced yoga therapy program will be eligible for C-IAYT status, the highest certification in the industry.
Breathing Deeply’s many courses also include meditative modules and sections on healthy eating for a well-balanced lifestyle. Interested students can even seek to become a Breathing Deeply Meditation Mentor to guide others on their path toward the yogi lifestyle.
Finding your happy place is a lot easier when you’re not drowning in debt or struggling to keep pace with coursework that may have nothing to do with yoga but is mandated by your general education requirements.
