As the popularity of yoga rises, people who want to become teachers and instructors are also on a rise. This means the question of authenticity with regard to quality becomes prominent among the students.
If you’ve been vying to become a yoga instructor, you would have heard about Yoga Alliance and its various accreditations.
RYT-200, RYT-500, and RYS are also some of the common acronyms that you might have come across. And on top of that, you might have also seen various teachers flaunting their batches on their blogs, online video channels, or certificates that are hung in their studios.
Looking at the increasing number of yoga enthusiasts enrolling in Yoga Teacher Training may make you feel compelled to join one if you wish to open your own yoga studio.
But is formal training really mandatory?
Technically speaking, getting a certification or accreditation from an organization such as Yoga Alliance or International Yoga Federation or your local certifying organization is not compulsory. You can easily find experienced yoga teachers who have not registered with any organization and have been safely imparting the teachings of yoga.
However, having a yoga instructor Certification comes with benefits that may not be available if you are not certified.
Here are some reasons why you should get certified to become a yoga instructor.
You will Learn Teaching Skills
Learning to teach is an essential component of becoming an instructor. You will typically be doing loads of things simultaneously when demonstrating, teaching, and adjusting your students during class.
In between these things, you need to be able to structure your class according to the expertise level of your students, strength, and flexibility. You must be able to lead your pupils through an intelligent sequence to get their bodies ready.
Additionally, if you have made a connection with your trainer, you will subconsciously try to learn their teaching style and mix it with your own. This might not have been possible if you rely solely on self-teaching and self-practice.
And you can effectively learn this skill in a well-structured Yoga Instructor Certification course.
You will be Able to Differentiate Between Yoga and Fitness
Yoga is more than just performing poses to enhance your fitness and muscular strength. It is a holistic approach to harmonizing your mind and body. It can help you transcend your ego and become selfless. And as a yoga instructor, you should be able to understand this philosophy and convey it to your students.
The teacher training program aids in the comprehension of yoga\’s genuine objectives and functions.
You\’ll discover how to extend the practice of yoga beyond its postures. You\’ll learn how and why you should follow the yoga lifestyle every day. You will have the opportunity to read some of the highly revered and old writings and scriptures of yoga.
A YTT gives you the opportunity to explore multiple facets of yoga that you may not have previously known or read.
You Can Easily Find Job Opportunities
When you are certified, you gain a lot of credibility. Additionally, they guarantee that your teaching method will be of a specific standard and that you are knowledgeable about yoga\’s principles. Moreover, only certified and registered yoga teachers are preferred for employment at most yoga and fitness studios.
Additionally, if you have a certification from Yoga Alliance, you can rest assured that your accreditation is universally acceptable and you can apply to any yoga studio. Thus, getting a proper certification increases your employability to a significant extent.
You can Explore Other Opportunities to Advance in Your Career
Getting the basic certification of 200 hours of YTT opens the gates to various career advancements. Since this course is a foundational certification course, you get to learn almost everything about yoga – from its origins, philosophies, and spiritual aspects to the anatomy of yoga pose.
This means that you can now take up advanced courses which will further enhance your skill set and knowledge. You can take up a specialized course where you can learn and study a specific yoga form such as Kundalini, Iyengar, Ashtanga, etc.
If you have gained immense knowledge about the subject, you can also get registered as a teacher trainer who trains other yoga enthusiasts.
You Acquire a Sense of Responsibility
Getting trained to become a yoga instructor and getting your yoga instructor certification is a huge task. You go through various ups and downs with your emotions and thoughts. It is important to understand the alignment of yoga poses and how to listen to your body. It also helps acknowledge your shortcomings and work on becoming a better person.
So when you have felt these emotions and sensations yourself, you will be able to empathize with your student as an instructor. You will also understand the need to be responsible for each student in your class in terms of their well-being in terms of avoiding injuries.
In addition to that, you will be able to better impart knowledge about pose anatomy based on your experience during the certification course. You will automatically develop an eye for detail and observational skill to see what problems a student is facing.
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