YTT (Yoga Teacher Training) Defined

Short Definition

YTT stands for Yoga Teacher Training—a certification program that prepares students to teach yoga professionally. Programs are measured in hours, with 200-hour training being the foundational standard and 500-hour representing advanced certification.

What Happens in Teacher Training

Teacher training is part education, part transformation. You'll study asana in depth—not just how to do poses, but how to teach them safely to different bodies. You'll learn anatomy, sequencing, the art of cueing, and how to read a room.

But the curriculum extends beyond technique. Most programs include yoga philosophy, history, pranayama, meditation, and ethics. You'll practice teaching—nervously at first, then with growing confidence—and receive feedback that shapes your voice as a teacher.

Why People Do Teacher Training

• To teach professionally—the most direct path to leading classes at studios, gyms, or privately
• To deepen personal practice—many students enter training with no intention to teach, simply wanting to understand yoga more fully
• To join a community—training cohorts often form lasting bonds through shared intensive experience
• To explore a career change—yoga can become a full-time profession or complement other work
• To honor a calling—some feel drawn to share what practice has given them

Training Formats

200-Hour Training (RYS-200)

The foundational certification. Programs run anywhere from three weeks intensive to six months of weekend sessions. This qualifies you to register as an RYT-200 and teach public classes at most studios.

300-Hour Training (RYS-300)

Advanced training taken after completing a 200-hour program. Covers specialized topics—therapeutics, advanced anatomy, specific populations, or deeper philosophy.

500-Hour Training (RYS-500)

Either a comprehensive 500-hour program or the combination of 200 + 300 hours. This advanced credential opens doors to teaching teacher trainings yourself.

What to Expect

Training is demanding—physically, mentally, and sometimes emotionally. You'll practice more than you're used to. You'll study topics that may be entirely new. You'll stand in front of others and teach, feeling exposed and uncertain.

But something shifts along the way. You begin to see your practice differently. You notice what you've taken for granted. You develop language for experiences that were previously felt but unspoken. Whether or not you teach a single public class, the training changes how you understand yoga.