Some of the biggest questions on all new yoga teachers' minds are, ‘How do I register with Yoga Alliance?' or ‘Do I even need a Yoga Alliance Certification?' Through this guide, you're about to find out how to register with Yoga Alliance after yoga teacher training, so grab your tea and get ready to take some notes yogi.
Having a Yoga Alliance certification can make you stand out in the ever-competitive yoga industry. If you went to a Registered Yoga School for yoga teacher training, you might as well at least weigh the pros and cons of registration before deciding either way.
This quick and easy step-by-step guide to registering with Yoga Alliance will guide you through the easy 10 step process once you're ready.
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Overview of Yoga Alliance
Yoga Alliance is a non-profit organization formed in 1997 to represent the yoga community. Its registry currently lists over 7,000 yoga schools and 100,000 yoga teachers worldwide.
While it is not the only registry of yoga teachers, but Yoga Alliance is the most legit registry of yoga teachers and yoga schools, and it is also the biggest and the most popular.
Yoga Alliance created curriculum guidelines and standards for yoga teachers and yoga schools. Thus ensuring that all yoga schools and yoga teachers that are part of their registry meet certain criteria for yoga education.
To register with Yoga Alliance, schools and teachers must show that they have met or exceeded all set Yoga Alliance requirements and pay a fee. Teachers and schools should also follow Yoga Alliance Scope of Practice to maintain their membership, as shown below.
The 10 step process to register with Yoga Alliance
Below is a quick step-by-step guide on how to complete the yoga teacher registration process on the Yoga Alliance website.
The registration process can take 2-4 weeks, depending on how quickly your school responds to Yoga Alliance verification request (Yoga Alliance will contact your school to confirm that you graduated). Here's how to register online with Yoga Alliance:
- Go to yogaalliance.org and click ‘join'.
- Create your teacher profile account by entering your details: name, birthday, email address, and password.
- Select ‘teacher' to register as a yoga teacher.
- Apply for the RYT credential by selecting the credential you are registering for (RYT 200, RYT 300, RYT 500).
- Enter your training start and end date.
- Search for, locate, and select your school in the Yoga Alliance school registry directory.
- Upload your teaching certificate and send the registration request.
- Wait for an email from Yoga Alliance confirming that they received your enrollment confirmation from your school (this can take 10-14 days).
- Log back into Yoga Alliance and pay the registration fee.
- Complete a review of your training program to complete the registration process.
Yoga Alliance registration fees for RYTs
For yoga teachers, there is a one-off initial registration fee of $50 and a $65 annual fee. So, the first year's membership costs $115 and is $65 a year after that.
The cost is the same for all teacher designations, including RYT 200, RYT 300 and RYT 500.
However, if you are already an RYT 200 and you have just gained your 300-hour yoga teacher training certification, you'll need to pay an additional one-off $50 application fee to upgrade your credentials to RYT 500.
The initial fee and the annual membership dues for teachers are as follows:
- Initial registration fee: $50
- Annual dues: $65
Continuing Education requirements for yoga teachers
As briefly mentioned, one of the requirements for keeping your registration valid is to complete 30 hours of Continuing Education courses every three years.
This does not have to be through one 30-hour program; you can combine short courses and workshops, provided they are all done with YA-Registered Yoga Schools.
So, for example, you might complete a 20-hour Pranayama course and a 10-hour Ayurveda course. Another popular continuing education program is a Yin Yoga course, which is typically at least 30 hours long.
You can then add the details and certificates for these courses on your next yearly renewal.
Takeaway on the Yoga Alliance registration process
While yoga teachers don't need to register with Yoga Alliance or have a certification, it can be very beneficial.
I hope this information will assist you in making a confident decision, whatever you choose! Here's more from me on what YTT is like. Happy yoga teaching!
FAQ about Yoga Alliance
What is Yoga Alliance membership?
A Yoga Alliance membership is available to yoga schools and yoga teachers. Membership includes registration in the Yoga Alliance database and a title that distinguishes members from other schools and teachers in the yoga industry that are not part of Yoga Alliance.
What happens if I don't renew my Yoga Alliance membership?
If you don't renew your Yoga Alliance membership you can no longer use the RYT or RYS designation in your marketing material and promote yourself as a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga School or a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher. You can still continue to teach and offer yoga classes.
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