What Are The Different Levels Of Yoga Teacher ?
As a personal practice yoga does not define teacher by any level other than beginner, intermediate and advanced practitioner of yoga. Each teacher can be at a different level of practice and teaching irrespective of their personal qualification or what they have been trained in. In olden time a student sought teaching basis lineage of a master for example going to a teacher who was trained by B.K.S. Iyengar or Pattabhi Jois. However in recent times independent NGO bodies like Yoga Alliance have classified teachers at different levels.
Here are different levels of teachers as defined by Yoga Alliance, USA.
Level 1 – RYT 200 (Registered Yoga Teacher 200 Hours)
This is the first level of teacher. By default, anyone who completes the 200 hour yoga teacher training goa becomes this level of teacher. This level does not require any teaching experience. A RYT 200 teacher is allowed to teach but cannot be the lead teacher for any program and is not allowed to certify others for trainings.
Level 2 – RYT 500 (Registered Yoga Teacher 500 Hours)
This is the second level of teacher. This can be done by taking a single yoga teacher training of 500 Hours or complete this through two trainings – 200 hours and add 300 hours to make 500 Hour of training. A RYT 500 teacher is allowed to teach but cannot be the lead teacher for any program and is not allowed to certify students for trainings.
Level 3 – ERYT 200 (Experienced Yoga Teacher Training 200 Hours)
This is the third level of yoga teacher. To get here any yoga teacher has to meet two conditions. First you have to wait for two years from the time you complete your 200 hour yoga teacher training. And second you have to complete 1000 hours of teaching. The 1000 hours of teaching can to be anyone and anywhere. It does not have to necessarily be in a professional set up. If you teach your family and friends on the beach or a park for free, those hours are also considered as teaching hours for this purpose. An ERYT 200 teacher is allowed to certify other students for training upto the 200 hour level.
Level 4 – E RYT 500 (Experienced Yoga Teacher Training 500 Hours)
This is the fourth and the highest level of yoga teacher. To get here the yoga teacher has to meet two conditions. First you must wait four years from the time you complete your 200 hour yoga teacher training. And second you have to complete 2000 hours of teaching. Of these teaching hours 1500 hours can be accumulated after completion of the 200-hour yoga teacher training and 500 hours after completion of the 300 hour yoga teacher training. An ERYT 500 teacher is allowed to certify other students for any level of training.
To be at any of these levels as a student of yoga make sure that you check whether the program or yoga course is registered with Yoga Alliance, USA. In the end, the journey as a teacher is only mastered by collecting more experience in teaching by putting yourself in front of others and sharing what you know best.
There is a quote “when one teaches two learn”. We are always happy to answer any questions for you, please write to us at [email protected] if you have any queries.
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