Understanding yoga requires consistent practice as well as dedication and once you have achieved that, you can easily teach yoga professionally. For becoming a certified yoga teacher, you need to at least graduate from the foundational yoga teacher training program, accredited by the Yoga Alliance, USA. If you are familiar with the YTT programs and certifications, then you must have heard the terms RYT and E-RYT. These certifications are extremely crucial if you wish to excel in your professional career as a yoga instructor.
The RYT and E-RYT certifications ensure that you are a certified yoga instructor, that will ultimately help you market your classes and online sessions in a more effective way. E-RYT refers to Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher and RYT stands for Registered Yoga Instructor. Both of these certificates are useful in your yoga teaching journey and possess different benefits, requirements, and impact on your professional career. Let’s understand the difference between the two of them and dive deeper into further understanding this subject.
What is RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher)?
The Registered Yoga Teacher is termed for those individuals who need to register themselves as certified yoga teachers under Yoga Alliance, USA, which is a global non-profit organization. It was founded in 1999 and sets global standards for all yoga institutes. This umbrella body ensures that every yoga practitioner gets the required certification that will help them to pursue yoga teaching professionally. You can apply for a RYT certificate on the website of Yoga Alliance once you have completed at least the foundational 200 hour YTT program from a certified yoga school.
How to Earn the Title of RYT?
Yoga schools need to register themselves as Registered Yoga Schools (RYS), for that they require accreditation from Yoga Alliance, USA. It means that the school must follow all the global yoga standards set for maintaining the quality of the wellness education by the Yoga Alliance.
The yoga school must submit a specific amount of fees each year to the Yoga Alliance in order to remain functional as a Registered Yoga School. The curriculum of the YTT programs are decided and approved by the Yoga Alliance. If you have completed your training program under these registered yoga schools, you will be provided RYT certification so that you will be able to market your yoga skills across the globe.
Different Types of RYT Certifications?
The different levels of RYT is in correspondence to the different levels of yoga teacher training you study. Depending on what yoga program you graduate, you can apply for the RYT certification under Yoga Alliance, USA.
RYT 200
The RYT 200 certification is given to those yoga practitioners who successfully graduate from the basic 200 hour yoga teacher training program. Ensure that the programs offered by the yoga school are accredited by the Yoga Alliance and are valid across the world.
The 200 hour yoga teacher training is the stepping stone for individuals who wish to learn every aspect related to yoga and wellness. You can learn all the important subjects regarding yoga such as asana practice, meditation, yogic philosophy, pranayama, human anatomy and physiology, and teaching methodologies. The daily sessions of these subjects will help you in attaining skills of practicing yoga safely and most effectively.
RYT 200 is considered to be the primary and most important benchmark in order to get ample opportunities as a yoga instructor in the future. So, if you wish to consider yoga teaching as a serious profession, then you must graduate successfully from the 200 hour YTT program from a Yoga Alliance certified yoga school.
RYT 300
RYT 300 is valid after you have finished the 300 hour yoga teacher training program from a globally accredited yoga school. The 300 hour yoga course is the advanced program that requires you to learn every aspect of yoga on a deeper level. You can enroll for this program only when you have completed your fundamental 200 hour teacher training successfully. Once you have finished the 300 hour program, you can easily apply for the credentials of the RYT certification via Yoga Alliance’s website.
300 hour yoga teacher training offers a systematic as well as dynamic curriculum which helps you in getting all the insights about yoga and wellness. The sessions teach you multiple skills that you can practice daily and sharpen your teaching to use it professionally in the future. You can also take mock classes to get hands-on feedback from your yoga instructors, in order to shape yourself better.
RYT 500
The RYT 500 certification is provided to the individuals who successfully complete their 200 as well as 300 hours of yoga teacher training program. The 500 hour YTT program is a comprehensive course that includes the curriculum of both fundamental as well as advanced level training programs. This helps in teaching you in-depth understanding of every yogic aspect from foundational to advanced level such as asana variations, physiology and human anatomy, yogic philosophies, meditation, pranayama techniques, and many more. These sessions also help you in brushing up your teaching skills as a yoga instructor. Always remember that the one major thing which you need to consider before applying for RYT 500 certification is that you must have completed at least 100 hours of teaching experience. Once you have taught yoga for a minimum 100 hours, you will be eligible for the certificate.
What is E-RYT? How is it Different from RYT?
E-RYT is the abbreviation for Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher and is considered to be a higher level of yoga certification that can be given to different yoga graduates on the basis of their teaching experience.
In order to become eligible for the E-RYT certification, you need to have a minimum of 1000 hours or 2 years of experience as a yoga teacher. After your graduation from the YTT program, you must start teaching professionally to the students so that you complete your minimum experience hours as an instructor. You can either complete 1000 hours or 2 years of teaching experience for the 200 hour RYT certification or you can increase your duration to 2000 hours or 4 years for becoming eligible for the RYT 500 certification.
| Feature | RYT | E-RYT |
| Certification Required | 200-hour or 500-hour YTT | 200-hour or 500-hour YTT |
| Teaching Experience Required | None | 1,000+ hours (E-RYT 200) or 2,000+ hours (E-RYT 500) |
| Eligible to Lead YTT Programs | No | Yes |
| Recognized by Yoga Alliance | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced Teaching Credential | No | Yes |
E-RYT certification is different from the RYT certification on the basis of different aspects. You can apply for the RYT certification just after you graduate from your respective yoga teacher training program whereas the E-RYT certification is provided only after you have a specific time duration of experience as a certified yoga instructor. Both the credentials are somewhat similar but have their own basic differences based on the level of experience you have. E-RYT is considered to be a bigger and much higher certification than the RYT certification.
E-RYT has more credibility than the RYT certificate but it is not mandatory to obtain this level of certification for everyone. If you wish to continue teaching yoga professionally in the future and want to expand your career as a global yoga instructor, then continue with the RYT certificate and then apply for the E-RYT certificate afterwards, once you have enough experience.
Are yoga teacher training programs worth it?
Yes, yoga teacher training programs are worth it for the individuals who wish to understand every aspect of yoga in a deeper aspect or want to pursue this profession seriously in the future. Once you have graduated from the YTT program accredited by the Yoga Alliance, you must apply for the RYT certification as it will increase your credibility and reliance as a yoga instructor.
Which Teacher Training school is the Best?
There are several yoga schools globally which are affiliated under the Yoga Alliance, USA and surpass a specific standard required for providing the yogic education. However, yoga schools in India always remain on the top when it comes to selecting from the best schools and getting the most authentic education. In India, Goa Yogashala is one of the best yoga schools to consider that offer yoga programs deeply rooted in the Indian traditions of yoga, seamlessly blended with the modern techniques.
Can I teach yoga professionally with just an RYT Certification?
Yes, you can absolutely teach yoga professionally anywhere across the world after you have the RYT certification. This particular certificate ensures that you are a credible teacher and have reliable experience as a yoga instructor. The certification is offered by the Yoga Alliance, USA, which is a non-profit organization for the standard of yoga education worldwide.
Can I switch from RYT certification to E-RYT certification without extra training?
Absolutely, the transition from RYT certification to the E-RYT certification doesn’t require any extra training and can be switched just by having a specific amount of certification. For E-RYT 200, you need to have at least 2 years or 1000 hours of yoga teaching experience and for E-RYT 500, you must have a minimum of 4 years or 2000 hours of yoga teaching experience. Once this time duration is met, you can easily apply for the E-RYT certification under the website of Yoga Alliance, USA.
