The Simple 5-Step Framework For Choosing Your Yoga Teacher Training

Why Choosing Your YTT Is Hard

The yoga teacher training market has exploded. Programs range from $200 to $10,000+ with vastly different formats, philosophies, and quality levels. At first glance, every YTT looks the same because they all follow Yoga Alliance requirements (at least on paper). But the actual experience and education quality varies dramatically from one program to the next. This 5-step framework helps you navigate a flooded market and find the right program for you. Steps 1-2 are filters to narrow down your options. Steps 3-4 continue narrowing through research. Step 5 is your final gut-check decision.

Step 1: Set Your Budget

Ask yourself: What would I be willing to invest in the ideal YTT? Then use this number as your upper limit. Ignore programs that you can't afford, and move on. Price is your first filter. The key is that you set an upper limit to help you ignore programs that you cannot or don't want to afford. Once that's done, you STOP paying attention to the price until you make your short list.

I recommend that you do NOT use price as an indicator to guide your search. Because it can be very misleading. The worst yoga teacher training I ever joined was also the most expensive one by far. So high prices don't mean better education. On the other hand, chasing the cheapest option because you think 'it's all the same anyway' is also a bad strategy. There are real quality differences between programs and paying more for a better program is 100% worth it.

Think of your YTT as an investment. A quality training opens the door to a new career and basically pays for itself. I promise you: studio owners and yoga students notice yoga teachers who actually know what they're doing right away. Because, unfortunately, most yoga teachers don't!

If you're a teacher who can teach multiple styles, knows how to help different bodies, and brings depth to your classes by weaving in yoga philosophy, you'll get better opportunities faster. Your students will be more likely to stick around and tell their friends about your classes. You'll feel more confident. It's a virtuous cycle that gets kickstarted by your 200 hour YTT. So I highly recommend that you seek out quality over savings.

Side note: If you're like 'well I'm not going to teach anyways' … just know that many students change their minds during their training. Once you start to teach yoga you may find it addictive. And even if you never teach a single class, a 200 hour YTT is still an investment in yourself and your own practice. If you learn multiple styles and how to adjust your yoga to your unique body, that's a huge win and absolutely worth paying for. After all, what's the point of taking a training if not to expand and deepen your practice and your understanding of all aspects of yoga?!

So set your upper limit and then forget about price and evaluate programs based on quality.

Step 2: Choose Your Format

This step is also about excluding programs that won't work, rather than about finding the perfect program. There are four main YTT formats and I recommend that you exclude at least 2, maybe 3 of them. Here are the four options on the menu:

Join a YTT at a yoga studio near you. These trainings usually happen over a series of intensive weekend workshops. If your YTT is spread out over 10 weekends you can expect 20 days with 10 hours of study per day (so 12 to 14 hour days if you include breaks). This is a good option if you can afford it and you happen to have an excellent yoga teacher's teacher in your area. Be careful: Not every good yoga teacher is also a good educator and teacher's teacher. And if you've only ever practiced with one teacher I recommend you try some new faces so you're able to contrast and compare before signing up for a YTT.

Book a YTT at a retreat center

These trainings usually happen in beautiful locations and last 3 to 5 weeks. This means that you'll have to set aside lots of vacation days and pay for flights, food and accommodation. If you have the time and money, combining your YTT with a beach vacation may sound like a no-brainer. But don't forget that you'll spend most of your days studying. In a 4 week training you'll typically have 1 day/week off. This means your 200 hours are spread across 24 days (4x6 days), which means that you're signing up for 8.5 hours of study per day. This doesn't leave a lot of time to relax. So be mindful what you're actually signing up for and consider your alternatives. You could for example take your YTT online for much less money and then use the difference to go on an actual vacation or a yoga retreat without the pressure to study all day every day.

Take your training online with a group

Schedules and training structure vary significantly between trainings. But one thing is for sure: if you join an online training with a group you'll be on a group schedule. And this means you'll spend a lot of time in Zoom calls with very limited flexibility. This kind of YTT is a good option if you want the commitment of an in-person training, but for one reason or another you can't join an in-person training. Just keep in mind that the two biggest advantages of taking your training online (and not in-person) are flexibility to study when and where you want, and lifetime access to high quality prerecorded contents.

Join a self-paced online YTT

That's the 'pure' version of an online YTT. These trainings are mostly prerecorded. You'll still get some live elements (required by the yoga alliance and definitely helpful), but you can start anytime and you're mostly free to study when and where you want. In my personal opinion that's the best option for most people, especially if it's your first 200 hour YTT.

Here's why:

🗓️ Go through the course on your own schedule

🔁 Take / watch classes and lessons multiple times

📝 Focus on content, not note-taking

💺 Front row seat for every lecture

🥵 No sweaty 10 hour days in a closed rooms

🗑️ Don't waste hours of training time on small talk

🫩 Your teacher doesn't get tired at the end of the day

✈️ No need to travel around the world / commute to class

🥷 No need to fight over your teacher's attention with other students to get feedback

🚨 Put the training on hold if life gets in the way

⏸️ Press pause when you need to go pee

🏖️ Pay for a vacation or yoga retreat with the money you save

💸 It's cheaper and you get a money back guarantee

The only real downside of self-paced online YTTs is that you don't get the community vibes of an in-person training. Don't get me wrong, you can totally get a nice community feeling in your online YTT. But it won't have the same intensity as an long and intensive in-person program. So understand the pros and cons of each option and map those to your personal priorities. Then exclude at least two formats that won't work for your life, learning style, or priorities. This is your second filter.

Step 3: Make Your Shortlist

Now it's time to go out and find a bunch of programs that fit the criteria from steps 1 and 2. I recommend that you create a shortlist of 5-10 programs that seem interesting and meet your basic requirements. Don't overthink this step, you're just gathering options for closer evaluation in the next step.

Tip: At least at this stage don't pay too much

Step 4: Narrow Down To 3

At first glance, all YTTs on your list probably look pretty similar. But take a closer look and you'll see differences. Your goal now is to narrow down your pile of options to 3 final candidates. Here's a checklist to help you separate the cream from the crop. The more boxes a training checks off, the better. A really, really good YTT will check all 10 boxes.

The 10 non-negotiable elements of standout YTTs

1. You learn to teach yoga in a way that embraces human uniqueness.

2. You learn yoga philosophy beyond clichés and also how to make apply it in daily life.

3. You learn to create your own safe and creative sequences for yoga classes.

4. You learn to teach more than 1 style of yoga.

5. You learn the ins and outs + variations of at least 100 common yoga poses.

6. You learn to prevent injuries in your students and how to adjust for limitations.

7. You learn to read student bodies and give skillful physical and non-physical assists.

8. You learn how to use props in your practice and your teaching.

9. You learn how to take yoga beyond stretching (meditation, breathwork, kirtan etc.)

10. You learn to inspire students by weaving themes into your classes.

Pay attention to details

When you do your research it's important that you look behind the facade of standard promises. Remember: every training has to include all the major elements to get certified by the Yoga Alliance. But the fact that the same pizza is on the menu in every Italian restaurant doesn't mean that it'll actually taste the same everywhere.

Here are 3 examples to illustrate the point:

'Yoga anatomy' might mean 'Here's a list with all the Latin names of muscles and bones - memorize them.' But it can also mean 'Here's how to know if it's your muscles, or your joints, that are stopping you from going further in a cross-legged position.'

'Yoga philosophy' can mean 'Okay, now I'll read you something I asked ChatGPT about yoga philosophy out loud because I have to.' But it can also mean 'The reason we humans are so unhappy is because we constantly chase the high of happiness, rather than learning to be OK with how things are.'

'Teaching methodology' can be interpreted as 'Here are some ready-made class templates, here are some assists, and here are all the cues that my teacher taught after their teacher taught them and I've never questioned if they're outdated or not…' Or it can mean 'Here is how you help your student with tight hamstrings and injured shoulders; here is how you use props for bigger-bodied students; these are the principles you need to know to sequence great classes; and here's how you give excellent, cutting-edge cues vs. outdated cues.'

Excellent YTT leaders will highlight the elements that make their training stand out because they know that it's rare.

Step 5: Practice With Your Top 3 Teachers And Then Trust Your Gut

Finding a teacher who you resonate with and who you trust 100% with your yoga education is critical. And so I highly recommend that you don't sign up for a YTT without getting to know the lead trainer first. Take a class with each of your three finalists. Watch their lectures. Experience how they teach.

You're signing up for 200 hours (!) with this person. You're giving them money to teach you their style of teaching, their understanding of what yoga is and what matters, their approach to helping students etc. Make sure you like what they're about, you enjoy listening to them, and you want to spend 200 hours in their company. Then you'll feel truly confident to join their program. When you find a teacher who is truly your person, those 200 hours become energizing rather than exhausting. In the end, you may just have to trust your gut feeling. And that's okay. But you can still make it an informed gut feeling.

The Process in Summary

1. Set an upper price limit based on what you'd invest in your ideal YTT.

2. Consider the four main YTT formats and exclude 2 or 3 before going any further.

3. Make a shortlist of 5-10 programs in your price range and preferred format.

4. Research thoroughly. Narrow to 3 finalists based on quality indicators.

5. Practice with all three lead teachers. Find the one teacher who you like and trust the most.