Who would take an Online Yoga Instructor’s Course and Certification Program?

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Experienced Yoga practitioners make up the largest number of graduates, who pursue Yoga instructor certification online. Some of these teacher interns have decades of experience. Some established teachers take distance learning course for continuing education credits instead of shutting their Yoga schools down for a month for an onsite specialist course.

This is followed by instructors who have been teaching classes for years, but who do not have a Yoga instructor certification.

How is it possible for someone not to have certification, and still be a teacher, training his, or her, students in Yoga? Until recently, many traditional Yoga teachers did not have a formal certification, or diploma, to "hang on the wall.”

Independent study requires a lot of discipline to follow assignments through. A Hatha Yoga certification home study course is not something a novice would pick up and easily grasp. The many aspects of mantras, chakras, mudras, bandhas, doshas, Yamas, and Niyamas, without a foundation of Yoga practice, would be difficult for a beginner to understand without guidance.

Therefore, aspiring instructors, who choose an online Yoga instructor’s course and certification program, are, most often, self starters. Many people who take courses for Yoga certification online are working moms and dads with families, jobs, and responsibilities.

On-site certification programs, which enable a person to start teaching Yoga, may require that person to be away from their family for weeks, months, or years. Some countries have very little Yoga instruction at all. Certification, through online Yoga teacher training courses, can also be a very attractive option for International students or students who live in rural areas.

Recently, I was talking with a teacher, who explained to me that the nearest Yoga teaching certification program, in Ontario, is more than four hours away. Her round trip would be more than eight hours of driving. This commute made a Yoga certification home study course the best option for her. Some aspiring Yoga students have the goal of certification as an instructor of Yoga - but at what price? Keeping a family together and raising children responsibly are priorities in life.

Many companies will not understand, if an employee announced to management, that he or she was leaving for an extended period of time to pursue Yoga teacher training certification programs in San Francisco. Unless you already live in the Bay area, holding down a job, and participating in teacher training certification programs, in San Francisco, may not be an option.

There are many options for instructor’s training courses and certification programs, but the best Yoga certification program is the one that fits your lifestyle. Teaching Yoga is a rewarding past time, but sacrificing your marriage, family, and career, is not good for your well being.

Yoga teachers are like everyone else; they do not live a one dimensional life. You do not have to give up your identity in order to become a certified Yoga instructor.

© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

To see find out more about yoga or to see our selection of affordable courses, including our online 500 hour yoga teacher certification program, please use the yoga resources on the right side of this page.

If you are a teacher, yoga studio manager, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is. Namaste!

What is the Best Yoga Instructor Certification for You?

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

There are so many styles of Hatha Yoga and many instructor certifications to choose from, but how do you decide which Yoga course is the best for you? We often refer to all of these styles of Hatha Yoga as Yoga sub-styles because they are divisions of Hatha Yoga, which is just one of many Yoga styles.

You might think it is hard to find the right Yoga teacher training, but there are many options for aspiring Yoga instructors. Below are some of the many choices you should consider, when you are deciding to become a Yoga instructor.

Moderate Hatha Yoga: There are many styles to choose from, but earning a Yoga instructor certification in one these styles will enable you to teach a wide variety of students.

The age and condition of you’re your Yoga students should be taken into consideration, when deciding about which Yoga certification course to join.Traditional Hatha Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Sivananda Yoga are some examples of this classification.

Chair Yoga: This is a specialized Yoga instructor certification, but the global population is aging. When you consider how many people turn 50 every day; this Yoga specialist certification may be more mainstream 10 years from now.

Hot Yoga: There is a wide variety of student ages involved in this style, but Hot Yoga does attract a younger crowd. The 105 degree room temperature is not to be taken lightly, if your native climate is much lower. You must feel real passion for this classification of Yoga. Bikram Yoga and Hot Yoga are examples of this type of Hatha Yoga.

Vigorous: Flowing, or powerful, movements and asanas can reach a wide rage of student ages, but most of your Yoga students will be less than 40 years of age. Ashtanga Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, and Power Yoga are examples of this classification.

There are other options for Yoga instructor training, as well. The number of study hours, for Yoga instructors, should be at least 200 hours. There is also the decision of whether you can attend Yoga training in person or take a Yoga instructor distance learning course.

On-site Yoga instructor training might be over the course of many weekends throughout five months, a year long Yoga training course, or the Yoga certification course may last years.
Obviously, time is a factor in your decision, but cost and the quality of the Yoga instructor training should be “weighed in the balance.” Yoga instructor intensive training should be in the range of 200 minimum hours of training.

Home study Yoga certification courses are for interns who cannot attend Yoga instructor intensives. The graduates of these programs have previous Yoga experience and must be self-starters. The type of person who takes “night school courses,” or home study courses, in any subject is self-motivated.

However, a minimum of 200 Yoga study hours is suggested for Yoga instructor interns.

© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

To find out more about yoga or to see our selection of affordable courses, including our online yoga teacher training intensives, please use the yoga resources on the right side of this page.

If you are a teacher, yoga studio manager, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is. Namaste!