Regardless of whether it’s for online or in-person classes, aspiring instructors often ask me about these concerns in navigating potential challenges on how to become a yoga instructor.

• Training prerequisites: Contrary to what you might think, you don’t need to have been practicing yoga for years before joining a yoga teacher training. The most important thing is the commitment to continuing education. Generally, I recommend at least six months of consistent yoga before embarking on in-person or online training.
• Age: There is no age limit for joining an online course for yoga instructors. As long as you have the physical fitness to cope with a yoga certification course, then you should not feel put off or think you’re too old.
• Gender: While the majority of yoga practitioners these days are women, this really depends on where you teach yoga. Historically, the most famous yoga teachers in India were men. Nowadays, there are several prominent male teachers with large social media followings.
• Certifications: You’ll want to start with a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) program certified by the Yoga Alliance. This is the industry standard and will give you a solid foundation in yoga philosophy, poses, and techniques. After you’ve got your certificate, you’ll need to register with the Yoga Alliance as an RYT.
• Career opportunities: You will be ready to start teaching in a yoga studio upon graduating from your yoga certification training. You must be Yoga Alliance-certified to become a trainer. There is a yearly membership fee, and it requires continuing education to retain your Yoga teacher training.
• Location: Rishikesh
• Budget: Besides the course itself, travel costs, and your accommodation, there are a couple of other things you need to spend money on. For example, if your yoga instructor training does not include food (except perhaps a light lunch, fruit, or snacks ( such as dates, nuts, refreshments, etc.), you’ll need to budget for daily breakfasts and dinners.
• Visas: Check whether you need a visa to travel to the country you’ve chosen for your training, and apply for it in advance.
• Laundry: Students will sweat a lot and may need to change clothes twice a day (or more!), so you may need to pay to get your clothes washed several times a week. The cost varies depending on your hotel or the location of the training.
• Vaccines: This depends on the country you’re training in, the guidelines of your home country, and your preferences. Depending on your home country, you may need to pay for each vaccine you need, so be sure to check in advance.
• Onward travel: You will need extra money for any additional accommodation, food, and travel if you decide to stay after your training or travel afterwards.
• Insurance: You’ll eventually need to secure insurance to teach yoga, particularly for in-person classes at a yoga studio.
• Personal confidence and skills: It’s expected to be nervous about your first in-person or online class. Public speaking is the greatest fear among 75% of people, especially in front of students! You can achieve this through experience and group activities with the community.