If you have been practicing Yoga in the studio for a few months on and off, and crave for going back to your mat, then you are in love with Yoga for sure. The thoughts of deepening your Yoga practice and taking it to the next level has started to sprout in your heart. Maybe you are also thinking of becoming a yoga teacher in the near future and share the benefits of yoga with your local community. The question is which one to choose between 200, 300 or 500 hour Yoga teacher training? What’s the difference between all these Yoga courses? Which one is right for you?

Here, we are going to help you with all these questions and bring much-needed clarity.

There are many Yoga Alliances all over the world today. Mostly, these alliances are a group of people who come together to set the standard of yoga according to their personal views. All these alliances have set different standards for the yoga courses. There are some individual traditional Yoga teachers from India, who teach traditional Yoga science and do not follow any standard set by the alliances. These teachers teach from their experiences of lifetime practice and deep understanding of authentic and traditional yoga. Many of these teachers teach in very small groups to understand the individual needs and guide the students. They are not eager to follow any rules set by the alliance.

One is the most trusted alliances across the world is Yoga Alliance, USA, which has various standards for its Yoga certifications. The two most popular yoga training is RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher) 200 and 500. It means you will have to dedicate these many hours of training to be a yoga teacher. When you have done an RYT 200 hour, you can do 300-hour training and complete the RYT 500 hour Yoga teacher training. You can also choose to do all 500 hours in one go.

200 Hour yoga teacher training

A 200-hour Yoga teacher training course can be the first step to become a yoga teacher. One can see it as a broader introduction to yoga education. You can learn all the basics of yoga which every teacher should know. This course brings about the understanding of – how to do each yoga asana properly, and learn the philosophy behind it. The content of course also depends on the school and their background in the yogic field.

Mainly, during 200-hour yoga teacher training, you get dedicated study into each pose and enhance your practice through step by step guidance. You will also learn about pranayama breathing techniques along with meditation and relaxation, which will help you improve and nurture your mental health. After completing this training, you should be able to structure your own class.

300 hour yoga teacher training

300 hours course take you deep into the yogic world and you’ll study the philosophy of spiritual science from traditional texts like the Yoga Sutras and Bhagavad Gita. Learning the importance of a holistic lifestyle and how to apply it in daily life is the main focus of 300-hour yoga teacher training. You’ll immerse in the meditational practices through the understanding of the kundalini energy and its manifestations. With the help of Yoga Nidra, the therapeutic side of yogic practices and its deep benefits will be part of your training.

If you are taking this training, it means you also want to improve your yoga teaching abilities. Over 20 hours of learning teaching methodology and practical teaching in a group class are part of the curriculum of this training. Observation of lead teacher’s classes and understanding of teaching style along with assisting them will help you to progress as a yoga teacher.  

500-hour yoga teacher training

These days 500-hour yoga teacher training is also available for those, who have more time to commit to yoga learning. Dedicated students ready to immerse themselves over 2 months into yoga will take this course in one go. It is always better to keep some time in-between 200 hour and 300-hour yoga courses. True practitioners can even do it all once. People who wish to transform their life as a yoga teacher should take this course.

Most people choose to do a 200-hour course and then take 300 hours, however an intensive 500 hours course, which takes about 45 days to 65 days are also available at a few schools.

The curriculum of 500 hours remains the same (technique, philosophy, anatomy, pranayama, and meditation). You get the chance to study everything in-depth and explore the possibility of going deeper into a particular subject.

It is a holistic learning about yoga and helps you go deeper in self-transformation; so that you can become a yoga teacher you aspire to be, when you see your own teacher.

100 hour Yoga courses

If you are short on time due to your work schedule or other personal reasons, then you have the option to take 50 to 100-hour yoga teacher training courses. These courses take around 7 to 14 days respectively, and also offer specialization in wide yoga subjects like Yoga Nidra, pranayama and meditation. These yoga programs are very famous in yoga teachers as well as beginners who want to go in depth of yoga. Yoga Alliance does not provide certification for the short programs but these are very useful and bring quality to yoga classes.

Yoga Retreats

You can also take yoga retreats all over the world to have a taste of deep yoga immersion. Traditional ashram yoga retreats can give a glimpse of what to expect in the Yoga teacher training program. Yoga and meditation retreats have become very famous these days. Yoga retreats are not yoga holidays. If you really want to know about yoga and understand it, then be careful to choose when you are exploring the yoga retreats option. So many hotels and resorts offer yoga retreats, which are essentially only a wellness yoga holiday. You can have the look on the yoga teacher profile, who is offering the retreat to make an informed decision.

Which Yoga course should you choose?

The yoga course which you should take depends on the interest and time you can devotee to become a yoga teacher. You have to take a 200-hour course in order to go for a 300-hour course later. If you have time and you are sure then you can go for a 500 hour Yoga teacher training.