What is Yoga Alliance? Is There Any Value In Joining? Do Studios Care That You're An RYT?

In this practice

Key teachings

• Understanding the true role of Yoga Alliance as a registry, not a certifying body
• Distinguishing between professional registry and actual teaching certification
• The importance of practical teaching skills over external credentials like RYT
• Strategic business mindset for yoga entrepreneurs independent of industry bodies

Ideal for

• Yoga teachers and trainers
• Aspiring yoga instructors
• Yoga studio owners
• Yoga entrepreneurs

Lesson

Instructions

In this episode, John and Chris will discuss the real role of the Yoga Alliance to clear up a general false perception within the yoga community about it. When yoga teachers and schools register themselves through the Alliance, they think that the registration serves as some form of certification and they run their classes in line with the recommendations of the alliance. What a large majority of the yoga community doesn’t realize is that the Yoga Alliance is just an online directory and not a recognized certifying body.

They’re basically an online registry that provides an outline of what a teacher training program needs to have inside of it so that teacher training schools can build their syllabuses around it before registering their schools in the registry. Once the alliance approves a yoga school, the schools’ students can also register with the alliance to become a registered yoga teacher, and have the title “RYT” behind their names.

They play an important role in creating some kind of standard in the industry to up the level of expertise and professionalism, but the fact is that they are just a directory and not a governing body, and yoga entrepreneurs shouldn't let them dictate their success in business, because their requirements keep changing and they can make it very hard and expensive for yoga teachers and schools to keep up. A great example to look at is how the Alliance has never impacted John and Chris’ yoga studio and teacher training program in any way. Tune in for more on that.

- One of the biggest false beliefs in the yoga community (02:07) - The alliance can be a hindrance to your success (03:57) - No teacher has been denied a teaching opportunity because they’re not registered (05:50) - How you can put your yoga studio at risk (08:00) - The importance of creating a culture of consistency in a teacher training program (10:32) - The proof if you're a good teacher is in how you teach, not in the letters behind your name (14:54)

Steps

• Critical thinking regarding professional industry standards
• Strategic business planning for yoga professionals
• Self-advocacy in professional development and career pathing

Benefits

• Clarity on yoga industry standards and professional requirements
• Empowerment for yoga business owners and teachers
• Reduced anxiety about external professional credentials
• Informed decision-making for career and business growth