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How Much Do Yoga Teachers Make?

By Yoga Teachers

Financial freedom seems to be at the top of the list of everyone’s manifestations lately… but where does full time yoga teacher fall in that? As a professional fitness instructor and full-time yoga teacher, I have learned what it takes to make the money you seek doing what you love.

I have also spoken with many people who teach full time, who teach part-time, and also those who have dreams of making teaching a full-time career. If you’ve worked your way to this blog post, it’s possible that you’re thinking of making the switch from whatever career you’re in now to being a full-time yoga teacher.

A yoga teacher’s salary can vary quite a lot depending on what they’re teaching, where they’re teaching, experience level, compensation structure and other factors which we’ll get in to below.

Let’s dive in to a little bit of the specifics when it comes to yoga teachers and what they make… Scroll down to read through our blog, or check out our video below:

 

Is it possible to support yourself as a yoga instructor when you’re just starting out?

Finances are usually one of the first questions to come up when thinking about turning your yoga teaching into a full-time career. I will say that yes, it is possible to support yourself as an instructor in the first stages IF you truly want to. I will also say that the road to making this your full-time career is not a linear, concrete path. You will most likely have to forge your own path, seek out and/or create opportunities, and allow yourself to step outside of your comfort zone to grow your career. I will talk more about this later, but you really have to trust yourself and fully believe that your dream career is possible.

How much do yoga teachers make?

There are a variety of factors to consider when sharing how much money yoga teachers make. A yoga teacher’s salary range can vary wildly based on where you live, what kind of environment you’re teaching in, your experience level, what type of business you’re engaged in, or how frequently you are teaching. Per class it’s typical for teachers to make somewhere between $30-$85 but it could be less or it could be drastically higher. In a corporate setting, yoga teachers can earn $200-$400/hour bringing classes into offices! Below we’ll go into more depth on these statistics, look at different compensation structures, places to teach, and other options for yoga teachers to make money doing what they love.

Classes are likely to be your most consistent form of income, as in, you’ll consistently get paid for the weekly classes you teach. Workshops, yoga retreats, and other similar one-off events will yield a higher profit but generally speaking they are not as consistent as weekly classes. The amount of classes you teach vary from person to person, but regardless if you’re looking to make teaching yoga your full-time career you will have to create other forms of income outside of classes.

What is a yoga teacher’s salary on average?

We can get some more specific information looking at the data available online. According to ZipRecruiter, the national average to get paid as a yoga instructor is $31 per hour. On Glassdoor, the national average to get paid as a yoga instructor is $55,076 per year.

Indeed has a regional breakdown of yoga teacher hourly rates for 2025:

  • New York, NY: $46 per hour
  • Brooklyn, NY: $44 per hour
  • Denver, CO: $40 per hour
  • Miami Beach, FL: $39 per hour
  • Austin, TX: $39 per hour
  • San Diego, CA: $37 per hour
  • Chicago, IL: $37 per hour
  • Indianapolis, IN: $36 per hour

There are ranges below these limits and above these limits for which a yoga instructor can get paid. You should familiarize yourself with what the studios pay in your area. A great way to get in the door is by subbing classes. By subbing classes you’ll be introduced to the studio’s payment method which can give you a better understanding of what you could make as a yoga instructor in your area. To better understand these rates and how you can earn more as a yoga teacher, lets look at how studios compensate their instructors.

*Again this varies by region, country, area, etc. These are estimated figures based on geographical data.

How do studios typically pay their yoga instructors?

There are three main ways that studios pay their instructors, here are a few to get familiar with:

  • Flat-fee
  • Flat-fee + “bonus per head”
  • Pay based on “per head” attendance
  • Space rental

What’s the flat fee I can expect for a yoga class?

A flat fee means that regardless of how many students are in your class, you’ll get paid the same amount every time. If you’re getting paid a flat fee, it’s likely that you’ll get paid somewhere between $30-$70 per class. This depends on where you’re teaching. Studios with less overall membership counts and member visits could mean that you’re getting paid less than a studio with a higher overhead count and more member visits. Another factor is the region where you’re teaching. A studio in a rural area with less member visits and potentially a lower cost of living would mean your pay is less than a studio in an urban area with higher member visits and higher cost of living. The pro for this payment method is that you know what you’re making every time and it’s guaranteed regardless of how many people take your class or who is taking your class. It should be noted that some studios will pay you for your time even if no one shows up, some studios will not. The con for this payment method is that there’s a limit to how much you can make. You could be a talented teacher with a waitlist of students who want to take your class, but you won’t be getting paid for that.

What does it mean to get paid a flat fee with a “bonus per head”?

When getting paid a flat fee with a bonus per head, you’ll receive a flat fee for a particular range of students plus a bonus per head beyond what warrants a flat fee rate. This can vary widely from studio to studio, but you can expect your flat fee to be about $30-$50 with the minimum number of students to guarantee a flat fee being 0-12 students. Some studios will pay you the flat fee even if 0 students show up because you dedicated your time to teaching the class. Other studios will require at least 1 student to show up to guarantee a flat fee. The typical bonus per head is $1-$4. So given the numbers used here, if a studio’s capacity is 30 people and the maximum number of students show up…you would get paid $30-$50 for 12 people showing up, and then $1-$4 for the remaining 18 students per head. The pro to this type of payment method is that you can make a lot of money depending on class size. It can be very motivating to market your classes and get students in the door. The con to this type of payment method is that it can make estimating your profit from the studio a little difficult. If you’re unsure how many students will show up every class, it’s hard to know exactly how much money you’ll bring in. This is also excluding staff members, other teachers, guests, or free trial members who typically do not bring in money for the studio therefore people who fall into these categories will not count as a head but they will take a spot in your class.

What does it mean to get paid based on “per head” attendance?

This means you will get paid based on per head attendance means you get paid strictly on the number of paying members who attend your class. The typical range per head is $1-$4, so if a studio’s capacity is 30 students and you have max attendance you can expect to make somewhere between $30-$120 per class. Again, this is not considering the fact that staff members, other teachers, guests, or free trial members might be taking your class in which scenario it would be unlikely for you to get paid for those people even though they’ll be taking a spot.

What does it mean to rent space?

Sometimes, a studio will rent their space to the teacher and allow them to book their own students. In this scenario, the onus is on the instructor to get enough students into class to earn money – however their earning potential has a little more upside if the rental costs are affordable. In some instances, new teachers might opt to rent space in a gym or other location before opening their own studio to start developing a following. This allows the teacher to operate without the long term commitment of a lease, and they’re able to take advantage of the studio or gym’s infrastructure as well.

What are additional ways to make money as a yoga instructor?

As noted above, the following factors can affect your pay aside from the payment method itself: the location of where you live and work (rural vs. suburban vs. urban), the capacity of the studio that you teach at, and your experience level. This is only considering how much you get paid per class. There are other means to  consider to make money as a yoga instructor…

Private clients, workshops, retreats, writing, managerial work, or other administrative work are ways to supplement your earnings from classes as a yoga instructor. In fact, if you’re seeking to make a career out of your yoga teaching, I would say these other forms of income are not just recommended but are necessary. Reason being, if you’re running around trying to make ends meet by teaching classes and only teaching classes, there is a high likelihood that you will burn out, which will not serve anyone. These other outlets are also great ways to broaden your skillset and offerings.

Yoga seeks to guide us towards the highest possible version of ourselves which is situated in peacefulness, love, and surrender. If you ask me, peace is hard to attain when we’re teaching 5 classes every single day with no time dedicated towards ourselves or our loved ones. As a yoga instructor, it’s imperative that you tend to your own practice (which is sometimes hard to do) because that’s the only way we can truly teach with genuine intention and we can only do that with time.

More on the hourly rates…

To create a sustainable career, you must increase what you are making per hour of your time. However you do that is up to you but I can share ways to make up to double or even triple what you would make in a single class.

  • Private clients: Working with private clients is one of the main ways to create steady income at a higher pay scale. A general range for what to charge for a private lesson is $60-$200. How to determine what you charge requires you evaluate a few factors like your location, availability, target market, etc. Teachers also sometimes develop their own online yoga classes to offer without the need to rent a studio.
  • Your experience: Your experience 100% needs to be factored in when you are thinking about what to charge somebody. When you are making a transaction with someone, there is an exchange of currency. In this case you are exchanging yoga services for money, meaning if you are brand new to teaching yoga you cannot be charging the same amount of money as someone who has been teaching for years. While you have a lot to offer, you do not have as much to offer yet as it pertains to teaching yoga. As far as integrity goes, you must be real with yourself and your client about what is fair. As you gain experience, knowledge, and overall depth within the practice you will be able to offer much more and can ask for top dollar.
  • Location: Are you traveling to your client or is your client traveling to you? You have to consider this when thinking about price. In terms of not self-abandoning, you cannot charge the same amount for someone who is within your neighborhood vs. someone who lives an hour away. If you’re traveling a farther distance which boils down to more of your time, you should factor that into what you will charge. If your client is coming to your home, you should also factor that into what you will charge. Like I said before, you have to consider all of the exchanges which are occurring when you make a transaction with someone and there are other currencies outside of money.
  • Skillset/Offerings: Lastly, you must factor in what is included in the session you are offering? Is it only asana? Or are you bringing sound bowls to incorporate sound healing? Are you reiki certified and will you be offering energy work in addition to asana? Are you a physical therapist and will you be offering manual work for an injury? What’s in your overall package which you will be offering to your clients and what does your client want? This will change what you are charging someone. What you are including in your package could offset an initial reduction in price due to your experience?

Yoga Workshops, Retreats, and Trainings

Workshops, retreats, and trainings can bring in a lot of income. From a single workshop you can expect to make anywhere from $200-$800 depending on how many people attend your workshop. From a single retreat or training, you could make anywhere from $500-$5,000 or more depending on the capacity of your retreat and how many people attend. It’s even hard to put a range on either of these things because it is so dependent on the workshop, retreat, or training itself. But essentially, you can make a lot from these types of events. You can charge a higher amount because of all the planning, prep-work, and actual work that it takes to execute a workshop, retreat, or training. Charging for these types of events can come down to the studio, but you should always be thinking about what your ideal and fair number would be for what you would like to profit in exchange for your energy, time, and resources. Both your clients and you should feel honored and aligned in the exchange that is occurring. If you’re charging top dollar, you must be putting in top dollar work to remain in integrity. You can consider the same aspects here as you would for a private client when thinking about what to charge people.

If you’re interested in learning how to plan, lead, promote and run a yoga retreat, check out this course on How to Lead a Yoga Retreat.

Writing, Managerial Work, and/or Administrative Work

According to ZipRecruiter, a yoga writer can make an average annual salary of $80,647. This also depends on what publication or entity you would be writing for, if you’re in a full-time position or a freelancing position and the area you’re writing for/in.

Upwork and Fiverr are two websites where freelance writers can find work. On Fiverr, writers who specialize in yoga or wellness can earn between $30 and $200 for each article depending on how long it is, and what type of research goes into it. Other sources cite that studio owners can make about $86,000 a year which means that a manager (not an owner) and anyone doing administrative work will make less than that. How much less is hard to say because every studio is different and what someone profits is dependent on what the revenue of the studio is.

Your mindset must support your dream career…

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, you must believe that your dream career for teaching yoga is possible. You must believe it in every cell of your being because that is what will help you create and attract opportunities and sustainable income. While teaching yoga full-time is becoming more popular, there’s still no carved out path and no guaranteed income amount as you might find within other fields. This means there are unknowns and that is just a fact. In getting ready to transition, it’s important to remain dedicated to your overall purpose and calling. This will help you navigate your newfound path which requires both taking action and surrendering/receiving. Do the work, stay in alignment, and trust wholeheartedly that you can do this and the universe is supporting you.

Oftentimes when I hear people say they want to become a yoga teacher, it is rarely because of the pay. Yet, countless people have made a transition into teaching yoga full-time…and people continue to do so — how come?

At this point in your life, you may be thinking about making the transition and becoming solely a yoga teacher full time. With the pandemic, inflation, rising healthcare costs, and other factors, you may be considering the risks and rewards in doing so. You want to know: How much do yoga teachers actually make?

Before I go any further, I do want to say that it is possible to make teaching yoga your full-time gig. However, you must actually believe that it is possible. It doesn’t matter what I say, or what anyone else says.

You have to believe that you can and you will make this your full-time career.

I say this because you will most likely not create a livable salary (while staying sane) by only teaching weekly yoga classes. You will need opportunities and ideas that are outside of this construct and you may have to take some risks and/or try new things.

The base pay for teaching classes at a studio

The pay for weekly yoga classes varies depending on the studio you are teaching at (size, location, popularity, amount of classes, etc.) and your experience. However, in NYC, pay can generally range from $30-$80 per class. Based on my experience, you’re looking at an average of $40 per class.

Womp womp.

This is not to discourage you whatsoever! In fact, you can use this information to create the life of your dreams and in a very sustainable manner — financially, energetically, and emotionally.

Find what you want to focus on

Ask yourself some questions so you can narrow your focus about what you’re looking for. Instead of just “yoga teacher,” think about something with more purpose and specificity (after all, you want to live the life you REALLY WANT, right?)

  1. Are you looking to work for yourself or are you looking to work for someone else (or another entity)?
  2. What demographic are you interested in working with?
  3. What is it about the yoga practice that you feel most inclined to share?
  4. What is in true ALIGNMENT with YOU? (Yes, this requires some deep work but this is how you’ll attract the opportunities which will lead to your version of your rockstar yoga teacher life.)

Diversify your yoga business

Consider other skills or interests that you’d like to offer for work such as content creation, SEO optimization, administrative work, event planning, studio operations/management, etc.

  1. Think about what skills you currently possess and/or what you enjoy.
  2. Assess how you can add value either to your own brand or to an outside brand by using those skills or interests.
    *Fun Note: I started writing blogs for YogaRenew because I enjoy writing, but never had a professional opportunity to practice it. I also wanted to do something else within yoga education that didn’t involve standing in front of a class.

Inform your professional circle

Let others know that you are interested in making a career change and/or if you’re interested in taking on more work.

  1. Word of mouth can attract potential clients, employers, and network connections.
  2. By sharing that you’re interested in making a career change, someone may present an opportunity to you that you hadn’t thought of or someone may love an idea that you have.

Specialize in a specific area of yoga

Create a niche for yourself and participate in specialty trainings and certifications such as prenatal yoga, yin yoga, restorative yoga, anatomy, etc.

  1. Having a specialty separates you from a sea of yoga instructors. You become a point person for specific topics for your students and other teachers.
  2. You become an expert in something, which can lead to increased class numbers and opportunities to lead a training or workshop.

Expand your offerings

Look into coaching, mentorship or further resources specifically geared towards increasing your capabilities as a teacher and/or business person.

  1. Coaching allows you to see where your strengths are and where you can grow.
  2. You can connect with like-minded individuals interested in living their best life.
  3. You can receive support in carving out your personal mission, which will inevitably create the opportunities necessary to achieve it.
  4. Some people have already figured it out, so why not learn from them?

How much yoga teachers make depends on multiple things

Creating your dream career as a yoga instructor is 100% possible, but as you can hopefully see it takes effort. This means that you have to remain steadfast in your practice and in your dreams. You have to stay connected with yourself at all times as this will not only bring in new opportunities, but will help you navigate those opportunities with alignment and integrity. The more you truly believe and trust in yourself to make your dreams happen, the more the universe will catch on and conspire to help you out to fulfill all your dreams on a yoga instructor salary.

Post updated: February 2025

02/19/2025
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Patrick Franco in a popular arm balance known as crow pose or Bakasana

All About Arm Balances

By Yoga

An arm balance in yoga is considered any pose where the foundation is your arms. There are several different types of arm balances within that realm. This article will break down all the different types of arm balances in yoga in a simple fashion. Some you might already be familiar with and some might have you looking at arm balances from a whole new perspective!

Prep Poses for Arm Balances

1. Downward Facing Dog

Getting comfortable on your hands and feet is the perfect way to create a strong foundation for your yoga practice. Emphasizing downward facing dog before an arm balance helps prep the body to build strength in the arms, needed in all arm balance poses.

2. Plank Pose & Chaturanga

Plank and chaturanga dandasana also help build strength in the arms and the familiarity of utilizing the hands as the foundation.

3. Vasisthasana (Side Plank)

Leaning onto one side for side plank, or Vasisthasana is another great way to build arm strength and stability that will be essential in learning any arm balance.

“Flying” Arm Balances

There are several yoga asanas that are named after creatures that fly, and for good reason. The postures can resemble a bird (or bug) about to take flight, or even just a creature that has wings and can spread out. Here are some of the arm balance yoga poses whose Sanskrit names are flying creatures and require you to lift off of the ground.

1. Crow or Crane Pose (Bakasana)

Crow pose is done by rounding your upper back and gently balancing your knees up on your forearms. The foundation of this pose is both of your palms and your arms, as you learn to “become light” and support yourself off the ground.

girl in crow pose on a yoga mat, knees resting on the back of the elbows

Crow Pose

2. Side Crow (Parsva Bakasana)

Side crow is similar to crow but your trunk is rotated. You are still supporting yourself with your arms and hands, gripping the mat and letting your upper back round tucking your knees on your upper arm, but instead your knees stacked on top of one another and torso is turned.

Man in side crow on a yoga mat

Side Crow

3. Flying Pigeon (Eka Pada Galavasana)

Flying pigeon is a pose that is supported by your arms with one leg straightened out back behind you while the other leg is bent and supported by your upper arm.

Flying pigeon pose

Flying Pigeon

4. Firefly Pose (Tittibhasana)

Firefly pose is having both your arms inside your legs (either on blocks or on the ground), your seat setting down towards the mat as you extend & straighten through your legs, which are outstretched in front of you, outside your arms. Tittibhasana is a bug that resembles that of a firefly here in the West.

Tittibhasana

Firefly Pose

Advanced Arm Balances

1. Elephant Trunk Pose (Eka Hasta Bhujasana)

Elephant trunk pose is a pose in which one leg is supported up and over an arm, while the other leg is outstretched straight in front of the body.

Eka Hasta Bhujasana

Elephant Trunk Pose

2. Eight Angle Pose (Astavakrasana)

Eight angle pose, or Astavakrasana, is when the arms are used to support the legs hooking around one another with the body being supported almost entirely by the arms.

Eight angle pose

Eight Angle Pose

3. Scorpion Pose

Scorpion is where the forearms are on the ground and the legs come up over the head and bend towards the crown of the head. This pose requires a bit of backbending capability and a pretty flexible spine. The combination of strength and flexibility needed for this pose makes it fall towards the more challenging end of the spectrum for arm balances.

Scorpion pose

Scorpion Pose

Arm Balances & Yoga Asana Practice

Arm balances help you build strength and stability in your yoga practice and are great poses to regularly practice. Their many qualities allow them to be their own category in the yoga asana practice, with dedicated preparatory poses that help strengthen parts of the body needed to balance on your arms.

For yoga teachers, when teaching arm balance poses to a class, be mindful that every body is built differently and certain poses will require different ways to approach the pose. While the yoga practice reminds highly individualized, there are common yoga asana postures that are widely accepted as providing roughly the same benefits when practiced consistently.

We hope that this article was able to shed more light on the topic of arm balances. If you are still curious and want to learn more, we’ve crafted an entire Arm Balance Workshop inside the YogaRenew app with expert yoga teacher MĂŠlie Purdon to help you craft your mastery of arm balance poses with a deep understanding.

Want to learn arm balances?

Check out Learn to Fly: Arm Balance Workshop in the YogaRenew app. Download it today!

Arm Balance Workshop

Check out the app
Learn to Fly: Arm Balance Workshop with MĂŠlie Purdon

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02/12/2025
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10 minute morning yoga sequence pdf with all the poses: child's, cat/cow, down dog, crescent lunge, warrior 2, extended side angle, half moon, bridge, supine spinal twist, bridge, happy baby and savasana

10 Minute Morning Yoga Sequence

By Yoga Asana, Yoga Teachers

10 minute morning yoga flows don’t have to be elaborate. Most of the time, you can get a sufficient practice in by just moving through sun salutations (a or b). Here at YogaRenew, most of our classes are taught with Surya Namaskar A (Sun Salutation A sequence) and the purpose is literally to “greet the sun” as you first rise in the morning.

However, if you’re looking for more of a flow style class — we’ve got you covered!

Here’s a quick and easy 10 minute morning yoga sequence that includes a downloadable PDF graphic that you can store for whenever you’d like to practice. Be sure to grab your mat and any props you may need — we recommend 2 yoga blocks and a blanket!

Morning Yoga Sequence:

Puttering:

  1. Start in a comfortable seated position (you can prop yourself up on your blanket if you have one) and take a few arriving breaths
  2. Make your way forward onto hands and knees
  3. Widen your knees the width of your mat, let your big toes touch, come to sit back into child’s pose
  4. Lift your head & come back to table top position
  5. Move through a couple rounds of cat/cow, syncing your breath with your movement
  6. Find downward facing dog
  7. Lift your right leg & step it through your hands
  8. Crescent lunge
  9. Step back for downward facing dog
  10. Inhale, come forward to plank, lower yourself all the way down to your mat as you exhale
  11. Inhale to peel your chest off the mat for cobra pose
  12. Downward facing dog
  13. Repeat on the other side

Standing + Balancing:

  1. From downward facing dog, lift your right leg & step it between your hands for warrior two
  2. Bring your front arm forward and bend at your elbow to rest your forearm on your front thigh & reach your left arm up overhead alongside your left ear for extended side angle
  3. Look back at your front foot, grab your block and place it in front of your right toes
  4. Bring your left hand to your hip & step your back foot in 2 footprints
  5. Start to bend your right knee, lean forward, standing into your front (right leg) and come forward with your right palm on the block for half moon pose
  6. Step back to a low lunge
  7. Downward facing dog, plank, cobra
  8. Downward facing dog
  9. Repeat on the other side (lifting your left leg & stepping between your hands)

Wind down:

  1. Lie down on your back, bend your knees and plant the soles of your feet on the mat
  2. Walk your heels in towards your seat
  3. Lengthen your arms down by your side & proceed to lift your pelvis off of the mat for bridge pose
  4. Lean onto your right shoulder to tuck your left shoulder under, then lean onto your left shoulder to tuck your right shoulder under
  5. Your hands can find an interlace underneath you
  6. Keep pressing your feet down and lifting your hips
  7. Unclasp your hands & lower back down to your mat
  8. Repeat 2 or 3 times
  9. Press down through your feet to lift your hips up and send them over to the left, letting your knees fall over to the right for a supine spinal twist
  10. You can cactus your arms and let your gaze fall over your left shoulder
  11. Repeat on the other side
  12. Happy baby

Savasana:

  1. For this sequence, we’ll take savasana in Viparita Karani, or legs up the wall
  2. Grab your blanket and fold in half twice so you have an oblong, folded blanket
  3. Place the blanket at the base of the wall
  4. Come to sit with either hip up against the wall
  5. Swing your legs up the wall (like a clock hand) until they are at a desired position
  6. T out your arms, close your eyes, and let your mind quiet

Quick & Easy Morning Yoga Flows

If you enjoyed this 10 minute morning yoga class, you’ll love our Morning Yoga Series on the YogaRenew app. We’ve created a bunch of classes that are morning-friendly and the perfect way to start any day refreshed & revitalized.

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02/11/2025
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Kate Lombardo posing with her hands up in the air with peace signs to advocate for body awareness through yoga

How to Cultivate Body Awareness Through Yoga

By Yoga

Trying to develop a routine and stick to a set of wellness practices can be cumbersome. However, when you find things that truly align with your body and the way you like to move, it can be a fun way to connect with your body.

As we bring attention to body awareness, the intention is to honor our bodies for all they do for us. They keep us in motion and in rest, which is equally as important. This newsletter invites you to find the ways in which you like to get in tune with your body and nourish those actions until they become a regular part of your routine. ✨

Here are some ways to establish and nurture body awareness through the lens of the yoga practice.

Yoga for Beginners

Establishing a foundational, basic yoga practice can do wonders for both your mental and physical health. Yoga provides a great deal of awareness to the body and parts of the body that may not get proper attention on a daily basis.

Yoga can also help you understand the body on a deeper level. Starting out with the foundational poses may bring a greater sense of awareness on how you can move in and understand your body.

Here is a series dedicated entirely to Yoga for Beginners in our YogaRenew app:

Beginner Yoga Series

Beginner’s Yoga Series

Start your FREE Trial!

Find the Way You Like to Move

Another way to build a strong relationship with your body can be stretching in the morning.

Each morning when you wake up, try to move your body around until you find ways that feel good to you. You can start with a seated meditation, or get right into it. Either way, the freedom of movement and expression in your body will start to connect your brain waves to a new found appreciation.

Morning stretch ideas:

  • Stand up and lean to either side with your arm stretched up overhead
  • Take a giant forward fold as you let your head and neck dangle over your legs
  • Sit on the floor and reach your arms up and overhead and lean to either side
  • Start in child’s pose and lean back and forth until you find a nice flow of movement
  • Start seated on the floor and send one leg at a time out long and lean over towards it
  • Try cat/cow (starting on all fours with your wrists underneath your shoulders and knees underneath your hips – inhaling dropping your belly looking up, exhaling rounding your spine pressing through your palms)

Try a Group Fitness Class

There are tons of methods of group fitness offered now with a plethora of movements and combinations of movements. Once you decide on what level of intensity you want, you can narrow down the list of places near you that offer that range of movement. Sometimes attending a group class awakens something in us that allows us to appreciate how we can move our body. Even if you have certain specifications and special needs of assistance or range of motion, the offerings seem to be getting more and more inclusive, where there tends to be options for just about everyone. If you’re looking for a specific aided class or private instruction, you can certainly search for it and hopefully there’s a class that’s just right for you — and maybe you even make some friends out of it!

Try Free Videos on YouTube

We of course started our own YouTube channel to facilitate and circulate the practice of yoga… but YouTube is home to thousands upon thousands of different types of “at-home workouts” and movement practices. A simple search should bring you to areas of moving your body that might spark some joy in how you like to get moving.

Since we highlighted beginner yoga above, here are some beginner-friendly yoga videos on our YouTube — enjoy!

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02/05/2025
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Patrick from YogaRenew looking up yoga classes online

The Best Free Yoga Classes Online

By Online Yoga

In the ever-changing landscape of the digital world, it can be hard to find yoga classes online that you enjoy and that elevate your practice. If you’ve ever taken class with us, or have joined one of our trainings, you’ll notice YogaRenew has a specific style of sequencing designed to keep students invigorated, inspired and help give them an idea of what to expect in each class — starting with puttering, working towards a peak pose, having a full wind down section and of course, a blissful savasana.

Below you’ll find an incredible selection of online yoga classes you can practice for free, whenever your schedule allows. You can even browse different categories if there’s a specific style of yoga you’re looking for.  Outside of our YouTube Channel, we’ve developed an app where you can stream high-quality yoga classes with our instructors.

With the YogaRenew app, you can access over 100 FREE classes in different styles, durations, formats, and experience levels. And its Ad-free. Download the app below and check out all of our free classes, or head further down to check out our list of the best free yoga classes on YouTube!

yoga app with free classes

Access Over 100 Free Online Yoga Classes

Explore classes for any style, format, duration or experience level with a free account in the YogaRenew app. Or subscribe and gain access to workshops, live classes and more.

 

The Best Free Yoga Classes on YouTube

Scroll down to browse our list of the top free yoga & meditation classes available on YouTube. We’ve conveniently sorted them by style or format so if you’re unsure which style suits you best, take a moment to check out our article on the different types of yoga.

  1. Yoga Basics Online Classes
  2. Vinyasa Yoga Online Classes
  3. Meditation Online Classes
  4. Restorative Yoga Online Classes
  5. Yin Yoga Online Classes
  6. Hatha Yoga Online Classes
  7. Prenatal Yoga Online Classes
  8. Gentle Yoga Online Classes

Yoga Basics (Fundamentals of the Practice)

Using Yoga Props

In this video, Patrick explains how props can be an essential tool in the yoga practice. Our channel offers insights as well as tips and tricks of becoming a great teacher but also expanding as a practitioner. This information can be greatly helpful before stepping on your mat.

Best Free Vinyasa Yoga Classes Online

Perhaps the most popular style of yoga in modern times, Vinyasa is characterized by energetic flows and dynamic body movements. Each movement in a Vinyasa Yoga is linked to the breath, providing a more cardio-centric experience. Check our list of the best free vinyasa yoga classes on YouTube below.

 

60 Minute Vinyasa Flow | Free Online Yoga Class
Instructor: Patrick Franco
Length: 60 Minutes
Style: Vinyasa Yoga

Fresh Air Flow in Hawaii | No Props Needed
Instructor: Desiree Fiorentino
Length: 30 Minutes
Style: Vinyasa Yoga

Live Music Vinyasa Flow
Instructor: Patrick Franco
Length: 30 Mins
Style: Vinyasa Yoga

Yoga for Your Core
Instructor: Desiree Fiorentino
Length: 15 Mins
Style: Vinyasa Yoga

Best Free Online Meditation

Meditation comes in many different formats, each with their own intended results. Whether you’re looking to drift off to sleep or wrap yourself into a warm sound bath – we have you covered.  Find our list of the best free meditation classes available on YouTube below.

 

 

5 Minute Body Scan Meditation | YogaRenew
Instructor: Lindsay Monal
Length: 5 Minutes
Style: Body Scan Meditation

Meditation For Sleep | YogaRenew
Instructor: Joe Miller
Length: 14 Minutes
Style: Meditation

Sound Bath & Meditation | YogaRenew
Instructor: Lindsay Monal
Length: 23 Minutes
Style: South Bath & Meditation

Best Free Restorative Yoga Classes Online

Restorative yoga classes are typically prop-heavy, slow paced classes designed to help the body recover, replenish and recuperate. Find our list of the best online Restorative Yoga classes on YouTube below.

 

Restorative Yoga | Restorative Energy Practice
Instructor: Joanne Silver
Length: 30 Mins
Style: Restorative Yoga

Restorative Yoga | Yoga For Anxiety
Instructor: Keely Garfield
Length: 15 Mins
Style: Restorative Yoga

Best Free Yin Yoga Classes Online

Yin Yoga classes are slow-paced, relaxing classes designed to target deeper connective tissue. Find our list of the best Yin Yoga classes on YouTube below.

Morning Yin Yoga Class
Instructor: Kate Lombardo
Length: 35 Minutes
Style: Yin Yoga

Balancing Yin Yoga for Ultimate Relaxation | Free Online Yoga Class
Instructor: Lindsay Monal
Length: 70 Minutes
Style: Yin Yoga

Best Free Hatha Yoga Classes Online

Hatha yoga is meant to encompass all physical postures within traditional yoga, however modern definitions often characterize this practice as a slower paced class with emphasis on posture and breath.

 

Yoga for a Strong & Flexible Spine
Instructor: Joe Miller
Length: 30 Mins
Style: Hatha

Teach a Hatha Style Class to Virasana (Hero Pose)
Instructor: Deidra Demens
Length: 60 Mins
Style: Hatha

Best Free Prenatal Yoga Classes Online

Prenatal Yoga classes are designed to help aid in the body’s transformation through pregnancy, delivery and postnatal. Their structure is designed to accommodate and supplement the pregnant body at each stage of pregnancy. Find our list of the best Prenatal Yoga classes available on YouTube below.

 

Prenatal Yoga for Acid Reflux
Instructor: Melie Purdon
Length: 15 Mins
Style: Prenatal Yoga

Prenatal Yoga for Labor
Instructor: Melie Purdon
Length: 16 Mins
Style: Prenatal Yoga

Best Free Gentle Yoga Classes Online

As the name suggests, gentle yoga classes take a more gentle approach to the practice. Find our list of the best gentle yoga classes on YouTube below.

 

Yoga for When You Don’t Feel Like Doing Yoga
Instructor: Lindsey Rozmes
Length: 20 Minutes
Style: Gentle Yoga

Beginner Yoga – Gentle Floor Sequence
Instructor: Patrick Franco
Length: 20 Minutes
Style: Gentle Yoga

01/31/2025
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Patrick Franco and Kate Lombardo of YogaRenew looking at a laptop with YogaRenew's 200 hour online yoga teacher training pulled up

Why You Should Do Your 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training with YogaRenew

By Yoga Teacher Training

There’s a lot that goes into deciding where and how to complete your first 200 hour yoga teacher training. If you’ve been thinking about it for a while, there’s probably something hindering or encouraging your decision. Perhaps you’re waiting for a sign, or maybe the timing doesn’t feel quite right — whatever the case, we are going to try and convince you that our 200 hour online yoga teacher training program is perfect for you.

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons you should do your 200 hour yoga teacher training with YogaRenew!

 

Trustworthy, Credentialed & Experienced

YogaRenew has been leading online yoga teacher training since 2018, and our instructors have been leading trainings for much longer than that. We’ve had students from over 170 countries move through our courses with over 10,000 5 star  reviews and tons of testimonials available online. There are countless graduates who have gone on to teach, open studios and build businesses after completing our certification.

We are registered with Yoga Alliance, so students interested in registering as a RYT-200 or RYT-500 are able to do so through us. We are also the sole yoga certification provider for the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

Those looking to register continuing education credits with AFAA or NASM are able to do so through our partnership with those organizations as well.

 

Live Access & Feedback

One of the most important considerations in choosing a yoga teacher training is feedback. Most trainings will offer a weekly call, or sometimes even monthly calls. Students of our 200 hour certification gain access to 30 live calls every single week. Far and above any online yoga teacher training we’ve ever seen.

Our live calls give students an opportunity to ask questions, gain feedback and connect directly with our instructors and wider community. Yoga Alliance requires 30 hours of live interaction in order to register as a RYT-200. Anybody looking to register with Yoga Alliance should put serious consideration into this. So if you’re attending a training that has only 1 or 2 calls a week you’ll be in the course for quite a while. And that’s assuming those calls are at a time your schedule allows you to attend.

Furthermore, many trainings have one or two people leading the entire course acting as a jack of all trades. With YogaRenew, you’ll learn anatomy from experts in anatomy, philosophy from experts in philosophy, business from business leaders and so on.

Every single student receives personalized feedback prior to graduating as well. Oh, and did we mention that you gain lifetime access to all those live calls too? 

Resources

We decided early on that we were going to provide a ton of additional resources for our students. These aren’t just supplements for our training curriculum – it goes above and beyond what you’d expect to see in a 200 hour course. In fact, we have over 100 hours of supplemental video content students can take advantage of if you’re looking to dig deeper into certain topics or areas of interest. We also have a tremendous set of eBooks, business templates, class themes, sequences, flash cards and other resources you can use in your journey and as an instructor after graduating.

Community

A yoga teacher training is a transformational experience, but you don’t have to go at it alone! Outside of the support from our instructors, you’ll also gain access to our incredible community. With students and graduates from over 170 countries, our community is an active, supportive and engaging space. After enrolling, you’ll gain full access to connect with others on this shared journey which makes all the difference. The Renew Crew is an absolute treasure and we can’t wait to see you there!

Flexibility & accessibility

No, we don’t mean flexibility as in the yoga asanas — we’re talking about flexibility being able to access the course materials whenever, however. All of the materials provided throughout the duration of the trainings are completely downloadable and yours for a lifetime; so you can return to them if you’ve taken a slight pause or need a little extra time in between your studies.

We try to make our courses as accessible as possible and are looking into enhancing our offerings so that they are suitable for a wider demographic. We are also looking into creating courses that are more ADA compliant. It’s important to us that anyone and everyone feels like they can have easy access to good, quality yoga — digitally and in person.

You’re learning from experts

In a 200 hour yoga teacher training, you are reliant on the quality of the information being given and the teachers that are providing it. All throughout our courses, you’ll meet friendly, experienced yoga teachers that are the experts in their crafts. If you choose to enroll in our 200 hour yoga teacher training, most of your time will be with Kate and Patrick, but beyond that, our specialized trainings invite you to meet a plethora of new teachers who have such deep, extensive knowledge in their specific lane of yoga.

Here are a few highlights of teachers in our other courses:

  • Julie takes you on a journey in every one of her tales of ancient yogic philosophy. Her captivating use of story telling helps make the Yoga Philosophy Online Course both digestible and fun.
  • MĂŠlie Purdon is our resident experienced prenatal yoga teacher both online and at our headquarters. You can gain access to MĂŠlie’s elite Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training both virtually and in-person as it can be purchased as a hybrid course! This means you’ll have opportunities to learn with her at our HQ in Hoboken, NJ.
  • Lisa Bermudez has facilitated all of our Ayurveda trainings and continues to host free challenges through us on YouTube to help get you introduced and acclimated to the sister science of yoga.
  • Trevor Vaughan and Julie both lead the kids yoga teacher training where you can become certified to bring the gift of yoga into classrooms and help bring on the next generation of mindful youths!
  • We have an entire course on how to lead your first yoga retreat, mindfulness and mindful eating, breathing workshops and more!

YogaRenew’s signature sequencing method

One major benefit of enrolling in our 200 hour yoga teacher training is YogaRenew’s signature sequencing teaching method. This simple outline gives you the template you need to create classes that keep students coming back! If you’re not planning on becoming a teacher, the way you’ll learn sequencing in this 200 hour training will greatly benefit how you take notice of the benefits of yoga asana.

At YogaRenew, each class is taught towards an apex (peak pose) and the offers a wind down and full Savasana. The beginning of the class is known as puttering (or the warm up), then the class typically follows the structure below. Once you understand how it all comes together, you can plug and play your poses in a class to teach towards a peak pose. This takes the stress out of teaching and can teach you so many new things of how you understand even your personal practice.

YogaRenew’s Sequencing Method:

  • Dharma talk (~5 minutes)
  • Puttering (warm up ~ 5-7 minutes)
  • Sun Salutations (Surya A)
  • Open hip standing poses
  • Balance and twists
  • Peak pose
  • Wind down
  • Savasana

Here is an example of a Weekly Class Theme that Kate wrote working toward handstand with a downloadable PDF!

 

Online yoga teacher trainings are STILL popular

During the delicate and uncertain times of COVID-19 when we were all mandated to stay inside, the rise of online learnings took off. Finding ways to workout and learn through YouTube became increasingly popular and people took to the internet to immerse themselves in a digital world that felt accessible.

Fast-forward to 2025 and people are still chronically online. The ease of having access to a training, digitally, appeals to a lot of people. The cost of producing these trainings is also much lower so the product can be circulated at a more affordable and attainable rate.

Online trainings are great for people who wish to connect virtually instead of attending lectures or teachings in person. People also like the added convenience of weaving their training into their already well established schedule. For some, online trainings can be a great way to grow a community and foster a real-life school environment with the added benefit of accessing it from anywhere in the world.

YogaRenew has a plethora of online yoga teacher trainings, including the initial 200 hour yoga teacher training, where you can choose which facet of yoga you’d like to specialize in. We also offer various online workshops and have a full YouTube channel that displays snippets of our courses, all of which are also available to our newly launched YogaRenew app.

Here are some of our most popular online trainings:

We’ve recently launched an app!

We’ve had great success and engagement on our YouTube channel where we’ve offered yoga teacher tips, fun challenges, and invigorating and restful classes so we just felt like it was time…

Get immersed and take your yoga to the next level with the YogaRenew App. You’ll see the same friendly faces and quality learnings from all our online yoga teacher training courses. From there, you can build your own stacked class playlists and find courses that will help you float up into handstand ~ there’s a little bit of something for everyone on the app.

*Available to be downloaded via the Apple and Google Play store – search: YogaRenew.

Stay up to date and never miss out.

Join the community of +99k students worldwide!

Online Yoga Teacher Training Courses:

200 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

Enroll Today
200 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

300 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

Enroll Today
300 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

500 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

Enroll Today
500 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training
01/28/2025
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YogaRenew proudly partners with NASM + AFAA graphic

YogaRenew is an Approved Partner with NASM and AFAA

By Yoga

NASM, AFAA Yoga Course

 

YogaRenew is now an approved provider for NASM and AFAA! We know that a lot of you have been asking for this. Graduates of YogaRenew’s 200 HR Yoga Teacher Training will be able to register their certificate with NASM or AFAA moving forward.

More information about NASM, AFAA, our yoga teacher training course, and how to register credit for your course follows below!

About NASM

The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) provides certification and courses to over 1.5 million fitness and wellness professionals with over 12,000 gym and health club partnerships. NASM provides certifications for personal trainers, group fitness instructors, wellness coaches and nutrition coaches.

 

About AFAA

The Athletics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) has provided certifications for group and personal trainers for over 40 years. Their certifications include group fitness, indoor cycling and personal trainer certifications.

AFAA is the sister company of NASM with both companies falling under the umbrella of Ascend Learning.

YogaRenew’s 200 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Certification

This comprehensive yoga teacher training provides a strong immersion into the business and practice of yoga through detailed videos, readings, workbooks and lectures.

The course is entirely online and self-paced, however students looking to get live support are also able to pick from 30 live calls held each week from experts in areas like anatomy, philosophy, business, class structure, sequencing, etc.

Students gain access to over 100 hours of supplemental video content they can browse in addition to their core training. We’ve also added extensive material including eBooks, templates, class sequences, and other resources instructors can use for their classes and business.

In addition to our support through live calls and email, students also gain access to our incredible & active community with students from over 170 countries.

Lifetime access is provided for the course and all of its resources (including the live calls!)

Graduates of our 200 hour course are able to register with Yoga Alliance as a RYT-200 as well.

AFAA or NASM Credit For YogaRenew’s 200 HR Course

NASM and AFAA students will submit their recertification differently. NASM trainers will login to their online NASM recertification portal at nasm.org and add the course and certificate from there.

AFAA trainers will email their AFAA renewal application to recerts@ascendlearning.com.

Our provider number is the same for both NASM and AFAA:

Course: 200 HR Yoga Teacher Training
Provider Number: PRO-014328
CEUs: 1.9/15.0

American Council on Exercise (ACE) 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training

In addition to NASM and AFAA, ACE offers YogaRenew’s 200 hour yoga teacher training in a joint partnership. ACE has been a leader in the fitness certification space for a long time, and we’re thrilled about the ongoing connection between their community and our training program. See ACE’s press release on our joint partnership for more information.

 

 

See more information about YogaRenew’s education partners here.

Online Yoga Teacher Training Courses:

200 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

Enroll Today
200 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

300 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

Enroll Today
300 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

500 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

Enroll Today
500 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training
01/21/2025
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Yin Yoga Sequence PDF including clipart for the following poses: child's pose, half butterfly (both sides), butterfly pose, and legs up the wall by YogaRenew Online Yoga Teacher Training

Yin Yoga for New Beginnings

By Yin Yoga

You don’t have to wait for the ball to drop to start anew. In fact, in Vedic tradition, the “new year” is considered spring time, when things start to open up and blossom again. If you’re extra optimistic, you may even view each and every day as a new beginning — a new chance at life; a new day to start again.

This post will act as a yin yoga class template to echo the sentiment of new beginnings. The yin yoga postures chosen will embody the feeling of starting anew. Feel free to practice it at home, share it with your students, or keep it safe to revisit at a time you feel you need it most.

Child’s Pose

Child’s pose is always a great way to begin any class as it acts as a pose that can be returned to at any point throughout class.

How to:

  • Widen your knees mats-width distance apart
  • Set your arms out in front of you
  • Sit back on your heels (pad the area under your seat if you feel there’s too much space)
  • Let your forehead come down to the mat
  • Breathe all along your spine

Half Butterfly Pose (Both Sides)

Half Butterfly will prepare you for full Butterfly Pose and it’s a great way to gain symmetry on both sides of the body.

How to:

  • Send your right leg out long
  • Bend your left knee and tuck your left foot in towards your seat
  • Fold forward (you can place blocks or a bolster beneath you for extra support)
  • Repeat on the other side

Butterfly Pose

Butterfly Pose represents the birth and opening up of new energy. This rejuvenating yet restorative pose is perfect to usher in new energy.

How to:

  • Sit upright with your legs spread wide
  • Bring the soles of your feet together
  • Fold forward (you can use a bolster or blocks to come down onto if folding forward feels strenuous)

Legs Up The Wall

This is the ultimate relaxation yin yoga pose, inviting you to unwind, drop in, and let your mind quiet. In this posture, you can call to mind any intentions that feel indicative of a fresh start.

How to:

  • Set up a blanket folded the long way in half twice with the fringes facing the wall
  • Sit with your butt on the blanket, against the wall sideways
  • Swing your legs up the wall with the blanket supporting your seat underneath you
  • Let your eyes close and cactus your arms out to the side or support them on blankets as well

 

 

Yin Yoga Online Teacher Training

Ether App

01/14/2025
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200 hour ytt journey header image of a hands-on assist being done on a 200 hour ytt student

200 Hour YTT Journey

By Yoga, Yoga Teacher Training

You’re probably wondering what “ytt” stands for. At least I did when I first started publishing pieces about the yoga practice. This acronym, I noticed, was also placed after numbers often. I started to ask the yoga teachers around me, “What does E-RYT 500 mean?” and, “What is 200 hour versus 300 hour versus 500 hour?” Here’s what I learned…

YTT stands for Yoga Teacher Training

A 200 Hour YTT is the first certification along your journey. A 200 hour ytt sets you up with the foundation of a strong understanding of the ancient practice. In a 200 hour yoga teacher training, you will most likely learn about the physical practice (yoga asana), ancient yogic texts (the yoga sutras), Ayurveda (a relative science to yoga), and other branches and elements within the yogic sphere. This varies from training to training, but most yoga teacher trainings will at least touch on these subjects.

A 300 Hour YTT is a continuation of your 200 hour studies. A 300 hour yoga teacher training builds upon the 200 hours to fully certify you at the maximum amount of hours, 500. A more in-depth look at the practice is what the 300 hour is for, and you’ll usually go a layer deeper into anatomical phrasing, further into Ayurveda and how it intertwines with yoga, and learn more about how this practice made it ways over to the west. It’s not always a continuation of a 200 hour yoga teacher training, but a 200 hour ytt is recommended before enrolling – however you complete the hours is up to you.

A 500 Hour YTT is the final amount of hours necessary to register through Yoga Alliance as a RYT 500. If you continue to enroll in more trainings (i.e. specialized trainings in the different “genres” of yoga such as: restorative, yin, hatha, yoga nidra) your hours will count towards being an E-RYT 500. However, you can only obtain the status of E-RYT if you continue to have 2,000 hours of experience teaching yoga.

What does a 200 hour ytt typically look like?

Well, for starters, you must complete 200 hours of yoga. This is typically broken up through modules on the weekend days (given most modern day people have jobs they tend to throughout the week). Usually, the different topics throughout the training are segmented into different weekends. For example, the first weekend may take a look at yoga asana, the physical practice. In this module, you’ll probably be responsible for looking at the poses and determining where the alignment and structure of the pose come from. Depending on which lineage you choose to study (Iyengar, Jivamukti, Bikram, Ashtanga, etc.), you’ll learn the foundations of the poses, their Sanskrit names and meanings, and what to focus on physically when teaching classes (or even taking classes – completing a 200 hour ytt can be solely to advance your personal yoga practice and not to even teach at all).

They’re all so expensive… why?

A lot goes into a fully baked yoga teacher training, and to put it simply: You need to pay the teachers in the training for their time and wisdom. The price of a yoga teacher training is usually dictated by the quality of the training and the overhead it costs to stack up a fire staff to teach you about each respective area they are an expert in.

Over the pandemic, yoga teacher trainings became popular online (hello, us!) and some of that accessibility has remained. Though not ideal if you’re really looking forward to hands on adjustments and physical assistance throughout your learnings, an online yoga teacher training still gives you all of the benefits of an in person training at a fraction of the cost (because the teachings are recorded).

Other costs that are factored into the training (online or in-person):

  • Physical handouts & items to track your work — Sometimes the school will gift you with a binder full of information. The binder will house important info and act as a calendar to move through the modules, annotating anything you find important.
  • Special workshops — You’ll have access to fellow teachers who the leader of the ytt thought were imperative to your learning and potential networking
  • General maintenance of the studio & access to props — The yoga studio becomes your home, and that home usually comes with yoga mats, bolsters, blocks and other items necessary to learning about the yoga asana practice
  • General maintenance of digital course materials — A lot of online yoga teacher training platforms will continue to improve their training material. They will assess what works well & what doesn’t and find ways to cater to the yogi student in the best ways possible.

To 200 hour ytt or not ~ that is the question

To put it simply: You’ll never regret taking a 200 hour yoga teacher training. We’ve had thousands of students all over the world, and some of them don’t even start the program until they’ve had it for a bit, but one commonality we find is that no one ever completes the studies and says, “Wow, I wish I never learned all of this quality information about yoga.”

Chances are, if you’re a dedicated practitioner, or even slightly interested in furthering your yoga practice, there will be at least something you will take away from enrolling in a training. The amount of information that is covered spans out far across the landscape of yoga, and you may even find that a lot of the material can assist other aspects of life. Whether it’s a deeper appreciation for meditation or a better understand of how your bones work and function in your body, a yoga teacher training will give you that insight. From there, you can choose what you do with that information.

What does a 200 hour graduation look & feel like?

Every 200 hour yoga teacher training will look and feel different — but the journey is the same. The path towards understanding yoga, its roots and the many avenues it spans across is truly a gift ~ and each studio/online yoga program will treat that in their own special way.

I’ve seen huge celebrations with tons of flowers and incense and comfortable meditation pillows. I’ve seen online certifications with warm language centered around the program they’ve completed and a repost to LinkedIn on how they plan to share their studies and learnings. All in all, the way you celebrate this huge accomplishment deeply personal, but also part of a strong community. It is imperative to find a way to honor both as you set out into the world with your new insights and profound knowledge.

I’ve completed my 200 hour ytt journey, now what?

The choice is yours! Either continue on to a 300 hour training to obtain your RYT 500 or take some time to ruminate in your learnings. You can look into specialized trainings in the areas that ignited something in you and sparked a specific interest, or you could let everything from your 200 hour marinate and let that be enough for your yogic journey.

If you are trying to become a teacher — look for places to teach! Having a 200 hour certification is a great way to get started leading classes. You’ve learned an immense amount about the practice, and there are so many veins within the “yoga umbrella” that are sure to find something that resonates. Overall, let yourself be proud of your accomplishment ~ you’ve accumulated 200 great hours of one of the world’s most ancient studies! That is something to be happy with.

Online Yoga Teacher Training Courses:

200 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

Enroll Today
200 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

300 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

Enroll Today
300 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

500 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

Enroll Today
500 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training
01/13/2025
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How to Become a Yoga Instructor (The Ultimate Guide + FREE PDF)

By Yoga Teachers

I’m always surprised at how many people enroll in one of our yoga teacher training programs because they were unsatisfied with another course they started or completed elsewhere.  If you’re looking to become a yoga instructor, do yourself a favor and take a look through this guide first. 

Whether you’re looking to teach online yoga classes, in a studio, gym, corporate environment or anywhere else – everything is covered. I promise it will help clear up anything you might be confused about and will save you a ton of headaches so you’ll know exactly how to become a yoga instructor with minimal stress.  If you still have any questions by the end of this guide (and we doubt you will) you can reach out to us directly and we’ll get them answered for you. Clear and simple.

The secret on how to become a yoga instructor

There’s a TON of noise out there about becoming a yoga instructor and sometimes it seems like each piece of information conflicts with the rest. It might be poor information, or it might be poor communication but it sure seems like there’s a drought of clarity sometimes. For example, did you know that you actually DON’T need a certification to teach yoga? Probably not, but we’ll explain more on that later. We figured it was time to finally put together a guide on everything you need to know about becoming a yoga teacher. Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents:

  1. What are the requirements?
  2. What do studios look for?
  3. What is Yoga Alliance?
  4. How many hours are needed for accreditation?
  5. Can I become certified online?
  6. What should I look for in an online training?
  7. How long is a Yoga Teacher Training?
  8. Will my certification expire?
  9. Do I need insurance?
  10. What’s the cost of a YTT?

What are the requirements to teach yoga?

In the U.S. and most western countries, there is no ‘accreditation’ or governing body that you need to register with to teach yoga. This also means that you don’t need a specific certification to roll out a mat and lead a class, but don’t roll out that mat just yet.

There’s A LOT of reasons why you don’t see yoga teachers all over town without any training. First of all, most places won’t let you teach without a certificate. You’ll also need insurance for most studios. Even if you teach online or in a park, you are putting yourself in danger without insurance.

Students also want to know that their teacher has been trained properly. A yoga teacher training is more than simply learning a few postures. You learn important aspects of safety, anatomy, business and other areas important for any yoga instructor to have. Without proper training, trying to lead yoga classes isn’t just dangerous for you but it’s dangerous for the students as well.

What will a yoga studio look for in a yoga instructor?

Since the government doesn’t set the requirements for a yoga teacher, it’s really up to a studio to set those requirements. While each studio will have their own hiring criteria, generally speaking, they will want their students to have completed at least a 200 hour yoga teacher training. More frequently, studios are also looking for teachers with a 500 hour certificate.

One helpful tip is that studios will often run their own teacher training programs and look to hire students from within those programs. If there’s a specific studio you’d like to work with, stay late after class one day and ask them what they look for in their teachers. Oftentimes, you’ll hear a studio mention Yoga Alliance – but what is Yoga Alliance?

What is Yoga Alliance?

Yoga Alliance logo

It’s helpful to get certified through a yoga company that is registered with Yoga Alliance for added credibility.

Yoga Alliance is a registration body for yoga schools and yoga teachers. There are a number of other registration bodies all over the world, but Yoga Alliance is the largest and most common.

As mentioned on their site, Yoga Alliance does not certify schools and they are not an accreditation body like you’d see with universities or in other industries. While they don’t actually certify the schools, they do sort of behave like an accreditation body in some ways. In order to register with Yoga Alliance, you’ll need to attend a training by a school registered with Yoga Alliance and the training will need to be conducted by teachers who are registered with Yoga Alliance.

The way a training will work is that Yoga Alliance has a set of standards that each school needs to follow, and each school will submit their curriculum to Yoga Alliance in order to have their training approved. For example, they will ask for a certain number of hours to be completed for anatomy, practice, or technique, etc. Yoga Alliance has a few different types of registration credentials which are aligned with the way training is typically conducted and you can read more about becoming a yoga instructor on their website.

Yoga Alliance requires a certain level of synchronous learning during a training program. For online courses, this means you’ll need to have a certain number of hours logged over live calls. A 200 hour course will require 30 hours of live calls, so if you are in an online course from a school that only has 1 live call/week you would need to stay in the course for at least 30 weeks to complete your Yoga Alliance requirements.

If Yoga Alliance is important to you, you’ll want to find a school with a lot of calls at times you’re available to attend them.

What is the difference between a 200, 300 and 500 hour yoga teacher training?

I’ve seen many people get confused with these trainings, so let’s clarify quickly: A 200 hour yoga teacher training needs to be completed before anything else. Many people think you can start with either a 200 hour training, or a 300 hour training, but a 300 hour yoga teacher training should only be completed AFTER a 200 hour yoga teacher training has been completed. A 500 hour certification is a combination of a 200 and 300 hour yoga teacher training.

Typically, students will finish a 200 hour course before anything else. The 200 hour program might be focused on a specific area such as Vinyasa, or Hatha yoga or it might be a multi-style yoga teacher training course. If the school is registered with Yoga Alliance, it doesn’t really matter whether there is a specific area of focus for the training. Yoga Alliance will only recognize a ‘200 hour’ training (they won’t differentiate between a Vinyasa training and a Hatha training). Let’s take a look at the credentials that Yoga Alliance uses because those draw up a lot of questions as well.

What’s a RYT 200, RYT 500? (or E-RYT 200, E-RYT 500)

RYT = Registered Yoga Teacher

It is a credential specific to Yoga Alliance and in order to list yourself as a RYT-200 you’ll need to complete a 200 hour yoga teacher training that’s been registered with Yoga Alliance. If somebody is an RYT-500, that means they’ve completed a 500 hour program. Or it could mean that they’ve completed a 200 hour course, and then afterwards they completed a 300 hour course. 200 + 300 = 500!

E-RYT is a newer credential by Yoga Alliance

There is an E-RYT 200 and E-RYT 500 and you become eligible for E-RYT 2 years after completing a training. In addition to completing a training, you will also need to complete 1,000 hours of teaching with a RYS-200 registration. Outside of RYT, you also might see the designation CYT. What does CYT mean? Funny you should ask…

What’s the difference between RYT and CYT?

RYT stands for Registered Yoga Teacher and is specific to Yoga Alliance, while CYT stands for ‘Certified Yoga Teacher’ and is a general designation. If somebody is listed as a CYT-200 then it would mean they have completed a 200 hr yoga teacher training, but they aren’t necessarily listed in Yoga Alliance’s directory.

In short, RYT and CYT are similar except that RYT is for people specifically registered in Yoga Alliance’s directory.

Are there any requirements or qualifications I need to complete before I enroll in a yoga teacher training?

No. A yoga teacher training is where you’ll gain a certification, so there aren’t really any qualifications that you’ll need to complete before enrolling. Students will typically come with quite a bit of experience though. A 200 hour training is not a walk in the park, so it’s good to have a sense of what you love about yoga and what you’re looking for out of a training before you commit to one. That will be helpful for you to determine which course is the best for you.

A lot of times, teacher trainings are broken out by the specific amount of hours it takes to complete the course, or they’re focused on a specific genre, or type of yoga. Here are some examples of teacher trainings and they all are completely separate (you don’t need to complete one before advancing to the others except for the 300 + 500 Hour (it is recommended you start with your 200 and the 300 + 500 build upon that).

Can I complete a yoga teacher training online?

Girl researching how to become a yoga instructor on a laptop, sitting on a yoga mat

The first step towards becoming a yoga instructor through an online program is doing your research!

Yes, you can! Even before COVID-19, schools like YogaRenew had conducted yoga teacher trainings online. 200 hours is a large commitment. Most people can’t realistically complete such a large commitment unless it’s self-paced and online. This allows students to work at their own pace in between work, children, and other responsibilities. Many people also live in remote locations that make attending an in-person training difficult, so online training has made it more accessible than ever. Especially for those without a local studio who are unable to travel to attend a studio in-person.

What’s the difference between an in-person yoga teacher training and an online yoga teacher training?

There’s going to be quite a few differences between attending a training in-person and online. Each will have pros and cons also. Every studio will have their own format and structure but we can provide some general insight based on the format of online vs in-person training.

An online training will typically provide much more flexibility because you will often have recorded material that you can review at your convenience in addition to any live or in-person sessions. Sometimes, you’ll even have lifetime access to all the recorded material. Many schools will have a limit on how long their students can access the content, so double check with the school first.

An in-person training is going to have a much different interaction than an online course, however. You can imagine that the way you’d interact with somebody in person is going to be different than the way you’d interact with them online. The same applies for a yoga teacher training. Both an online training and an in-person training should have live interaction with the trainers so that you can gain feedback from the instructors and ask questions through-out the course. If a training does not offer interactive elements and feedback from the instructors, it’s a red flag.

Online and in-person trainings can have a social element, but, as we’ve discussed, each is handled a little differently. Online trainings might have social elements during live sessions as well as through online groups, study buddies, and social media. In-person trainings will not typically offer online groups, or social media interaction since all of the interaction is handled on-site. It can certainly be helpful to have the online resources so that you can come back to them after completing your training, (again, double check whether the studio provides lifetime access to the material).

7 things to look for in an online yoga teacher training

There is a multitude of aspects to consider when selecting which online program to sign up for. Hopefully the considerations below can help prevent some headaches for you so that you know what to look for with an online yoga teacher training.

Here are a few items you’ll want to evaluate before enrolling in an online course:

  1. A proven program: Most schools should have some feedback or testimonials from their students. This gives you a good sense of whether it’s a good program for you. If the school is registered with Yoga Alliance, students will provide a review on the YA site when they register their certificate. The yoga instructors should have years of experience teaching as well. Take a look at the background of your instructors before enrolling. Each studio will have different trainers and styles of yoga. Find a studio with instructors that align with your interests.
  2. Teacher feedback & interaction: Whether the school is online or in-person, you’ll want to join a course that has some feedback and interaction between the students and teachers.
  3. Live calls: In addition to feedback, you’ll also want the opportunity to join live calls with the instructors. Some online schools will have calls that you can attend at different times so that you have flexibility to work at your own pace but the availability of live sessions. For a 200 hr course, Yoga Alliance requires 30 hours of live calls. If a school only offers 1 or 2 calls/week it could take a very long time to complete those requirements. We offer around 30 live calls each week in our 200 hr course from experts in different areas like anatomy, philosophy, business, class management, sequencing, etc. We also have recordings that students can watch if they miss a live call as well. Some studios will have ‘office hours’ which is nice, but different from live training where you can actually ask questions on the spot as the training is being conducted.
  4. Community: One thing that’s important for me is to drive the sense of community in our training programs. Live calls definitely help with this, but our groups are where people really connect with each other. Either way, becoming a yoga instructor is an exciting journey and a big commitment. You’ll want to experience it with other people in a community setting. Find a course that offers an active community that you can stay with even after the training is completed.
  5. Accountability: With more online training programs becoming available, accountability has become more important than ever before. You need to know that you’re on the right track, and that you’re actually learning. I’ve seen students come into my studio quite confused after attending a training that didn’t have any accountability. Testing and feedback are important ways to stay accountable. Testing isn’t just about memorizing information and passing a quiz. You have to also make sure to give each student feedback on how they cue and run their classes.
  6. Resourceful information: One of the major benefits of attending an online training is that you can gain access to a TON of resources. I’d suggest finding a course that gives you lifetime access to the resources, but you also want to make sure that you have some good material that you can take with you into your training.
  7. Support: This one is obvious, but it’s a good idea to test out support with a school before enrolling. It might be as simple as sending over an email to see how quickly you get a response. Email support is really the bare minimum you’ll want to look for though. For example, we offer our live calls for students to interact in real time, and our community provides a place for students to connect locally or online. We provide a place for students to connect with each other to form ‘study groups’ as well. Feedback is provided to each individual as well. General feedback in a group setting is nice, but individualized feedback is even better.

Research the company online

A great online teacher training will be continually adding new resources into their training programs, so even if you graduated a couple years ago you might still find some helpful sequences or resources that you can bring into the classroom as an instructor.

Here’s a short video we created for when it does come time to start teaching your own classes:

For additional information, you can check out this article: What To Look for in a Yoga Teacher Training

Be sure to also check out articles that help you weigh different online yoga teacher training prices and options: Best Online Yoga Teacher Training Programs

How long is a yoga teacher training (YTT)?

Well, a 200 hour yoga teacher training should take 200 hours and a 500 hour program should take 500 hours. In-person training courses will typically have a start date and end date. Online programs will usually allow students to work at their own pace but some might have a start date and end date. Self-paced schools sometimes have an expiration date as well. Students enrolled in our courses have lifetime access to all of the material, and we don’t charge anything if it takes a little bit longer for somebody to finish a course. Some students might take 40 days and others might take 400 days to go through a 200 hour program online. It really depends on how much availability you have and how quickly you’re able to work through the material.

Does a yoga teacher training certificate expire?

A yoga teacher training certificate will not typically expire. While we can’t speak for every school out there, it’s rare to see certificates that expire. Once you complete a 200 hour course, you have a 200 hour certificate. It is like a college degree – you’ve earned it and it is yours to keep.

Once you complete a 500 hour course, you have a 500 hour certificate. While your certificate probably won’t expire, there are options for continuing education. Yoga Alliance and certain registration bodies have some continuing education requirements to encourage ongoing learning. They’ll ask you to take continuing ed classes to stay registered with them but you don’t technically need to register with Yoga Alliance in order to teach. Most studios will be okay with hiring you if you’ve already completed a 200 or 500 hour training.

Do I need insurance to teach yoga?

beYogi insurance logo

beYogi is the most well-known yoga insurance program

Yes, insurance is critical for any yoga instructor. First of all, you’ll need insurance to teach at any physical location. At a yoga studio, the teacher will be the one who purchases the insurance. A yoga studio will have their own insurance, but typically they’ll require teachers to bring their own insurance as well. This puts responsibility on the teacher to ensure that the class is conducted in a safe manner. Even if you want to rent your own room, the building will typically ask to see some insurance in order to use the space. This is to protect themselves from lawsuit and is standard.

We have a partnership with BeYogi insurance for our students to gain insurance at a discount. Studios will often have some insurance that they offer to their students or graduates that makes it easy to find a provider.

What is a yoga teacher’s compensation structure?

Yoga teachers are compensated in a number of different ways, but in a studio setting there are usually a few different ways that teachers are compensated. They might be compensated a flat rate, a flat rate plus an additional rate per student, or they might simply be paid a flat rate per student.

If you’re interested in learning more about yoga teacher compensation and how to earn money as a yoga instructor, check out our blog: How Much Do Yoga Teachers Make?

Is it possible to complete a 200 hour yoga teacher training for under $500?

Yes. Online training has enabled students to become a certified yoga instructor for decent prices and there are some incredible courses at great prices now. I’ve seen plenty of students spend thousands of dollars and attend a training they were unhappy with, so price is not always an indication of quality.

A yoga teacher training is incredibly important, so you don’t want to sacrifice quality – and you don’t need to either. Make sure that there are regular zoom or live sessions that you can attend to interact with instructors. You should be able to ask questions, get feedback, and have trainers available to interact with.

Good schools will have some reviews and testimonials on trusted sites, like TrustPilot, that you can check out before you enroll also.

In conclusion (and don’t forget your FREE guide!)

Do. Your. Research. The more you know before jumping into any yoga teacher training, the better prepared you’ll be. The yoga sphere is constantly shifting as well, so staying up-to-date with resources and information will be extremely helpful on your journey towards potentially becoming an instructor.

Download Your Guide!

 

Yoga Teacher Training Guide
01/10/2025
Love17
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