YA Stamp of Approval
Yoga Alliance. It’s a name spread throughout the yoga community, and you might hear some yoga teachers mention it quite often. You might even hear yoga teachers refer to themselves as registered yoga teachers or use RYT and E-RYT behind their names. What is it and what does it even mean? According to the website, Yoga Alliance is “… the largest nonprofit association representing the yoga community, with over 7,000 Registered Yoga Schools (RYS) and more than 100,000 Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT) as of April 2020. We foster and support the high quality, safe, accessible, and equitable teaching of yoga.” In my own words, Yoga Alliance is an organization that created standards for the yoga community; and, in order to become registered with the organization, teachers and/or yoga schools must uphold and abide by these standards. Not to mention, teachers and/or schools must pay an annual fee to be able to use the name. Yoga Alliance is the world’s most popularly recognized yoga organization, internationally known for its membership credibility guide. However, Yoga Alliance does not provide a specific curriculum for teachers and/or schools to abide by, but rather encourages a number of lecture hours in order to gain a YA credential. But does that mean I can’t be a yoga teacher if I don’t have the YA Stamp of Approval? Absolutely not. Yoga Alliance does not determine value as a yoga teacher and/or yoga school.
What makes a good or even great yoga teacher? We could get into semantics here and really dive into the words “good” and “great;” but instead of falling down a rabbit hole, let’s just discuss what makes a yoga teacher a person from whom you’d want to learn. What makes someone a person you could trust to guide you in movement, meditation, and more? Coming from my perspective as a student, it varies person to person. The things that stand out to me in determining if a yoga teacher is “good” are the following:
1. This person never stops learning, constantly takes continuing education, and learns from other teachers that do the same.
2. This person has a consistent yoga practice of their own.
3. This person continues to take studio based classes gaining inspiration and staying fresh.
4. This person ethically knows the limits of their knowledge, education, and certification while teaching within their means.
5. This person networks with other like-minded yoga teachers, including an experienced mentor to guide them.
Much like the yoga practice, the teachings of yoga are ever changing. Taking a training or becoming certified in the beginning doesn’t mean the learning ends there. Whether you take a one day yoga certification or you complete 200 hours of teaching, whether you’ve been teaching yoga for 6 months or 20 years, there’s always more to study. My yoga teacher training was incredibly intense. I cried after every single lecture, feeling like a lost puppy drowning in a sea of a foreign language. It’s intricate and there’s tons of information to absorb. Not only was I required to complete 200 hours of lecture teachings weaved into a training manual the size of an encyclopedia, I was required to read books, take tests/quizzes, maintain a personal practice, take studio classes, assist in teaching classes, teach my own classes, and so. much. more. At the end, when I walked up to receive a piece of paper with that stamp of approval loudly printed on the lower right hand corner, I still felt like there was so much more to grasp. Fast forward to over 500 hours of teaching classes under my belt, and I still can you tell you, there’s so much more to learn!
Just because a person or a school has that fancy stamp doesn’t mean they are any better than someone who doesn’t. Upon my completion of a 200 hour yoga teacher training, I did register with Yoga Alliance. I thought that was the only thing that made me worthy of teaching to a room full of students. I truly felt without that stamp of approval, no one would take me seriously. I felt no one would think I had any idea what I was doing. Over time, those thoughts faded. Yoga Alliance didn’t seem to give to me as much as I was giving to them. I had to go searching for everything I needed with a cost. Don’t think something is of less value simply because it’s not as costly. I realized I was better off learning from those nationally recognized people that truly inspired me. My mentors, stamp or no stamp. And guess what? I consider myself a pretty amazing teacher. I listen to my students. I make yoga accessible. I network with others. I have mentors that challenge me. I take workshops, classes, and trainings. I teach every population in many settings. I have my own personal practice, and I never close myself off to learning.
Yes, there are plenty of yoga teachers registered with Yoga Alliance that are not educated enough on the yoga practice or that don’t teach well. I’ve crossed paths with plenty! Teaching yoga, holding space for people, encouraging someone to be vulnerable is incredibly difficult. It’s definitely not a one size fits all. Not to mention, sometimes it’s the perfect fit and things change. That’s ok, too. If you’re seeking a yoga teacher training program, a yoga studio, or a yoga teacher to guide you, I strongly encourage you to dive deeper than whether they are registered with Yoga Alliance or not…. and if you’re a yoga teacher thinking about whether or not you should pay into this organization, weigh the pros and cons. Do your research. Maybe this is what you need. But maybe it’s not. Yoga Alliance, in my opinion, is like the Lululemon of the industry. Those Amazon leggings feel just the same, am I right? Delivered straight to your door! If Lululemon is near and dear to your heart, go for it. Invest in it. But don’t think you’re any less valuable with the good old fashioned generic brand. You are worthy so long as you continue to be open-minded, challenge yourself, challenge the practice, ask questions, continue to learn, continue to network, and never put yourself on a pedestal over a silly stamp from one organization.
