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A Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) credential is earned by yoga teachers whose training and teaching experience meet Yoga Alliance standards.

An RYT must:

  • Complete training with and receive confirmation from a Registered Yoga School (RYS) at the 200 or 500-hour level;
  • Complete 30 hours of Continuing Education every three years; and
    • Pay annual membership fees.

Become a Teacher


Registered Yoga Teacher 200

Registered Yoga Teacher 200

Teachers can register as an RYT 200 if they have successfully completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training that is registered with Yoga Alliance. All training hours must come from the same school, and multiple trainings cannot be combined to meet the 200-hour requirement.

Training Requirements

✓ Completed a 200-hour teacher training with an RYS 200

Teaching Requirements

None

Registered Yoga Teacher 500

Registered Yoga Teacher 500

Teachers can register as an RYT 500 if they have successfully completed a 500-hour yoga teacher training that is registered with Yoga Alliance. The 500 hours of training can either come from one school or can be a combination of a 200-hour teacher training plus an additional 300-hour advanced teacher training* from a different RYS. Applicants must also submit 100 teaching hours that were completed after their RYS 200 or RYS 500 training.

Training Requirements

✓ Completed a 500-hour teacher training with an RYS 500, or
✓ Completed a 200-hour teacher training with an RYS 200 plus an additional 300 hours of training with either the same RYS or a different RYS registered as an RYS 300

Teaching Requirements

✓ Has at least 100 hours of teaching experience since completing training with an RYS 200 or RYS 500

*Advanced training is defined as training that requires participants to have completed a 200-hour training.

Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher 200

Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher 200

Once registered, an E-RYT 200 can provide Continuing Education workshops to RYTs and can be a Lead Trainer of a 200-hour teaching training for an RYS 200 up until December 31, 2024.

Teachers can register as an E-RYT 200 if they have successfully completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training that is registered with Yoga Alliance and have taught a minimum of two years after completing training. All training hours must come from the same school, and multiple trainings cannot be combined to meet the 200-hour requirement. Applicants must submit 1,000 teaching hours for this designation, which must be completed after finishing their training with an RYS 200.

Training Requirements

✓ Completed a 200-hour teacher training with an RYS 200

Teaching Requirements

✓ Has at least 1,000 hours of teaching experience since completing training with an RYS 200
✓ Has taught for at least two years since completing training with an RYS 200

*These standards were launched prior to the COVID-19 pandemic that prompted substantial shifts in the yoga landscape. Since then, we have revisited and revised our standards to ensure they continue to meet the current and evolving needs of the broader yoga community. As such, all members will be required to up-level to forthcoming enhanced standards by December 31, 2024.

By December 31, 2024, under the Elevated RYS 200 Standards, Lead Trainers must:

  • hold the E-RYT 500 credential; and
  • teach at least 150 of the 200 core curriculum hours of the foundational teacher training program.

For more information, please review our enhanced Lead Trainer requirements.

Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher 500

Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher 500

Once registered, an E-RYT 500 is able to provide Continuing Education workshops to other teachers and can be a Lead Trainer of a 200-hour, 300-hour, or 500-hour teacher training.

Teachers can register as an E-RYT 500 if they have successfully completed a 500-hour yoga teacher training that is registered with Yoga Alliance and have taught a minimum of four years since completing training with an RYS 200. The 500 hours of training can either come from one school or can be a combination of a 200-hour training plus an additional 300-hour advanced teacher training* from a different RYS. Applicants must submit 2,000 teaching hours for this designation, 1,500 of which must have been taught after completing training with an RYS 200 or RYS 500. The remaining 500 teaching hours must have been taught after completing training with an RYS 300 or RYS 500.

Training Requirements

✓ Completed a 500-hour teacher training with an RYS 500, or
✓ Completed a 200-hour teacher training with an RYS 200 plus an additional 300-hour teacher training with either the same RYS (if it is registered as an RYS 300) or a different RYS 300

Teaching Requirements

✓ Has at least 2,000 hours of teaching experience since completing training with an RYS 200 or RYS 500. At least 500 of these hours must be taught after completing training with an RYS 300 or RYS 500.
✓ Has taught for at least four years since completing training with an RYS 200 or RYS 500.

or

✓ Meets Experienced Teacher Pathway criteria. Learn more here.

*Advanced training is defined as training that requires participants to have completed a 200-hour training.

Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher

Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher

Teachers can register as an RCYT if they have successfully completed both a 200-hour yoga teacher training and a 95-hour children's yoga teacher training—in either order—that are registered with Yoga Alliance. Applicants must submit 30 teaching hours in children’s yoga which must be performed after completing a training with a Registered Children’s Yoga School (RCYS).

Teachers can no longer register as an RCYT via grandparenting.

Training Requirements

✓ Completed a 200-hour teacher training with an RYS 200
✓ Completed a 95-hour teacher training with a Registered Children’s Yoga School (RCYS)

Teaching Requirements

✓ Has at least 30 hours of teaching experience in children’s yoga since completing training with an RCYS

Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher

Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher

Teachers can register as an RPYT if they have successfully completed both a 200-hour yoga teacher training and an 85-hour prenatal yoga training—in either order—that are registered with Yoga Alliance. Applicants must submit 30 teaching hours in prenatal yoga, which must be performed after completing a training with a Registered Prenatal Yoga School (RPYS).

Teachers can no longer register as an RPYT via grandparenting.

Training Requirements

✓ Completed a 200-hour teacher training with an RYS 200
✓ Completed an 85-hour teacher training with a Registered Prenatal Yoga School (RPYS)

Teaching Requirements

✓ Has at least 30 hours of teaching experience in prenatal yoga since completing training with an RPYS

RYT Benefits

As an RYT, you gain access to all Yoga Alliance membership benefits, including:

  • An internationally recognized credential that stands as a marker of high quality, safe, accessible, and equitable yoga teaching;
  • Marketing on our RYT directory, where you can list where you teach and tell the world more about who you are as a yoga teacher;
  • Access to free online workshops (both live and recorded) which allow you to learn from leaders in the yoga community about a range of relevant yoga, business, and wellness topics;
  • Advocacy alerts when there are local, state, and national government issues facing the yoga community;
  • Invitations to both live and virtual community events and meet-ups;
  • Insightful publications ranging from our monthly newsletter, scientific research on yoga, and hundreds of informative articles and videos; and
  • Discounts on products and services from our partners on everything from liability insurance to yoga clothes to business software.

Costs for Teachers

 

RYT Registration Fees and Membership Dues

Application and upgrade fees are non-refundable. For questions, please contact us.

 
Application Fee
Annual/Renewal Dues
TOTAL Initial Registration Cost

Teacher Designations

RYT 200; E-RYT 200; RYT 500; E-RYT 200, RYT 500; E-RYT 500*

$50

$65

$115

Upgrade Fees (from any other designation; includes specialty designations RCYT and RPYT. Must have RYT designation to upgrade)

$50

n/a

n/a


*The application fee for teachers seeking E-RYT 500 registration through the Experienced Teacher Pathway is $85.

How to Maintain Your Registration

  1. Abide by the member-wide Ethical Commitment including an enhanced Code of Conduct
  2. Abide by Yoga Alliance Yoga Therapy Policy
  3. Complete your Continuing Education Requirement every three years
  4. Pay your annual renewal fees

Become a Teacher


Do you have the experience of an E-RYT 500 but do not meet the requirements you see here? Explore the Experienced Teacher Pathway to see if you qualify.

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