Are you a massage therapist interested in 200-hr yoga teacher training? Read this first.

You might be thinking...it feels like every massage therapist I know is becoming a yoga teacher. Seems like a no brainer, right?

In this blog we are going to take a deeper look into the 200-hr yoga teacher training, the Yoga Alliance guidelines, whether or not becoming a RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher) is necessary, and some other options that might help you meet your goals and desires at a lower cost.

We will also talk about the curriculum that is typically included in these 200-hour trainings to help you decide if it’s going to be a good fit for you.

What is the purpose of a 200-hour YTT?

A 200-hr YTT is an in-depth offering where students and teachers of yoga can dive deeper into the history, philosophy, foundations, anatomy and physiology of yoga, and grow with a yoga community.

It has become a rite of passage for those wanting to go deeper into the study of yoga and can be a badge of honor you get to wear when applying for yoga jobs or exchanges.

For many yoga teaching opportunities in a studio setting, the first question they ask will be if you have completed a 200-hour YTT.

People ask this because if you have completed a 200-hour training, they know you have AT LEAST learned a bit of yoga anatomy & physiology, pranayama, meditation, yoga philosophy, asana, teaching methodology and more.

 

Before you invest time and money into a 200-hour YTT, YOU MUST ask yourself:

Why I am doing this training?
What do I want out of it?

Take a few moments now to brainstorm. Is it self-improvement? Is it to be a teacher? Is it because a person you like does yoga and you want to impress them? Do you want to work 1-1 or with small or large groups? Do you want to work in a studio? Retreats? Online?

Figure out what your goals are and if there are other ways you can meet these goals.

For many massage therapists, the goals they have can be accomplished through a Yomassage Certification at a fraction of the cost. 

 

What is the Yoga Alliance and are YTTs Regulated?

The Yoga Alliance was created to be a registry for yoga teachers who have completed a minimum amount of education. This is not a licensing board or regulated in any way like the massage industry. 

The problem with Yoga Alliance is that they created these guidelines but don’t follow up on the schools to check to see if they practice what they preach.

All they require is for the school to submit their curriculum, and if it meets their requirements, they get approved.

 

Is an RYT certification necessary?

YTTs are very expensive. They can range from $2500-$3500 or more. Because they aren’t regulated, you don’t know what you are doing to get. If you decide that a 200-hour YTT is the path for you, make sure you decide on a reputable program with a strong community and testimonials. 

Bottom line: just because someone is registered as an RYT, doesn’t mean that they are a qualified teacher.

It takes practice and dedication to be a good teacher.

 

General Advice for Massage Therapists

Decide what your goals are. If your goals are to learn about Vinyasa or Hatha yoga and teach large studio classes, a YTT might be a good option for you! Especially a YTT hosted by a studio you know and trust and potentially want to teach at.

If your goals are to learn more about the mind-body connection, mindfulness and breath work, restorative yoga, working with small groups or 1-1, doing specialized workshops at studios, hosting retreats, connecting with a like-minded community, and or growing your massage practice, then your massage education combined with a Yomassage certification might be a better way to meet your goals.

If you have more questions about whether a Yomassage Certification can help you meet all of your goals, please contact us and we are happy to answer any questions you have!

LEARN MORE ABOUT YOMASSAGE

To learn more about joining this innovative movement and becoming a Certified Yomassage Therapist, visit: https://yomassage.com/pages/training-info  

To learn more about becoming a Certified Yomassage Therapist, click here. 

Check out our upcoming Yomassage Certification courses here.

Find our community CE courses here.

If you want to join the Yomassage community, you can do so through our free Yomassage Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/yomassage. 

For more info about Yomassage, follow us on Instagram and listen to our podcast!