Yoga Teacher Credentials - What Does It All Mean?

This is a brief explanation of the credentials that I use behind my name. Yoga Alliance is a non-profit association representing the yoga community. Among other things, they provide standards and ethics "best practices" for yoga teachers and studios to follow. They also suggest education and experience guidelines that some yoga studios and yoga teachers find useful. For more information, you can check out their website here: https://www.yogaalliance.org/About_Yoga_Alliance.

E-RYT 200 indicates that I am a Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance, which recognizes the completion of a 200-hour yoga teacher training program with a Registered Yoga School. The "E" is for "experienced" and means that I have logged over 1,000 hours of yoga teaching since receiving the designation. To maintain this designation, I must complete at least 30 hours of continuing education every 3 years.

RYT 500 indicates that I have completed an additional 300-hour yoga teacher training program with a Registered Yoga School. When I have logged more than 2,000 teaching hours, I can apply for an upgrade to E-RYT 500 - but I am not there yet!

YACEP means that I am a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider - so I can offer classes and workshops to other yoga teachers and they can receive continuing education credits with Yoga Alliance.

Having these credentials does not mean that I am a better yoga teacher than anyone else. It simply means that I am on a journey to learn all I can about yoga teaching! I am committed to the development of my own personal practice and my teaching skills. I value the continued input from my fellow yoga teachers and students. I am curious about the ever evolving methods of teaching yoga. Keeping up to date with "best practices" keeps our ideas fresh and creates a safe environment for all of us to grow in our yoga practice!