200-Hour Yoga Teacher Certification Information

Integral Yoga Institute is one of the founding members of Yoga Alliance, and our program not only meets but exceeds the educational standards for 200-hour certification. Upon completion of our teacher training, students will be eligible to register with Yoga Alliance as RYT 200.

Integral Yoga is a complete lifestyle system for personal development, it is a synthesis of six branches of classical Yoga: Hatha, Raja, Bhakti, Karma, Jnana, and Japa. These elements work together, guiding practitioners on a journey of transformation to become easeful in body, peaceful in mind, and useful in life. Trainees will explore all six branches so that they are prepared to teach from personal experience, with understanding and respect for the tradition of classical Yogic practices.

The 200-Hour Training focuses on preparing trainees to teach a complete Integral Hatha Yoga Level I class, which includes physical postures, breathwork, deep relaxation, meditation and chanting. The philosophical wisdom of the Yoga Sutras is woven seamlessly into our teaching. If any of these elements are new to you, we invite you to attend one of our classes and experience the practice for yourself.

Absolutely. Many trainees enroll in the program because they feel it is the right time to go deeper with their own practice, not necessarily with intentions to teach. Module 1 of the training, the Yoga Immersion Program, is designed to be a personal exploration for developing and refining one’s own practice. There is no teaching required in Module 1, so if you are only interested in personal studies, we welcome you to join the Yoga Immersion Program. If you later decide that you would like to earn your teacher certification, you may continue into Module 2: Yoga Teaching Essentials.

Applicants of all skill levels are welcome, familiarity with practicing Integral Yoga is required. Prospective applicants must take at least three Integral Yoga Level I classes before acceptance into the program. A minimum of six months of regular Yoga practice is recommended prior to undertaking the training. Trainees must be dedicated to developing their Yoga practice and commit to the training with regular attendance, active participation, and home study. Applicants will be invited for a personal admission interview with the trainers to determine readiness to begin the training.

The first step is to submit your application through the online form. The trainers will review your information and contact you for a personal interview. After the interview, you will be notified of your acceptance into the program and must confirm your enrollment with tuition payment. Your space within the training will be reserved once all steps are completed.

If an applicant does not meet the qualifications for acceptance, the trainers may give a provisional acceptance based on the candidate completing certain steps to become better prepared for the training.

Applications are processed in the order they are received. Space in the training is limited and we recommend applying early to reserve your seat. Applications received after the admission deadline will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Admission for late applicants is not guaranteed.

Students are evaluated over the course of training through a series of exams. Comprehensive written tests cover all elements studied during the training. The final exam is a practicum, teaching an Integral Yoga Level I class which will be attended by the trainee’s classmates and monitored by a trainer or senior teacher. Trainees will be well prepared for these evaluations with study guides, in-class reviews, practice sessions and optional study groups before each exam.

Our trainings are live and interactive, requiring your attendance and participation in class. No more than 10% of the training hours may be missed. Students who miss class are expected to make up the hours and material in a timely manner to stay on track with the course. If absences exceed the allowance, options for catching up may include participation in a future training or private mentoring, for which there may be an additional fee. Individual circumstances will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. If you are concerned about missing classes, we encourage you to reach out to us with your questions, and to discuss this during your admission interview.

Tuition includes all books for required reading, the Integral Yoga Teacher’s Manual, free access to online and in-person classes for the duration of the program, as well as a 10% discount in the IY Shop. Early bird registrants who enroll at least 1 month before the program begins will enjoy access to free classes for an additional 30 days prior to the training start date.

Payment plans are available for most trainings. If you opt in to the payment plan, your tuition will be divided into installments due at regular intervals over the course of the training.

A limited number of scholarships may be available to cover a portion of tuition, dependent on funding and based on financial need. Ideal candidates for scholarships will be actively engaged with Integral Yoga and give back to supporting the community through volunteer service. To be considered for a scholarship, please include this request in your application.

Work exchange arrangements depend on several factors, including the candidate’s skillset and experience, an open position to utilize such skills, and ability to complete the work exchange hours before the training begins.

An average class size is 12 students, with a ratio of 6-8 students to 1 instructor, and 2 instructors per training.

All the instructors have an average of at least ten years’ experience in practicing and teaching Yoga. The lead trainers are E-RYT 500 and individually have additional teaching certifications such as Accessible, Adaptive, Yin, Restorative and Therapeutic Yoga, Meditation, Stress Management, and Raja Yoga. You can learn more about each of our trainers by reading their Instructor Bio on the training page.

IYI also invites special guest presenters who are currently working and practicing in the field of Yoga and have expertise in the area of their presentation. These special workshops will be included throughout the course of the training program.

Invitation to teach comes as a result of a student’s overall level of participation in the course and demonstration of competency in teaching. Graduates of the training program may be invited to begin teaching community classes, in which they will be mentored by a senior teacher. As new teachers continue to improve, they have the opportunity to begin subbing regular classes, and may eventually be invited to teach their own class.

Yes, we host workshops and trainings for teachers to develop their skills and learn more about various aspects of teaching Yoga. Teacher workshops may be counted toward continuing education hours for maintaining your membership with Yoga Alliance. Integral Yoga also offers many advanced and specialty trainings for those looking to expand their teaching credentials. You may take these trainings individually, or as part of our 300-hour Advanced Teaching Certification program.