One of the first things a new yoga teacher must do is decide which level of training they would like to have. These trainings are regulated by the Yoga Alliance and are based on hours of curriculum needed to pass the courses. That’s not all that sets them apart; each is just a step towards mastery of yoga. So what is the key difference between 200 and 300-Hour YTTs?
If you are searching for a yoga certification, you might hit a stumbling block when it comes to 200 and 300-Hour courses. These number designations could give you a flashback to college courses and intimidate you. Don’t sweat it! So read on and learn the key differences between the 200 and 300-Hour YTT courses.
What is Yoga Teacher Training?
Yoga Teacher Training, or YTT, is the work a prospective yoga teacher must undergo to start their practice. It involves a mixture of book-based learning and practical yoga sessions that confidently and safely teach the yogi or yogini the run classes. YTTs are full of in-depth knowledge that give you access to all the knowledge that yoga has.
How Does Someone Become a Yoga Teacher?
A person can become a yoga teacher by finding a course that fits their budget and time restraints. Then, once you have chosen an accredited training, you set aside time to study and practice. These study and practical sessions are critical to teacher growth, and the information contained will pave your way to a thriving yoga practice.
What is 200-Hour YTT?
The 200-Hour YTT is an introductory training course for burgeoning yoga practitioners. It teaches the entry levels of yoga philosophy, asanas, and meditative states. It gives people interested in teaching yoga a phenomenal platform for building a solid yoga practice. In addition, it is the first stepping stone to a deeper world of exercise and meditation.
What is 300-Hour YTT?
The 300-Hour YTT is the second step in the yoga mastery chain. The 300 takes the things you learned in the 200-Hour and goes further. It teaches you advanced asanas and different types of breathwork and meditation. Also, there are history classes that enable you to learn where your practice style began and how to improve your practice on the business side.
200-Hour vs. 300-Hour YTT: Key Differences
200-Hour and 300-Hour yoga teacher training have some essential differences that might not appear at first glance. Besides the hours, the main difference is the depth of knowledge in each course. Remember that these courses lead toward the 500-Hour course, which totals 1000 hours of curriculum and instruction.
The 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course
A 200-Hour course is an introduction to yoga and how to teach it. In addition, there are other topics covered that are not often associated with it. For instance, you could have a large portion of anatomy that is more like a kinesiology class than a lower-level instruction course.
Some of the topics covered in the 200-Hour yoga teacher training course are as follows:
- Class Instruction: One of the most extensive portions of class time will be spent learning how to instruct the students in your class. You will learn how to give the proper cues that allow your students to enter poses and how they should control their breath. In addition, the instruction helps to keep your student injury-free and attending class.
- Yoga History: Yoga has a rich history. In the 200-Hour class, you will have an overview of the past and how it impacts the practice today. Also, there will be thousands of years to cover, and you must set aside the time to get the facts down if you wish to pass testing.
- Ethics: What most people don’t think about when taking a yoga certification class is the ethics involved in running a practice. Being ethically trained ensures that you treat the people in your practice fairly and don’t mix business with other interests. In addition, you must protect your practice from internal and external ethical issues.
- Yoga Concepts: Yoga is a deep well of information and practice. There are several yoga concepts, like chakras, that take time to learn about. In a 200-Hour course, you can expect to encounter several different concepts and get a cursory knowledge of each.
- Asanas: The key to any yoga practice are Asanas and Pranayamas. These movements are at the heart of every yoga practice and must be learned to have an effective and safe class.
The 200-Hour course is perfect for people starting in the yoga field. It gives you the critical knowledge and information to learn about yoga from the beginning to today. Also, there are cues in the Asanas that will help to protect your students from injury and teach them the correct yoga form. Yoga teacher training will also have an ethics course which is critical for a smooth business.
The 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training
Regarding the 300-Hour course, you will dive deeply into topics like history and physiology. Remember that a 300-Hour class is the next step on the ladder, and some of the issues you covered in the 200 will be the same. The critical thing to remember is that these topics all go hand in hand.
Revisiting the courses for a 300-Hour teacher training could seem like a step back, but the concepts are in a deeper vein. They cover stronger Asanas, meditation facilitation techniques, and a more detailed business plan for your practice.
Conclusion
The key differences between the 200 and 300-Hour courses are the time spent on the curriculum and the depth of knowledge in each. The 200-Hour course offers introductory glances into the crucial pillars of yoga and how to teach them appropriately. Also, you get cursory looks into how to run a successful practice with business and ethics.
In the 300-Hour teacher training, you will go much further into the topics you discussed in your 200-Hour class. The 300 can only be taken once you have passed the 200. These classes work off each other to teach you how to be a successful yogi or yogini.
