Last updated on November 18th, 2023.
As a yoga instructor, it’s critical to stay at the top of your game. You want to be an expert in the field to help your clients achieve success in their yoga experience. Part of being an expert is attending continuing education classes to further your knowledge of yoga. What are yoga continuing education courses? How do they impact you and your career?
Yoga continuing education provides further instruction to experienced yoga teachers. It allows professionals to further their understanding of the movements and techniques necessary for success in the field.
If you’re interested in learning more about yoga continuing education, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to learn more about what it is, the highest level of yoga training for a teacher, and some of the most common courses on the market. The more you know, the better. Let’s get started.
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What is Yoga Continuing Education
Yoga continuing education is a post-secondary education for yoga instructors who have already passed basic certification. It offers credit courses and non-credit courses for required instruction time.
The goal of this learning is to expand the knowledge of the yoga instructor. In many locations, yoga teachers need to take yoga continuing education for their clients and business.
What Is The Difference Between YTT And RYT?
If you are beginning training to become a yoga teacher or have been in the industry for a while, you may have heard the terms YTT and RYT. Not everyone knows what these means and what sets them apart.
Here’s the answer:
- YTT: Yoga teacher training means the individual is in the process of learning.
- RYT: A registered yoga teacher has gone through their training and received certification.
They are different stages of the training process.
A person in YTT is in the process of learning to become a professional. Someone who is an RYT is ready to teach their own class and help others succeed in yoga.
What Is The Highest Level Of Yoga Teacher Training?
The highest amount of training you can receive as a yoga teacher is five-hundred hours of instruction. If you achieve this length of training, you have the option to register as an advanced yoga teacher. Clients know you are at the top of your industry.
It can benefit your business to achieve the highest level. You will be more confident in your work, and potential clients understand they can trust you to provide them with accurate and quality information.
What Are The Most Common Yoga Continuing Education Courses
If you want to take a yoga continuing education course, it’s critical to pick the right one. There are many popular choices for yoga teachers today.
Here are the most common yoga continuing education types:
- Yoga Nidra
- Yin Yoga
- Kundalini Yoga
- Trauma-Informed Yoga
- Yoga Therapy
Each provides different skills to teachers.
It’s up to you to determine which course you want to use to further your education. Let’s dive into each option to give you a better idea of what to expect.
Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra is a type of yoga that allows deep relaxation. It’s like meditation, but it involves lying down and moving into a state of sleep where your consciousness is still aware. Many people pursue continuing education in yoga Nidra for the benefits it brings.
Yoga Nidra is ideal if you:
- Want to help others relax
- Enjoy the practice of meditation
- Already have more active yoga training under your belt
Yoga Nidra is an excellent way to slow down and relax your body.
There are tons of benefits that come with yoga Nidra. It can help people with anxiety and depression. It also helps people increase melatonin.
Learn more about how to become certified through Yoga Nidra Teacher Training.
Yin Yoga
Yin yoga is a type of yoga that focuses on contemplative stances. It focuses on the deep tissues of the body in a slow-paced manner that many people enjoy.
Yin yoga is ideal if you:
- Enjoy slower yoga moves
- Like the idea of meditative positions
- Want to focus on the ‘yin’ of yoga, as opposed to the ‘yang’
It’s a step up from yoga Nidra but still embraces slow movements.
Many benefits come with yin yoga. It lengthens connective tissue, provides better flexibility, and improves circulation.
Learn more about how to become certified through Yin Yoga Teacher Training.
Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini yoga is another popular choice that many have never heard of. It involves repetitive poses, chanting, singing, and breathing exercise. The purpose of kundalini yoga is to activate the shakti, supposedly spiritual energy located at the bottom of your spine.
Kundalini yoga is ideal if you:
- Like the idea of activating energy
- Want to focus on more verbal yoga
- Enjoy chants and breathing exercises
It’s a more active form of yoga meditation.
Many benefits come with kundalini yoga. It is known to help with stress and anxiety relief. The movements also stimulate cognitive function.
Learn more about how to become certified through Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training.
Trauma-Informed Yoga
Trauma-informed yoga is a style that works with individuals impacted by trauma. It allows these people to approach yoga without fear of reactivating past harm through movements.
Trauma-informed yoga is ideal if you:
- Want to help people who have been through horrific experiences
- Enjoy listening to others
It helps many people.
Trauma-informed yoga is excellent because it works with individuals to find the right yoga routine for their life. People such as retired active military, sexual assault and abuse survivors, marginalized groups, and more can benefit from your education in this area of yoga.
Learn more about how to become certified through Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Training.
Yoga Therapy
Last up is yoga therapy. This type of yoga is a way to treat physical and mental issues through yoga practices. It’s an effective self-care strategy for any person.
Yoga therapy is ideal if you:
- Want to help people recover
- Want to provide practical skills for healing
- Enjoy deliberate and slower yoga positions
It’s a beneficial category of yoga.
Yoga therapy has proven to work for suffering individuals, physically or mentally. It works well for the prevention of issues and maintenance of those that already exist.
Learn more about how to become certified through Yoga Therapy Teacher Training.
