how to decide if yoga teacher training is right for you: what to know before you commit

so you’re thinking about yoga teacher training?

Have you considered pursuing your yoga teacher training someday? Maybe you’re feeling prepared to take the plunge, but the endless options and information online can feel overwhelming. When it comes to YTTs, there are so many paths that it can seem impossible to choose, let alone know where to begin. This is your friendly guide to all things YTT, helping you make the best possible decision for yourself!

getting past the “i'm not good enough” feeling

First things first, to get started, you have to get past the self-doubt. One of the BIGGEST hurdles to overcome is that inner voice saying “I’m not good enough” 

I remember feeling in my bones that I wanted to share yoga with others, but felt I couldn’t become a yoga teacher because I was convinced I wasn’t good enough. 

“I can’t even do crow pose or headstand. No yoga teacher training will ever accept me until I can do all the poses.”

Then came the procrastination:

“I’m just not ready yet. Maybe next year, or in five more years...”

It took a big life change, moving across the country, to finally take the plunge. I applied for a 200-hour training in my new city, and to my amazement, I was accepted!

That was over a decade ago. I’ve been teaching ever since, practising for nearly two decades, and although I did briefly manage a headstand, it’s definitely no longer part of my practice.

The good news is that:

Yoga isn’t a sport, you don’t have to do all the poses, and you’ll never be perfect at yoga because yoga is a practice, not a perfect. 

If you are afraid that you aren’t good enough, then in my opinion, you ABSOLUTELY are!

what is a 200-hour yoga teacher training?

I like to think of the 200-hour YTT as the undergraduate degree of yoga. It’s your foundation, the first step into teaching. Once you successfully complete it, you’re officially certified to teach yoga.

From there, you can add supplemental trainings like: Prenatal, Yin, or Trauma-Informed Yoga. Think of these as your master’s degrees, shorter and more specialised. Finally, there’s the 500-hour YTT, a longer and more advanced training- it is the PhD of yoga teaching.

To sum up-

• 200-hour YTT → Your foundation

• Supplemental trainings → Specialiations

• 500-hour YTT → Advanced mastery

At first, 200 hours might sound like a huge time commitment, until you consider that it covers thousands of years of yogic philosophy, anatomy, alignment, sequencing, and teaching methodology. That’s when you realise it’s just the beginning of a lifelong journey.

how to fit 200 hours into your life

There’s no one-size-fits-all structure for yoga teacher training. The format you choose will depend on your lifestyle, learning style, and goals. Here are the most common options:

1. 30-day immersion

A full-time month dedicated entirely to yoga, often in places like India or Bali.

Pros:

• You’ll finish and be certified within a month

• Full immersion: eat, sleep, and breathe yoga

• Minimal distractions

Cons:

• Requires taking a full month away from work and home

• Intense physically and mentally

• Limited post-training support

• Reintegrating yoga teaching with your daily life afterwards can feel challenging

2. 2–8 month training

Usually local or online, spread over several months, so you can train alongside your normal life.

To me, yoga is all about balance, so when planning my own 200 hour YTT I've opted for this happy medium. Still certified in under a year with time to soak up all that knowledge.

Pros:

• Balanced pace, with time to process and integrate what you are learning

• Kinder on your body and schedule

• Learn to make yoga part of your daily life

• Support from loved ones and your home environment

Cons:

• Can still feel demanding to balance with other commitments

• Takes a little longer to complete

3. 1–2 Year Training

Often structured as one weekend per month over a year (or more).

Pros:

• Gentle pace with lots of time to absorb material

• Easier to balance with work and family commitments

• Less physically intense

Cons:

• Progress can feel slow

• Harder to stay in the “training mindset” between sessions

• Much longer wait to begin teaching

choosing the right training format (in-person, online, or hybrid)

Beyond the schedule, the format of your training is also very important to consider.

in-person

The traditional way, either local or abroad. 

Pros: Hands-on learning, real-time feedback, strong community 

Cons: More time, energy, and travel commitment

live online

Join via video in real time with your teachers and peers. 

Pros: No commute, live discussion and feedback, learn from home 

Cons: Harder to practice assists or adjustments, potential screen fatigue

self-paced online

Move through pre-recorded modules at your own speed. 

Pros: Ultimate flexibility, often more affordable 

Cons: Less mentorship, limited community, and more motivation required

hybrid

A mix of online study and in-person immersion. 

This is the tlc 200-hour YTT format. It allows me to train amazing people regardless of geography and to meet and train in person for our final week. That means all the convenience of online and the fun and benefits of in-person in one beautiful training. 

Pros: Best of both worlds, flexibility and connection 

Cons: May involve travel costs for in-person training

key things to consider before you commit

Yoga is thousands of years old, includes a vast amount of information and there are seemingly infinite possible trainings. To help narrow down your search, here are some questions to ask yourself:

• What style of yoga do I want to teach? -Vinyasa, Hatha, Ashtanga, etc.

• What do I value, and does this training align with me? -Inclusivity, Accessibility, Authenticity, etc.

• Who are the trainers? Does their teaching style and approach to yoga resonate with me?

• What topics are covered in the training? -Philosophy, Anatomy, Size-inclusivity, Teaching methodology, etc.

tlc's 200 hour ytt covers Yoga Philosophy, Methods of Teaching Yoga, Alignment & Anatomy, How to Teach Online and has a full module on The Business of Yoga to ensure all trainees are set up for success. We also cover Size-Inclusivity, LGBTQIA+ Inclusivity, and Cultural Appropriation in Yoga.

other things to check

• Is the training accredited by a recognised yoga organisation? (Yoga Alliance, British Wheel of Yoga, Yoga Pros etc.)

• Is the feedback from past trainees positive?

• Does the training include mentorship and peer support?

• Does it offer personal and professional growth?

• Does the learning environment feel inclusive, safe, and encouraging?

At tlc, in addition to 121 mentoring during the training, all trainees receive 6 months free in the lovely yoga teachers collective upon completion of the 200 hour ytt. The collective is a community of peer support from other yoga teachers with monthly Q&A's and specialist workshops, helping you grow your skills in teaching and working for yourself.

are you ready to start your yoga teacher journey?

Yoga Teacher Training is so much more than a certification. It’s absolutely a life-changing process. You don’t need to be physically flexible or be able to practice fancy poses, you just need to be open to self-reflection and be willing to share the beauty of yoga with others. 

The inside cover of the tlc 200 hour YTT manual has this quote:

Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

― Howard Thurman

If you are feeling called to teach, this is your sign to do it!

so what's next?

Have you read all that and are feeling inspired to get going? 

take the "am i ready for yoga teacher training?" quiz

Discover where you are on your yoga journey and whether or not you might be ready to start your journey as a yoga teacher!

take the quiz

check out tlc’s 200 hour ytt

Are you interested in the idea of a hybrid training? Check out my 200-hour YTT and see if it feels right for you.

train with me

chat with me

I love helping people follow their passion. Whether my training feels right for you or not, I’d love to hear your goals, your hesitations, and help you find the best training for YOU.

have a chat!