Become a Member

Yoga Schools

Yoga Alliance offers five school-based Registered Yoga School (RYS™) credentials for yoga teacher training programs of various lineages, styles, or methodologies.

Foundational-Level RYS Credential

• RYS 200: for yoga teacher training programs that provide a foundational-level training with a minimum of 200 instructional hours

Professional-Level RYS Credentials

• RYS 300: for yoga teacher training programs that provide a professional-level training with a minimum of 300 instructional hours (taken by a teacher after the successful completion of an RYS 200)
• RYS 500: for yoga teacher training programs that provide a combination of the RYS 200 and RYS 300 programs with a minimum of 500 instructional hours

Specialty-Level RYS Credentials

• Registered Children’s Yoga School (RCYS™): for yoga teacher training programs that specialize in children’s yoga with a minimum 95 instructional hours (taken by a teacher after the successful completion of an RYS 200)
• Registered Prenatal Yoga School (RPYS™): for yoga teacher training programs that specialize in prenatal yoga with a minimum 85 instructional hours (taken by a teacher after the successful completion of an RYS 200)

Yoga Teachers

Yoga Alliance offers six teacher-based Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT™) credentials for yoga teachers based on the successful completion of an RYS’s curriculum, the adoption of Yoga Alliance’s shared ethical commitment, and a minimum number of years teaching yoga. We also offer a Continuing Education Provider credential for our experienced RYTs that provides them with visibility within our global directory of Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Providers (YACEP™s).

Foundational-Level RYT Credentials

• RYT 200: for teachers who have successfully graduated from an RYS 200
• E-RYT 200: for teachers who have successfully graduated from an RYS 200 and have taught at least 1,000 hours over a minimum of two years

Professional-Level RYT Credentials

• RYT 500: for teachers who have successfully graduated from an RYS 200 and RYS 300 and/or an RYS 500 and have taught at least 100 hours since completing training with an RYS 200 or RYS 500
• E-RYT 500: for teachers who have successfully graduated from an RYS 200 and RYS 300 and/or an RYS 500 and have taught at least 2,000 hours over a minimum of four years (with 500 of the 2,000 hours having been since graduation of their professional-level program)

Specialty-Level RYT Credentials

• RCYT: for RYTs who have successfully graduated from an RCYS and RYS 200 (in either order) and have taught at least 30 hours of children's yoga since completing training with an RCYS
• RPYT: for RYTs who have successfully graduated from an RPYS and RYS 200 (in either order) and have taught at least 30 hours of prenatal yoga since completing training with an RPYS

Yoga Practitioners

While Yoga Alliance does not offer a membership for yoga practitioners at this time, we support the student by up-leveling the yoga profession and enhancing schools’ and teachers’ efforts in building yoga communities throughout the world that support and foster environments for high quality, safe, accessible, and equitable yoga.

Current practitioners or prospective students may search for schools for yoga teacher training programs, teachers, and providers of continuing education who hold Yoga Alliance credentials via the online global directory. Our global directory includes RYSs, RYTs, and YACEPs who maintain current credentials, abide by our standards, and uphold our community-driven shared ethical commitment.