Yoga Alliance Continuing Education

If you’re a yoga teacher registered with Yoga Alliance then you’re probably already aware of the continuing education requirement that must be met every three years to remain a member in good standing. And, since joining the Yoga Alliance you’ve probably come to learn it’s the most popular professional registry in the yoga industry offering its members many benefits and discounts. Every three years teachers registered with Yoga Alliance are required to complete 30 hours of continuing education. These continuing education units can be completed online or in person. 

Since Yoga Alliance registers school programs for 200-hour yoga certification, 300-hour yoga certification, 500-hour yoga certification, 85-hour prenatal yoga certification, and 95-hour children’s yoga certification there are many topics of interest that are commonly covered by continuing education courses. Some of the most popular continuing education courses for yoga teachers include Trauma-Informed Yoga, Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Adaptive Yoga. 

By requiring yoga teachers to take continuing education coursework, Yoga Alliance created another benefit to membership. They allowed yoga teachers with certain credentials to provide continuing education, for a small fee. This created opportunities for yoga teachers to create content and make additional income. Before the pandemic, most continuing education courses were offered in-person at local yoga studios in the form of workshops or series. Now, many teachers are taking their continuing education offerings online even post pandemic.

Online learning offers students the flexibility to work through content at their own pace, to go back over the content when needed, and to pause content to reflect and take notes. Sure, there are drawbacks to online learning. One example is the lack of interaction with other students and your instructor, but this can easily be addressed by quality content development. When done correctly, online learning can be an excellent alternative to in-person learning. This is especially true for continuing education courses, and supplemental learning.

My Vinyasa Practice Continuing Education Courses

MVP offers many continuing education courses for both yoga teachers and Yoga Therapists, alike. As an E-RYT 500 and a C-IAYT Yoga Therapist, I create content that bridges the gap between teaching yoga and the therapeutic applications of yoga. All of our online continuing education courses are approved through Yoga Alliance and provide students with the CEUs needed to maintain registration during their three-year term. 

Our most popular Yoga Alliance continuing education courses are Yoga Nidra and Trauma-Informed Yoga. Both of these courses are excellent certifications providing new and seasoned teachers with the skills they need to hold space for subtle practices. Our Yoga Nidra Certification is one of our most unique courses because of my extensive training in Yoga Nidra. Our Yoga Nidra certification integrates over 1,000 hours of Yoga Nidra training that I’ve received from my teachers including Nishcala Joy Devi and Dr. Richard Miller. It also marries my extensive experience and training working with cardiac patients in cardiac rehabilitation and my experience working in eating recovery. 

Our Trauma-Informed Yoga Certification is a wonderful option for new teachers who want to lead trauma-informed public classes. It helps teachers learn how to teach public classes that are rooted in autonomy, empowerment, security, and safety. Many teachers find the foundational trauma-informed protocol is appropriate for all environments and therefore choose to adopt it in all situations.

Some students want to increase their skills and learn how to teach specialty yoga practices like restorative yoga, or yin yoga. MVP offers both a Yin Yoga certification and a restorative yoga certification. Both certifications give you continuing education credit with Yoga Alliance, and they both prepare you to teach each practice respectively. It’s important to be certified in Yin yoga if you plan on teaching it. Yin yoga is primarily concerned with the plastic tissues in the joints, and therefore it is important for teachers to thoroughly understand how the plastic tissues respond to appropriate stress and long holds. 

It’s also important to know the differences between these subtle practices. Restorative Yoga is a practice that does not have any movement or sensation. The holds are long, and there are so many props that the practitioners feel completely supported. Restorative yoga and yin yoga are completely different. Sometimes teachers think these two practices are similar or that they can be mixed, but the two practices have different functions and results. That is why it’s important to seek certification if you’re interested in teaching either of these practices. 

Adaptive yoga is another topic that yoga teachers are interested in learning more about and it’s another certification that we offer that also provides continuing education credit. Adaptive yoga is so much more than chair yoga. It starts with the psychology of yoga, and the intention to make yoga inclusive and accessible. It builds on the principles of traditional Indian Yoga, like B.K.S. Iyengar’s Hatha Yoga while acknowledging the principles of Krishnamarachariya’s Viniyoga; simply, that everyone’s body is different and therefore needs in the posture are different. Adaptive yoga meets practitioners of all ages and abilities where they are at with the goal of creating space for self-inquiry and growth on the mat. Our certification gives students the tools they need to confidently work with multiple populations and to safely hold space for a multitude of adaptive needs. 

In addition to yoga courses and content designed specifically for continuing education, Yoga Alliance allows teachers to use hours spent in workshops and other online courses to fulfill continuing education requirements. Essentially, any course that MVP offers can be used for continuing education for Yoga Alliance, and many can be used for continuing education for IAYT. If you’re interested in learning more about our continuing education courses or professional development check out our course catalog or read up on some of our content in our blog. Got an idea for a course or certification? Reach out to us at [email protected] to pitch your idea, get more information about author agreements, or request a call with Michelle to discuss collaboration opportunities.