FAQ

You may register online at: yogaworks.com. A non-refundable USD1000 deposit is due upon registration to secure your spot. Once YogaWorks receives this deposit payment, you will receive a Training welcome package within 48 hours. To receive an early-bird or other time-sensitive discount, your entire balance must be fully paid by the designated due date. All payments must be completed one month before the program start date, unless an alternate payment plan has been approved.

YogaWorks is a Vinyasa-based school founded over 30 years ago; its methodology balances precise instruction, mindful alignment, breath integration, and fluid movement. Skillfully sequenced classes deepen students’ experience of yoga, through a balanced flow of Sun Salutations and classic Hatha yoga postures. Pacing may be moderate to vigorous; modifications and props customize the practice for all body types and experience levels. Thanks to this clear, effective method, the YogaWorks Teacher Training Program is globally respected, graduating over 10,000 students — including some of the world’s most celebrated yogis – in over 25 countries.

Six months of consistent yoga practice (2-3 times per week) is the minimum required to enroll; more than one year is preferred. This basic foundation of regular practice is crucial before learning how to teach. If you do not meet this minimum level of practice before the program start date, please defer your enrollment to a later training until this requirement is fulfilled. Please be aware that each Training day includes a vigorous two- to three-hour asana class.

In addition to making lifelong friends and deepening your yoga experience, you will study the following topics in depth:

• Asana – learn safe, intelligent ways to practice and teach classic postures
• Alignment – integrate modifications, variations, and the proper use of props
• Sequencing – design dynamic and intelligent sequences for all levels
• How to work with different body structures and students
• How to observe bodies in asana practice
• Working with Injuries and Limitations
• Verbal Instructions, Demonstrations, and Hands-On Assists
• Practice Teaching
• Functional Anatomy
• Pranayama – Breathing Techniques
• Sanskrit translations
• Historical Overview and Classical Yoga Philosophy (Yoga Sutras of Patanjali)
• Introduction to Prenatal Yoga
• Business of Yoga and how to be successful as a teacher

No problem!  Our destination-based Trainings are ideal for any student who:

• Wants to delve deeper into yogic study and refine their own practice
• Seeks a transformational experience
• Enjoys travel and exploring new cultures
• Would like to join our ever-expanding global yoga community.

Consult first with your medical doctor and sign a waiver stating that you are able to participate in the training.  Within the training, your injury/condition may be a helpful example of how to work with students who have similar issues.

Many pregnant students have taken our training; doing so depends on your condition. Consult with your doctor and secure permission to take this program.

• If you cancel 60 days or more before the Training Program start date:
  • You will receive a full refund of your USD1000 deposit and Program tuition.
• If you cancel fewer than 60 days before the Training Program start date and/or do not attend for any reason (considered a “no-show”):
  • The USD1000 deposit and any Program tuition payments are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Absolutely. It is your responsibility to purchase travel insurance to protect yourself from any loss due to program cancellations or changes, medical conditions, or weather delays. In the rare situation when YogaWorks must cancel a training, you will receive a full refund of the USD1000 registration deposit and Program tuition. YogaWorks is not responsible, however, for any costs incurred for travel arrangements or accommodations related to the Training program and will not, under any circumstances, offer reimbursement for such travel-related costs.

In order to graduate successfully from the Teacher Training program, you must fulfill the following requirements:

• Attendance of in-class Training sessions
• Successful completion of homework, In-Class and Take-Home Final Exams
• Full participation in the final in-class Practice Teaching Practicum
• Completion of the Class-Taking requirement

While practicing at YogaWorks studios is highly encouraged, the program tuition for our destination-based Trainings does not include complimentary in-studio classes.

Yes! You will receive free access to MyYogaWorks.com for three months. After paying your program tuition in full, you will receive an email that instructs you how to activate your free MYW account. Special alumni rates are available if you would like to continue your membership after your Training concludes.

Yes! You simply need to take our Bridge program, which is designed to give non-YogaWorks 200-Hour graduates the basic foundation upon which our 300-Hour Program is built. The Bridge program format will vary depending upon your access to YogaWorks studios; it may be configured as an in-studio or home-based course.

You must be at least 16 years old to enroll in a YogaWorks teacher training. If you are 16-18 years old, YogaWorks must receive Trainer pre-approval and written consent from your legal guardian at least 30 days before the Training start date.

YogaWorks does not organize or include in the program tuition any transportation to/from the Training destinations. Unless otherwise specified, YogaWorks may help coordinate — but not pay for – ground transfers to the Training’s retreat center.

All YogaWorks Teacher Training Manuals are included.  You will need to purchase any additional required-reading books.  Registered trainees receive a 15% discount on any required-reading books purchased at YogaWorks studios.

• 200-Hour Required Reading:
  • Heart of Yoga by T.K.V. Desikachar
  • Light on Yoga by B.K.S Iyengar
  • The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Sri Swami Satchidananda
• 300-Hour Required Reading:
  • Varies by region; consult your Program Acceptance Letter for details.

A typical average is 15-25 students.

Expect your fellow Trainees to be a diverse, multinational, and multicultural group of avid travelers who enjoy the immersive schedule of this Intensive training format. Previous graduates hail from over a dozen countries – primarily the U.S., Europe, and Asia — ranging in age from 16 to 60-plus. While the trainings are taught in English, many of our Trainees are multilingual, and all love to explore new cultures.

Yoga Alliance requires you to complete all 200 hours of the YogaWorks Teacher Training.  We understand that sometimes conflicts arise, however, and we developed the following policies to address absences:

• You can miss a maximum of 27 training hours. You have one year from the last day of your training to complete your Class Make-Up requirements.
• If you miss more than 27 training hours or do not complete your Class Make-Up hours within one year, you will receive a “Not Passing” status and will be required to pay in full to retake the training.

Class Make-Up Policy:  You have the following two options for making up your missed time:

• Option 1: Schedule a Private Session with your Trainer during the Training program.  Cost of a Private Session ranges from USD75-150 per hour:
  • 1-hour Private = 1-4 hours of missed time
  • 5-hour Private = 5-6 hours of missed time
  • 2-hour Private = 7-8 hours of missed time
  • 5-hour Private = 9-10 hours of missed time
  • 3-hour Private = 11-13 hours of missed time
  • Please note: A maximum of two Private Sessions, regardless of hours, are allowable and are subject to Trainer availability.  The remainder of missed Training hours will need to be made up in a future training (see Option 2 below).  Private Sessions are not available after your original Training has ended.
• Option 2: You may attend the days you missed in an upcoming YogaWorks Training  — which has the same format as your original Training — free of additional training charge.  If the Training is sold out, you must wait for the next available future Training.

The same “core” content is covered in all YogaWorks 200-Hour Teacher Trainings. Different formats were designed to create a wider choice of scheduling options.

Expect to devote approximately 3-4 hours for homework per week. Homework supports material covered in class, helping you integrate these lessons into your practice and teaching. If you do not plan to teach yoga, you may take the course for non-credit (audit) and choose not to complete the homework assignments. To receive the final Certificate of Completion and to register with the Yoga Alliance (RYT-200), however, you must complete all homework assignments by the end of the Training and attend all Training sessions.

There is less written homework in the 300-Hour Program, compared to the 200-Hour Teacher Training.  Most of the 300-Hour homework involves reading assignments and preparing sequences to practice and teach.  The 300-Hour Program emphasizes developing your practical classroom skills, and will be concentrated within our classroom hours.  The 300-Hour Program additionally requires participants to develop a Final Project, with regular guidance from your lead Teacher Mentors.  The Final Project encapsulates your next step of professional development, and culminates with a short presentation at the end of the Training Program.  Final Project subjects vary widely.  Examples include:  preparing a “How to Teach Beginners” workshop; developing a 4-week course on “Yoga for Cancer Patients”; organizing a Yoga & Meditation Retreat.  There are endless possibilities — depending upon your interests — and the 300-Hour Teacher Training Manual contains specific examples.  Due to limited resources at the retreat center, we certainly do not expect trainees to deliver elaborate PowerPoint presentations or visual displays.  Rather, we generally expect trainees to offer engaging verbal presentations that succinctly outline the practical steps to manifest their vision.

Yoga Alliance (yogaalliance.org) is an organization founded in 1999 as a way to create nationally recognized standards for yoga teachers and yoga teacher trainings in the U.S.  An increasing number of yoga studios require their teachers to register with the Yoga Alliance, either at the 200-Hour or 500-Hour level.  Yoga Alliance registration is not a legal requirement for teaching yoga, and there are no current legal certification requirements to teach yoga.  YogaWorks Trainings are approved at the Yoga Alliance 200-Hour and 500-Hour level in the United States.  YogaWorks trainings have a 5-Star Yoga Alliance rating based on feedback by past training participants.

Yes! The YogaWorks Teacher Training is globally recognized and respected, which may be why we have 10,000-plus graduates. Students from all over the world have taken our training and shared its teachings with their own communities. When seeking employment as a yoga teacher, however, please check whether specific credentials or qualifications are required to teach within your local area.

Yes! After successfully completing all program requirements — including Contact Hours, homework, and exams — you will receive a Certificate of Completion that allows you to register with the Yoga Alliance (www.yogaalliance.org) at the RYT-200 level (Registered Yoga Teacher 200). 200-Hour program graduates typically begin teaching in small studios, gyms, with private clientele (friends and family), etc. Many newer teachers subsequently continue their Teacher Training education by participating in the YogaWorks 300-Hour Professional Program to both deepen and broaden their skill set, knowledge base, and unique voice as a yoga teacher. The Professional Program builds upon the 200-Hour Program’s foundation by focusing on each participant’s next step of professional development and by cultivating a mentor relationship with Senior YogaWorks Teachers.

YogaWorks seeks a diverse, committed, and well-trained faculty that upholds our high standard for teaching safe, effective, and accessible yoga classes.  To teach at a YogaWorks studio, you must:

• Complete 500-hours of yoga-teaching education. Special consideration is given to graduates of the YogaWorks 300-Hour Professional Program.
• You must teach in front of a YogaWorks Teacher Manager and at least one Senior YogaWorks Teacher, at a regularly scheduled audition.

Please note:  As with any education, completion of a yoga teacher training is never a guarantee of employment.  To be hired at YogaWorks and most other institutions, a teacher must be the right fit for that particular studio, based upon the teacher’s skill and personality, as well as the availability of class openings.

Available only to YogaWorks 500-Hour graduates, the YogaWorks Certification assessment includes both a written and practical exam, which is evaluated by a panel of Senior Teachers.  YogaWorks Certification signifies that a teacher thoroughly understands and represents the high standards for which YogaWorks is renowned, and YogaWorks-Certified teachers may designate their class offerings as “YogaWorks” at any YogaWorks studio.  To lead a 200-Hour YogaWorks Teacher Training, you must be a YogaWorks-Certified teacher.

For destination-based YogaWorks trainings, registrations are accepted up to one month before the program start date, if space is available.  Registration requests submitted less than one month before the program start date will be handled on a case-by-case basis.  Early registration is highly encouraged.  These trainings regularly sell out, and we do not maintain an active waitlist for sold-out trainings.

Yes!  After submitting your non-refundable USD1000 registration deposit, you will pay the remaining program-tuition balance, minus the cost of accommodation and meals (varies by location).  If you opt to eat meals at our retreat center, you must make your own arrangements to pay for meals on an a la carte basis.

Our retreat centers offer primarily vegetarian and vegan fare – including some gluten-free options — with limited inclusions of seafood and meat. Meals are served buffet-style. After you enroll in the training, please inform us of any specific food restrictions or allergies, so that we may alert the retreat center. In general, our retreat centers cannot accommodate any specialty food items or requests, unless otherwise specified.

Yes.  We accept non-yoga partners sharing the same room on a case-by-case basis.  Before you register for the training, please specify whether you prefer to share the same bed with the non-yoga partner or prefer to have two separate beds.  Unless otherwise specified, the non-yoga partner must be on the same room-and-board plan as the enrolled Trainee.  The non-yoga partner pays only for the room-and-board plan (at the same discounted group rate as the Trainee), plus a small administrative fee.  Please note that these trainings regularly sell out, and we cannot guarantee specific room types, until the full deposit is paid.