How to Choose a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course
In a previous post I wrote about what to look for in a 200 hour yoga teacher training course – the questions worth asking, the things worth scrutinising and why the decision deserves more thought than a scroll through Instagram. This is a follow-on from that. A bit more personal, a bit more practical and rooted in eleven years of training teachers here in Glasgow.
Because one of the things I've noticed, talking to people who are thinking about doing a teacher training, is that the hardest part isn't always making a final decision. It's knowing where to start.
So let's start at the beginning.
First – Why Do You Want to Do It?
This is always the first question I ask anyone who gets in touch about our training. Not to put them on the spot, but because the answer genuinely matters.
A 200 hour yoga teacher training is a significant undertaking – not just in terms of money, though it is that too – but in time, energy and emotion. Before you start comparing courses, it's worth getting clear on what you're actually looking for.
Are you hoping to deepen your own practice? To explore the parts of yoga that rarely come up in a weekly class – the philosophy, the history, the ethics, the anatomy? Or are you clear that you want to teach, and are looking for the skills and confidence to do that?
And then there's a third group – the "not yet" people. Those who have been practising for a while and feel something pulling them towards more, without being entirely sure what that more looks like. If that's you, that's completely fine. It's actually one of the best places to start from.
Whatever your reason, knowing your intention helps you find the right fit. A course that's super-focused on producing teachers may not give you the personal depth you're looking for. And a course that's primarily a personal journey of discovery may not give you enough practical teaching experience if standing in front of a class is your goal.
What Does "Teaching Yoga" Actually Mean?
Before we go any further, I want to share something that shapes the way I approach teacher training – because it might shift how you think about this too.
Teaching yoga isn't only what happens when you're standing at the front of a class that people have paid to attend. That's one form of it, and an important one. But I think of teaching much more broadly than that.
Every time you talk about yoga with a friend, a family member, a colleague you're teaching. Every time you post about your practice on social media, every time you show up differently in your life because of what yoga has given you – that's teaching too. Any time we share what we know and practise, we're educating people about yoga.
This matters when you're choosing a training because it means the question isn't simply "do I want to become a yoga teacher?" It's "do I want to understand yoga more deeply and share what I find?" And the answer to that is much more likely to be yes.
Four Things Worth Considering When Comparing Courses
1. The Tutors – Their Teaching Style and Approach
You're going to spend a lot of time with these people. Take that seriously.
How long have they been practising? Who are their teachers? Do they have a regular personal practice, or does their relationship with yoga exist mainly in the training room? Are they still learning – attending workshops, studying, staying curious? A teacher who has stopped being a student is worth approaching with caution.
Try to take some classes with the tutors before committing if you can. You want to feel something in the room. Not just technical competence, though that matters – but warmth, honesty, humility. The kind of teacher who will meet you as an individual, not just move you through a curriculum.
Ask yourself: will I be encouraged to ask questions and explore? Or will I be handed a script and told to follow it? The best teacher training I ever attended left me appreciating how much I didn't yet know. That's actually the mark of a good one.
2. The Curriculum – More Than Postures and Sequences
A well-rounded 200 hour programme should give you far more than a library of yoga poses. It should offer you a genuine education in yoga.
That means some grounding in the history and philosophy of yoga – not as dry theory, but as a living context for your practice. It means anatomy and physiology, taught in a way that actually helps you understand real bodies, not just ideal ones. It means breathwork and meditation as central to the training, not add-ons. It means teaching skills – how to communicate clearly, how to sequence thoughtfully, how to offer assistance.
And ideally, it means exposure to perspectives beyond just your lead tutor. Guest teachers who are deeply immersed in their own practice and approach can give a training real breadth.
By its very nature, 200 hours is limited. Yoga is vast. Any honest course director will tell you that – and if they don't, ask them directly. What you're looking for is a strong, broad foundation. The beginning of something, not the end of it.
3. Class Size and Student Support
There's no single right answer here, both larger and smaller groups have their strengths. But it's worth thinking about how you learn best.
A very large cohort can mean rich, diverse discussion and the energy of a big group. A very small one can offer intimacy and close personal attention. What you want to avoid is being so lost in a crowd that you never really feel known, or so isolated that the learning feels thin.
A 200 hour training will introduce you to an enormous amount of new information – concepts, ideas, ways of thinking about your body and your practice that may feel entirely unfamiliar. You want to know that when things feel overwhelming – and they will, at some point – there's someone there who knows you and can help you find your footing.
Ask about class size before you commit. And ask what support looks like during the course, not just in the training room.
4. Format and Duration – Does It Fit Your Life?
Teacher training courses range from a few intensive weeks to a few years. Neither extreme is inherently better, what matters is whether the format gives you what you actually need.
Does the structure allow you time to practise between sessions? To read, to reflect, to ask questions, to sit with what you're learning? Or does it move so fast that you're constantly in receiving mode, never quite absorbing anything?
And practically – does it fit alongside your life? Because it's not just the classroom hours. There's your personal practice, teaching practice, reading and written assignments. A realistic picture of the full time commitment is something any good course should give you upfront.
After the Course – What Happens Next?
This is something that often doesn't come up until people are already well into their training, but it's worth thinking about before you start.
The end of a 200 hour training is actually the beginning of the real work. Questions multiply. Teaching gets real. And it can feel surprisingly lonely if you suddenly find yourself without a community around you.
Ask any course you're considering what happens after graduation. Is there ongoing support – mentoring, alumni community, opportunities to keep learning? Or does the door close on the day you qualify?
Yoga is a lifelong practice, and learning to teach it is too. The best training programmes understand that and stay in relationship with their graduates beyond the finish line.
The Bottom Line
There are a lot of yoga teacher training courses out there. Some are genuinely excellent. Some are not. And the fact that a course is popular on social media, or run by someone with a large following, tells you almost nothing about whether it will serve you well.
Do your homework. Speak to current participants and past graduates – not just the ones the school puts forward, but anyone you can find. Take a class or two with the tutors. Ask the uncomfortable questions. Trust what you feel in the room.
And remember: the right course for someone else may not be the right course for you. This is an individual journey, and you deserve a training that treats you as one.
If you're exploring your options and have questions about what a 200 hour training actually involves, feel free to get in touch. I'm always happy to have an honest conversation – whether or not our programme turns out to be the right fit for you.
Judi x
Looking for more? Read the first article in this series: What to Look For in a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course
In a previous post Judi wrote about what to look for in a 200 hour yoga teacher training course – the questions worth asking, the things worth scrutinising and why the decision deserves more thought than a scroll through Instagram. This is a follow-on from that. A bit more personal, a bit more practical and rooted in eleven years of training teachers here in Glasgow.