Frequently Asked Questions

To become an RYT, you will need to complete a training at an RYS 200 since the 200-hour curriculum includes foundational concepts to help you get started as a yoga teacher. After completing this training, you will be eligible to be an RYT 200. Then, you may decide to complete an RYS 300 training which will provide you with greater breadth-and-depth of knowledge to become a professional yoga teacher. After you complete a 300-hour training, and log 100 post-training teaching hours, you will be eligible to become an RYT 500.

Another option is to complete an RYS 500 training, which includes both the 200-hour foundational yoga teacher curriculum and the 300-hour professional yoga teacher curriculum in the same program. You can view the requirements to register for each RYT credential here.

Schools that hold a current RYS 200 credential are listed on our School Directory. You can search for an RYS in your geographic region and customize your search by yoga style, lineage, program format, and more.

No. Yoga Alliance is a business entity separate from these organizations, and membership with these organizations is not transferrable to Yoga Alliance. Yoga Alliance is a nonprofit membership organization that supports a global community of over 100,000 yoga teachers and schools. The Yoga Alliance credential is recognized worldwide.

You can view the curriculum requirements for each RYS credential on our website here. Each RYS that is registered with Yoga Alliance has a curriculum that has been approved by us to meet these standards. Yet, each school’s curriculum may vary depending on the lineage or style of yoga, and the school’s methodology for administering the curriculum.

On June 25, 2019, Yoga Alliance announced significant enhancements to the standards underlying its foundational-level RYS 200 credential to ensure and elevate the quality and safety of yoga training and teaching.

Each RYS owner determines the program dates and cost of their program. You can contact the owner of an RYS to inquire about the pre-requisites, cost, start and end dates, curriculum methodology, and more. You might also consider taking some classes with the school’s lead trainers, teachers, and faculty to determine if the training and methodology of the school is the right fit for you.

Your RYS will provide you with a completion certificate to submit to Yoga Alliance in order to become registered as an RYT. Follow the steps below to submit your registration, certificate, and the review of your RYS program. You will also need to pay membership fees.

1. Select the "Join" link at the top right corner of www.yogaalliance.org.
2. Submit your profile information.
3. Select the "Teacher" tab.
4. Select the designation that you want to register for.
5. Enter your school name, the start and end date of your training, and upload your certificate.
6. If teaching hours are required for your credential, select the “Teaching Hours” tab to submit your hours.
7. Submit a request to your RYS to confirm that you completed the training. If your school does not review your request within 2-weeks, the Yoga Alliance Credentialing Team will review it.
8. You will receive an email notification once your request is reviewed.
9. If your request is approved, log into your account to submit your application fee ($50 USD) and annual membership dues ($65 USD) and to complete a survey about the quality of your RYS training.
10. If your request is denied, contact your school with any questions.

We appreciate having you as part of our community! We are constantly working to provide you with member benefits to support you as a yoga teacher and yoga professional.

Here are some tips to help you find your school during the registration process:

1. Be sure to enter the same name that your RYS used for its registration with Yoga Alliance.
2. Verify that the school was in current status during your training.

We also recommend contacting the owner of your RYS to verify this information. If you need additional assistance, contact our Member Support team at 1-888-921-YOGA (9642) or by email at info@yogaalliance.org.

No. To hold the RCYT or RPYT credential, a yoga teacher must first earn an RYT credential in order to ensure they have an understanding of the content covered in an RYS curriculum (which includes foundational concepts for yoga teaching). The content covered in an RYS program prepares yoga teachers to learn how to teach yoga to special populations. View the requirements to register for the RCYT and RPYT credential here.

Yes! It is called The Experienced Teacher Pathway (ETP).

Through a defined set of qualifications, the ETP creates opportunity for yoga teachers with extensive teaching and training expertise—outside of Yoga Alliance’s defined credentials—to obtain E-RYT 500 status. The purpose of this pathway is to promote inclusivity across all yoga lineages and methodologies, as well as honor the full breadth and depth of yoga wisdom in our global community. This supports our mission by creating an equitable and accessible path for new members to continue their professional growth and development, without undermining the traditional pathways or the standards for which an E-RYT credential stands for.

Review ETP qualification requirements and apply.

No. It’s not possible to combine several workshops and trainings to equal the number of hours required to complete an RYS program and become registered. You can view the requirements to register for each RYT credential here.

An RYS owner should confirm your request within 10 business days. If the owner is not able to do so, or if your school is no longer registered, a Yoga Alliance Credentialing Specialist will review your request once 10 business days have passed. You will receive an email notification once your request is reviewed.

You can access your registry card and RYT logo(s) in your RYT account by selecting “My Registry Card” or “My Designations and Logos.”

You will have the option to publish your profile on the teacher directory during the registration process. If you missed this option, you may make your profile visible within your RYT account by selecting “Edit Teacher Profile.” Then, select the “Show” button.

You may also choose which information you would like to make visible on your directory listing, including your bio, teaching experience, a photo gallery, contact information, places you teach, and more. To update your visibility preferences, select “Edit” under the text box that includes the information that you want to make visible to the public. Then, select “Publish.”

You have the option to hide your profile in your RYT account by selecting “Edit Teacher Profile” and clicking the “Hide” button.

You can update your name or contact information by selecting “Edit Teacher Profile” in your RYT dashboard.

Here are tips to help you find your profile on the teacher directory.

1. Make sure your profile visibility preference is set to “Visible.” You can select this preference through the “Edit Teacher Profile” option in your RYT dashboard.
2. Verify that your membership is in current status. If you do not renew your membership by your renewal date, your profile will be removed from the directory. You can verify the status of your membership on your teacher dashboard in your RYT account.
3. Search for your listing under the same directory name, city, state, and/or country that you used to publish your profile. You can verify your directory name, city, state, or country in the “Edit Teacher Profile” option in your RYT dashboard.

There are five requirements for you to maintain your status as an RYT and enjoy the benefits of Yoga Alliance membership. They are:

1. Abide by our Code of Conduct, Scope of Practice, and member-wide Ethical Commitment.
2. Abide by Yoga Alliance’s Policy on The Use of Yoga Therapy Terms.
3. Provide feedback to your RYS.*
4. Submit Continuing Education hours every three years.
5. Pay your annual renewal fee to maintain your designation.

You can also view these requirements to maintain your credential here.

* This is only a Requirement for new teachers or teachers upgrading after taking an advanced or specialty teacher training. At this time, RYTs who are currently registered may not review the school where they previously completed their training.

You can find your next renewal date on your “Teacher Dashboard” in your Yoga Alliance account.

Please follow these directions to renew your RYT membership if it is in current status:

1. Select “Log In” in the top right corner of this page to log into your account.
2. Select the "Renew Now" button.
3. Choose the date that you want to renew until.
4. Submit your annual membership dues ($65 USD) by PayPal or credit card.
5. Update your profile and visibility preferences for your directory listing and access your Registry ID card and Registry marks on your “Teacher Dashboard.”
6. Enjoy your member benefits.

Please follow these directions to renew your RYT membership if it has lapsed:

1. Select “Log In” in the top right corner of this page to log in to your account.
2. Select “Teacher Registration Expired" on the left side.
3. Select the “Renew Now” button. 
4. Choose the date that you want to renew until.
5. Submit your annual membership dues ($65 USD) by PayPal or credit card.
6. Update your profile and visibility preferences for your directory listing and access your Registry ID card and Registry marks in your “Teacher Dashboard.”
7. Enjoy your member benefits.

We understand that there may be many reasons that RYTs forget to renew their membership or choose not to renew due to life circumstances and changes. If you don’t renew your membership, your name will no longer be listed on the teacher directory and you can no longer display the RYT credential after your name or on your marketing materials. In addition, you will no longer be able to access the complimentary Continuing Education workshops, membership benefits, resources, and more. If you decide to renew again in the future, you can do so by logging into your account and following the prompts to renew your registration if it’s expired.

Please view the Yoga Alliance Cancellation and Refund policy here.

View the requirements to upgrade to E-RYT 200 or E-RYT 500 here.

To upgrade to E-RYT 200 and E-RYT 500 in your RYT account:

1. Log In to your RYT account.
2. Select the credential that you would like to upgrade to.
3. Select the “Teaching Hours” tab on the left side of your dashboard to submit your teaching hours.
4. Submit the upgrade fee ($50 USD).
5. Update your profile and visibility preference for your directory listing, and access your Registry ID card and Registry Marks in your “Teacher Dashboard.”
6. Enjoy your member benefits.

View the requirements to upgrade to RYT 500, RCYT or RPYT here.

Here are the steps to upgrade to RYT 500, RCYT, or RPYT in your RYT account:

1. Log In to your RYT account.
2. Select the credential that you would like to upgrade to.
3. Enter your school name, the start and end date of your training, and upload your certificate.
4. If teaching hours are required for your credential, select the “Teaching Hours” tab on the left side of your dashboard to submit your teaching hours.
5. Submit your request to your RYS to confirm your training. If your school does not review your request within 2-weeks, the Yoga Alliance credentialing team will review your request.
6. You will receive an email notification once your request is reviewed.
7. If your request is approved, log into your account to submit your upgrade fee ($50 USD) and to complete a survey about the quality of your training.
8. If your request is denied, contact your school with any questions.
9. Update your profile and visibility preferences for your directory listing and access your Registry ID card and Registry Marks in your “Teacher Dashboard.”
10. Enjoy your member benefits.

Under the Legacy Standards in place prior to the February 2020 up-leveling of our RYS 200 standards, Lead Trainers must hold the E-RYT 200 or E-RYT 500 credential for an RYS 200 program and the E-RYT 500 credential for an RYS 500 program.

There are changes under the recently announced Elevated Standards that will affect the Lead Trainer requirements. The updated Lead Trainer requirements were initially announced to go into effect by February 2022, however, due to COVID-19's impacts on our community, previously stated dates and deadlines are currently on pause. Members can anticipate timeline specifics arriving prior to 2023 with ample time to meet up-leveling requirements.

No. An additional RYS 200 training may not be used towards upgrading to an RYT 500 or towards your CE. To be eligible to upgrade to RYT 500, you have to complete a training at a school that holds the RYS 300 credential. This is because the 300-hour curriculum includes more advanced and professional concepts in yoga teacher training, while the 200-hour curriculum provides foundational concepts for new teachers. You can search for schools that hold the RYS 300 credential on our school directory. You can also find more information about how to earn each Yoga Alliance RYT credential here.

However, you can submit 30-hours of the 200-hours that you completed in a second RYS 200 training towards your CE requirements. You can find information about CE requirements here. Also, be sure to highlight all of the trainings that you’ve completed on your RYT directory listing to showcase your trainings, professional development, skills, and expertise as a yoga teacher.

You can find information about Yoga Alliance CE requirements here.

To support your professional development as a yoga teacher, we offer members access to complimentary workshops in our Workshop Archive, which are taught by yoga thought leaders, field leaders, and senior teachers. The workshops in this archive are eligible for Yoga Alliance Non-Contact Continuing Education hours.

Maybe. You may submit the course as CE as long as the content meets the CE requirements. You can find information about CE provider qualifications here and content requirements here.

No. It is not possible to apply the same training or teaching hours used for upgrading your credential to your CE requirements.

You can find information about how to earn each Yoga Alliance RYT credential here and the CE requirements here.

You can find more information about Yoga Alliance Continuing Education, including Contact Hour and Non-Contact hour requirements, here.

To find your CE requirement due date, log into your Yoga Alliance Teacher account. Once inside the dashboard, select “My Training Hours” on the left side to view the due date for your current three-year cycle.

You can complete any course that meets Yoga Alliance Continuing Education requirements for both the provider and the content covered. This Continuing Education brochure outlines the educational categories. When you submit the course as CE, you will be asked to attest to the fact that the course meets these requirements.

We encourage you to find a course that meets your professional development goals. You can enroll in courses offered by yoga teachers that meet these CE provider qualifications, and you can also search for courses on the Continuing Education directory, which includes courses offered by YACEPs, if the YACEP has chosen to list their course. However, you are not limited to completing courses that are listed on the YACEP directory.

Please contact the CE provider to verify if their course meets CE requirements. If you are unable to confirm this through the provider, you can contact our Member Support team for assistance by email at info@yogaalliance.org, or by phone, Monday–Thursday, 10am–6pm ET or Friday, 10 am–5pm ET by dialing 1-888-921-9642 (YOGA).

To submit your CE in your RYT account:

1. Select “Log In” at the top right corner of this page and log into your account.
2. Select the "Training Hours" link on the left side of your dashboard.
3. Select the type of course you completed.
4. Follow the prompts to submit information about the course.
5. Select the “Teaching Hours” link on the left side of your dashboard.
6. Follow the prompts to submit your teaching hours.

Please contact the YACEP to confirm if they submitted the course on the YACEP directory and the name of the course that they submitted to Yoga Alliance. You can also ask your YACEP to provide you with a completion certificate.

If the YACEP did not submit the course on the directory, you can submit the course as your CE through the non-YACEP pathway, as long as the course content meets CE content requirements. When you submit this course in your RYT account, select the option stating: “In Person with Someone Who is Not a YACEP.” Then, follow the prompts to submit information about the course.

Maybe. It depends on the qualifications of the provider that offered the course. If you completed a course offered by an E-RYT or a provider that is not an RYT but has significant teaching and training experience, you do not need a certificate to submit your course. However, during the submission process, you will need to attest to the fact that the course meets CE provider and content requirements.

If you completed a course offered by a YACEP that published the course on the Continuing Education directory, you must submit your CE through the YACEP provider pathway, which requires a completion certificate. Please note that YACEPs are not required to submit their courses. If the YACEP has not published the course on the CE directory, you will not need to submit a certificate even if you completed a course offered by a YACEP.

Please contact the YACEP that offers the course to confirm if they submitted the course on the YACEP directory.

RYTs are required to submit their CE by the due date. Please contact our Member Support team with questions by email at info@yogaalliance.org, or by phone, Monday–Thursday, 10am–6 pm ET or Friday, 10am–5pm ET at 1-888-921-9642 (YOGA).

You can view CE provider requirements here. This Continuing Education brochure outlines the content that you can cover under the educational categories of the Yoga Alliance standards.

View the requirements to upgrade to E-RYT 200 or E-RYT 500. If you meet these requirements, view upgrade FAQ's above to find the directions to upgrade to E-RYT 200 or E-RYT 500 in your RYT account.

A yoga teacher that holds the E-RYT 200 or E-RYT 500 credential is eligible to add the YACEP credential. If you hold this credential, you can market your YACEP courses on the Continuing Education directory. The fee to upgrade to YACEP is $20 per year. You can find information about the benefits, costs, and how to obtain the YACEP credential here.

You can view the YACEP Terms and Conditions and YACEP Certificate Requirements here. to having the opportunity to publish courses on the Continuing Education directory, a YACEP must issue participants a completion certificate at the end of the course. When participants log the course in their RYT account, a request will be sent to the YACEP to confirm that the participant completed said course. A YACEP should review these requests in a timely manner so that their participants can get credit for the CE hours as soon as possible.

An E-RYT or YACEP may offer courses that fall under any of the four educational categories in our standards, which are outlined in this Continuing Education brochure.

If you are a provider that is not registered with Yoga Alliance, you can only offer courses in the educational category for which you have significant training (such as a certification or license) and at least 500-hours of teaching experience.

No. At this time, Yoga Alliance does not approve CE requirements. Each RYT is responsible for making sure they complete a course that meets the requirements. When an RYT submits the course to Yoga Alliance for CE, they must attest to this fact that the course meets CE requirements.

Additionally, an RYT should confirm that the provider and course content meet the requirements for CE before registering for a course. A CE provider should be prepared to provide an RYT with documentation to substantiate that the course meets these requirements.

Yoga Alliance reserves the right to request supporting documentation from an RYT to substantiate the courses submitted for CE.

A YACEP must provide a completion certificate to their participants who will submit the certificate and hours completed into their RYT account to get credit for the course.

All other CE providers (E-RYTs or those who have significant training and teaching experience but are not registered as YACEPS) do not need to provide a completion certificate to their participants since they can submit the course as CE without the certificate. However, a provider can still issue a certificate to acknowledge training completion and graduation for the RYT.

You can review the standards underlying the RYS credential for which you’re applying, read about our required Ethical Commitment, and download our Guidebook to RYS Application here. To submit your curriculum as part of an RYS application, follow the directions below:

1. Log In to your teacher account.
2. Select “Dashboard” in the top right corner.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page to select “Create or Renew a School.”
4. Accept the RYS policies.
5. Submit your school and contact information.
6. Complete the application online. The application requires a schedule, curriculum, trainer information, assessment methods, training manual(s) and other materials. Click here for an application toolkit that includes resources such as a glossary, check list, templates, and additional information. To schedule a Pre-Application Consultation (highly recommended), please email us at credentialingconsultation@yogaalliance.org.
7. Pay the non-refundable, one-time application fee ($400 USD).
8. Once submitted, the application will go through an academic-style peer review process. Once the review is completed, you will be contacted about a decision and next steps.
9. If your training program is accepted as an RYS, you’ll receive a welcome email with more information regarding the final steps for completing the registration process, including the $240 USD payment of annual dues.

View the various school staff roles here. Select an RYS credential on this page to view the Lead Trainer, Trainer, and Faculty requirements for each credential.

You can access your RYS certificate and RYS logo(s) in your RYS Dashboard by selecting “Credentialing Documents” or “RYS Registry Marks.”

You can review the standards underlying the RYS credential for which you’re applying, read about our required Ethical Commitment, and download our Guidebook to RYS Application here. To add another RYS program to your existing RYS account:

1. Log In to your account.
2. Select “School Dashboard” on the left side.
3. Select “Manage Schools” on the left side.
4. If you would like to add new teachers, select “Trainers” and “Other Faculty.”
5. Select “Training Programs.”
6. Under “Begin Another Teacher Training Program Application,” click “Apply Now.”
7. Complete the application online. The application requires a schedule, curriculum, trainer information, assessment methods, training manual(s) and other materials. Click here for an application toolkit that includes resources such as a glossary, check list, templates and additional information. To schedule a Pre-Application Consultation (highly recommended), please email us at credentialingconsultation@yogaalliance.org
8. Pay the non-refundable, one-time application fee ($400 USD).
9. Once submitted, the application will go through an academic-style peer review process. Once the review has been completed, you will be contacted about a decision and next steps.
10. If your training program is accepted as an RYS, you’ll receive a welcome email with more information regarding the final steps for completing the registration process for the new program, including the $240 USD payment of annual dues (the amount may be prorated based on your individual RYS’s billing cycle).

The owner of an RYS must be a person, not a business entity, and is the legal owner and/or legal representative of a school applying for an RYS credential. There can be multiple owners of an RYS, and owners can have this role without holding an RYT credential. Only owners can create an RYS account and allow others to access their account by assigning them roles to assist with the administration of their school.  View the requirements of the RYS ownership role and the RYS Ownership Policy.

An RYS owner must issue a certificate to their trainees upon completion of all requirements of the program. Trainees will upload that certificate into their RYT account when they register with Yoga Alliance. During the registration process, trainees will send the school a request to confirm their completion of the program. The owner will receive this notification as a message in their RYS dashboard and as an email.

A school is responsible for validating program confirmation requests from trainees by selecting either “Confirm” or “Deny” when they receive the request. The trainee will then receive a notification of the owner’s response. If an owner “Confirms” the request, the trainee will be able to complete their registration by paying the fees and review of the school. If an owner “Denies” a request, the owner should contact the trainee to provide an explanation for why the request cannot be confirmed. To avoid confusion, it is recommended that an owner does not issue a completion request until a trainee has completed all requirements in the program. In the event that an owner neither confirms or denies the request within 10 business days, Yoga Alliance will approve the request if all necessary information is provided and accurate.

Once your school is approved as an RYS, it will be published on the RYS directory under a generic listing that does not include details about your RYS program.

To maximize your school’s presence on the school directory, we recommend filling out your entire profile so that potential trainees may review the information when they find your school on the school directory. You may choose which information you would like to make visible, including your school’s bio, name, contact information, training format, and more. To update your visibility preferences, go to your RYS Dashboard. Select “Edit Profile,” then select “School Profile.”

To specify the start and end dates of your next RYS program, follow the steps below:

1. Log In to your account.
2. Select “School Dashboard” on the left side.
3. Select “Manage Programs” on the left side.
4. Select the green “Add New Program” button.
5. Enter your program information and select “Save.”

An RYS must be visible on the school directory. However, you can customize your visibility preferences in your RYS Dashboard to display only the information that you would like to make available to the public.

You can update your school name or contact information in your RYS dashboard by selecting “Edit Profile.” Then, select “School Profile.”

Here are tips to help you find your school’s profile on the school directory.

1. Verify that your RYS membership is in current status. If you do not renew your membership by your renewal date, your profile will be removed from the directory. You can verify the status of your membership on your school dashboard in your membership account.
2. Search for your listing under the same school name, city, state, and/or country that you used to publish your school’s profile. You can verify the information that you used in the “Edit Profile” option within your RYS Dashboard.

There are five requirements for you to maintain your status as an RYS and enjoy the benefits of Yoga Alliance membership:

1. Abide by our Code of Conduct, Scope of Practice, and member-wide Ethical Commitment.
2. Abide by Yoga Alliance’s Policy on The Use of Yoga Therapy Terms.
3. Up-Level your credentials by applicable dates.
4. Participate in the Re-Credentialing Process every three years.
5. Pay your annual renewal dues to maintain your designation.

You can find your next RYS membership renewal date on your “School Dashboard” in your Yoga Alliance account.

You may renew your RYS within 90 days of your next renewal date. To renew your RYS membership if it is current:

1. Log In to your account.
2. Click "School Dashboard" in the red box on the left.
3. Click the "Renew Now" link under the "School Details" tab.
4. Follow the prompts to submit your renewal fee of $240 USD by PayPal or credit card.
5. Access your RYS certificate and RYS logos in your RYS Dashboard.
6. Enjoy your member benefits.

Here are directions to renew your RYS membership if it has lapsed:

1. Log In to your account.
2. Click the “Dashboard” link at the top right corner of the page.
3. Scroll down to the “Create or Renew a School” link.
4. Select the “Renew Now” link.
5. Follow the prompts to submit your renewal fee of $240 USD by PayPal or credit card.
6. Access your RYS certificate and RYS logos in your RYS Dashboard.
7. Enjoy your member benefits.

We understand that there may be many reasons that RYS owners either forget to renew their membership or choose not to renew due to life circumstances and changes. If you don’t renew your membership, your school will no longer be listed on the school directory and you can no longer display the RYS credential on your marketing materials. In addition, your trainees are not eligible to register if your school was not registered during their training.

If you decide to renew again in the future, you can do so by logging into you RYS account and following the prompts to renew your registration.

View the Yoga Alliance Cancellation and Refund policy here.

Due to COVID-19's impacts on our community, previously stated dates and deadlines are currently under review, and LT requirements will likely correspond with the updated RYS 200 Standards deadlines, which are currently on pause. Members can anticipate timeline specifics arriving prior to 2023 with ample time to meet up-leveling requirements.

Yoga Alliance is excited to announce the Experience Teacher Pathway. This initiative is designed to recognize the depth of wisdom held by long-experienced teachers through our E-RYT 500 credential, regardless of whether their formal training categorically fits into our RYT 200, 300, or 500 “boxes.”

Do you have the experience of an E-RYT 500 but do not meet the traditional requirements? Explore the Experience Teacher Pathway to see if you qualify.

In summer 2014, Yoga Alliance Registry’s Standards Committee made a series of changes including a decision to end specialty grandparenting options for Registered Children’s Yoga Teachers (RCYTs) and Registered Prenatal Yoga Teachers (RPYTs). You can read more about this decision here.

We understand that this is not an easy update for some of our members, but we believe it is the right decision for yoga to support quality and safety in teaching and to ensure that experienced teachers are training the next generation of teachers. If you are interested in learning more about the research that allowed us to come to this decision, please read more in the Standards Review Project.

Your Yoga Alliance membership offers you a number of benefits to support your personal and professional yoga endeavors. This includes access to practical tools, curated resources, and relevant perks designed to support your yoga profession. Members also gain access to timely expert guidance in topics that range from business and finance to health and wellness, and have the option to be featured in our global professional directory where they can build their network and expand their reach.

All Yoga Alliance credentials stand as markers of high quality, safe, accessible, and equitable yoga teaching. You can proudly display your credential along with your bio on our teacher or school directory and your marketing materials to highlight your experience. We also provide you with discounts on yoga products and business services, a yoga research library, and complimentary professional development courses that qualify for Yoga Alliance Continuing Education. In addition, we engage in initiatives that protect and support the yoga community so it can practice and teach yoga freely through our advocacy efforts. We oppose unnecessary regulation that stifles the diversity of yoga, serves no benefit to the public, or unfairly targets the yoga community. Additionally, through the Yoga Alliance Foundation, we build programs that support equity in yoga and leverage yoga for social impact.

Among our member benefits, Yoga Alliance offers an exclusive, comprehensive, members-only liability insurance program for members that reside in the United States, Canada, and Japan. Liability insurance is also available to members who reside and teach or train Japan. These programs are evaluated each year to verify that they provide the “best-in-market” premiums and limits with no gaps in coverage.

Members can apply for an insurance policy online and receive a certificate of insurance within 30-minutes.

To view policy details, FAQs, contact information for each broker, and information about how to obtain a policy, select the “Insurance” category on our member discounts page here. If you have questions about the coverages for a policy, please contact the brokers directly to speak with a licensed insurance agent.

We will be adding insurance programs for additional countries in the future.

Yoga Alliance’s Grievance Policy outlines the types of complaints that we are able to review, what to submit with a grievance, and the steps we take once we receive a complaint. Before submitting a grievance to Yoga Alliance, we encourage you to try to resolve the issue with the teacher or school directly. If you are unable to resolve it that way, you can submit a grievance to Yoga Alliance. Once submitted, an Accountability Advisor will review the information you provide and contact you about the status of your grievance or any next steps.

Information you provide to Yoga Alliance, including your identity, will remain confidential to the extent practical, balancing the need for confidentiality and the ability to conduct a meaningful investigation. However, the investigation may require disclosing information to an investigator, witnesses, and respondents. Please note that even where Yoga Alliance does not disclose your identity, your identity may be known by respondents and witnesses simply based on the allegations or facts of the case.

Similarly, any actions taken in response to the grievance and information regarding the investigation will remain confidential to the extent practical. Sexual Misconduct grievances are handled non-anonymously.

There are many different levels of enforcement in how Yoga Alliance addresses grievances. These levels may include education, training, and warnings. Yoga Alliance also reserves the right to suspend or revoke any member in violation of our policies and standards. Such decisions are made after a thorough investigation based on the formal grievance. Often, members decide to submit a grievance but do not want any action taken therein. Yoga Alliance reserves the right to open an internal investigation and may impose final sanctions on a member’s credentials and registration, including failure to uphold any Yoga Alliance policies. With all cases, we record internal notes on members' accounts.

Yoga Alliance recommends you consult with your school to discuss their refund policy. If there is a dispute regarding what has been communicated, please contact Yoga Alliance. Please note Yoga Alliance does not intervene in financial disputes outside the scope of our policies.

When applicable, we require documentary evidence to support your grievance. Examples of documentary evidence include, but are not limited to, screenshots of text message conversations, printed or scanned copies of training manuals, handouts, website links, notes or advertisements, and pictures. After preliminary review of a grievance, the Accountability Department will determine if there is enough information to proceed with further investigation.

If there is a final decision on your grievance, you will be alerted of that decision once the investigation concludes. Yoga Alliance does not share information about the investigation as it is in progress.

We highly encourage you to file a grievance if you experience harassment or retaliation, however, we are not a judicial or government enforcing body. We strongly encourage individuals concerned about potential retaliation to seek professional assistance from local law enforcement and government bodies.

We strive to respond to initial reports within 5 business days of receipt. The length of the process varies depending upon the evidence gathered from all involved parties. If you have questions regarding the status of a grievance, please contact your Accountability Advisor directly.

Yoga Alliance will conduct a preliminary review for non-sexual misconduct third-party grievances. In the interest of the safety and privacy of the individual, Yoga Alliance will not initiate an investigation based upon a third-party report of a Policy violation.

Reports of sexual misconduct must be initiated by the individual who has personally experienced misconduct defined in the policy as unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, whether physical or verbal in nature. If the individual is a minor at the time of the report, the minor’s parent or legal guardian (should one have been appointed), can report the misconduct on the minor’s behalf.

No. We do not require background checks for membership. We do require all members to abide by our Ethical Commitment, including our Code of Conduct and Scope of Practice, designed to unify members around shared principles and to foster safe and respectful guidelines for the profession of yoga training. Yoga Alliance is a nonprofit 501(C)(6) membership professional and trade association.

A grievance can be filed against a former and/or currently registered member regardless of whether the complainant is a member. All grievances are recorded in the account(s) of Registered Yoga Schools (RYS), Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT), and/or Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Providers (YACEP). Disciplinary action may vary based upon the respondent’s current status, and such action may range from education to revocation of Yoga Alliance credentials.

Yes. You are welcome to submit a complaint or inquiry that you feel might not fit our listed policies. An Accountability Advisor will review your statement/question and determine if your claim/inquiry is covered by our policies.

To reset your password if you are logged into your account:

1. Select the “Manage Account” link at the top right corner of your dashboard.
2. Select “Manage Password.” 

To reset your password if you are not logged into your account:

1. Go to yogaalliance.org and select “Log In” at the top right corner.
2. Select the “Password Reset” link.

You must be logged into your account to update your email address. To update your email address if you are logged into your account:

1. Select the “Manage Account” link at the top right corner of your dashboard.
2. Update your email address in the “Email” field.

Please contact our Member Support team for assistance Monday–Thursday, 10am–6pm ET or Friday, 10am–5pm ET at 1-888-921-9642 (YOGA) or by email at info@yogaalliance.org.

The Yoga Alliance system performs best with the most updated versions of Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

Occasionally, you might experience issues while using an iPad or smartphone. These issues stem from the system preferences or security settings that are enabled on your device. Refer to the help or support tools for your device to troubleshoot the issue. If you continue to have problems, we recommend that you try a desktop or laptop computer.

If your computer has an older operating system or hardware, we recommend that you use a device or computer with an updated system and/or hardware.

The YA CommUnity is a welcoming online space for members to connect in sangha and support. Here, yoga professionals around the world can share information, resources, and experiences; and form personal peer-to-peer relationships that may enhance their livelihoods, strengthen their networks, and inspire their yoga teaching and practices.

To get started in the CommUnity, all you need to do is sign in! Your login credentials are the same username and password that you use to log in to the main site. If you have forgotten your login credentials or need assistance with your login information, please click here.

The CommUnity makes it easy for you to engage in meaningful conversations with your peers and share insightful resources to bolster your teaching and practice. CommUnity members also gain access to:

• The YA Digital Events calendar
• A member profile your may promote to gain visibility as a teacher and practitioner
• Access to YA-recommended resources to further your profession
• Access to member-provided resources and the ability to share your own!

From the Home Page, you can browse, reply to, or start a new conversation on topics of interest to you. We also encourage you to check out other members' resources or consider uploading and sharing your own! Be sure to update and maintain your profile by adding a photo, contact information, and answering a few questions about yourself.

Navigate to your profile on the CommUnity Home Page and click on the "My Account" tab. Choose "Community Notifications" from the drop-down menu.

For each conversation, you have the following delivery options:

• Real Time: sends an email every time a new message is posted.
• Daily Digest: sends one email to you each day, consolidating all of the posts from the previous day.
• No Email: allows you to be part of the group without having emails sent to you. You can still post and read others’ messages by logging into the CommUnity.

The YA CommUnity and yourya.org serve two different purposes.

Yourya.org was created in response to and as a resource for today's societal and yoga community foundational changes. It provides the latest association updates, helpful tools, and need-to-know information regarding your yoga livelihood, profession, and membership.

The YA CommUnity is a member-driven engaging space designed for you to connect with your peers in real time. While some resources may appear in both spaces, the bulk of what you will find on the YA CommUnity will be member-generated content and dialogue.

Use the CommUnity to share successes, challenges, constructive feedback, questions, and goals instead of products or services that you provide. If you’ve found a product or service helpful, please share your experience with the group in a respectful way. This community is not for posting promotional content for the products or services you provide.

Your CommUnity profile is exclusive to this CommUnity site and will only be seen by other CommUnity members. Your YA Directory is how the public can search and find you as a credentialed member on yogaalliance.org. To update your public Directory profile, you will need to log in on our main site and visit your Dashboard settings.