Registered Yoga School (RYS™) 200 Priority FAQs

Find answers to common questions about the significantly enhanced RYS standards in these FAQs and on the New RYS Standards page.


 

Changes for School

•How do I apply for an RYS 200 credential?

To apply for the RYS 200 credential, please visit our School webpage, where you will find detailed instruction and a step-by-step guide to the strengthened application and review process.


•How do I up-level my credential to the new RYS standards?

To up-level to the new RYS standards, please log in to your Yoga Alliance account and visit your “School Dashboard.” There, you will be prompted to up-level by defining your program's curriculum through the strengthened application and review process.


•When do I need to update my syllabus to meet the new 200-hour standards?

Current RYS 200s have until February 2022 to up-level to the new standards. If a school has not up-leveled its program by February 2022, they will not be able to renew their RYS credentials until they complete the up-level process.

Schools who are applying for the RYS 200 credential for the first time will apply under the new RYS 200 standards. View the Overall Implementation Timeline here.


•Did the Lead Trainer, Teacher Trainer, and Other Faculty requirements change with the new standards?

We have enhanced the Lead Trainer requirements. By February 27, 2022, a Lead Trainer of any RYS 200 will now need to hold the E-RYT 500 credential or be approved for the Intermediary Status Provision. You may view the requirements to become an E-RYT 500 here.

Under the new RYS 200 standards, a Lead Trainer must facilitate 150 of a program’s 200 hours. To accommodate this change, an RYS program may have up to five Lead Trainers, an adjustment from the two Lead Trainer maximum required under the previous RYS 200 standards.

Prior to February 2022, all current Lead Trainer requirements hold true. Currently, there are no changes to Teacher Trainer and Other Faculty requirements.


•Are there any changes to the registration fees or membership dues with the updated standards?

While there are no changes to the application fee (400 USD) or the annual membership dues (240 USD), there are some changes to the process for submitting these fees and dues.

As of February 27, 2020, schools now pay separate application fees and membership dues. A school will pay an application fee at the time of application. If the application is approved, the RYS then has 90 days to pay their membership dues. If the RYS does not submit this payment within 90 days, it will be required to re-apply. Once the membership dues are paid, the school may proudly display its Yoga Alliance RYS credential and access the benefits of Yoga Alliance membership.

For more information on fees and dues associated with RYSs, visit here.


•Will Yoga Alliance provide a sample syllabus for the new RYS 200 standards?

We do not have a sample curriculum for the new standards but have created several resources for RYSs in the new Guidebook to RYS Application,which includes and RYS Application Process Evaluation Rubric, sample policy templates, 200 Curriculum Application Submission Tutorial, and more. To further support your application process, we have also created a Budget Calculator and Daily Scheduler.


•Do you have a copy of my RYS syllabus?

Yes. You can find a copy of your RYS syllabus within your RYS account if you applied for and became an RYS after 2013 (when Yoga Alliance moved from a paper-based to an online application). To download and print your syllabus, navigate to your "School Dashboard", select "Manage School", scroll down to "Training Programs”, and then click “Download Program Details” to download your RYS syllabus as a .pdf.

• Is the review process changing, given the changes to the RYS 200 standards?

Yes! We are pleased to have enhanced the process we use to evaluate each RYS application. This strengthened application and review process became effective February 27, 2020, when new schools began applying under the new RYS standards. We learned through the community-led Standards Review Project that our membership and the broader yoga community want us to uphold the value and integrity of our credentials, to foster the development of skillful yoga teachers, and to support accountability and public safety in the teaching of yoga, amongst other things. The evolution of our standards and the enhancement of our application process is a step towards fulfilling this expectation.


• How do I submit my updated curriculum?

You can submit your updates through the “Manage School” section of your School Dashboard.


• How long will it take to review my updated curriculum?

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis in the order they are received. As such, review time will vary based upon the volume of applications received. We understand that it is important for applications to be reviewed quickly in order to support the business operations of a school and therefore anticipate an approximate six to eight-week review period from the time of your application’s submission. Please note that a school may not utilize the Yoga Alliance trademarks or market itself as registered with Yoga Alliance until its application is approved, membership dues are submitted, and it has fully completed the registration process.


• Do the changes affect a “parent” and affiliate RYS 200 relationship? If so, how?

Yes. With the updates to the RYS 200 standards, we now require all RYS 200 members to be standalone credential holders, which means the option to be an affiliate school will be discontinued by the start of 2022.

If you are the “parent” school in an affiliate RYS 200 relationship, you will no longer have an affiliate school attached to your RYS 200 in our system. Likewise, if you are the affiliate school in such a relationship, you will no longer be able to use the “parent” school’s syllabus through our system.

This is in large part so that we can uphold the credentials with integrity through these enhanced standards and the more thorough application and review process.

We encourage both the “parent” school and affiliate school to communicate about this change and plan for the future as this likely affects your working relationship with each other.


• By when does an affiliate school have to hold its own RYS 200 credential

Affiliate relationships will end by the affiliate’s next renewal date after the “parent” school up-levels their program. For example, an affiliate’s renewal date is October 2020. If the “parent” school up-leveled in June 2020, the affiliate could have maintained Yoga Alliance credentials until their October 2020 renewal date. We encourage affiliates to submit applications for independent credentials as soon as possible to prevent any lapses in their RYS credential status.


• When will “parent” school and affiliate school relationships end?

If you are the “parent” school of an affiliate RYS 200, your relationship with your affiliate school will end after you update to the new RYS 200 standards.


• As a “child” affiliate school, when will my relationship end with my “parent” affiliate school?

If you are the child affiliate school using the syllabus of another RYS 200 program, you have two paths from which to choose:

  1. Continue use of the training syllabus of your “parent” RYS program until it up-levels to the new RYS 200 standards; at that time, you must then apply under the new standards with your own syllabus and as a new RYS 200 program; or
  2. Develop your own syllabus sooner, and apply under the new standards as a new, standalone RYS 200, separate from your “parent” program’s timeline for up-leveling to the new standards.

• As a former affiliate school, may I submit the syllabus of my “parent” school when I apply as my own standalone RYS 200?

Perhaps. You would need to obtain permission from your former “parent” school. This would involve a separate legal agreement (outside of the Yoga Alliance credentialing system) to allow for you to use another RYS’s syllabus. You would still need to submit specific information that relates to your own school, including information on Lead Trainers, Faculty, school policies, and more. Click here for more information on the application process.


• How do these changes affect an affiliate RYS 300 or affiliate RYS 500 school?

With the launch of our enhanced application platform on February 27, 2020, we no longer accept new affiliates at any designation. We will announce our new standards for the RYS 300 and RYS 500 programs later in 2020, with further information on RYS 300 and RYS 500 affiliate program changes at that time. We will be sure to move at a measured pace so that the schools have enough time to update their programs to the new standards.


•Are there changes to the syllabi for the RYS 300 and RYS 500 credentials?

Changes to the syllabi for the RYS 300 and RYS 500 credentials will be announced later in 2020. Yoga Alliance will ensure to move at a measured pace and allow time for schools to acclimate.

Until the RYS 300 and RYS 500 standards change, schools should follow the existing standards, which include Educational Categories and contact and non-contact hours.


• Can I have an RYS 300 without an RYS 200?

Yes! As of July 15, 2019, RYSs may renew their yoga teacher training programs independently of each other. As of October 1, 2019, yoga teacher training programs may apply for RYS 300 credentials without also holding RYS 200 credentials.


•Are there changes to the Yoga Alliance specialty credentials?

Changes to the Yoga Alliance specialty credentials will be announced in the future as we work towards up-leveling all of our RYS designations.


 

Changes for Yoga Teachers

•I am already an RYT. Do I need to take another RYS 200 that is operating under the new standards in order to stay an RYT?

No. The up-leveled standards for RYSs will not affect your current RYT registration. Similarly, if you graduated from an RYS program in the past but have not yet registered with Yoga Alliance, the changes to the standards do not affect your eligibility to register with Yoga Alliance, provided the program you participated in was currently registered at the time of your training.


•Are there any changes to RYT policies with the standards changes?

In response to resounding agreement from across the entire yoga community, Yoga Alliance asks all credential holders to agree to a member-wide Ethical Commitment upon registration or renewal. This commitment began February 27, 2020, and includes three elements, the need for which was voiced loud and clear in Standards Review Project working group sessions and throughout conversations with schools and teachers of all levels: a strengthened Code of Conduct, new Scope of Practice, and a responsibility to equity in yoga. View more information on the Ethical Commitment here.


•Will I be required to take any additional courses to hold my current credential?

Yoga Alliance’s Continuing Rducation Requirements remain the same for the time being. All RYT members must complete 30 continuing education training hours every three years. Additionally, Yoga Alliance is developing a free and mandatory online equity course for all members, which will count towards continuing education requirements. More information on this course will be shared later in 2020.


•What is meant by equity in yoga?

Equity is different from equality; equity ensures that we all have the resources needed to reach a goal while equality provides everyone access to the same resource, regardless of the needs of an individual or group. In addition to representing quality and safety in yoga teaching, the Yoga Alliance credential will signal an awareness of and commitment to changing the social and systemic inequities that currently exist in yoga so that the practice is more accessible to all populations. Read more about Yoga Alliance’s position on equity here.



Due to COVID-19's impacts on our community, previously stated dates and deadlines regarding the Enhanced Lead Trainer Standards and Intermediary Pathway are currently under review. Members will be informed of all relevant changes by email. Please ensure your Yoga Alliance email address is up-to-date and you are subscribed to Member Updates to receive the latest information.


When do the Lead Trainer requirements take effect?

The Lead Trainer requirements take effect February 2022. We chose this date—more than 24 months after the new RYS standards announcement—to allow time for currently eligible Lead Trainers to upgrade their credentials, if needed and desired.

Before this date, the current Lead Trainer requirements hold true. However, as of February 2022, a Lead Trainer of any RYS 200 will need to either hold the E-RYT 500 credential or be approved for the Intermediary Status Provision. You may view the requirements to become an E-RYT 500 here.

Is there an alternate pathway for registration to be an E-RYT 500?

Yoga Alliance will announce a clearly defined alternative registration pathway for teachers who have extensive training and teaching experience, who share similar ethical commitments with Yoga Alliance, and who provide high quality, safe, accessible, and equitable yoga classes to their communities. We are excited to offer a new pathway for these teachers and will share updates to this through our website and membership communications in the near future.


I don’t have the time or money to upgrade my credential to an E-RYT 500 in order to be a Lead Trainer.

We understand that this is not an easy update for some of our members, but 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. However, we understand that extenuating factors may make this requirement difficult to meet. Yoga Alliance is happy to share an upcoming Intermediary Status Provision, designed to help current E-RYT 200 Lead Trainers maintain their Lead Trainer status and livelihoods through the standards up-leveling process. Make sure your email preferences are up-to-date to receive the details of this provision as they become available.


 

Additional questions?

View the New RYS Standards section which includes infographics and resources to support you in making these changes.

You can also contact our Member Support team by email at info@yogaalliance.org or by phone at 1-888-921-9642, Monday–Thursday 10am–6pm ET, or Fridays 10am–5pm ET.

 

Need more assistance?
Contact our Member Services team at 1-888-921-YOGA (9642) or at info@yogaalliance.org.

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