There is no such thing as a yoga certification

Okay, everyone. You have completed your 200 hours of teacher training, and here is your certificate of completion.

Somehow, the phrase

"Certificate of Completion" has been translated into

"Yoga Teaching Certification".

It's crucial to understand that the yoga industry lacks a standardized certification system.

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Theresa in duck pose. Duck your head, this post will blow your mind, there is no such thing as a certified yoga teacher. — Be true to yourself and be true to your students.- Theresa

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Let's set the record straight. There is no such thing as a certified yoga teacher or licensing training program.

Yes, that means you, reading this, who may have never done a day of yoga in your life, can start teaching classes, and NO ONE can stop you from being a fraudulent teacher because there is no fraud actually happening. You don't have to be certified or licensed to teach a yoga class. No one does.

So, who can you trust?

When teachers market that they are certified in yoga teaching, what they mean is, "I took a course with this teacher and was told I was certified to teach." At CPY, we feel it is the responsibility of the Yoga Teacher Training program's facilitator to inform the participants that they are offering a training program, not a license or certification to teach.

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Yoga teachers might be trained, educated, and learned but are not certified by any governing body.

There is no formal standardization, testing, and oversight in the yoga industry. Teachers may not always have the necessary knowledge and ethical standards. They aren't board-certified yoga teachers because there is no board for yoga teachers to answer to. As yoga practitioners and potential teachers, we must be aware of this reality. The industry is (unknowingly?) misleading the consumer by stating they have been certified.

If one markets or brands yoga as healing everything, there is no certifying body to which any yoga teacher, studio, or school must answer to for these actions. So, yoga students are in a very precarious situation. They must discern from websites and words whether the teacher upholds strict standards for themselves or is a little lax on the yoga standard button. It is important to know when looking for yoga class that incorrect yoga techniques can be detrimental to practitioners. This highlights the need for potential students to be discerning when choosing a place to practice.

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Yoga students should look for a place where yoga practice is the essential focus.

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They should seek out studios and classes that prioritize training students to understand and practice yoga for themselves rather than those that churn out new "certified" yoga teachers every week.

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What about Yoga Alliance?

Yoga Alliance is not a certifying body but a registry for yoga teachers, schools, and studios.

It's. A. Registry.

Something like what a phone book used to be for businesses. (read all that again; it really baffles a lot of teachers and studios who pay for it to learn that is all it is)

Yoga teachers, schools, and studios pay a good amount of money to market on the Yoga Alliance site, and the site rewards them with better search engine optimization so that their names appear in more results. However, Yoga Alliance does not certify or have standards that teachers must follow. It is nothing more than a paid-for marketing platform. It is an excellent resource for brand awareness.

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CPY has never claimed to certify teachers nor registered with Yoga Alliance (even when it was almost free!). However, we have trained many teachers to learn how to teach since 2004.

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At CPY, our commitment is unwavering

Yoga teachers have no one to answer to, only themselves.

At CPY, our commitment is unwavering. We are dedicated to educating people about the genuine experience of yoga. We are here to help you see that there is a simple and authentic way to practice. We are here to support you as a student developing into a person who can use practice for physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

We are open and transparent about our training and practice and how we can help you. Our experience teaching more than 5-6 classes per day, every day, for almost 25 years gives us an unparalleled opportunity to really dive deep into how yoga can help multiple body types, personality types, and individuals.

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Recognizing the need for a change in the industry, CPY is stepping up to the plate.

We are introducing a Yoga Immersion course designed to bring students back to the essence of yoga and redefine what it means to be a teacher. This course is a beacon of truth in an industry plagued by misrepresentation. It offers a deep understanding of yoga, practical teaching experience, and a supportive community of like-minded individuals.

This course will guide students and trainees through the beautiful aspects of yoga, practice, and consistency and open students up to the history of yoga. CPY has a colorful plethora of yoga stories and sagas that can only be found from years of research and study of real books (not gleaned from Facebook, Alexa, or AI)

It's a glorious feeling to learn the yoga practice from the place it was meant to be understood and studied - from the heart.

- Starts This Summer 2025. Contact CPY for more info.

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The immersion is open to anyone who wants to practice yoga.

You will be trained with experience, knowledge, and love. This course is CPY's offering to give students, teachers, and potential teachers an opportunity to enjoy a genuine path of yoga teacher training.

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