How Can I Obtain My Yoga Certification in Houston Texas?

Earning your yoga teaching certification is a big commitment. It is demanding not only financially (courses typically cost over $2500) but physically: training is often held on weekends over the course of a few months. With such a large investment, it is important to do your research to be sure you're making the right decision when picking a course. Once you decide it is right for you, there are a few steps you need to take in order to obtain a yoga certification in Houston, Texas.

Instructions

  1. Finding the right course

    • 1

      Find a Yoga Alliance certified training (see Reference 2). These day,s most teacher trainings in the U.S. are Yoga Alliance certified, but it does pay to check. Yoga Alliance acts as a governing body to the yoga industry, ensuring that teacher trainings meet certain educational requirements. Their certification is the most widely recognized throughout the country and overseas. A registered Yoga Alliance program is either 200 or 500 hours in length and covers all the basics you need---anatomy, asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing), and meditation---in order to start teaching. Yoga Alliance provides a list of registered schools in the Houston area. Houston-based Yoga Institute (see Reference 3) is one example of a studio that is registered to provide yoga alliance teacher training.

    • 2

      Join local yoga studios' email newsletter lists. Teacher trainings are typically not on a regular schedule. At the most, studios may offer them twice a year (winter and summer). Since they typically run over the weekends (to fit in with people's work schedules), a 200-hour course can take three or more months to complete. If you join a number of email newsletter lists you'll be able to find out well in advance when the next teacher training will be---and whether it is feasible. Early-bird registration may also qualify you for a discount (although this will vary by studio).

    • 3

      Become familiar with the studio and teachers. Once you've found a program, take some time to get to know the studio. A number of teacher training programs incorporate yoga teachers with specialized knowledge, so who is teaching at the studio might not be who will lead the course. But you can at least get familiar with the studio. See if you feel comfortable in the space, and learn more about whether the style of yoga is what you are interested being certified in. For example, you shouldn't take a more active Ashtanga yoga teacher training when you are interested in a slower Hatha practice. The Yoga Teachers Association of Houston (see Reference 1) provides a comprehensive list of studios, their styles, and whether they offer teacher training.