How to Start a Yoga Teacher Training Program at Your Studio
So you have your studio, your classes are running, and somewhere in the back of your mind you keep wondering what comes next. Maybe you want to create more impact. Maybe you want to build something beyond your weekly schedule. Or maybe you are simply curious about whether it makes sense to start a yoga teacher training at your studio.
If you are a studio owner, you are not alone. Many studio owners reach a point where they consider adding yoga teacher training to a yoga studio as a way to deepen community, expand leadership, and create another source of income. In this article, I will walk you through how to start a yoga teacher training program at your studio, based on real world experience. This is written specifically for studio owners who want to host a yoga teacher training and do it well, with Yoga Alliance in mind from the beginning.
Start With Clarity and Intention
The first step before we talk about spreadsheets, schedules, or applications is to pause. As a yoga practitioner and teacher, create space to reflect on why you want to host a yoga teacher training at your studio. Can you clearly envision students taking notes? Trainees practicing instruction with one another? The energy of study, curiosity, and transformation?
Notice how that feels, and be honest with yourself. This clarity matters more than most people realize. Running a yoga teacher training program requires consistency, presence and emotional energy. Students enroll because of you, your experience and your perspective. If the vision feels grounded and exciting rather than heavy or rushed, that is a good sign.
Understand the Yoga Alliance Requirements
Once your intention is clear, it is time to get practical. Visit Yoga Alliance’s website and review the current requirements carefully. If you plan to apply for Yoga Alliance RYT 200 approval, you need to understand the Yoga Alliance RYT 200 requirements in detail.
Yoga Alliance registered yoga school requirements change over time. For example, prior to 2025, an E-RYT 200 could serve as lead faculty for a 200-hour training; now, the lead trainer must hold an E-RYT 500 designation. These details matter and missing them can slow the process significantly.
If you are wondering how to register a yoga teacher training with Yoga Alliance, this step is non-negotiable. Ensure you fully understand all requirements before moving forward.
Commit to the Curriculum and the Workload
This is where many studio owners underestimate the process. Writing a yoga teacher training curriculum that meets Yoga Alliance standards takes far more time than most people expect. Learning how to create a yoga teacher training curriculum is not just about listing topics. It involves sequencing, educational hours, assessments, philosophy, anatomy, methodology, and practicum.
Carve out dedicated time – block it in your agenda or Google Calendar – to write your curriculum, develop your student workbook, create a book list, and outline course criteria. Then begin. When people ask about the time required to create a yoga teacher training, the honest answer is that it depends, but it is always more than you think. If you are writing a yoga teacher training curriculum from scratch, be realistic about your capacity alongside running your studio and your personal life. There is a vast amount of required material to transmit, and students enroll because of you. Make sure you allow ample time to cover the subjects that inspire you most, the very reasons yoga resonated with you in the first place.
Schedule the Training Intentionally
Next, look at how the training fits into your studio calendar. Consider weekends, intensives, or modular formats, and evaluate your own responsibilities. Can you realistically hold all the teaching hours yourself, or will you need to bring in additional instructors?
Planning this early prevents burnout later. Running a yoga teacher training program while managing a studio requires structure and boundaries. Intentional scheduling protects both you and your students.
Test the Market Early
Although this appears late in this article, it is arguably the most important step: let your students know your intention to host an RYT 200 training ASAP and share a rough timeframe, whether in the coming months or within the next year.
Ask who is interested. This gives you a realistic estimate of demand and helps determine whether the time, effort, and financial investment are worthwhile.
Better yet, offer an early-bird incentive that includes a non-refundable deposit. This provides both market validation and financial commitment. It helps you assess whether hosting a yoga teacher training is financially and energetically viable for your studio.
Price Your Training Strategically
Pricing requires research. Lots of it. If you plan to offer the training locally, research all comparable programs within a reasonable radius of your studio. Note their pricing, structure, and what’s included. A discount of 15–20% compared to competitors is reasonable when launching.
Why not offer a 50% discount? Because deeply undervaluing your training also devalues you, your studio, and the education you’re providing. Establishing yourself as “cheap” makes future price increases difficult and positions your program as disposable rather than transformational. Do the research, and price accordingly.
If you’re offering a destination training or a modular format, the same rule applies: research first. Ensure your pricing falls within a reasonable range of comparable programs.
For many studio owners asking: is yoga teacher training profitable? The answer depends on thoughtful pricing, positioning, and delivery. For the vast majority of studios, yoga teacher training for studio owners becomes a meaningful source of yoga studio teacher training income beyond regular class attendance.
Differentiate Your Training
Clearly define what makes you and your training unique. This could include your teaching methodology, philosophical emphasis, lineage, specialty populations, mentorship structure, or post-training support. Differentiation is what turns interest into enrollment.
Apply for Yoga Alliance Approval
Once your curriculum is complete, your dates are set, and interest is confirmed, it is time to apply. Upload your documents, complete the application, and submit payment. Many studio owners ask how long does yoga alliance approval take. Typically, within two to three weeks you’ll receive an estimated timeline for review. Depending on application volume, the feedback and revision process can take anywhere from six months to a year.
Plan ahead. If you are preparing to apply for Yoga Alliance RYT 200 approval, patience and organization will serve you well.
Build a Support Team
Finally, remember this is not something you need to do alone. Create a support team. No one excels at everything, and the idea that we should manage work, home life, and major professional projects solo is simply false. Choose collaborators you trust! This is a substantial undertaking, and support is essential.
Closing Thoughts
Choosing to train future yoga teachers is a meaningful step. For studio owners, offering yoga teacher training at your studio can deepen impact, strengthen leadership, and create long term stability.
Congratulations on choosing to train future yoga teachers. The more teachers we educate, the more accessible yoga becomes, and our world, now more than ever, needs the clarity, steadiness, and light that yoga teachers offer.
