Dear David,
You are very kind. Thank you for that. I will visit other threads. Personally, I think we could help this situation with suggestions to this center as to what would help improve these courses. It seems they are very concerned with safety. Even in India, traditional thinking has changed with online resources.
Hari Om - My Friend
I am probably really late to this discussion, but I have questions of you all.
I have two beautiful young Daughters, My first, I had a difficult pregnancy and birth - absorbed by a stressful job and a sluggish lifestyle.
However for the pregnancy of my second daughter - my husband [who was studying while I was pregnant with our first] Had more time on his hands to help, I wasn’t working AND i religiously practiced Yoga.
My husband is a Chiropractor - so he regularly adjusts me, especially during my second pregnancy, which I believe had a huge impact, However there is no question in my mind that what made most of the difference was Yoga - including my labour time decreasing by 22 hours [YES FROM 27 Hours with our eldest - to 5 easy beautiful hours with our second].
The only way I practice/d Yoga however was through DVD, as this was all I could afford and all that was readily at my finger tips.
After reading comments, especially posted by ‘david’ - I am curious - because you so heavily question Yoga practice in any other form other than in one on one [person], I realize your talking about studying, but one of your points is that the students may not be taking correct forms and injure themselves… Isn’t that just as likely or even more likely if the student is practicing from a DVD?
On top of that - it is a dream of mine to be able to help woman, like myself have the confidence and the opportunity to have beautiful, natural births and the way I hope to do this is through Yoga. The only place that I can complete this is by distance learning - And the course I too am looking at is The Aura course. I am In NZ - so we have limited courses - especially since I am not based in any of the bigger cities.
I would really like your opinion on this - as you all seem so wise and opinionated, and I am a little bit lost as to how I can approach becoming a pre-natal yoga instructor.
The other thing I have found with The Aura place is that one of the level 1 programs you can study is Power Yoga, Which i really enjoy, but is also not available in NZ. [The Aura Pre/post natal course is a level 2 and is only available to students who have already completed level 1.] I look forward to your responses. Allie
I have no problem with people getting a DVD and practicing at home. Yes, in person with a good teacher is much better, but a DVD can be a decent tool when a substitution is necessary.
But distance teacher training is nothing more than a scam in my opinion. Because you are NOT going to be a yoga teacher. You may call what you’re teaching yoga, but you will not be teaching yoga. Granted, the same scenario is likely from many of the in person “yoga” teacher trainings as they’re absolutely terrible, but the chance of you becoming a yoga teacher from distance learning is virtually nil.
Just as some company sending me a packet I learn and telling me I am a doctor once I finish it, the same is true of some company sending me a packet and some DVDs and telling me I am a yoga teacher after I am done with it. In my opinion, it’s all a scam. And if you can’t see that, then you don’t have the yoga experience necessary to even think about becoming a teacher. Just focus on your practice for now.
I started this thread, and looked closely at online and mail order certifications…
In my opinion - if you feel their course is value for money, looks informative, and well structured;then consider it, especially if no Yoga teachers or schools near you.
But DO NOT do it thinking you will become a teacher after it or it is all you will need to become a teacher. The certficates certifying you as an Instructor or completing such a program are worthless; in fact in many places that look for e.g. Yoga Alliance 200hr certification as a minimum they won’t allow you to teach!
Regarding places like Aura Wellness Center (see link in first post on this thread), if you choose any of their packages - do the maths, go to Amazon, etc check out prices you can get most of those materials for and see if value for money or not.
When you look at testimonials on Aura Wellness Center (there are hundreds!) many people are very happy with the courses & many have gone on to become teachers - here is random example : -
http://www.kiranshashiyoga.co.uk/
[I]On Profile there (http://www.kiranshashiyoga.co.uk/profile) : Kiran is a certified yoga teacher, Reiki Master, Nutritionist and massage therapist, first learning the art in India with family and certifying with a Diploma at The State Council of Education Research & Training in Delhi. She has also the following qualifications:
? High Honours Yoga Teachers Diploma studying with the Aura Wellness Centre.
? The highest grade Diploma in Nutrition and Advanced Nutrition studying at the School of Natural Health Science
? Diploma in Holistic massage[/I]
The High Honours Teachers Diploma from Aura Wellness Center may have been in person, it does not specify. The Center does on site live training also at HQ in U.S. If not then it was through online/mail order certification. The School of Natural Health Science appears to be another mail order / online certification place (there may be others with same name that do live on site training). Diploma in India must have been live in person training, don’t know any more about it.
N.B. This may well be an excellent and knowledgable teacher (site shows several classes in different locations and photos with students) but the qualifications, I think some might wonder if they are as recognised as Yoga Alliance 200hr certification (doing live Teachers Training with teachers) etc.
Agree with what David says above, well almost - some offering these courses might be very sincere in trying to offer education programs in Yoga especially for those with no access to teachers in their locality or for another reason cannot attend classes, of course they are making money from it as any teacher is. Others are as David said out to make a fast buck from gullible people or people who want to become Yoga Instructors overnight. It would be better if they said or stated clearly on any certificates this is online/homestudy course and that the bearer should undertake live training also for minimum no. of hours.
I have been a personal trainer for over 15 years. I am very familiar with proper body alignment, I have taught aerobics classes and worked with hundreds of students over the course of my career. I am very interested in furthering my education and I find myself being pulled towards Yoga. I have been researching a few schools in the area and they seem incredible over priced and I am concerned that their genuine intention is not so much to build great teachers but to just make money. My dream would be to eventually travel to India and learn the principles from where it began.
Now, I have three children at home, I am currently working towards my masters online and I found Aura to be a pretty in depth program. I checked the BBB and they have had no complaints with regards to their school or education. I am comparing them to what I have available here locally and from my research it seems that this is a better option. (even if it is online)
What say you to someone who has a strong understanding of proper body alignment, who has practiced yoga for a few years and still wants to train online? I believe it’s not so much where you get your education but what you take from it. It’s not enough for me to pay top dollar at a local institution, I need to feel that they are on a genuine path. Perhaps I have not found a good enough school? Maybe there is a place here in Miami that I have yet to discover?
Would be most appreciative of some direction with this matter.
Many Thanks.
I have taken both online and traditional live training, and I’ve gotten a lot out of both. I think you need some hands-on training, but I also think home study and online training has a place. I took the online training from Paul and Marie Jerard and found it exceptional.
[QUOTE=David;58704]
Would we certify a doctor online? Of course not. Would we certify a physical therapist online? Of course not. Would we certify a psychologist online? Of course not. All require human interaction. Yet a good yoga teacher plays each of roles in part, and more. And that’s not taking into account the importance of a master teacher evaluating the prospective student in person and countless other variables.
If you want to certify a history major online, I won’t say a word. If you want to certify a yoga teacher online, I’m going to call you out.
In my opinion, anyone certified by an online yoga certification program should be boycotted. Everyone should ask where their teachers are certified and if their only certification is online, they should find another teacher. That’s the best way to put these predatory yoga teacher training puppy mills out of business.[/QUOTE]
I’m getting an advanced Nursing Degree online. 
Yes, I’m going to have to do some clinical work, but very limited number of hours.
I think reading this thread has answered some of my own questions.
Specifically, I do think that online at home study can be a great [U]base[/U] for yoga instruction and deepening of one’s own practice.
I also think that in order to be a ‘yoga teacher’, it is not necessary to teach a class of postures, but rather, one can teach yoga through everyday interactions with people and the Earth.
[QUOTE=bunniemny;70030]Specifically, I do think that online at home study can be a great [U]base[/U] for yoga instruction and deepening of one’s own practice.[/QUOTE]
I don’t dispute that. You can learn the “base” of yoga related terminology and read some pertinent books via an online course. But then once you have that base, you need to pour the foundation, the walls, and build the roof. Then once you have that shell of your structure, you can work on the inside. Until you’ve built that complete structure, you are not a true teacher despite what a piece of paper and your ego tells you because you’re going to bring students into that incomplete structure and it’s going to come crashing down.
It’s time the yoga community update its building codes and tear down the dangerous structures.
I agree with your basic theory David, and I do think that the online or at home study courses are perfect for people (such as me and the OP) to gain more insight into their own practice.
And that’s the thing, yoga is a practice, so yes, you do need personal experience with a trained instructor, I’m personally hoping to work that out SOMEHOW in the future, but it’s important to remember that every teacher, no matter how extensive their study and years of experience, is still in practice and still learning, as there really is no ‘end’ to the practice.
[QUOTE=bunniemny;70034]I agree with your basic theory David, and I do think that the online or at home study courses are perfect for people (such as me and the OP) to gain more insight into their own practice.
And that’s the thing, yoga is a practice, so yes, you do need personal experience with a trained instructor, I’m personally hoping to work that out SOMEHOW in the future, but it’s important to remember that every teacher, no matter how extensive their study and years of experience, is still in practice and still learning, as there really is no ‘end’ to the practice.[/QUOTE]
Quite interesting. This is the way most politicians in India have been manipulating innocent and illiterate people for last 60 years. But nowadays some of them are getting it back in a not so pleasant way. Lets carry on with positive discussions on yoga.
[QUOTE=ActiveLink;70058]Quite interesting. This is the way most politicians in India have been manipulating innocent and illiterate people for last 60 years. But nowadays some of them are getting it back in a not so pleasant way. Lets carry on with positive discussions on yoga.[/QUOTE]
I’m sorry, I don’t see the non positive words in my response? I’m certainly not condoning any kind of oppression when I suggest that yogis continue to learn from their practice their whole lives, but that is my honest opinion. I think everyone, whether a practictioner of yoga or not continues to learn always, integrating each new interaction and life event into the being.
I don’t know how my words led you to believe that I was offering any kind of negativity? But I’m certainly willing to try to understand why/what I said that was not positive if you would please clarify?
[QUOTE=whitecrowyoga;69631]I have taken both online and traditional live training, and I’ve gotten a lot out of both. I think you need some hands-on training, but I also think home study and online training has a place. I took the online training from Paul and Marie Jerard and found it exceptional.[/QUOTE]
I know your answer wasn’t directed at me, but I found it helpful, thank you.
[QUOTE=bunniemny;70061]I know your answer wasn’t directed at me, but I found it helpful, thank you.[/QUOTE]
Thanks a lot. I was expecting such a kind of response from you in next 6 months. Obviously, I’ve got nothing against you or what you are discussing on this forum. Yoga teaches us a lot of positive things.
I’m really baffled your responses ActiveLink.
In post #41, you quoted my response to someone else as if it was directed at you, I’m sorry if I didn’t make it clear that my comment “I know your answer wasn’t directed at me, but I found it helpful, thank you” was directed to whitecrowyoga.
And I also do not understand at all what you mean when you say you were expecting a repsonse in 6 months?
You say you have nothing against what I am discussing on this forum, but you very clearly told me earlier that I need to stay on a positive discussion of yoga, implying that i was not being positive…I’m just basically finding your responses a bit confusing and I aplogize for that.
I think you need to ask yourself, would YOU like to be taught by a yoga teacher who received their credentials online? Possibly never done yoga except in their living room? I doubt it, especially if you really want to advance in yoga, and practice more deeply.
In saying that I think it can be done. A woman at our yoga studio practiced on and off 10 years but was in heavy practice the last 5 years. She had just had a baby and couldn’t afford to travel but really wanted to teach. She did the Aura wellness online but also asked us to mentor her for her 180 hands on hours for her 200 hour certificate.
I had no problem with this, and she also qualified for yoga alliance.
In addition she also had a fitness background, teaching Pilates and Nia .
[QUOTE=Dancing_Sun;70373]I think you need to ask yourself, would YOU like to be taught by a yoga teacher who received their credentials online? Possibly never done yoga except in their living room? I doubt it, especially if you really want to advance in yoga, and practice more deeply.
In saying that I think it can be done. A woman at our yoga studio practiced on and off 10 years but was in heavy practice the last 5 years. She had just had a baby and couldn’t afford to travel but really wanted to teach. She did the Aura wellness online but also asked us to mentor her for her 180 hands on hours for her 200 hour certificate.
I had no problem with this, and she also qualified for yoga alliance.
In addition she also had a fitness background, teaching Pilates and Nia .[/QUOTE]
Well, I’ve been instructed by 1 teacher who has no certification at all, but has an intensive 8 yr practice history, and 1 teacher who did recieve an online certification (which I didn’t know until I asked her just the other day), she had been practicing yoga on and off for 15 years, is also certified in the old fashioned aerobics and step aerobics etc.
In any case, neither one of them was teaching an advanced class, it was a beginner yoga class I sometimes go to because on that particular day of the week it’s the only class in town that fits into my time schedule.
So no, I wouldn’t mind it all, that being said, I’ve been practicing yoga for a while and have studied a bit extra through reading, workshops, as well as had private lessons etc so I could learn more in depth the poses. So for me…it’s a safe practice no matter who is leading the class.
I thought both of those instructors did a nice job of leading class safely for beginner students actually, although neither of these instructors do hands on alignments, but they are able to verbalize modifications to poses for those that have physical need for same, and one of them in particular, the one with no certification at all, always leads such a beautifully flowing practice…she has a real talent for making the class as beautiful and graceful as a ballet, which is always so very cool, I hope she soon gets the chance to get her certification, but like many, she is unable to take the time off right now for such a pursuit, so she is also considering the online option.
I don’t really think there are many situations where one becomes a yoga instructor without some heavy practice in their background? Why would anyone be interested in it unless they themselves had a love for yoga and a bit of a teacher in them? But then again…I am sometimes very naive about other people’s motives 
I think once I really study, even if it is online, if I combine it with some sort of ‘apprenticeship’ somewhere, meaning I get to co-lead a class (which will be difficult for me as there is really only one yoga studio in this area that I actually feel is the best representative of what yoga is in it’s entirety), I think that someday I would be a good physical practice yoga instructor
In many ways, I already do teach yoga with my interactions with people and some of the volunteer work I do.
(sorry my answer so long winded…once I get started I tend to go on and on and on )
Home based courses do nothing more than crumble what is already a foundation made of balsa wood. Wake up and take some personal responsibility people. Go earn yourself some ethics.
I just wrote an article for my yoga teacher blog and thought it may be useful for members of this forum. Most weeks I receive an email from an eager wannabe yoga teacher asking for my advice on how to become a yoga teacher. Now I?d like to share my top 10 tips with you.
[B]Tip #1 ? To Be Or Not To Be [/B]
Why do you want to be a yoga teacher? The first step in becoming a successful yoga teacher is to unearth the reasons why you want to become one. Most yoga courses last two to three years and believe me when I say this?
It?s going to be a lot harder than you think!
All my fellow yoga teacher trainees (when I was doing my course) said the same thing, ?It?s much tougher than I thought it was going to be.? I?m not saying this to scare you off, but to make it very clear that you?re going to have to make sacrifices if you have a desire to become a yoga teacher. Each assignment always takes much longer than you think. Answering just one question in a unit can easily soak up hours and hours and hours of research and study.
Here are some typical reasons you may choose to become a yoga teacher…
Being aware of your personal reasons for becoming a yoga teacher is so important because of the energy it gives you. You may have the most expensive car in the world, but unless you have any fuel, it?s just an expensive lump of metal. You might be potentially the greatest yoga teacher the planet has ever seen, but if your reasons aren?t compelling enough, you won?t have enough energy (fuel) to finish the journey. Approximately 20% of people quit during a two year course. That just goes to show how challenging it is.
[B]Tip 2 ? Have You Got Enough of the Green Stuff?[/B]
No matter what yoga teacher course you choose, you’ll be forking out a fair amount of the green stuff. So, unless you’re an oil baron, bank executive or have recently inherited a large chunk of money, it will probably be a significant investment for you.
When you factor in the course fees, travel costs, food costs, yoga books, membership fees and paying for observations (that alone cost me over ?300) it adds up. I estimate that my yoga teacher diploma cost me ?4,000. So, if money is a bit tight, you have two options.
Option 1 - Raid your savings.
Option 2 - Spend a few months squirrelling away money in a tin
I recommend a tin that needs a can opener to open it). On that tin write ?Yoga Money?. When you?re thinking about buying a cappuccino (or something that isn?t necessary), run to your money tin, put the money in, then walk to your nearest tap and pour yourself a refreshing glass of free water.
Here?s a list of money saving tactics I used to help pay for my yoga teacher training course?.
Now you know why you want to BE a yoga teacher and have an idea on how to fund your yoga teacher training, it’s time to do some research.
[B]Tip 3 ? Research UK Yoga Schools on Google[/B]
Each yoga teacher training school is different, but most will follow a program similar to this…
The national body of yoga is the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY). I did my teacher training with the BWY, but there are many more yoga associations. It?s well worth spending some time researching some of them such as:
Visit their websites and call up the ones that look promising and ask for more information.
Now you know your personal reasons for becoming a yoga teacher, that you?ve got what it takes to be one and where you want to train, it’s time to think about the different ways to make money as a yoga teacher???
[B]Tip 4 - Teaching a Yoga Class[/B]
You have a multitude of options for giving group yoga lessons.
Here are a few examples to get you started…
If I had to give one tip to get more students to your group classes it would be: Offer the first class for FREE.
[B]Tip 5 - Giving One to One Yoga Sessions[/B]
When someone comes to you for one to one yoga, it’s a great opportunity to take your teaching to the next level. For example, the first one to one session I did was with someone who was pregnant. I had done a bit of yoga for pregnancy in my BWY teacher training course and knew enough to get by, but faced with a looming one on one session, I swotted up on pregnancy for yoga. I read books. I researched online. I watched YouTube videos. I called the person who trained me. I called my mum (a yoga teacher). The total immersion in pregnancy yoga made me a better teacher. Since that first one to one session, I’ve given one to one sessions for people with sciatica, depression, MS, bad backs, etc.
Expect to receive around ?30 to ?45 for private yoga lessons.
[B]Tip 6 - Corporate Yoga[/B]
Corporations know that healthier, happier employees are more productive and don’t come down with imaginary flu 20 to 30 times a year. That’s where your yoga lessons come in.
You have two options…
Option 1 - Call up the corporation and give their employees a special rate to your yoga class
Option 2 - Set up a class in one of their rooms. This is a great option as you won’t have to pay for the venue and if it’s a large business with lots of employees you won’t have to worry about marketing the class.
[B]Tip 7 ? Establish Your Yoga Niche[/B]
I highly recommend picking a yoga niche to focus on. It will increase your passion and your profits.
For example, I play professional golf and teach yoga. The obvious niche for me was to combine my love of yoga with golf. After teaching a normal yoga class for almost three years, I started to teach yoga at a golf academy. The perk of being an expert in a niche, is that you don?t have a lot of competition. Within the next 12 months, I?ll be creating a membership website and DVDs on yoga for golfers. That will create passive income that will go towards paying for my eco house/yoga studio.
The successful yoga teachers, the ones who make a full time living, all have a yoga niche and host one or more yoga retreats for that niche each year.
Here?s a list of 15 potential yoga retreat niches…?
[B]Tip 8 - Yoga Weekends[/B]
Hosting a yoga weekend is by far the most profitable option for yoga teachers.
You have two options…
Option 1 - Host Your Own Retreat
You can make more in one weekend yoga retreat than a whole year of teaching group classes. Though don’t rush into it. Give yourself a few years to mature as a yoga teacher before setting up your first yoga retreat.
Option 2 - Piggyback
Find businesses running retreats in your local area; call them up and ask if they’ve ever thought about adding yoga to their retreat. This way you get to ‘piggyback’ onto the retreat. That means you make pretty decent money without the worry and hassle of organising a retreat.
[B]Tip 9 - Opening Your Own Yoga Studio[/B]
This isn’t really an option until you’ve paid your dues and been a yoga teacher for several years. Earn your stripes before thinking about setting up your own Yoga Studio.
[B]Tip 10 ? Multiple Streams of Yoga Teacher Income[/B]
Do you remember going to a sweet shop when you were young? You come to the pick ?n? mix section and get to choose your favourite sweets. Treat (forgive the pun) your yoga business like going into a sweet shop. Pick the career path options that you like the taste of.
Time for an example?
I teach group classes, give 1 to 1 sessions, host yoga weekend retreats, teach yoga at other retreats (ones that I don?t have to organise) and have recently started teaching yoga to juniors at golf academies.
The message is: don?t put all your eggs (yoga services) in one basket (e.g. yoga classes). Having several yoga teacher income streams is a wise strategy in case one or more of them dry up.
Hope that helps 
Below is my response to your question about home study. I offer these opinions with humility and love, so please take them as such.
I think that in the yoga world a home-study certification is not respected and those who offer them are probably looked at as not being legitimate. The recognized certifying body for yoga instructors is the Yoga Alliance. They will not certify you from a home study course. And you will not be able to get insurance either.
Homestudy is a great enhancement for learning, but I don’t think it is appropriate as the sole source of training for a brand new instructor.
If you are already a certified group fitness instructor or personal trainer and you want to teach ‘gym yoga’, then a home study course might suffice. You would teach under your group fitness or pt certification, not as a certified instructor and your insurance would be under those disciplines. Of course, ‘gym yoga’ is controversial, but I don’t want to get into that right now. And I’m not saying whether I’m ‘for’ or against gym yoga - I just mentioned it as a reality in today’s yoga world.
Ask yourself why you want to teach yoga? Are you fully committed to teaching? If so, then I think you should make the time and financial investment to take a full, in person yoga teacher training program. Some programs are as low as $2,000 and can even be reduced in return for Siva (service work). I’m hoping to start a yoga teacher training program in the next year that is affordable and offers various payment options yet - I’m not there yet though 
Good luck to You.
Namaste, Monique
Hi Monique,
I am a Certified Yoga Instructor, working In Providence, RI. I am certified through Aura Wellness Center’s Online Yoga Teacher Training due to the fact that I am a single Mom and I did not have the time to take weeks or months off from my work or parental duties. Cost-wise, you would be lucky in this area to find a course for $2,000, most are near $3,000, or higher, however, that was a bit too expensive. Aura is close to me, about a 25-30 minute drive, however the online training was more convenient. I have been to their school on several occasions to attend regular student classes.
I am a little confused by your post. Below I just took out some parts, to clarify, because I think you may have been given the wrong information.
“I think that in the yoga world a home-study certification is not respected and those who offer them are probably looked at as not being legitimate.”
Are you referring to places like NESTA and Yoga Education Institute?
There are some place like NESTA provide a sort of credential for Yoga, however they aren’t even a real Yoga school. However I wouldn’t classify places like Aura Wellness Center under that same umbrella. The reason why I say this is that Aura Wellness Center is an accredited school in the Yoga Community. Actually one of the organizations which accredits their center is the Yoga Alliance. Even though that organization is optional to join, and isn’t required by most of the facilities offering Yoga.
“The recognized certifying body for yoga instructors is the Yoga Alliance. They will not certify you from a home study course. And you will not be able to get insurance either.”
The Yoga Alliance does not certify; they “Register”. Registration is an optional credential and is not required to teach. Your certification comes from the school you trained with.
About the second part: I have insurance through Yoga Insurance Plus. They actually give a discount to ALL Aura Wellness Center graduates, as all of us complete the same curriculum, which is very safety oriented. I had no problem getting insurance. I could have gone with Yoga Journal, however they were expensive in comparison.
Since they require at least 200 hours of training, yes, a NESTA or equivalent type certification would not be adequate.
Also, I believe the program that you were referring to is actually SEVA, which is a type of work-study program, however that does require a lot of time investment. If taking a month off was too much time off from my family and job, the invested time in SEVA, which can take months definitely would be.
Namaste,
Audrey