My son wants to learn to be a yoga instructor. I am willing to pay for his instruction but I want to make sure I’m getting my money’s worth.
My questions: The school he has chosen says their course in “balance” yoga meets the 200 hour requirements of the Yoga Alliance. Is this a legitimate statement? Is the Yoga Alliance the standard in certification, etc? Could someone give me some guidance here? 
Forgive me if I am posting in the wrong spot or the question is too elementary.
Jeff
Without advocating or condemning the particular school you’re asking about let me share the following:
The legitimacy of the statement (as that is your question) can be verified on the Yoga Alliance web site. If they are a registered school then the statement is accurate.
But that is only the topsoil of the issue. Currently the standards for yoga teachers are incredible lacking. Yoga Alliance is tightening the standards but even a good yank on the belt of those standards would not put yoga teacher requirements in a solid position. We’ve got a long way to go.
That having been said, the yoga alliance is the best we’ve got right now, though they do not “certify” anything but rather hold standards for their registrants. So that does mean something. However if you are looking to place your son in position to be good at his craft, if you are looking to maximize his time in training AND your investment in it, then please look at the curriculum of the training above and beyond the YA registration. There are hundreds of Yoga Alliance registered schools. Some are very sound. Others are not.
Hi Jeff,
I am not in a position to answer your question on the YA as I am from South Africa and things here works a bit different, but I think IA gave you a good answer. However, I would like to ask other questions to you for consideration. You don’t have to reply, it is just to add some perspective on this as well in order to avoid disappointment in future.
I sense that you want to spend your money well and in return that you expect your son to make a good and decent living out of yoga. Few yoga teachers actually makes ends meet at the end of the month through yoga only. Most teachers (In South Africa anyway) still holds a normal day job as well. Most teachers I know do it not for the money but for the love of yoga.
Then, how old is your son? He sounds fairly young if you going to pay for his course. Does he really has the necessary wisdom and experience to be a teacher? Becoming a teacher is a heart decision after much investment in yourself after many years of learning. Remember you’re not just a teacher of yoga to many, but you also become sort of their ear to listen to their problems, which is sometimes highly emotional problems. Is your son ready, emotionally, to handle this type of responsibility?
Another consideration. As a yoga teacher you are responsible not only for the physical well being of your students, but also their spiritual growth and well being. Again, will your son be able to handle the responsibility?
In the end, becoming a yoga teacher is a process of many years, well for most of the teachers I know and for me it was certainly so. This doesn’t mean it has to be like that for your son, he might be a very advanced soul, but this is why you have to ask these questions as well, becasue you know your son well enough to make the correct deductions.