Online Yoga Teacher Training: Yoga Alliance Requirements

By Giang Hoang · Yoga teacher, E-RYT 500 · October 2026 · Vietnamese version

My course page uses three names: RYS 200, Certificate of Completion and RYT 200. Together, they can sound like the same certificate. I save a few words, and the reader has to look them up.

When you complete the requirements of my 200-hour online course, Giang Metta Academy issues your Certificate of Completion. If you want to register as an RYT 200, you apply to Yoga Alliance separately, using that certificate.

These are different steps. I want to explain each one, then help you picture what learning online would involve in your own week.

In short

• An online course can be part of the route to RYT 200. Check the school and the particular training, not only the number “200”.
• The school issues your completion certificate. You apply to Yoga Alliance separately for RYT registration.
• Online does not mean recorded-only. Find out when you and a teacher will meet in real time.
• A workable weekly schedule and feedback on your teaching matter alongside the credential.

Does Yoga Alliance allow fully online training?

Yes. Yoga Alliance allows RYS programmes to run entirely through distance learning. Its standards require at least 15% synchronous learning: teachers and students meeting online at the same time. For RYS 200, the minimum is 30 hours.¹

A live call and a recording both appear on a screen. The difference is whether you can ask a question and receive a response while you are practising. “Online” describes where you meet; it does not tell you enough about how you learn.

30 hours is only the minimum. My course has 80 hours of live time on Zoom. But a number is only one check. It won't tell you whether a teacher's way of teaching suits you.

Who issues the certificate, and what is RYT 200?

RYS refers to the school registration. The school gives you a Certificate of Completion after you meet its course requirements. RYT is an individual teacher registration with Yoga Alliance. Finishing the course and applying for RYT are separate steps.²

Update, October 3, 2026: Yoga Alliance has announced changes to its credentials for 2027. Before applying for RYT registration, check the official update and the requirements that apply to you. The school's completion certificate does not replace this separate application.

For my academy, you can check Giang Metta Academy's school profile, including its RYS 200 designation and YA ID 442630. Check the current status before enrolling rather than relying on a logo alone.

If you plan to apply for RYT, ask what certificate you will receive and when. Yoga Alliance asks for your legal name, the school's registered name, the training level, the completion date, and the legal name and handwritten signature of someone authorised to sign for the school. Names must use English characters, and the person signing cannot be the applicant. You submit the certificate with your application.³

What does learning with me involve?

My 200-hour online yoga teacher training has four parts:

• 80 hours of live guidance on Zoom. I watch your practice, offer verbal cues and ask what you feel. You also practise giving instructions.
• 60 hours of teaching practice. You teach people you invite, while Giang watches live and gives teaching feedback.
• 40 hours of alignment, anatomy and breath theory. So you understand the bodies you are watching.
• 20 hours of philosophy and assessment. The programme includes a 60-minute final teaching practice.

That adds up to 200 hours. It is not 200 hours of live Zoom classes, and it is not three hours of private teaching with me every evening.

In Not Flexible Enough for Yoga?, I describe a student telling me when her heels took more weight and when she felt unsteady. Her observations helped me work out what to adjust with her. That is a practical reason to have a teacher present, rather than only a recording to follow.

You can follow the whole course in English: live sessions, video lectures and course materials. The graduate videos on my course page are from in-person training in Da Lat, not from the online course. I'd rather you know exactly what each video shows.

Can I study from another time zone?

You can study where you live, but a live lesson still needs a time when both of us are available.

I am based in Da Lat, Vietnam, at GMT+7. Tell me your time zone, the hours you can attend regularly and how much time you can set aside each week. We check the live session schedule together before you enrol. I don't want you to pay first and then find out the hours don't work.

The course takes about 2.5 months, with around 3 hours of evening study across all parts of the programme. Count time for theory study, practice and preparing to teach, not only the calls. A flexible location is not the same as an unlimited choice of live lesson times.

Six questions to ask any online yoga school

You can ask me these questions too.

1. Which RYS registration covers this programme? Ask for the directory link and check that the school name and training level match.
2. Who will watch my practice and give feedback? Ask who the teacher is, how many live hours there are, and whether those hours are private or in a group. Live does not automatically mean 1:1.
3. How will I practise teaching? Who will listen to my instructions, review my class plan and give feedback on a lesson? A video count does not answer that.
4. Will the schedule fit my actual week? Give real available times. Ask what happens if you miss a session or need more practice; “flexible” may not mean every lesson can be moved.
5. What must I complete before receiving the certificate? Ask about assignments, teaching practice, assessment and costs. Separate course tuition from Yoga Alliance registration fees.
6. Can I follow the teaching language? Ask to see an available introduction or sample material. Check the language of live lessons, recordings and study materials, not only the language of the website.

A good answer lets you picture one week of the course. Schools don't all have to work the same way. You just need to know which way you are choosing.

Will a certificate get me a teaching job?

I do not promise that. If you have a particular studio or role in mind, ask what they require and whether they want to see you teach. “International” does not mean every employer accepts the same document.

The questions I care about more: who can you guide, what can you see in a body, and what do you still need to practise? Those questions stay with you after graduation.

You do not have to wait until you are flexible to ask about training. Tell me about your practice, the people you would like to teach, and the hours you really have.

Ask before you choose.

Sources to check yourself

I checked these official pages on October 3, 2026. Recheck them before enrolling because requirements can change. My description of the course is specific to my teaching, not a rule for every school.

Giang Hoang

Yoga teacher, E-RYT 500 & YACEP (Yoga Alliance)
Giang Metta Academy: RYS 200 & RYS 500 (YA ID 442630)
Based in Da Lat, Vietnam. Teaching online worldwide.

About Giang →