5 Great Yoga Continuing Education Courses Online 

If something has consistently been on the rise since last year, Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) has continued. Despite our ever busy and rushing life, the quarantine period has brought everything to a standstill for a while. Despite all the negatives that come with this, we choose to see the positives. Now would be an excellent time for aspiring yogi to get certified in the comfort of their own homes.

Due to the changing nature of different injuries, continuing education helps people keep up with new skills. Yoga continuing education is compulsory because it allows the teachers to access new knowledge and improve their prevalent skills. 

Every certified yoga teacher is required to partake in continuing education every three years for seventy-five hours. During these hours, you should learn new things under the five educational categories recommended by Yoga Alliance. 

Is it possible to get credit for doing Yoga Continuing Education Online?

Because of the ongoing situation in the world with limited movement, Yoga Alliance has permitted online training exemption from now until the end of 2021, when the rules might change. This online training exemption is in place so that all yoga teachers can improve their skills and move forward even without physically attending a class. 

Continuing education (CE) is important because it helps teachers practice safe teaching, informed practices, and current research and physiology and body mechanics. Continuing education helps yoga teachers have a deeper understanding of ancient texts. CE helps maintain the integrity of our community, profession, and future. 

As you keep studying, you will further understand how to handle every student, no matter the injuries and mental problems, and help them use the practice to heal themselves. To be a yoga teacher, you have to be a student forever because there is never too much knowledge. 

Benefits of pursuing continuing education online

• The materials in online training are always available to you, and you can read them over and over until you grasp the material as best as you can. 
• Most yoga continuing education courses online allow you to study the concepts at your own pace. Meaning, you can create your schedule and study with it instead of struggling to meet up with the school’s schedule.
• Studying in the comfort of your home can’t be topped. When you’re home, you can finally do your practice and go over your course material comfortably. 
• By pursuing a yoga course online, you will develop accountability and self-discipline skills to help you in the future. If you’re poor at self-discipline, continuing yoga education online will help you sharpen those skills. 

Does Yoga Alliance Recognize Online Training? 

As of 2021, Yoga Alliance put in place an exemption for online learning due to the restrictions regarding movement. If you’ve been looking to pursue CE in yoga, this would be the best time to do it. The exemption put in place by Yoga Alliance only lasts until the end of 2021, just in case things change. You might never get a chance as good as this one, so it is best to take advantage of it. 

As much as you can be skeptical about whether online training is as good as in-person training, it depends on the course you’re pursuing, the institution, and the teacher. We have done some research for you and put together a couple of yoga continuing courses online that will be worth your time. 

1) Loka Yoga School- Online Yin Yoga Teacher Training

If you’ve wanted to learn Yin Yoga, Loka Yoga School is the best place to learn this ancient art. Yoga Alliance recognizes the school, and you can get 50 hours online of continuing education. 

Their online training is self-paced, and how fast you finish it depends on your speed. They have a teaching toolkit, a downloadable workbook, a manual containing 64 Yin poses, video lectures, presentations, and assessment quizzes. During your training, you can join a Yin Yoga group and community with over 300 people. 

About the Course and Instructor

The instructors of the course are Taryn and Yann. Taryn has practiced as a registered yoga teacher since 2013. She currently is an E-RYT 500. Taryn has taught many groups of people, even athletes, and has over 10,000 training hours with Yoga Alliance, and she keeps on learning. 

Yann is an expert in anatomy and physiology. He teaches students all about the human body. He also has a Bachelor’s in Nursing. He has worked in significant hospitals taking care of people with terminal illnesses and even ebola patients. His diverse knowledge helps him teach about human anatomy in an understandable fashion. 

To pursue the course, you have three options; 

• Option 1: “The complete experience” Yin Yoga, Breathwork, and Meditation
• Option 2: Yin Yoga and Breathwork Training. 
• Option 3: Yin and Meditation. 

You get to choose the options according to your needs. You can also have lifetime access to the course and course materials. 

By the end of your training, you’ll understand the fundamentals of Yin Yoga and be able to teach everyone from children, athletes to the elderly. You will also fully understand the human anatomy making you stand out from the crowd as a yoga teacher. You will also get a certification recognized by Yoga Alliance, and you can practice anywhere in the world. 

2) My Vinyasa Practice- Yoga Therapy For Anxiety (Free Course)

Don’t we all wish we could learn how to manage anxiety and help others do the same? If you’re of a similar opinion, check out this course by My Vinyasa Practice. The course trains you on using the tools of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness to manage stress and anxiety. 

The course consists of video lectures, journaling activities, practices, and guided meditations. You also get to be part of an exclusive Facebook group with like-minded individuals as you all help each other out through this journey. 

About the Course and Instructor

Michelle Young started practicing yoga in 2004. She currently is a Yoga Alliance certified E-RYT 500 and is a C-IAYT yoga therapist. 

Aligning subtle bodies through Asana, Pranayama, and Meditation. 

In tis course, you get to study about;

• The physical body
• Embracing earth
• Creativity
• Power
• Compassion
• Communication
• Intuition

After completing this course, you will comfortably teach your students how to utilize the tools of yoga to aid in anxiety management. 

3) Yoga International- Inversion Immersion

This course by Yoga International is a brilliant way to teach basic inversions like handstands, forearm stand, headstand, and shoulder stand (against the wall or independently). This course contains four weeks’ worth of materials and ten-minute practices. After the course, you will be a bit more flexible, strong, and have better mobility. 

The course is beginner-friendly because you will be using many props to help you better yourself as you grow in your practice. You can repeat specific lessons to help you better understand how to move and not injure yourself. You are allowed to take breaks or even practice longer to refine your skills. 

About the Course and Instructor  

Jessica Stickler will be your instructor. She discovered yoga while she was trying to deal with anxiety and depression. Jessica studied Philosophy at Sarah Lawrence College and is a certified advanced Jivamukti Yoga Teacher since 2008.

She keeps on continuing her study in anatomy and movement with Amy Matthews. 

Her course has four sections; 

• Week 1: Headstand
• Week 2: Forearm Stand 
• Week 3: Headstand 
• Week 4: Shoulderstand. 

This course will teach you how to warm up your inversion practices and align yourself in these poses using props and even without them. You will also learn how to time each movement in your course as you know to hold these poses for periods at a time.

4) Arogya Yoga School – Yoga Teacher Training, Yoga Nidra and Meditation Certification 

This Yoga Nidra Certification offered by My Vinyasa Practice will help anyone deepen their understanding of the ancient teachings of Yoga Nidra. Throughout the course, you will have a Lead Trainer and Peer Support Team, who will answer any questions and help students who need help. 

You can complete this online training within four weeks, but students can study it for as long as they want. My Vinyasa Practice allows students, therapists, counselors, and alternative healers to have a foundation training in this ancient practice of yoga. 

Upon the completion of this course, teachers will get a permit to teach Yoga Nidra. This course will always be available to you upon purchase. Meaning, it doesn’t lock you after completing the course, and you can always come back and re-learn some things. 

About the Courses and Instructor 

Azad Bhatt will be your instructor. He an E-RYT 500 certified by Yoga Alliance. Azad is also a MA yoga.

The course consists of; 

• Introduction to the central nervous system and its relation to Yoga Nidra
• A review of different types of Yoga Nidra, i.e., iRest
• States of being
• Indirect and abstract association
• Trauma-informed practice

After this course, you will help your clients heal from trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other illnesses using the tools of Yoga Nidra. It is beneficial for mental health practitioners, counselors, social workers, or holistic health coaches.

5) Yoga International- Building Strength for Handstands

If you’re looking to be a pro at handstands, this Yoga International course is the right way to go. This course offers you tips and teaches you about the anatomy of your hand, wrist, and arm. By knowing the anatomy of your whole arm, you will be able to do handstands keeping considerations to how each part of the arm works. 

By the end of the course, you will be strong enough to do handstands on your own, or at least know how to do them correctly, and with more practice, you can be a pro. The knowledge in this course helps teachers know how to instruct students when it comes to handstands. 

About the Course and Instructor 

Noah Maze is the instructor. He is a very dedicated and compassionate teacher. Noah started practicing Hatha when he was fourteen years and has spent his life learning this ancient practice embodying it even more. Noah’s students praise his fierce dedication to the practice. He keeps on seeking better teachers and learning from them. 

The course has three sections; 

• Section 1: Anatomy of the hand, wrist, and arm. In this section, he teaches about how the arms and elbows should act on a handstand. 
• Section 2: Anatomy of the shoulder girdle. In this section, Noah goes ahead and explains more about the girdle, scapular stability, and shoulder joint. 
• Section 3: Anatomy of the core. In this section, students learn the importance of the core and core strengths of headstands. 

By completing this course, you’ll be more informed about handstands and how to do them to avoid injury properly. 

Final Words 

There are so many yoga continuing education courses online, especially now that Yoga Alliance permitted online courses. Here we break down courses that can help you find instructors with years of training under the belt.