Not all yoga teachers are equally trained.
For a practice that is more than 5,000 years old, North America is fairly new to yoga. As a result, many North American teachers have not had extensive training - something that is being rectified by the implementation of set certification standards.
Yoga certification comes at varying levels. There are certifications that meet provincial standards, there are those that meet national standards, and then there are those that meet international standards. Each of these standards are set by an overseeing body.
In British Columbia, the B.C. Recreation and Parks Association is the provincial overseeing body. However, on a national level, Can Fit Pro is often viewed as the body to go to. And on an international level, the Yoga Alliance sets the mark.
As yoga is both vast and deep it requires ongoing practice and study for students but this is even more so for those who teach the discipline.
As a result, in North America the certification process is broken into levels to indicate the level of study and practice attained by the teacher.
The first level of study leads to becoming a certified yoga instructor. Yoga instructors are overseen by provincial and sometimes national bodies (such as the aforementioned BCRPA and Can Fit Pro). Here, assuming that the instructor has been certified through a comprehensive course, he or she would have been trained with an emphasis on the physical yoga postures.
The instructor would then be able to deal with physical limitations, such as knee injuries, back issues, arthritis and shoulder issues, and would have a good basic understanding of yoga history and philosophy.
The second level of study allows one to become a certified yoga teacher. Here you will find another certification split. Yoga teachers are overseen by the international standards of the Yoga Alliance.
After a certain amount of training, a teacher earns the certification and right to be a registered yoga teacher (RYT).
There are two levels of RYTs: RYT 200 and RYT 500, or senior yoga teacher.
A registered yoga teacher's training takes you further into the physical aspects of yoga but also takes you much further into the energy sciences.
This means that a registered yoga teacher's understanding of the chakras, meditation, pranayama (breath work), and yoga philosophy deepens considerably. The difference between the two levels of registered teachers is a mix of both training and teaching experience.
Having said all of this, training isn't the only thing that makes a great yoga teacher. Being a senior yoga teacher and a teacher trainer, I can tell you without a doubt that a world of theoretical knowledge will never make a great teacher out of one who does not truly understand and live the yogic path. In-depth training and certification is an important base, that is for certain, but a great teacher also walks the yogic way.