The Best Yoga Teacher Training in India: 10 Top Yoga Schools to Consider in 2024

Don't judge a yoga school by its website… or why you maybe should!

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Criteria to choose any Yoga Teacher Training
• List of the 10 Best Yoga Teacher Training Schools in India in 2024
• 10 Top YTT in India in Details
• Conclusion

Introduction

Attention aspiring yogis! 

Now that you've perhaps decided on finding the best Yoga Teacher Training in India, it's time to proceed with caution. Read our expert guide to learn how to select the perfect YTT to fit your needs. It's super helpful.

Yoga teacher training courses are becoming increasingly accessible each year, with most countries around the world now offering at least a dozen options to choose from. Despite this, India, as the birthplace of yoga, continues to be a popular destination for those seeking certification as a yoga teacher. If you're considering pursuing your yoga training in India, then this article is definitely for you!

We've compiled the most critical factors to consider before choosing a YTT, so you can avoid any unexpected setbacks. That is why, and before you even proceed with our Top 10 List, download our ultimate guide and checklist to help you make an informed decision about your yoga teacher training. 

You can find hundreds of Yoga Teacher Training in India. 

The sheer number of options can be simply overwhelming. 

So, how do you choose the perfect Yoga Teacher Training School FOR YOU?

No worries, we know how you feel, we have been there ourselves.

Also, most of our 200 hours YTT students, before they found Alpha Yoga School, have gone through this same process of lost and found.

So don't panic. We've done the hard work and personally handpicked the top 10 programs in India. And we are happy to share them with you here! 

But before you dive into the data, we must confess something.

We did something a little naughty... We purposely went out looking for flaws in the 10 best schools in India. It's like we were playing "Find the Flaw", but without the rewards of a participation trophy. We are not trying to say these schools are bad or anything. We think they are great, and that's why we picked them. We just wanted to give you that "aha!" moment. You know, that moment when you realize something you hadn't thought of before?

We call these "Things to consider", and we hope they'll be like a lightbulb moment for you. 

But wait, there's more! We actually found one school that was so perfect, we couldn't find anything wrong with it. And that school is... (drumroll please)... our school! The Alpha Yoga School. Yep, we're that good. But, and this is a big but, we want you to prove us wrong. Go ahead, try to find something unclear about our school. It's like a game but with real-life lessons. And if you do find something, let us know in the comments below. We'll be waiting and it'll mean the world to us. Seriously, we have a never-ending desire to improve our message, and your feedback could help us get there. So go ahead, make our day!

The 200-hour course is a foundational course for yogis of all levels. The program focuses on 2 essential yoga styles: Vinyasa Flow Yoga and Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga method. 

The major focus is placed on alignment, teaching skills, and physical assists. If you want to know how to practice yoga correctly and safely, on your own, and become a confident and seek-out yoga teacher, this is the perfect course for you. 

Moreover, our training is held at a serene sea-front retreat center, nestled in the breathtakingly beautiful state of Goa. This provides the perfect backdrop for you to unwind, soak up the Indian vibes, and spend your leisure time lounging on the beach.

Things to consider

• Our training is not a multi-style yoga training where you learn all kinds of “yoga”. Given the time restrictions of yoga teacher training, more information isn’t always the answer. Your learning will be focused. 
• You will practice Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga so you can learn to self-practice. This is the foundational knowledge that will allow you to practice yoga on your own, safely and correctly without depending on other teachers. With the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga method, you are guaranteed to deepen your practice.
• Equal time will be spent on Vinyasa Flow Yoga. This is the style of yoga that you will learn how to teach.
• This combination, next to classes of applied yoga anatomy, yoga philosophy, and themed fun classes and workshops, will maximize your skills as well as career opportunities.

Rooted in ancient wisdom, the 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course in Rishikesh strikes a perfect balance between theory and practice. This comprehensive curriculum focuses on solidifying the foundational aspects of Yoga. With its well-rounded approach, the course caters primarily to beginners, nurturing their growth in a supportive learning environment.

Things to consider

• This course targets mostly beginners, so those who already have an established practice may want to dive deeper than the material that this course offers.
• Lots of helpful reviews are available on their site. Reviews are in fact an excellent resource, as you get to hear from real students!
• Check on the number of students per course. Certainly, you want to get personal attention while also being able to socialize and learn from some of the greatest teachers: your fellow students.

Great location by the beach. Close to everything you might need during the training in case you forget something. And trust us, you will forget at least one thing. But this also means being close to vacation hustle and bustle like restaurants, bars, lounge music, Indian family parties, etc.

Kranti School offers 2 types of 200-hour courses: One in Ashtanga Yoga & Vinyasa Flow and one in Vinyasa and Yin Yoga. They also offer 100 hours courses in other styles of yoga. 

Things to consider

• It is very important to know who will be on the teachers’ team when you are there. Kranti has a total of 27!! very young-looking teachers’ CV’s on their website. The question is, how many of these teachers are actually teaching as we speak? Quantity doesn't always mean quality.
• We see an interesting change in strategy in many yoga schools located in the tropical regions of Goa and Kerala. In fact, they started to add courses even during the rainy season! And that is confusing because trust us, the weather is not fun at all in May/June/July/August in India. It rains cats and dogs. So we are wondering why they are having yoga courses when even the shopkeepers choose to migrate elsewhere. Check the weather and make sure that while the insta pics show the sun, it won’t rain through your parade. How about going to Europe instead?
• We found some negative reviews on Google Business at the beginning of 2022, so check if all is fixed.

The school offers very traditional yoga teacher training in India. You will study with experienced Indian teachers with a long heritage of 5 generations. You will learn 170 asana poses among everything else. They are in business since 2009 in a traditional system with a modern approach. 

Things to consider

• They have 3 hours of teaching practice every day, which is a good amount of time to spend, especially if you want to become a Hatha Yoga teacher. But maybe this could get a bit tiring. 
• If there is a definition for "in the middle of nowhere in India" then this location is it. Always check the location in Google Maps first and be sure you know where you are going. Be aware that the official address of the school may not always correspond to the actual location of the training.
• This will be a more traditional Ashram training experience. If f.e. discovering of Indian towns and culture (like in Rishikesh) or enjoying a beach vibe (like in Goa or Krala), while training, is something you wish to be part of your experience, then do investigate what Ashram means and double check the location in the Google Maps.

They offer 2 types of courses: Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and Hatha Yoga. 

The course lasts exactly one month and starts every first of the month.

They also offer yoga holidays and have the weather on their website. 

Things to consider

• The prices are not on the website, you have to contact them and investigate. That is inconvenient.
• In order to join, you will be expected to have practiced the Primary Series of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga method for at least 6 months. Make sure you know what Primary Series means. While the sound of it may imply "beginner", it may become the opposite if taught by a strict (read: inexperienced) teacher.
• All the teachers are Indians. While that may seem an advantage, one needs to check their understanding of the Western mentality and the way we treat our bodies.
• Especially so if, outside the official CVs, they do not provide easy access to links like, f.e., personal social media profiles. It is hard to know whether the teachers have been certified and registered with either Yoga Aliance U.S.A. or Yoga Professionals U.K. If you care to know your teachers' practice, experience, and personality, it will require some deeper digging and asking. Again, inconvenience. 

They offer 2 kinds of 200-hour courses, one in Hatha Yoga and one in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. The duration of each course is 30 days. 

Things to consider

• They are saying: Do not join if you have knee pain, back pain, or neck pain. In our opinion, all good yoga teachers should be able to work with students who have these limitations and offer them options and modifications. Shouldn't yoga be a healing practice?
• "Certificates provided on demand with certification charges. " Make sure to ask what this statement means. We wished we knew.
• While the pictures show mostly location somewhere in nature, their map location is in the middle of the city of Mysore. Make sure what your preferences are and clarify the location.
• Sundays are for fasting. This is another way of saying that your price, once you find out what it is, does not include food on Sundays. Despite the extra cost, make sure there are suitable restaurants around the school grounds. Also, be aware that waiting to be served food may be time-consuming in a country that is (in)famous for inventing, what Westerners caled "The Indian Time"

The two main styles of the program are Ashtanga and Iyengar and even though it’s not clear how much of each style you will practice, we definitely like the blend of these 2 styles. The focus of the 200-hour is on preparing the students for how to teach a yoga class. Himalaya Yoga Valley offers Yoga Teacher Training recognized by Yoga Alliance.

Things to consider

• Prices do not include accommodation. Remember: Teacher training courses are mentally and physically demanding. They often start early (like, really early) and finish late. So, having your accommodation as close to the studio as possible will eventually become an important part of your experience.
• Which style of yoga will you focus on in your practice? Or, which style will you learn to teach? Here it is undefined. And it should be, especially since Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and Iyengar Yoga are two very different and unique methods.
• It seems that you will be asked to wear uniforms. Check if they provide enough of it concerning how often you have to wear it and how often you can do laundry.

The school offers 2 kinds of courses: One focused on Ashtanga Vinyasa and Vinyasa Flow Yoga and another one on Hatha Yoga. Apart from learning the Ashtanga sequence, you will learn how to create your own creative flows and practice them on your peer students. If beach location is important to you, this one is great. Though not beachfront, the sea is close enough to have time to enjoy it. 

Things to consider

• They offer what seems to be a great Karma Yoga Program for their graduates. Through assisting the teachers, you may have the opportunity to repeat and reinforce that knowledge and skills that did not firmly land during the training itself.
• While stalking the school's social media (you should always do that), you may struggle to find content on specific instructors’ teaching and personal practice. Try to get clarity on who exactly will be your teacher for each module, then check their experience. You probably want a cohesive team of teachers whose style resonates with you. They should be delivering experience coming from deep personal practice that would inspire you! You need to be able to find proof of that practice and of their yoga journey somewhere outside of their official CV.
• Their groups seem to be rather big. Check the maximum group size of these courses. The more the merrier isn’t necessarily true when it comes to your education. The ratio of students to teachers will determine the time teachers can dedicate to you. Can they provide you with a personalized approach, so that your expectations and needs are met?

The program is focused on Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and Vinyasa Flow. The length of their 200-hour training is 24 days, and they also offer 300-hour programs for those who are already yoga teachers.

Things to consider

• You will practice asana twice per day, meaning that you will be doing physical yoga for 3,5 hours/day! But, ask yourself: at the expense of which teaching module? When you get many hours of one module, you get fewer hours of another one. F.e., too much physical yoga may mean less time to practice teaching. 
• Yoga teacher training in India is best for traditional yoga styles such as Ashtanga and Hatha Yoga. It is good to know that Vinyasa Flow Yoga is a style that was invented in the West and by Western teachers. There is no heritage of Flow Yoga in India.

Having said that, it makes it sound cheesy when a school claims their yoga courses are "the best". Here it is mentioned twice in their first sentence! A friend of ours says: "If a restaurant in New York says they have the best burgers...run away."What makes the best school anyway? Based on which criteria? We say how about a school that checks all the boxes in our Ultimate Check List.

Tattvaa offers 200-hour yoga teacher training in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and a separate 200-hour in Hatha Yoga. This school was included in the list, as the founder of Alpha Yoga School, has completed one of his 200 hours of training with this school and was satisfied. Good and knowledgeable teachers, a traditional school that focuses on hands-on adjustments.

Things to consider

• The focus is on the practice of the Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga and how to adjust that series. This training is all about practice, practice, practice.
• While this training doesn't focus heavily on vinyasa yoga or teaching methodology, you'll come away with a wealth of knowledge about the Primary Series that you can apply to your own practice and teaching.
• If the only time you can go to India is the summer months of May, June, July, and August, Sept then Rishikesh could be a better option than Goa. While being a super busy pilgrimage city, located in the foothills of the Himalayas makes it less!! hot option than the heat and rain struck tropical states of Goa or Kerala.

Conclusion...

Choosing the right yoga teacher training in India is crucial for your success.

We know how long and tiring the process is. And it’s completely understandable: you are going to invest your time and money and you want this to be the perfect choice. Don't risk it! 

For sure you have many questions. And you wish you had someone to answer them. What if we told you that we have all the answers you need?

Yes, we have gathered all the top most-asked questions about Yoga Teacher Training in India and we have answered THEM ALL!  Avoid the pitfalls and choose with confidence by reading our expert guide, designed to help you make the right decision for your journey."

At Alpha Yoga School we're passionate about helping you to practice yoga safely and correctly. Our training program is designed to give you a solid foundation in yoga, so you can build your practice with confidence and ease.

We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the benefits of yoga, which is why we're committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment.

With our guidance, you'll be able to practice yoga anywhere, anytime, and without the need for outside assistance. And who knows, one day, you might decide that you want to inspire others to follow in your footsteps!

Want to know the 6 main reasons to start and sustain an Ashtanga practice?