The spirit of the Geet Yoga & Fitness Accademy Standards is to include a school in the (Registered Yoga School) Directory only when its YTT (Yoga Teacher Training):
All standards for a RYS are intended to be clear, implementable reflections of the above criteria.
Please see each standard’s detailed description for the definition of each educational category as it relates to that specific designation.
Training hours may go into ‘N/A - Supplemental Training’ when they include content that does not fit in the Educational Categories. Examples of such content include instruction in Reiki, Thai yoga massage, CPR, Doula training, “Yoga Therapy”, etc. These hours are not counted in determining whether or not the syllabus meets Geet Yoga & Fitness Accademy Standards.
5.Other Faculty Qualifications
Other Faculty are school trainers that are not registered with Geet Yoga & Fitness Accademy. In order to teach at your school, they need to meet the following qualifications:
Relevant degree, certification, or substantial education in the subject they will teach This is a RYT 200 who has been teaching yoga for at least two years since completion of training with a RYS 200, and has taught at least 1000 hours of yoga classes since that time. This person must have accumulated the 1,000 hours of yoga teaching experience after having met the RYT 200 Requirements (whether registered as an RYT 200 or not).
A minimum of 500 hours teaching experience or two years of relevant experience in the subject they will teach
6. Lead Trainers and Contact Hours with Lead Trainers
Lead Trainer(s) are E-RYT’s at the appropriate level for the relevant RYS designation (see table below) who teach Contact Hours in a RYS training. Lead Trainers must be actively registered with Geet Yoga & Fitness Accademy.
In order to meet the general principle “Offers a consistent approach that is conducive to depth, rather than a survey of different approaches” (see Spirit of the Standards section I.1), there must be minimum numbers of Contact Hours in three of the five Educational Categories with a maximum number of pre-designated E-RYTs for each training offered. The minimum number of Contact Hours by subject category are defined in the individual Standards for each RYS designation. The maximum number of E-RYTs allowed for a training within each RYS designation
7. Standards Definitions
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Hours - One hour equals 60 minutes. Time allocated for meals, or for breaks longer than 10 minutes, does not count as training hours. No Geet Yoga & Fitness Accademy Registered Yoga School training hour may be credited to more than one RYS training or designation.
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Contact Hour - A Contact Hour must take place in the physical presence of a faculty member. Contact Hours’ instructional content must be intended for teacher trainees rather than the general public, specifically:
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The content of these hours advances the education of trainees as demonstrated explicitly through the course syllabus and its learning objectives.
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These hours fall into the normal content flow of the overall training entailing discussion, reports submitted by trainees on their experiences, related homework, projects, or the like.
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Faculty for these hours meet Geet Yoga & Fitness Accademy's faculty qualifications and are formally designated as training faculty.
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E-RYT 500 - See section I.3 (Faculty Requirements)
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E-RYT 200 - See section I.3 (Faculty Requirements)
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E-RYT 200, RYT 500 - See section I.3 (Faculty Requirements re. E-RYT 200s)
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Lead Trainer – See Section I.5 (Lead Trainers and Contact Hours With Lead Trainers)
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Non-Contact Hours - Non-Contact Hours are the number of hours of learning that occur without a faculty member present. All Non-Contact Hours should be relevant to one of the five Educational Categories. Outside resources should be thoughtfully chosen to support the training. Non-Contact Hours must be an assigned part of the curriculum and examples of allowable Non-Contact Hours may include:
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Non-Contact Hours - Non-Contact Hours are the number of hours of learning that occur without a faculty member present. All Non-Contact Hours should be relevant to one of the five Educational Categories. Outside resources should be thoughtfully chosen to support the training. Non-Contact Hours must be an assigned part of the curriculum and examples of allowable Non-Contact Hours may include:
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Reading, audio/video or internet resources that are integrated into the curriculum via reports, class discussions, presentations or tests, or the like;
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Webinars on yoga-related topics.
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Written assignments on yoga-related topics that may be counted for all categories except Practicum.
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Group activities including directed discussion, technique practice or teaching practice.
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Examples of Unallowable Non-Contact Hours
8. Subjects of Study
Although Geet Yoga & Fitness Accademy honors and respects related disciplines and traditions, both Contact and Non-Contact Hours are limited to areas that fall within the scope of traditional yoga studies.
9. CPR and First Aid Training
CPR and first aid training hours cannot be counted toward satisfying the minimum YTT curriculum hours or Continuing Education Contact Hours. Geet Yoga & Fitness Accademy suggests CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and first aid training for all RYT’s
300-Hour Standards
Following are Geet Yoga & Fitness Accademy’s Standards for a Registered Yoga School that offers a 300-hour advanced training. The 300-hour RYS Standards are advanced standards of study; therefore a RYS may not offer a 300-hour advanced training without providing the foundational 200-hour training as well (through either a RYS 200 or a RYS 500 Track). These schools offer 500 hours of training in two segments; 200 hours and 300 hours.
A RYS 300-hour advanced training is designed to build upon and deepen the trainee’s understanding of the fundamental concepts of the practice and teaching of yoga that are generally taught at the RYS 200-hour level. A RYS 300-hour advanced training prepares its trainees to teach principles and techniques of yoga that are more advanced, more detailed, and/or subtler, and the training enables them to teach with greater skill than could reasonably be expected of a RYT 200.
Topics for registered teacher trainings must be relevant to the five Educational Categories as defined below. Registered schools must provide a minimum number of hours of study for each category, and must also provide additional hours of study relevant to these categories, which may be distributed according to the school’s chosen emphasis.
A RYS with an advanced 300-hour training (RYS 300) must incorporate training hours in the following Educational Categories for the 300-hour training:
1. Techniques, Training and Practice: 50 Hours
Minimum Contact Hours: 25 hours
Minimum Contact Hours w/ Lead Trainer(s): 25 hours
This material shall foster an enhanced understanding and experience as compared to the content of your school's RYS 200 or foundational Techniques, Training and Practice sessions. Topics in this category could include, but are not limited to: asanas, pranayamas, kriyas, chanting, mantra, meditation and other traditional yoga techniques. These hours must be a mix between: 1) analytical training in how to teach and practice the techniques and 2) guided practice of the techniques themselves. Both areas must receive substantial emphasis.
2. Teaching Methodology: 25 Hours
Minimum Contact Hours: 5 hours*
Minimum Contact Hours w/ Lead Trainer(s): 5 hours
Topics in this category could include, but are not limited to:
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Communication skills such as group dynamics, time management, and the establishment of priorities and boundaries.
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Is taught by yoga teacher trainers who are qualified to train teachers.
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How to address the specific needs of individuals and special populations, to the degree possible in a group setting.
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Teaching styles.
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Qualities of a teacher.
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The student learning process.
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Business aspects of teaching yoga* (including marketing and legal).
All standards for a RYS are intended to be clear, implementable reflections of the above criteria.
3. Anatomy and Physiology: 20 Hours
Minimum Contact Hours: 10 hours
Minimum Contact Hours w/ Lead Trainer(s): 0 hours
Topics in this category could include, but are not limited to: human physical anatomy and physiology (bodily systems, organs, etc.) and may also include energy anatomy and physiology (chakras, nadis, etc.). Includes both the study of anatomy and physiology along with its application to yoga practice (benefits, contraindications, healthy movement patterns, etc.).
*Special Requirement: A minimum of ten of the above hours must be spent applying anatomy and physiology principles to yoga.
4. Yoga Philosophy, Lifestyle and Ethics for Yoga Teachers: 30 Hours
Minimum Contact Hours: 25 hours*
Minimum Contact Hours w/ Lead Trainer(s): 0 hours
Topics in this category could include, but are not limited to:
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Further and deeper study of yoga philosophies and traditional texts (such as the Yoga Sutras, Hatha Yoga Pradipika or Bhagavad Gita) than what was included in your school's RYS 200 syllabus content.
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Yoga lifestyle, such as the precept of non-violence (ahimsa), and the concepts of dharma and karma.
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Ethics for yoga teachers, such as those involving teacher – student relationships and community.
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Understanding the value of teaching yoga as a service and being of service to others through yoga (seva).
*Special Requirement: A minimum of 2 of the above Contact Hours must be spent on ethics for yoga teachers.
5. Practicum: 10 Hours
Minimum Contact Hours: 15 hours*
Minimum Contact Hours w/ Lead Trainer(s): 5 hours
Topics in this category include:
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Practice teaching (does not include assisting, observing or giving feedback).
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Receiving and giving feedback.
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Observing others teaching.**
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Assisting students while someone else is teaching.
*Special Requirement: Each trainee must spend a minimum of 5 Contact Hours actively practice teaching as the lead instructor. These hours may include the time during which the trainee is receiving feedback on his/her teaching. Time spent assisting, observing others teaching, or giving feedback to others is excluded from these hours.
**Evaluation or observation of yoga classes outside of the RYS Teacher Training constitutes Non-Contact Hours.
6.Remaining Contact Hours and Elective Hours:
The Standards detailed above ensure that all trainees of a RYS receive training and instruction in five Educational Categories for a minimum number of designated hours. The remaining Contact Hours (190 hours) and elective hours (170 hours, a combination of contact and non-contact) are to be distributed among the five Educational Categories, but the hours may be allocated at the discretion of each RYS based on their training’s focus.
7. Total Hours: 300 Hours
Total minimum Contact Hours: 270 hours
Total minimum Contact Hours with Lead Trainer(s): 135 hours