HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT YOGA TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM (ONLINE OR IN-PERSON)
Everything you need to know before enrolling in a YTT
Choosing a Yoga Teacher Training program is a big decision, and one that can deeply influence your personal journey with Yoga. Whether your goal is to become a certified yoga teacher, deepen your personal practice, explore Yoga holistically, or connect more intentionally with yourself and your community, the program you select should meet you where you are—and support you in going deeper.
With so many online and in-person yoga teacher training programs available today—from real-time virtual formats to residential immersions—how do you know which one is right for you?
In this guide, we will walk through the most important factors to consider when selecting a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training program—and share how Mount Madonna’s Yoga Alliance– credentialed trainings offer a foundation for exploring Yoga as a way of life, both on and off the mat.
1. Consider Your Why
Before choosing a training, take a moment to reflect: Are you hoping to teach professionally? Build confidence in your practice? Study Yoga philosophy? Integrate Yoga more fully into your life?
There is no one “right reason” to do a Yoga Teacher Training. At Mount Madonna, students come with a wide range of intentions: some are preparing to teach, while others are looking to reconnect with themselves, take a purposeful pause from daily life, or explore Yoga as a path of self-inquiry and spiritual growth.
Mount Madonna’s in-person and online programs are designed to support these goals, offering structure, guidance, and a shared learning community rooted in yogic tradition.
WHAT YOGA MEANS AT MOUNT MADONNA
2. In-Person vs. Online Yoga Teacher Training: Which Format Is Right for You?
Not everyone can step away from daily responsibilities for a month-long intensive. This is why Mount Madonna offers both in-person and online options. You can experience:
- An immersive, in-person, intensive 30-day Yoga Teacher Training at our 380-acre retreat center in the Santa Cruz Mountains. This residential program offers a unique opportunity to step into daily practice, live in community, and immerse yourself in the teachings of Classical Ashtanga Yoga (eight-limbed path) in an embodied, holistic way.
- A live, online Yoga Teacher Training program offered over six months (one long weekend per month), combining real-time virtual classes, structured assignments, and community learning. This program offers a consistent rhythm of engagement while allowing students to stay committed in their regular, daily lives from anywhere in the world.
Both formats offer depth, mentorship, optional Yoga Alliance credentialing, and are taught by experienced faculty and lifelong practitioners. Your pace. Your practice. Your journey.
⟶ Explore our Yoga Teacher Training programs
3. Who is Teaching, and Why That Matters in a YTT Program
Yoga teacher training programs vary widely in approach—some focus primarily on physical postures, while others include broader teachings such as philosophy, meditation, and lifestyle practices. When choosing a program, consider the kind of experience you are seeking. Are you looking for a modern, fitness-based approach? Or are you drawn to the traditional roots of Yoga and the opportunity to engage with Yoga as a way of life?
Explore the faculty teaching the program. What is their background? How long have they practiced and taught? Are they part of a lineage or school that resonates with you?
At Mount Madonna, our Yoga Teacher Training programs are grounded in the Classical Ashtanga Yoga system as taught by Baba Hari Dass. Our faculty includes long-time practitioners and educators who studied under Baba Hari Dass and have taught together for decades. This foundation allows Mount Madonna to offer a consistent, integrated learning experience—honoring the depth of Yoga’s origins while supporting modern-day students in living the teachings with relevance and sincerity.
4. What You Will Learn in a 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training
A strong Yoga Teacher Training program goes far beyond showing how to lead asana (postures). It provides a deep foundation in both the practical and philosophical aspects of Yoga, and prepares you to teach—and live—your practice with confidence and integrity.
At Mount Madonna, both our in-person and online 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training programs are rooted in Classical Ashtanga Yoga, while also drawing on the methods of Hatha Yoga (path of balance). These programs introduce a wide range of time-tested techniques and supportive study, including:
- Beginning pranayama (breathing techniques) practices
- Styles of meditation
- Proper alignment and manual adjustments
- Modifications and the use of props as needed
- Health benefits and contraindications
- Ayurveda basics and classification of practices according to the three doshas (constitutions)
- Anatomy and physiology, gross and subtle
- Teaching methodology
- Designing a balanced class
- Teaching beginners with varying abilities
- Setting up classes in your community
- Evolving a personal teaching style
- Foundations for safe sequencing
Both formats include deep engagement with Yoga philosophy through the study of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Samkhya philosophy, and subtle body theory, woven together with space for integration and reflection.
The in-person training is a 30-day immersive experience held on our serene mountaintop campus, surrounded by redwoods and sustained by living in community.
The online training spans six months, with live virtual classes, scheduled integration breaks, and mid-month check-ins designed to help you apply the teachings in your daily life.
Both programs are led by our experienced faculty and meet all requirements for RYT-200 credential through Yoga Alliance. Mount Madonna has been a Registered Yoga School (RYS) since 2002 and is approved by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE).
⟶ Explore the Foundational Yoga Studies 200-Hour In-Person Intensive Program
⟶ Explore the Foundational Yoga Studies Online 6-Month 200-Hour Program
5. Is the Program Yoga Alliance Credentialed? Why That Matters
If you want to register as a Yoga teacher or teach professionally, choose a program that is Yoga Alliance credentialed. This ensures that the training meets established standards for curriculum and faculty.
Mount Madonna is a Registered Yoga School (RYS) with Yoga Alliance, and both our 200-hour and 300-hour trainings fulfill all requirements of the Yoga Alliance. Graduates are eligible to register as RYT-200 and RYT-500 teachers, respectively.
⟶ Explore the Advanced Yoga Studies YTT 300 Program
6. Trust the Feeling—Environment Matters
As you explore different Yoga Teacher Training programs, notice how it feels to take that first step—whether reading through the website, joining a call, or scheduling a visit to the campus. Early impressions often reflect the values and the culture of the learning environment.
Will the environment support your learning and growth? Does it offer space for both challenge and reflection, for structure and authentic connection?
At Mount Madonna, whether you are participating in person or online, you are welcomed into a learning community grounded in tradition, sincerity, and care.
Our in-person intensives offer the rare chance to live and study in nature, surrounded by 380 acres of redwoods and meadows, nourished by wholesome vegetarian meals, and immersed in a daily rhythm that supports focused learning and personal growth.
Our live online and hybrid formats provide thoughtfully paced training experiences with real-time classes, consistent mentorship, and space for integration between sessions. In-person components of the 300-Hour Program and Yoga Apprenticeship Program allow for deeper engagement in a supportive environment.
Whatever location in which you choose to learn, the teachings meet you, and the community forms around your commitment.
Ready to begin your YTT journey?
“Teach to learn.”
Baba Hari Dass
Mount Madonna’s Yoga Alliance–certified programs include two 200-hour foundational trainings, a 300-hour advanced training, and a Yoga Apprenticeship Program—offered in immersive in-person, online, and hybrid formats to meet students where they are.
⟶ Have questions? Reach out to us via email at yoga@mountmadonna.org or schedule a call with our admissions team.
