If you’ve started looking into teacher training, you’ve probably run into a small alphabet soup: RYS, RYT, 200, 300, 500. The most common question I get is simply, what’s the difference between RYT-200 and RYT-500? It’s a fair thing to be confused about, so let me lay it out simply.
What does RYT mean?
RYT stands for Registered Yoga Teacher. It’s a designation from Yoga Alliance, a membership organization that keeps a registry of yoga schools and teachers.
A school registers its training with Yoga Alliance. That school is then called an RYS, or Registered Yoga School. When you graduate from a registered program, you can apply to register yourself as a teacher.
The number after RYT tells you how many hours of registered training you’ve completed.
What is an RYT-200?
An RYT-200 has completed a 200-hour training at a registered school. This is the foundation, and it’s the most common starting point for teaching group classes.
In a good 200-hour training, you learn how to practice and teach safely: sequencing, alignment, anatomy, breath, an introduction to philosophy and meditation, and a lot of practice teaching with feedback. We’ve written more about what you actually learn in a 200-hour training on our training page.
Our 200-hour program is a Yoga Alliance Registered School (RYS-200).
What is an RYT-500?
An RYT-500 has completed 500 hours of registered training. Most teachers get there in two steps: a 200-hour foundation and then a 300-hour advanced training.
The 300 hours aren’t more of the same. They’re meant to take you deeper into areas the 200-hour can only touch on: philosophy and classical texts, meditation, subtle body study, advanced sequencing, trauma-aware teaching and more refined anatomy.
RYT-200 vs RYT-500 at a glance
Here’s the simplest way I can put it:
- RYT-200: your foundation. You can teach safe, well-sequenced group classes.
- RYT-500: your foundation plus advanced study. You’ve spent significant time going deeper into the practice and the teaching.
Neither one makes someone a “real” teacher or not. I’ve taken beautiful classes from 200-hour teachers who have taught for years. Hours matter, but so do experience, humility and continued study.
Do you need to be an RYT-500?
No. Many teachers teach their whole career as RYT-200s. It’s a choice, not a requirement for teaching group classes.
Here’s when I’d suggest looking at the extra 300 hours:
- You’ve been teaching a while and want more depth and confidence.
- You want to lead workshops, mentor newer teachers or teach specialty classes.
- You want to study philosophy, meditation and Sanskrit seriously.
- You want the RYT-500 designation for your own professional goals.
And here’s when I’d say wait a bit: if you just finished your 200-hour, give yourself time to teach first. The advanced material lands so much better when you have real classes and real students to bring it back to.
How do you go from RYT-200 to RYT-500?
You complete a 300-hour training at a registered school, then update your registration with Yoga Alliance.
A few practical things to check when comparing programs:
- Registration status. Is the 300-hour program already registered, or is registration in process? Ask directly.
- Format. Live, online, mentored or self-led?
- Time frame. How long do you have to complete it?
- Prerequisites. Most programs require a completed 200-hour from any registered school.
- Curriculum. How much of it is philosophy and meditation versus poses?
Our 300-hour and the RYT-500 pathway
I want to be transparent here. Our 300-hour advanced yoga teacher training is designed as an RYT-500 pathway, and our RYS-300 registration with Yoga Alliance is in process. Once registration is complete, graduates who also hold a 200-hour certificate can register as RYT-500.
It opens online in January 2027, with two paths:
- Self-Led: $497 at launch (regularly $1,111)
- Mentored: $1,777 at launch (regularly $2,222)
You have up to 18 months to finish, with direct teacher messaging and feedback on your practice teaching. Graduates of any RYS-200 program are welcome. If you trained somewhere else, you’ll complete an included three-month bridge program first.
The curriculum covers advanced asana and sequencing, the Yoga Sutras and Bhagavad Gita, meditation, Sanskrit, trauma-aware teaching, yin and restorative methods, anatomy and energetics, Ayurveda and seasonal sequencing, and teaching leadership.
What about continuing education?
Not ready for 300 hours? That’s okay. Shorter trainings are a lovely way to keep learning. Our specialty trainings in yin, restorative, prenatal, sound healing and meditation offer Yoga Alliance continuing education credits for current RYTs. They’re also a nice way to test which areas light you up before committing to a longer program.
My honest take
The letters after your name don’t teach the class. You do. But going deeper into study changes how you teach, and it changes how you live. If you feel that pull, trust it.
If you’re an RYT-200 wondering about next steps, I’d love to talk with you. Applications for our first online 300-hour group are open now, and applying early reserves launch pricing.
