Searching for a yoga teacher training brings up hundreds of options, most of them looking remarkably similar online: palm trees, sunset shavasanas, and promises of transformation. Behind that similar marketing, though, programs vary enormously in depth, structure, and what you actually walk away with. Here is what to look at once you get past the photos.
Who is actually teaching
This is the single most important factor, and the one people check last. Look for a lead teacher with real, verifiable experience — not just years of personal practice, but years of actually training other teachers. Ask how many instructors and teachers they have trained, and for how long they have been leading trainings themselves. A program built around one experienced teacher with a coherent methodology usually gives you more than a rotating cast of guest instructors with no shared thread between them.
What the program actually covers
A solid training should cover more than asana (postures). Look for real content on anatomy and physiology, teaching methodology, philosophy, and — increasingly important — some grounding in how the body actually moves (biomechanics), not just how a pose should look. Programs that integrate movement science alongside traditional yoga philosophy tend to produce teachers who can adapt to real students with real bodies, not just replicate a sequence.
Program length and structure
Trainings range from short, intensive formats (a few weeks) to longer programs spread over months. Neither is inherently better — it depends on what you are looking for. An intensive format works well if you can dedicate focused time and want to start teaching quickly. A longer format spread over months allows more integration time between modules, which some people find deepens the learning. Be honest with yourself about which format fits your life and your learning style.
Certification and registration
There is no single global authority that regulates yoga teaching — it is a common misconception that one governing body oversees it. Different schools maintain their own registries and standards. What matters more than a specific logo on a certificate is whether the school can clearly explain its own standards, its own registry, and why they built it the way they did. A school that is transparent about this is usually more trustworthy than one that simply points to a badge.
Group size and personal attention
Ask how many students are typically in a training group. Smaller groups generally mean more individual feedback on your practice and teaching, which matters enormously if you actually want to leave feeling confident, not just certified on paper.
The environment where you will train
If the training is residential, the setting matters more than people expect. Training in a natural, quiet environment — away from daily distractions — tends to support deeper immersion than a program squeezed into a busy city studio between other classes.
How IKY approaches this
At IKY, teacher and instructor trainings are led directly by C.R. Kan, who has over 25 years of experience in tantric yoga, the Feldenkrais Method®, and Mayan cosmovision, and has personally trained more than 350 instructors and teachers across more than 6 countries. Trainings take place at Ishka Center, a quiet, nature-surrounded space in Cali, Colombia, with accommodation included for the duration of the program. The curriculum integrates classical and modern yoga with biomechanics (through IKYnesis, a methodology built on the Feldenkrais Method®) and the Mayan kankueb cosmovision — a combination you will not find replicated elsewhere.
If you want to see the specifics of IKY's own programs, you can explore the Teacher Training (Profesorado), a 300-hour, 6-month program with RIPEY registration, or the Instructor Training (Instructorado), a 21-day intensive certification.