Welcome back friends! I’m excited to share with you this series of posts that I hope is really helpful for you as you consider which online yoga teacher training is best for you.
I get that it’s a little daunting as you’re basically going back to school! And I know you want to make sure you invest your time, money, and energy in a program that will deliver what you’re looking for and take you where you want to go!
That’s why, first, make sure you’re clear on whether it’s really a 200-hour training you’re looking for and read a bit about what you can expect in a 200-hour certification program.
Next, if you’re still unsure about doing your training online, we’ll touch on that here!
The rest of this post will be about breaking things down and looking at two online 200-hour yoga teacher trainings side-by-side. We’ll cover some notable features and pros and cons of each training, their prices, and key comparison points using their online content, brochures and syllabuses when available, and Yoga Alliance verified student reviews.
This time we’ll contrast Uplifted Yoga Academy and Siddhi Yoga International.
Siddhi Yoga is on a mission to provide a training that offers both depth and affordability and brings Indian yoga teacher trainers to you.
Uplifted Yoga Academy supports you in using yoga to transform off the mat and in succeeding as a yoga teacher in the digital age.
Okay, let’s get into it!
Why Choose Online Yoga Teacher Training?
I get that there are probably some lingering doubts and questions around doing your certification online instead of in-person. There are of course both pros and cons to consider with any potential course of action, and here we’ll focus on some of the pros of online training as you think about what’s best for you!
- Ready-made references. If you’ve attended any sort of in-person training, you might have experienced how tricky it is to remain present, take notes, and remember to take some photos or videos to refer to as you want to capture EVERYTHING that you’re learning. Online programs have the leg-up over in-person trainings when it comes to this as you already get high-quality recordings of all the content so you can access exactly what you learned in your training at any time.
- Save money, honey. Training from home lets you save the additional money you might spend with in-person trainings on childcare, flights, transportation, parking, food, and accommodations. Add in also not needing to take time off from work and you get to save all-around!
- Integrate as you go. It’s not uncommon for students to finish their intensive, in-person trainings and then struggle with re-entering the “real world” and figuring out how to integrate all they’ve learned. This is why it can be beneficial to go through the material slowly while leading your normal life so you have time to process the information and immediately practice integrating what you’ve learned. This also lets you come back to your teachers with questions based on real-life scenarios so you can get more benefit from your training in your daily life.
- Live your life. The ability to train from home and go through the material in your own time allows you to stay connected with what’s important to you and maintain your relationships, family-life, career, and hobbies—yay!
The Stack Up: Uplifted Yoga vs. Siddhi Yoga 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training
Uplifted | Siddhi Yoga | |
Lifetime Access to Course Materials | Yes | Yes |
Curriculum Includes Business Training | Yes | No |
Graduation Rate | 96% | Not available |
Study Model | Cohort, hybrid live/ pre-recorded | Pre-recorded/self-paced with live support calls |
Payment Plans Available | Yes | Yes |
Refund Policy | Non-refundable | Full refund within 7 days |
Completion Deadline | 18 months | December 31st, 2023 to be recognized by Yoga Alliance online training provision |
Lead Teacher(s) and Credentials | Brett Larkin E-RYT 200, RPYT, YACEP | Dr. Sumit Sharma Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy, Diploma in Sports Medicine; Shobhit Ghanshyala E-RYT 500, YACEP; Yogacharya Sandeep Pandeymaster’s degree in Yoga and Indian Philosophy |
Print Manual Included | Yes | No |
Synchronous Completion with Other Students | Yes | No |
Max Call Size | 45 for live calls; 6-10 for study groups | No maximum; 2-3 stated as typical |
Individualized Posture Feedback | Built-in | By request |
Tuition Includes All Reading Materials | No (~$75 extra) | Yes |
Year Established | 2015 | 2013 |
Price | $2850 | $397 |
Uplifted Yoga Academy: An Overview
The Uplifted Yoga Academy 200-hour yoga teacher training is known as the “original” online teacher training that’s been certifying students virtually since long before Covid. The Uplifted program is known for balancing the ancient philosophies and teachings of yoga with preparing you to teach in the modern world so that you can fully tap into yoga’s power for personal growth and create your best life. Students love the program’s equal emphasis on traditional yoga through meditation, pranayama, asana, and embodying yogic philosophy and on the modern aspects of working with fascia and thriving as a yogipreneur.
3 Key Features of Uplifted Yoga 200-Hour YTT
What sets the Uplifted Yoga Academy’s programs apart is their commitment to overdeliver. Even though the Yoga Alliance isn’t rigorous in their training oversight, founder Brett Larkin is dedicated to exceeding the Yoga Alliance standards and providing a 200-hour credential that goes far beyond the Yoga Alliance requirements.
What further distinguishes the Uplifted program is that despite being a modern, western, and online training, it emphasizes the traditions of yoga so that students can fully immerse themselves in the yogic lifestyle. The certification shares about meditation, pranayama breathing techniques, the fascial system, the chakra system, igniting your best life through yoga asana, and bringing yoga philosophy into your daily life.
Other noteworthy features of the Uplifted 200-hour training include:
- The best in business training. The Uplifted online yoga teacher certification includes over 10 hours of business training plus the options of mentorship from Brett and teaching with Uplifted. Their business modules cover how to: market yourself as a yoga teacher, lead live classes on Zoom, negotiate pay with yoga studios, price your classes, accept payments from students, choose yoga insurance, build an online presence, get private and corporate clients, create a website, optimize your social media, and run email marketing campaigns. Plus, you’ll learn what tech tools you need to run your business, how much yoga teachers make in the industry, and more!
- High graduation rate. Some online trainings know that most of their students won’t complete the training and don’t do anything to change that—but not Uplifted! It is the personal mission of the founder and lead trainer, Brett Larkin, to get you to graduation. This, plus the course completion deadline and proven hybrid pre-recorded/live format make you virtually guaranteed to graduate from the Uplifted program.
- Real-time, personalized feedback. Uplifted Yoga Academy wants to ensure that even though you’re training virtually, you know your stuff when it comes to alignment—both your own and your students’. The lead trainer herself is involved in giving you personal feedback on your postures and you get to see the feedback for other students so that by the end of the course you have seen many bodies in poses instead of just a few as is common in large, in-person groups.
Fall in love with my 200-Hour teacher training or …
Experience 3 Training Videos from Inside My 200-Hour Online YTT
Pros and Cons of Uplifted Yoga 200-Hour YTT
Pros
- Unparalleled business training
- Know that you’ll graduate
- Get personalized feedback
Cons
- Might be too much on business for the yogi who’s not training to teach
- Higher pressure on the casual yogi
- You will be seen (if you’re looking to learn quickly or casually without embodying what you learn, this might not be for you)
Uplifted Yoga 200-Hour YTT Pricing
In terms of cost, the Uplifted course is on the higher side for online yoga teacher training due to its proven graduation formula, long track record of online training, and unmatched business training. There is a handful of other online training in a similar price range.
- Example payment plan:$712.50 up front then $712.50/month for 3 months
Siddhi Yoga: An Overview
Siddhi Yoga is known for helping make the ancient wisdom of yoga accessible as it’s led by “top yoga masters” from Rishikesh so you can experience traditional teaching without having to make the journey to India. Contrary to the common portrayal of yoga as fitness, they aim to help students embrace the spiritual aspect of yoga beyond asana and to attain expertise in spiritual discipline. As the yoga they share is not just physical, it is truly accessible for everyone and physical fitness can be just an added benefit. Students love the warmth of the teachers as well as their professionalism, patience, and depth of knowledge.
3 Key Features of Siddhi Yoga’s 200-Hour YTT
Standout aspects of the Siddhi Yoga training are its experience with in-person courses and the daily live calls for either yoga practice or Q&A. Another unique element of this training is that your certificate will be in “multi style yoga” as they share various types of the practice including Hatha, Karma, Bhakti, Mantra, Raja, and Vinyasa yoga.
Three more distinctive features of the Siddhi Yoga certification are:
- Study traditional Indian yoga from home. Many yogis want to visit the birthplace of yoga at some point. And, let’s be real, it’s a bit far, expensive, and intimidating, am I right? If you’re interested in studying with Indian yogic tradition-holders, the Siddhi Yoga school saves you the cost and jet-lag and makes connecting with yoga’s roots accessible to all!
- Low cost. “Yoga school” can be expensive! Siddhi Yoga makes yoga teacher training affordable by having a low price point as well as by sometimes bundling their 200-hour yoga teacher training program with other courses to further increase the value of your investment.
- Small group call size. Because Siddhi Yoga offers different types of live calls everyday, their average call size is reported to be just a few students. This means you can be sure you’ll get your questions answered on the weekend calls with lead trainers and get the individualized attention that you want.
Pros and Cons of Siddhi Yoga’s 200-Hour YTT
Pros
- Access to Indian teachers and traditional teachings
- Affordable
- Small group call size
Cons
- No business training
- Less incentive to graduate
- No consistent peer group
Siddhi Yoga’s 200-Hour YTT Pricing
Siddhi Yoga has a low training cost along with several other online trainings that make their margins work by offsetting the low cost with high enrollment numbers.
- Example Payment Plan: $165/month for 3 months
So Which Is Better: Uplifted or Siddhi Yoga?
If you’re looking for a traditional approach to yoga and prioritize a budget-friendly and low-pressure option, Siddhi Yoga might be the program for you!
If you’re interested in additionally learning a modern approach to yoga and are willing to spend more to ensure that you graduate and can build a business afterwards, the Uplifted training could be a great fit!
If you’re still not quite sure what you’re looking for in a training, perhaps start by getting more clear on that!
You can read about more top trainings to explore different options and their unique benefits so you can discover what’s important FOR YOU in your yoga teacher training.
Next Steps
- Check out my YouTube channel and find some yoga classes that you can try out for yourself!
- Explore my knowledge hub for How to Become a Yoga Teacher
- Attend a 200 YTT info session to see what else you’ll learn in my online teacher training.
Experience 3 Training Videos from Inside My 200-Hour Online YTT
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