The AYP
Frequently Asked Questions
Whether you’re already a yoga teacher, an aspiring yoga teacher, a yoga studio owner or simply someone who’s interested in yoga, you may have some questions about The AYP and what it means for you.
Here are some answers to a few commonly asked questions:
If a yoga school is an AYP Accredited Yoga School (AYS), they will most likely list their YTT as AYP certified. If you wish to verify that a given school is AYP accredited, you can always check The AYP member directory.
Not necessarily. If you have already successfully completed a YTT from a school that isn’t yet AYP accredited, it’s possible that you can make up the additional requirements through independent study, or possibly through shorter modular trainings that focus on areas where your YTT didn’t fulfill The AYP’s minimum standards. The AYP’s Study Guide will help you understand the requirements to become an AYP Certified Yoga Teacher.
Once you feel ready, you are welcome to take the AYP Certification Exam, and upon passing, you will be eligible to receive your CYT credential.
This is to be expected. Given the vast scope of the yoga tradition, as well as the different points of focus of various YTT’s, it would be virtually impossible for all trainings to cover all of the same things, or explain them all in the same ways. The AYP has done its best to create an exam that tests what it considers to be a general working knowledge and comprehension of classical yoga’s core concepts, as well as the ways in which Modern Postural Yoga works to help people improve their physical and mental health and improve their overall quality of life.
That said, The AYP is always open to hearing from you about any elements that you feel should or should not be included in the exam. In the meantime we’ve made this Study Guide to help you prepare for the current exam.
Yes. Anyone who wants to become an AYP Certified Yoga Teacher must take and pass The AYP Certification Exam.
This is to ensure that teachers are held accountable to a common knowledge base.
Don’t worry. If you run a yoga school that currently offers a YTT that’s registered with another organization, The AYP will grandfather your training in for one year at no annual fee. You pay only the one-time $50 administrative fee. Once you’ve submitted a syllabus for a training that meets The AYP minimum standards, your school will officially become an AYP Accredited Yoga School.
Yes. In order to maintain your credential as an AYP Certified Yoga Teacher, you must take and pass the certification exam every three years. The questions will likely change somewhat over time, and you can always review The AYP’s Study Guide in order to keep your knowledge base up to date.
Probably. As the world evolves, yoga teachers will need to know different things and hone different skills in order to serve the community, and we expect the minimum standards to change accordingly.
We don't expect that they’ll change too drastically too often, but there will likely be small adjustments here and there every so often, which we will announce periodically on The AYP’s Instagram page (@yogaprofessionals.ayp), where you are always welcome, and indeed encouraged, to share you thoughts.
The main difference is that The AYP is focused on making sure that aspiring teachers understand how and why Modern Postural Yoga works on both a scientific and personal level. This requires a comprehensive knowledge not only of anatomy and physiology, but also of classical yogic philosophy. In particular, The AYP standards place an emphasis on both svadhyaya and Isvarapranidana as essential aspects of an effective postural yoga practice.
Which schools and/or styles of yoga does The AYP support? The AYP supports all schools and styles of Modern Postural Yoga. This includes but is not limited to Power Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, Restorative and Yin.
The AYP was founded in response to two things: 1) A growing consensus in the global yoga community that the existing system of standard setting was not in line with yogic principles, and that a better system of credentialing was needed; and 2) A growing concern that, at least in part because of this, many schools and styles of yoga were beginning to lose their connection to yoga’s roots, and thus its authenticity, and that as a result yoga has increasingly been taught in ways that are unsafe or ineffective, or both.
You can always contact The AYP by sending an email to: info@theayp.org
As soon as a scholarship becomes available, it will be announced via The AYP’s Instagram page (@yogaprofessionals.ayp). Instructions will be posted with the announcement on how to apply.