# RYT, RYS and what credentials actually mean

Lesson 1 of [Choosing a yoga teacher training](https://yogis.fyi/academy/yoga-teacher-training-specialist.md), 16 minutes.

Yoga has no government licence. What it has instead is a voluntary registry: Yoga Alliance, a US nonprofit that maintains lists of registered teachers and schools. Understanding the letters stops you from over- or under-paying for credentials.

**RYS — Registered Yoga School.** The school-side credential. A school with RYS status can register its graduates with Yoga Alliance. If a school is not RYS-registered, its graduates generally cannot become RYT through that school.

**RYT — Registered Yoga Teacher.** The teacher credential, in levels:
- **RYT 200** follows a 200-hour training at a registered school. Yoga Alliance calls it the foundational credential most new teachers begin with.
- **RYT 500** follows 500 hours of training. It can be a single 500-hour programme, or a 200-hour training plus a separate 300-hour advanced training, including at two different schools. Applicants need at least 100 teaching hours before applying.
- **E-RYT 200 / E-RYT 500** add teaching-hour requirements on top of the training, for teachers with substantial paid or volunteer teaching experience.
- **RCYT** marks teachers trained for children's yoga. **RPYT** marks registered prenatal yoga teachers.

**YACEP** is the continuing-education credential schools use for workshops and specialty trainings.

Two cautions. First, registration is voluntary and not a licence; MedlinePlus notes there is no objective government certification body. Second, Yoga Alliance registration tells you a training met its standards; it does not tell you the teacher is good. Ask about teaching experience, specialty training and student reviews alongside the credential.


Two smaller credentials appear beside the main ones. **RCYT** is for teachers of children's yoga; it signals training in kid-safe sequencing and behaviour. **RPYT** is for registered prenatal yoga teachers; it signals training in pregnancy-specific contraindications and modifications. If you are choosing a prenatal or kids' class, these credentials matter more than a general RYT.

Yoga Alliance also runs a membership for yoga professionals beyond the registry credentials, and it offers continuing education through YACEP providers. A teacher whose membership and continuing education are up to date shows up in the registry as current; one who let registration lapse may still teach well, but the credential is no longer active.

The practical takeaway: treat credentials as one input, not the verdict. A registered teacher with five years of classroom experience beats an unregistered teacher with a weekend workshop. A registered prenatal teacher beats a general RYT for a pregnancy class. Ask what the credential covers and how long the person has actually taught.

## Sources
- https://yogaalliance.org/explore-training-options/
- https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000876.htm

Also on the [web page](https://yogis.fyi/academy/yoga-teacher-training-specialist/credentials-decoded).