The honest answer on online YTT
Online yoga teacher training can be excellent or terrible depending almost entirely on the quality of the lead teacher and the structure of the program. An online program taught by a teacher with 20 years of authentic practice is more valuable than an in-person program at a commercial school.
What online YTT does well
Online YTT is excellent for philosophy, anatomy, teaching methodology, and pranayama. The flexibility also means you can integrate study into daily life over a longer period, developing a deeper personal practice alongside the theoretical learning.
Where in-person is genuinely better
Hands-on adjustment technique is difficult to learn remotely — the tactile skill of placing your hands on a student's body requires supervised in-person practice. The best approach combines online learning for theory with in-person intensives for hands-on components.
What to look for in an online YTT
Live sessions (not just recordings). Interactive feedback from the lead teacher. A comprehensive curriculum covering asana, pranayama, anatomy, philosophy, and methodology. A teaching practicum component. And the lead teacher's genuine lineage and years of practice.
