The Vanishing Thread
What We Lose When Yoga Teacher Training Goes Fully Digital

There was a time when becoming a yoga teacher meant apprenticing. You practiced beside your teacher, absorbed their cues, their silences, their presence. You were seen. You were corrected. You were guided not just in alignment, but in attitude, in ethics, in how to hold space. The transmission of knowledge was personal, relational, and earned over time.

Today, you can become a “certified yoga teacher” for $9.99.

That’s not hyperbole. There are now Yoga Alliance–approved teacher trainings that are fully online mostly pre-recorded, with no live interaction, no mentorship, no or very limited feedback. You watch a series of videos maybe some live streams, take a few quizzes, and emerge with a certificate that qualifies you to teach yoga to others. To guide bodies. To speak as an authority.

How did we get here?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Yoga Alliance made a temporary allowance: online teacher trainings would be permitted to count toward certification. It was a compassionate move, recognizing the hardship of in-person gatherings. Teachers scrambled to adapt, investing time and money into digital platforms, video production, and remote learning tools.

But when the pandemic eased, the temporary measure didn’t end. Yoga Alliance reasoned that removing the online option would now create a hardship of its own, teachers had built entire programs around it. So the exception became the norm.

Then came the inexplicable shift: the definition of “contact hours” was changed. Historically, this term referred to time spent in direct interaction—teacher and student in the same room, learning together. During the pandemic, it was adapted to mean live interaction via technology. But post-pandemic, Yoga Alliance expanded the definition again. Pre-recorded content could now count as “contact hours.”

This is how fully or mostly pre-recorded yoga teacher trainings were born.

Let that sink in. The equivalent of reading a book or watching a playlist of videos now qualifies someone to teach yoga. To adjust bodies. To speak with authority on anatomy, philosophy, and practice. It’s absolutely horrifying to think that there are “teachers” among us who have never worked with a live student, never received real-time feedback, never been mentored.

And here’s the kicker: you won’t know who they are.

You won’t know when you see their class advertisements with AI generated students in front of a stunning background. You won’t know when you read their social media posts declaring, “Stop doing this pose wrong. This is the right way.” You won’t know that their confidence may be wildly disproportionate to their experience.

It’s helpful to keep the Dunning-Kruger effect in mind here: 10% knowledge often results in 100% confidence.

So what’s the alternative?

At Vallarta Breeze, our teacher training is rooted in relationship. You work one-on-one with a mentor who sees your practice, guides your teaching, and answers your questions in real time. There’s no need to hold back, no need to feel shy about asking something in front of a group. You receive feedback, coaching, and support throughout your journey.

This training is not $9.99. Your teacher is investing a great deal of time into your success. Becoming a yoga teacher isn’t just about knowing the pose descriptions—it’s about learning how to hold space, how to listen, how to lead with integrity.

If you’re considering teacher training, ask yourself: Do I want a certificate, or do I want to become a teacher? They aren’t mutually exclusive.

We’re here when you’re ready.

Whether you’re looking to dive deeper into the physical practice of yoga, The Vedas, Upanishads, Yoga Sutras, or would like to explore our blog, we have a wealth of information available for you! Better yet, join us here in the Vallarta Breeze Yoga Puerto Vallarta Yoga studio, or practice with us online! we’re excited to continue this journey with you. See you on the mat!

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