Teachers Doubting their Legitimacy, The Risks and Rewards of Kids Yoga Teacher Training, and a Mandala Meditation to Centre You Through It All
Updated: Aug. 14, 2026
21,566 people. That was the official count of visitors at the Yoga Show in Toronto one April. I feel like I talked to half of them at our kids yoga booth! There was keen interest, and our area was a buzz with all things related to yoga and children.
By far, the most popular question was, “What do I need to teach kids yoga?” Not a surprise, since kids yoga standards are fairly new.
What did surprise me was the growing concern about “proper” certification. There were more people doubting whether their current training was enough.
As one woman said, “I just don’t feel legit, with only a weekend of training, to put Kids Yoga Teacher on my business card.”
It is a legitimate concern.
Today, let’s look at training requirements and the feelings of legitimacy that may arise when you consider different training. Then later on, you’ll see some pictures from our Kids Mandala workshop and how Mandalas are great for Self Assessment. It’s a fun activity for a kids yoga camp too.
All of this will help anyone considering Kids Yoga Training balance the risks and the rewards.
Risks and Rewards of Kids Yoga Teacher Certification
Risk: Your Certification Doesn’t Count
When people asked what they needed to teach kids yoga, I explain the various levels of “Certification” as follows:
Technical Regulations: Yoga is an unregulated industry so technically speaking, you don’t need any training to hang your “Kids Yoga Class Here” sign. If you are wondering about certification, the first risk to assess: Is yoga regulated where you live? You don’t want to break any laws so check that first!
That’s me (Aruna) teaching a yoga workshop at the Yoga Garden at the Yoga Conference
The Ability to Deliver
The next consideration to teach yoga to children is whether you can deliver a fun, safe, kids yoga class. One employer told me, “I don’t care about “Certification,” I want to see you teach a great class.”
If you don’t know whether you can deliver, you need a training that actually gets you teaching kids yoga to children! Some training programs give you real experience and some don’t. Unless you already know how to teach children, you don’t want to risk completing a program where you aren’t expected to teach actual children. This experience sets you apart when it comes to actually getting hired and getting children coming back to class to be a successful teacher.
Yoga Industry Standards: In terms of certification, many people set their sights on the Yoga Industry Standards because they want the industry recognition. Yoga Alliance (YA) sets the bar for Registered Children’s Yoga Teachers (RCYT) to include ALL of these:
95 HOUR Registered Children’s Yoga School Training Certificate
200 Hour Registered Yoga School Training Certificate
30 Hours Experience Teaching Children
Here’s the rub, many people already have 20 or 30 hours of training under their belt. The problem is Yoga Alliance won’t count those hours towards the totals. YA requires you take all your training with the same school, and the school must be registered with Yoga Alliance at the time of your training. Otherwise YA won’t count it, even if it is enough hours. This chart helps show why:
If you take 95 hours from different schools, how do you know if the different categories have been fulfilled?
The risk here is you may invest in a training that doesn’t count. I’ve heard positive things about most kids yoga training, but only hours taken with a YA Registered School will count towards your Yoga Alliance registration.
Risk: You Can’t Get Insurance as a Kids Yoga Teacher
To assess this risk, find out if you have enough training to get Insurance coverage. You hopefully will never need your insurance, but I recommend you get it anyway. Each state, province, or country will have different standards. It’s definitely worth getting if teaching yoga is going to be part of your career.
Insurance changes from area to area, so ask teachers in your area who they use for insurance and call them up. I found the best rate for my insurance through the Yoga Alliance rewards, so the lower rate helps to cover the cost of my Yoga Alliance yearly membership.
Risk: You Take a Training But Still Don’t Feel Legitimate
This risk may rear its ugly head when you least expect it, like one woman described happened to her when making her business cards. She started to wonder: Am I legit?
Do you feel confident to call yourself a kids yoga teacher? If you don’t, is it your training holding you back, or maybe your experience? It may be time to commit to a longer training or one with more practicum hours. You’ll find a powerful meditation below to help you assess this risk and the others.
If you want to become a kids yoga teacher trainer, some students will want a Yoga Alliance Registered Training
Risk: Problems Becoming a Kids Yoga Teacher Trainer
The final risk will only affect those who see themselves becoming Kids Yoga Teacher Trainers (which I hope are many, because we’ve got to keep spreading the love).
I didn’t register with Yoga Alliance until I became a trainer, and then it was to register our Children’s Yoga School. People were asking for the Yoga Alliance certificate.
It was a lot of work to write the manuals, organize the kids camps, and meet all the YA requirements. But people wanted it and it felt good to get the RCYS logo for our logo. It was getting really difficult trying to cover everything in one weekend of training and 95 Hours really makes sure you cover it all!
If you see yourself eventually becoming a trainer, it will give you more options if you consider Yoga Alliance now. If you don’t, you will be cutting out a bunch of students who only want a registered school training. This may not be relevant now, but something to think about in the long term.
Rewards: You Make an Educated Decision And Get Clear on Your Goals
Indeed there are quite a few risks to consider when choosing a Kids Yoga Teacher Training.
So what are the rewards?
Beyond the obvious, you get to teach kids yoga, here are some pictures and tips from our Kids Mandala Workshop that are equally relevant to assessing the risks and rewards. Here’s why:
Mandala Meditation for Children
Making a Mandala helps you contemplate the answers to life’s questions because there is a trick to making a beautiful Mandala.
The way you do it, is to start in the centre and work your way from the inside out.
If you try to create your Mandala from the outside in, it can turns into a wonky sight. But starting in the centre and working your way out will help you find balance and produce a Mandala that is very pleasing to the eye.
Try the same technique in your self-assessment and risk assessment. Start in the centre.
Start by understanding your heart’s desire and set your course from there. Take some time to still your mind and recognize the external pressures. Then turn your focus inward.
Take your knowledge, assess your risks, get clear on what you want, then set your goals. Set a course for yourself based on your passion and vision of your future, not what you feel pressured to do.
Being able to create your life from the inside out is one of the biggest rewards the yogic path can offer.
Reward: Setting Your Goals from the Inside Out
When you look inside you will eventually discover the answer that is right for you.
A recent graduate of our training is clear she won’t be teaching adults. She asked about more kids yoga training programs even though she’s completed the 95 hour requirements. She’s teaching 18 kids yoga classes a week! More kids yoga training experiences will help her stay fresh and this is what she enjoys.
Another person I met has set short term and long term goals to go the Yoga Alliance route. She’s taking our 95 Hour Kids Yoga Training first so she can start with her passion, teaching kids. Then she’s going to get her 200 hour after.
Discover what is right for you using both knowledge and intuition.
Reward: You Feel Truly Legitimate and Free
My meditation teacher used to say the goal of life is to understand who we are in this dream of existence and to be brave enough to wake up from the dream.
When you stand in front of a class of children, your training and experience will serve you, but ultimately it is you who will claim the title of Kids Yoga Teacher if you want it.
There are risks and rewards in all we do. When we look back on our life, we may have a few regrets, but we will mostly remember the times when we lived being true to ourselves.
If there is any way I can help you with your decision on taking Kids Yoga Teacher Training, feel free to contact me directly or come to my monthly free training.
Aruna
416 944 2888 or info (at) YoungYogaMasters.com
It can help to have mentors on the way, to assess the situation using their expertise, and clarify some of your options.
