RYT-200 study guide
RYT-200 · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
RYT 200 - Registered Yoga Teacher, 200-hour - is the entry-level teaching credential in the Yoga Alliance system, and one thing is worth understanding up front: it is not awarded by a single centralized exam. Candidates complete a 200-hour teacher training at a Registered Yoga School (RYS 200) and then register. The RYT-200 study guide has 5 sections and about 1,171 words.
01Techniques & Training
Techniques & Training tests whether you can name, categorize, and safely teach the core practices. Expect questions on asana families (standing, balancing, forward folds, backbends, twists, inversions, restorative), pranayama (ujjayi, nadi shodhana, bhramari, kapalabhati), bandhas (mula, uddiyana, jalandhara), mudras, meditation styles, and sequencing logic.
239 words, about 1 min02Anatomy
Anatomy questions test function, not trivia: planes of motion, joint actions (flexion/extension, abduction/adduction, internal/external rotation, inversion/eversion), spinal regions, and how breath moves the core. Know the diaphragm's role, the deep core cylinder (transversus abdominis, multifidus, pelvic floor, diaphragm), and key muscles in common poses: psoas and hamstrings in forward folds, glutes and erector spinae in backbends, serratus anterior and rotator cuff in weight-bearing shoulders.
249 words, about 1 min03Philosophy
Philosophy questions cluster around three texts. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali supply the eight limbs (yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi), the five yamas (ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya, aparigraha), the five niyamas (saucha, santosha, tapas, svadhyaya, ishvara pranidhana), the kleshas, and the paired ideas of abhyasa (steady practice) and vairagya (non-attachment).
226 words, about 1 min04Professional Essentials
This domain covers the business and ethics of teaching. The central idea is scope of practice: you teach movement, breath, and meditation; you do not diagnose, treat, prescribe, or perform psychotherapy.
234 words, about 1 min05Practicum
Practicum questions test class design and delivery: the arc (centering, warm-up, peak or theme, cool-down, savasana), sequencing logic, cueing quality, demonstration, observation, pacing, and time management. Strong sequences prepare the body for the peak with related shapes, balance effort with rest, and include a counterpose that makes anatomical sense.
223 words, about 1 min