Why does our yoga teacher training cost more than some others?

At True North Vinyasa, we are regularly asked why our training is more expensive than a lot of others. We love getting this question actually. Not only does it show that our potential trainees do look around and compare, which is excellent. It also gives us a reason to emphasise what we are all about. It's about time we make a post about yoga teacher trainings in general. It's about time we talk about why they are so different in price. It's about time we talk about how to properly compare one yoga teacher training from another. 

Here is the background. TTC:s are not very regulated. The content is – to some degree – but there is no real quality control within Yoga Alliance. However, it's one of only a few certifications out there. As a provider of teacher trainings, we actually had quite a dilemma with this. We may not think very highly of Yoga Alliance, and it's by no means a proof of quality to be associated with Yoga Alliance, but we know it means a lot to have this certification (again, it's one of few and usually a minimum requirement if teachers apply for jobs at studios). This is why we are currently associated with Yoga Alliance. As a provider of education within this field, you are free to set your prices as you wish. You are also free to offer trainings for any size group, any quality of course material and any version of what is included in the course fee. There are certified trainings ranging from €1000 up to €10 000, and it might be hard to distinguish the difference. When choosing a yoga teacher training, it's important that you know that this is an unregulated market. There are horror stories out there of lice infected mattresses, sudden changes in curriculums, unacceptable food quality, non-existing course material and non-supportive guru wannabe teachers. The unregulated market puts a lot of pressure on you to research well. Some variables to keep an eye on are these:

- What is the group size in the training?
- What is the teacher to student ratio?
- Are there previous students you can contact to get more information?
- What is included in the course fee?
- Are there pictures and descriptions of the accommodations?
- Is the venue mentioned by name?
- Does the education provider share details (curriculum, hours, examination details)?
- Is it clear what this education is emphasising? Does it get your ready to teach?  

We can't speak for everyone else, of course. But we can explain more about our particular vinyasa teacher training and our course fee. 

- We are a small group setting (never more than 16 students)
- We have a high teacher to student ratio (2 main teachers + guest faculty, even if the group is smaller than 16 people)
- We include quality accommodations and lovingly prepared food 
- We go above and beyond to support each student before, during and after training
- We have a unique curriculum, designed to raise the quality of vinyasa teachers (this is in fact one of our outspoken visions)
- We include a chunk of business, marketing and branding in our training (where the art of pricing sustainably is actually quite a big topic)
- Our training is designed for anyone serious about becoming a teacher, not just deepening their knowledge of yoga. To us, this means our job is to get you ready to teach and run a successful business in the competitive yoga industry. The course investment leads to a platform where you can start making money. The course is an investment that will give back.  
- We post testimonials from former students and we are happy to put you in contact with any one of them for added perspective. 
- We are actually not interested in accepting just about anyone into our programme just to "make more money". We want students who are a great fit and are 100% committed to what we offer. 

We do understand that an intensive yoga teacher training is a big investment for most, both financially and time-wise. If our training speaks to you, and you know it is the one for you, we really don't want anything to stand in your way. We have a few solutions if the tuition is not within reach:
- We offer a €500 discount if you book early
- We offer payment plans – up to 5 payments if you book early
- We continuously earmark 5% of profits to support students who need a partial scholarship. More about our scholarships and how to apply is found here:
http://www.truenorthvinyasa.com/scholarship-yoga-teacher-training.html

Never hesitate to contact us with your questions. As mentioned, we like it. Also, feel free to ask for the contact info to past students. Here are some comments from our April training.  www.truenorthvinyasa.com/teaching-yoga/insights-from-a-yoga-teacher-training