Can a beginner do a yoga teacher training?

By yum · Updated 3 November 2026

Yes, if you’ve been practising for a while and want to go deeper. You don’t need to do handstands, touch your toes or know the Sanskrit names. But you do need enough time on the mat to know what happens in a regular yoga class. If you’re brand new, take classes for a few months first. At yum in Sydhavnen, Copenhagen, that’s the requirement for our 200-hour Vinyasa yoga teacher training: you’ve practised yoga before, and you understand and speak English.

That’s the short answer. Near-beginner, yes. Total beginner, not yet. Here’s how to work out where you are.

In short

• You don’t need to be “good” at yoga. You need a basic sense of what happens on the mat.
• Flexibility, strength and advanced poses aren’t requirements. They’re things you work on.
• If you’re completely new, take classes for a few months before you start.
• At yum the training is in English, so you need to understand and speak English.
• Lots of people do a training for themselves, not to teach.

Do you need to be good at yoga to become a yoga teacher?

No. And that might be the most important thing we say here. A yoga teacher training isn’t an entrance exam for the bendiest people in the room. It’s where you learn how yoga works and how to guide other people through it.

In fact, it can help to remember what being new felt like. The best teachers can explain a pose to someone who’s as stiff as a plank on a Monday morning. You don’t learn that by being able to do everything yourself.

What you need to bring is curiosity, will and a practice that’s already going. The rest you learn. That’s kind of the whole point.

How much yoga experience do I need before I start?

There’s no magic number of hours. Think about it like this instead. Can you follow a regular all-levels class without feeling completely lost? Do you know the most common poses, like downward dog, warrior and child’s pose, when the teacher calls them? Do you roughly know how to look after your body along the way?

Then you have the foundation the training builds on.

If the answer is no, that’s completely fine. It just isn’t time for the training yet. It’s time for some classes. Not sure? Write to us at yoga@yum.dk. We’d rather be honest before you start than after.

What don’t I need to be able to do?

Lots of people stay away because they think they’re missing something. Here’s what you don’t need before you start:

• Handstands, headstands or arm balances. No.
• Touching your toes. Also no.
• Sanskrit. It’s new to everyone. You learn it together.
• Anatomy. It’s part of the training, not an entry requirement.
• Teaching. That’s exactly what you’re there to learn.

What’s hard when you’re fairly new?

We won’t pretend it’s easy. It’s a training, not a spa weekend. What most newer students find hardest is:

• The amount. Lots of new words, poses and principles in a short time. The manual helps, and you can read it at your own pace.
• The homework. There are assignments between teaching days. At yum, 50 hours of self-practice are also part of the 200 hours.
• Teaching out loud. Standing in front of people and guiding them feels awkward at first. For everyone. Even people who’ve practised for ten years.
• Comparing yourself. Someone in your group will be stronger or more flexible than you. It matters less than you think. This is about understanding and explaining, not performing.

How do I get ready if I’m fairly new?

A few things that really help:

1. Take classes, and mix them up. Both calm and more dynamic ones. You’ll get a feel for how classes are built. If you’re unsure where to start, read which type of yoga should I choose?
2. Watch the teacher. What do they say, and when? What works for you, and what doesn’t?
3. Practise a little at home. Ten minutes is plenty. It’s about the habit, not the performance.
4. Check your English. At yum, all regular classes and the whole training are in English. Read doing a yoga teacher training in English when it’s not your first language.
5. Get the prep kit. You get a recorded webinar, a peek inside the manual and the e-book “yum’s Guide to The Essentials of Yoga Teaching”.

At yum you also get free access to our regular yoga classes from the day you book the training until the last day. Book early, and you get extra time on the mat before your first weekend.

Can you do a yoga teacher training without wanting to teach?

Yes. Lots of people do it to understand their own practice better, learn about anatomy and philosophy, or just give themselves something that’s theirs. That’s a perfectly good reason. Read more in 5 reasons to take a YTT even if you don’t want to teach.

What if I don’t pass the final exam?

Fair question. At yum the training ends with an exam where you teach a class of up to 30 minutes, including pranayama and/or meditation. Along the way you get smaller assignments, so you and the teachers can see where you are. If you don’t meet the requirements at the exam, you can retake it up to two times later. It’s in the course description, and it’s there to make sure the certificate means something.

How we do it at yum

• Training: 200-hour Vinyasa yoga teacher training. yum is a Registered Yoga School (RYS®200) with Yoga Alliance. The training is 150 hours with the teachers and 50 hours of self-practice.
• Requirements: You’ve practised yoga before, and you understand written and spoken English.
• Groups in 2027: Winter/spring, 16 January–2 May (weekends only, with a break over the winter and Easter holidays), and Summer Intensive, 3 July–15 August (6.5 weeks of weekends and weekdays). Same content, same certificate.
• Group size: 7–15 students.
• Price: DKK 28,995 excl. VAT, where VAT applies. The DKK 4,000 booking fee is included in the price.
• Included: free access to our regular yoga classes from booking until the last day of the training, and 20% off in the café.
• Absence: 16 hours at most.

Want to know what 200 hours and Yoga Alliance actually mean? Read how do you become a yoga teacher in Denmark?. And if you want the story behind the style, read why choose a Vinyasa yoga teacher training.

Not quite ready? That’s completely fine. Start on the mat with yum intro: 30 days of unlimited yoga for DKK 399 (DKK 359 under 30). Then you’ll feel whether you want more. Ready, or just curious? See everything on our yoga teacher training in Copenhagen page, and get the free prep kit. Questions? Write to us at yoga@yum.dk. Or come by Alliancevej 22 for a coffee and a chat.

FAQ

Can a beginner do a yoga teacher training?

Yes, if you’ve practised yoga for a while and know what a regular class is like. You don’t need advanced poses. If you’re completely new, it’s a good idea to take classes for a few months first.

Do you need to be flexible to become a yoga teacher?

No. Flexibility and strength aren’t entry requirements. A yoga teacher training is about understanding yoga and learning to guide others, not about doing the hardest poses.

What does yum require to start the yoga teacher training?

That you’ve practised yoga before, so you have a basic understanding of what happens on the mat, and that you understand written and spoken English. The teaching and the manual are in English.

How do I prepare for a yoga teacher training?

Take a mix of classes, notice how teachers guide, practise a little at home and check your English. At yum you can get a free prep kit with a recorded webinar and a peek inside the manual.

Can I do the training if I don’t want to teach?

Yes. Lots of people do a yoga teacher training to understand their own practice better and learn about anatomy and philosophy. That’s a perfectly good reason.