You've decided to do a 200-hour yoga teacher training. Now comes the harder question: which one? The internet offers thousands of options — programmes in Bali, Rishikesh, Costa Rica, online, offline, at five-star resorts, in jungle shalas. They vary wildly in price, length, and style. So how do you choose?
Most people start by comparing curriculums. They look at what modules are covered, whether it's Yoga Alliance accredited, what the schedule looks like. Others focus on location — the island, the weather, the food scene. A few start with price.
All of these factors matter. But none of them come close to the most important variable of all: who is actually teaching you.
"You can have a perfect curriculum in a perfect location — but if the person delivering it can't transmit what they know, the whole thing falls flat."
What a Lead Teacher Actually Does
In a 200h YTT, the lead teacher isn't just one of several instructors. They set the tone, the depth, and the culture of the entire experience. They are there every day — leading practice, teaching methodology, answering questions, giving feedback on your teaching, and holding the space when it gets hard (and it will get hard).
A great lead teacher doesn't just know yoga. They know how to teach yoga. These are profoundly different skills. Some of the world's most advanced practitioners make mediocre teachers. The ability to break down complex postures, give clear cues, adapt to the person in front of you, and inspire a room full of students — that is a craft that takes years to develop beyond asana practice itself.
What to Look For in a Lead Teacher
1. Real teaching experience — not just personal practice
Look for someone who has led multiple teacher trainings, not just one. Ask how long they have been teaching, where, and in what contexts. A teacher who has taught in retreat centres, public studios, and internationally is going to bring a much richer perspective than one whose experience is limited to a single style or setting.
2. Reviews from past students — specifically about their teaching
Don't just look at star ratings. Read the written reviews and look for patterns. Do students mention that they felt personally seen? That they received genuine feedback? That the teacher adapted to different levels in the room? These are the signals that matter.
- "He knew my practice, my patterns, my edges." — this means small groups and real attention.
- "She explained things in multiple ways until I understood." — this means pedagogical skill.
- "I felt safe to try and fail." — this means the teacher creates psychological safety, which is essential for learning.
3. Depth in both practice and theory
Yoga teacher training is not just physical. You are going to spend significant time on anatomy, philosophy, the history of yoga, pranayama, and the ethics of teaching. Your lead teacher needs to be authoritative across all of these areas — or have brought in specialists who are. If a programme is heavy on asana but vague on everything else, be cautious.
4. Transparency and humility
The best teachers are still learning. They are open to questions, honest about what they don't know, and willing to sit with complexity rather than offering easy answers. In a training environment, this models exactly the kind of teacher you want to become. Be wary of teachers who project infallibility.
5. The ability to give honest feedback
This is perhaps the most underrated quality. A teacher training should make you better. That requires feedback — sometimes uncomfortable feedback. Teachers who only affirm and never challenge are not preparing you for the real experience of standing in front of a room and teaching.
The Small Group Advantage
Even the best teacher in the world cannot give you what you need if there are 40 people in the room. The most important thing a lead teacher offers is personal attention — watching your practice, understanding your patterns, and giving you targeted feedback. This is simply not possible at scale.
When evaluating a programme, ask how many students are in each cohort. Anything above 15 starts to feel like a class rather than a training. The smaller the group, the more of the teacher you actually receive.
At Nest Yoga
Our 200h YTT is led entirely by Antonio Loddo — a teacher with over a decade of experience across Europe, Southeast Asia, and beyond. We deliberately cap our cohorts at 12 students so that every person receives the depth of attention the training demands.
Antonio is known for three things: his mastery of advanced asana and the anatomy that underpins it, his ability to give clear and honest feedback, and his warmth as a human being. Former students describe him as rigorous and generous in equal measure — exactly what you want in a lead teacher.
"The quality of your training is the quality of your teacher. Choose accordingly."
View the 200h YTT at Nest Yoga →Final Thoughts
Before you book a teacher training, do your research on the lead teacher. Watch their videos. Read every review you can find. If possible, take a class with them first. The location will be beautiful wherever you go. The curriculum, with some variation, will cover similar ground. But who teaches you — that is the variable that will determine whether you leave the training genuinely ready to teach, or simply holding a certificate.
The investment in a YTT is significant, in both time and money. Spend it with someone who has earned the right to teach you.