Every trainee in the yoga4cancer Certificate Program answers two sets of questions we pay close attention to.
At the end of the program, they complete a survey about what they learned and how prepared they feel. And at the start and end of training, they rank the benefits of yoga for people with cancer, from most to least important.
We looked at four years of answers: 193 graduates from 2022 to 2026, including our self-study course. Here is what they told us.
What graduates say they learned
We ask graduates how much their understanding improved in key areas, from “no change” to “significant improvement.” The share reporting good or significant improvement:
Graduates reporting good or significant improvement in:
Source: yoga4cancer end-of-program survey, 193 graduates, 2022–2026 (modifying poses: 175). Self-reported.
The practical skills, what to teach, what to avoid and how to adapt it, show the strongest gains. That matches why most teachers come to us. In the first module, we ask trainees what concerns them about teaching people with cancer. More than a third give some version of the same answer: “I’m afraid I’ll hurt someone or make things worse.”
From concern to confidence
By the end of the program:
By the end of the program
report greater confidence working with the cancer community
are satisfied with the program overall
are satisfied with mentor support and feedback
would recommend the training
Source: yoga4cancer end-of-program survey, 193 graduates, 2022–2026. Self-reported.
Mentor feedback on the video practicum comes up again and again when graduates describe the most valuable part of the program. Teaching a full class, then having an experienced oncology yoga teacher watch it and talk it through, is where the material becomes a skill.
Their thinking changes, too
Surveys tell us what people say they learned. The benefit ranking shows us something else: whether their thinking actually changes.
Trainees rank seven benefits of yoga for people with cancer: improve well-being, manage stress and anxiety, reduce pain, improve immune function, bone strengthening, muscle flexibility, and support weight management. We compared the first and last rankings for 155 trainees.
Almost half (47%) changed their number one choice by the end of training. The biggest shifts:
Share of trainees ranking each benefit in their top three
Start of training End of training
Bone strengthening
Improve immune function
Reduce pain
Source: benefit rankings from 155 trainees at Module 1 and the final assignment, 2022–2026.
Improving well-being and managing stress stayed near the top. About half still ranked well-being first.
Why the change? Most yoga teachers arrive knowing yoga helps people feel better. Fewer arrive knowing that many cancer treatments, including some hormone therapies, chemotherapy and long courses of steroids, can thin bones. Or how movement and breath support the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system. Once trainees learn the physical side effects of treatment, they see more clearly what a well-designed practice can address.
As one graduate wrote about her change in ranking: “I had no idea how cancer treatments impact bone health.”
Where our graduates teach
yoga4cancer has trained more than 3,000 yoga teachers in 39 countries. Certified teachers who are actively teaching are listed in our Oncology Yoga Teacher Directory, where people in and after cancer treatment, caregivers and healthcare providers can find a teacher near them [[or online — confirm the directory shows class format]].
Many of our teachers bring other professional training to their classes. Directory profiles list credentials such as e.g. MD, RN, PT/DPT, OT, C-IAYT, LCSW alongside their yoga4cancer certification.
Professionals trained since 2004
+3,000
Countries representation
41+
US States & Territories represented
48
Continents represented
5
Using Certification
87%
Hours of CEUs Awarded
+142,000
What graduates asked us to improve
We also ask what didn’t work, and we read every answer. Three requests came up most often. Here is what graduates told us, and what we’ve done.
More live contact
What graduates said: They wanted more chances to talk with a mentor before the final practicum, more live sessions, and more time with fellow trainees. Self-study students asked for this most. Learning on your own schedule is flexible, but it can feel isolating, especially in the middle of the course.
What we’ve done:
- Monthly Live Office Hours. Every trainee can join a live session each month to ask questions, talk through what they’re learning, and meet others in the program.
- Additional mentor hours. Tuition includes a one-hour session with a mentor after your practicum. Trainees who want more one-on-one support along the way can add mentor hours for a fee.
A smoother platform
What graduates said: Some trainees lost work they had submitted, or had trouble uploading their video practicum. When you’ve spent an hour writing a reflection or recording a class, losing it is discouraging.
What we’ve done: We’ve added training and platform features to help trainees move through the course, save their work and submit their practicum. Step-by-step help is available on our Support for Trainees page, including how extensive FAQs
Longer access to the material
What graduates said: Several graduates wanted to return to the lessons once they started teaching and met students with side effects they hadn’t seen before.
What we’ve done: Graduates have access to an extensive library of yoga4cancer videos after they complete the program, so they can keep learning once they’re teaching. Many of the videos contained in the program remain available. And individuals can request access to anything not provided as standard.
We’ll keep asking, and we’ll keep making changes based on what graduates tell us.
How we measured this
These are self-reported results from people who completed the program, collected in our end-of-program survey between 2022 and 2026. They describe how graduates rate their own learning, not outcomes for their students. The benefit rankings compare each trainee’s answers at Module 1 and in the final assignment. We’ll update these numbers as each new cohort finishes.
Learn more
Yoga teachers: See what the training covers in the 75-Hour Certificate Program, or watch The Yoga Teacher’s Blind Spot, a free session with Tari Prinster.
Healthcare professionals: Refer patients to a certified teacher through our Oncology Yoga Teacher Directory.
Looking for a class? Find a y4c-certified teacher near you in our Oncology Yoga Teacher Directory.
FAQ
How was this data collected? Every graduate of the yoga4cancer Certificate Program completes an end-of-program survey. These results include 193 graduates from 2022 to 2026. Trainees also rank the benefits of yoga for people with cancer at the start and end of the program.
What does “good or significant improvement” mean? Graduates rate their improvement on a five-point scale: no change, a little, some, good, or significant improvement. The figures combine the top two answers.
Do graduates feel ready to teach people with cancer? 93% report good or significant improvement in their confidence working with the cancer community, and 96% in knowing which poses are appropriate.