Letter From the Certification Committee

Dear IYNAUS Members,

Guruji recently sent a letter to all Iyengar Yoga Associations worldwide informing them that teachers are not to teach until fully certified. He advised IYNAUS to combine the Introductory I and II assessments into one assessment. He made this change in response to our questions regarding the status of the Introductory I teacher. The IYNAUS Board and Certification Committee recently made these requested changes to our certification process effective for the 2015 assessment cycle.

We know there are many questions about this change, and we hope this note will answer some of them. Beginning in 2015, we will offer assessments for the Introductory level, combining the Introductory I and Introductory II syllabi and required knowledge into a single assessment. The certificate level for passing this assessment will be called Introductory Levels I and II. Upon successful completion of the combined Introductory I and II assessment, candidates will be considered fully certified Iyengar Yoga teachers and can use the Iyengar name freely to describe their classes.

With this change, our new teachers will be welcomed into the community of Iyengar-certified teachers directly after passing their first assessment.

The Introductory I and II syllabi will continue to be listed separately in the Certification Manual for progressive study and learning. The Introductory I material is still an important stage in the training process and should be attained before proceeding to learn the Introductory II material. The new 2015 Introductory I and II assessment will be a sensitive and practical combination of the two syllabi. The assessment will be much like the current Introductory II assessment. The Demonstrated Practice will draw from both syllabi, and the Demonstration of Teaching Skills portion of the assessment will consist of six asanas.

Those who have passed Introductory I assessment or those taking the Introductory I assessment this year will still have the option of taking a designated Introductory II assessment in 2015 or 2016.

Until an Iyengar Yoga teacher is fully certified, student teachers should not be teaching public classes and cannot identify themselves as Iyengar Yoga teachers. However, to gain experience, they can teach to the public under the direct supervision of a certified teacher. They also can teach to family, friends, in study groups with colleagues, or practice teaching sessions with volunteer Iyengar Yoga students. Yoga studios can employ their certified teachers to oversee classes taught by student teachers preparing for certification. With this change, teachers who pass the Introductory I and II assessment can teach independently and identify their teaching as Iyengar Yoga. We live in a large and diverse country. There are many models that can work to prepare our future teachers and build our community.

Those who are currently teaching should fulfill their commitments and proceed to complete the certification process.

Among other benefits this change will bring, the process will be more expeditious and less costly. The change also will bring clarity to the status of any candidate who passes an IYNAUS assessment as a fully certified Iyengar Yoga teacher. Mentors, recommending teachers, and current candidates for Introductory certification should discuss these changes to make an informed decision about certification this year. It may be appropriate and beneficial for many candidates to keep their study momentum going and assess in 2014.

We encourage further mentoring of Introductory-level candidates by our Intermediate Junior, Senior, and Advanced teachers of the student teachers as they learn to observe, assist, and teach. We are confident this change will bring more interest to Iyengar Yoga and the certification process.

All the best,

Leslie Bradley, Mary Reilly, and the Certification Committee Please contact Leslie Bradley, certification chair, at certification@iynaus.org with any questions or concerns.