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Yoga Certification & Registration
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HealthAndYoga
Posted 2010-06-21 8:59 AM (#123614)
Subject: Yoga Certification & Registration


Namaste to All,

I am new to this forum but have been witness to several confusions among aspiring yoga teachers in this wonderful forum as everywhere else too.

After seeing much misconceptions (related to certification and registration) among prospective students who wish to become teachers, I decided to do a bit of research.

The views that were found here and elsewhere, alongwith my own research, helped me put up this article at:

http://www.HealthAndYoga.com/cert/yoga_training.aspx

But, before making it public, I would humbly request all of you to please assess this article for its correctness and any omissions that you feel should be incorporated.

Your views would help create an authentic article and your comments and encouragement would be greatly valued.

Needless to say, I have tried my best to be as factual without letting prejudices come in the way.

In Peace,
Arun
http://www.HealthAndYoga.com/
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Posted 2010-06-21 12:37 PM (#123619 - in reply to #123614)
Subject: RE: Yoga Certification & Registration


Hi Arun,
Even though I perceived a bias against registration in your article, I thought that you presented the information well. You made the difference between certification and registration very clear and gave both pros and cons about registration. Personally, I see both plusses and minuses with registration and am neither for nor against it.
Namaste,
Jim

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Iraputra
Posted 2010-06-21 1:50 PM (#123620 - in reply to #123614)
Subject: RE: Yoga Certification & Registration


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Location: Uppsala, Sweden

We asked Guruji what he felt were the most important requirements for a good yoga teacher, and he said, "Complete knowledge of the yoga method and patience with the students."

We then asked him what were the requirements for the students, and he said, "Some knowledge of Sanskrit, a vegetarian diet, and instruction in the yoga method from a qualified teacher."


    http://www.yogajournal.com/jois_tribute


Knowledge, experience and the ability to live and teach yoga. Sensitivity, patience and love (compassion and empathy) for the students and their extremely varying levels of practice and widely different needs. A deep personal knowledge of the method, combined with the ability to speak from the heart and one's own experience. The ability to actually impart knowledge and wisdom in an inspiring way to almost anyone. This is what makes a great teacher, I think.

When yoga becomes such a source of joy and balance, and such a huge part of your own life, that you feel the need to share this knowledge and experience, that is when you as a student usually is getting into the mind-set of becoming a teacher. But in the end, what really makes you a teacher is the actual students who show up to learn from you. To be the guiding light and shining example of your students is not a role to enter lightly into.

Of course, you could draw up a more or less complete list of objective criteria to meet certain desirable demands on a competent teacher, such as mastery of specific asana and pranayama sequences, kriya methods, meditation, and knowledge of philosophy, sanskrit, history, anatomy, physiology... and finally, you could put the aspirant to the test by presenting him to an ill person, suffering from various ailments, and tell him to cure that poor unhealthy individual, as Krishnamacharya used to do.

 

From what little I know in the Ashtanga tradition of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, it is mostly about your experience (years of practice and teaching), the lineage (who did you learn from and how much) and word of mouth (as well as Internet) — more than whatever TTC (teacher training course) you may have attended or what organization of registration (RYT etc) you have approval from (or a registration at) — except of course, when the approval comes from the source itself; i.e. if you have been authorized or certified by Pattabhi Jois or his grandson Sharath to teach. See http://www.kpjayi.org/teachers.html and http://www.kpjayi.org/teacher_list.html . Or if you get a teacher listings reference at http://www.ashtanga.com/html/criteria.html — http://www.ashtanga.com/html/classes.html

[Note that authorized and certified is something else in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, than what it usually means, and something that is only granted to students who have studied repeatedly in Mysore for years, under the personal guidance of Pattabhi Jois and Sharath.]

These two lists are, as far as I know, the only official listings that really count for anything in the Ashtangi world. Other than that, it comes down to what you know, or have heard or read about the teacher — or more likely, and then more accurately, your own experience of taking classes or workshops from the teacher.

And still, though you may think that any of the teachers listed at those sites surely must be great teachers, sometimes you hear stories that contradict this notion of high standards for getting approved by the seniors of the worldwide Ashtanga community. Obviously there is more to being a good teacher than being a fairly advanced yogi yourself. And sometimes I guess, there is no pleasing all students in every possible situation.



Edited by Iraputra 2010-06-21 1:53 PM
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Posted 2010-06-21 1:53 PM (#123621 - in reply to #123614)
Subject: Re: Yoga Certification & Registration


Based on its context it is a fine article. The two points are easy ones to make; there are no real requirements and a registration (YA) is okay, or not okay.

However such articles, in my mind, miss the larger picture. Instead that look at a peripheral or external layer, never delving into the deeper parts of teacher development. Yoga is not the outer world. It is a world unto itself and laying it down on external yard sticks simple don't do it justice.

A training, certificate, and registration are a bare minimum. The overarching principle should be one's own commitment to and subsequent pursuit of the skills required to continue to be a qualified and effective teacher. A registration is a nice start but it's a by=product of the training not the sole purpose.

The idea of "just getting by" or doing only that which is mandated by a registry is a formula which places people in a position to convey something they have not brought in to their own living and are ill-prepared to share in a safe and effective manner.
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