On World Meditation Day, the Associate Centres and Member Institutes of the Indian Yoga Association came together to honour the profound practice of meditation. Across various locations, our community gathered to reflect, connect, and deepen their meditation journeys, fostering a sense of unity and inner…

by Dr Charu Sharma,
Yoga Technical Manager, Indian Yoga Association Personnel Certification Board
Quality Certification in Yoga helps Yoga professionals to select the level and category as per their skills and competences. YCB certification ranges from basic yoga protocol to Yoga Teacher & Evaluator. It is not any course, but a Professional examination. Like any other competitive examination YCB also has a defined syllabus and some basic guidelines. Candidate has to qualify this exam in two parts, i.e. theory and practical. Today, we will discuss about Theory exam preparation. Now, first question arises “Can we prepare it on our own or we should go for coaching?”
Well, YCB exam can easily be qualified on your own with proper planning and self study. The first step towards the preparation for YCB examination is to go through the syllabus of the exam of desired level and make a note of the weightage of various topics. It will help you to plan your preparation accordingly. Few points should consider at the time of preparation i.e.
- Collect the resource material
- Go through the concepts and make notes
- Always check your knowledge before exam
- Stay positive and confident
Resource Material
- It is always a good idea to read original text or explanations of text by learned gurus. Many translations on original Hathayogic text and related books are available therefore candidate can choose books according to the preference of language and understanding.
- IYA PrCB started “Yog-Pranjna” E-newsletter which consists of “Prepare Yourself” & “Check Your Knowledge” section for preparation.
Suggested References for theory
- Gheranda samhita
- Hathayogapradipika
- Patanjali Yoga Sutra
- Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga
- Yogic Sukshma Vyayama- Dhirendra Brahmachari ji
- A Beginner’s Guide to Ayurveda
- Anatomy and Physiology of Yogic Practices
- Management of Common Diseases
- Yoga Teachers Manual for School Teachers
- Upanishads (Kalayan), Geeta Press
How to Prepare Notes
Two types of notes can be prepared.
- Detailed Notes
- Revision/Short Notes
Explained Notes
- We recommend in-depth study of texts for better understanding.
- Firstly, Go and find the types of questions (can check section “Check your Knowledge” from the “Yog Pranjna” or sample papers from IYA PrCB website.
- Then start making your notes for the concepts given in the syllabus. (If needed, seek help from the experts)
- Notes should have introduction, necessity/ relation to our life, how can we use it/process, benefits and contraindications of practice.
- Also write main Sutra/Sloka related to the topic.
Revision Notes
- These notes will be very helpful at the time of examination for quick revision.
- Write the name of subject. Eg. Kriyayoga
- Then subparts- example- Tapa, Swadhyay, Ishwar Pranidhan.
- Write related shloka/sutra of each topic and subtopic
- Also write important points as benefit or contraindication in brief
- If possible, make any rhyme or game to learn lengthy concepts.
Group Discussion
Always study for your own growth and go deeper into the concepts. Group discussion is a nice way to learn more and it helps us in generating new ideas about a topic. It also makes us aware about our weakness and strength which provide us opportunity to improve our self. It will also help you to check your knowledge.
At last, students can polish their study skills and exam preparation skill through hard work and inner motivation. Exam is only way to bind yourself in time but learning something new and deep is a good habit.
Best wishes!
GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER
Online Series
Quality Certification Examination
IYA Personnel Certification Board during the lockdown because of COVID-19 Pandemic has started with ‘Get to Know Each Other’ series online. The first session of the series ‘To know about Quality Certification Examination’ was by Smt.Ankita Pandey, Operational Manager, IYA PrCB. It was held on April 23, 2020 and the session went on for one hour. An expert in managing examinations, Smt.Ankita also answered the queries of during the live session on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/IYAPrCB.
Hathapradipika & Gheranda Samhita
In line with the ongoing online series ‘Get to Know Each Other’ series, Dr Charu Sharma, Yoga Technical Manager, IYA PrCB held a session on ‘Hathapradipika & Gheranda Samhita’ on April 30, 2020. The Facebook Live went on for almost an hour where she answered the queries from the audience on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/IYAPrCB..