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Yogavani is now One-year old! - Yogavani from Indian Yoga Association

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Celebrating World Meditation Day with the Indian Yoga Association 

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…

Celebrating 6 Years of Excellence:Indian Yoga Association Gujarat Chapter Foundation Day 

The Indian Yoga Association, Gujarat Chapter, virtually celebrated its 6th Foundation Day on 29th December with the theme Yoga for Lifestyle Management. The program began with a prayer, followed by Mauli Baviskar introducing all dignitaries. The event emphasized yoga’s role in promoting holistic well-being, inspiring…

Geetham Institute of Alternative Medicine hosts transformative sessions 

In December, Geetham Institute of Alternative Medicine, Associate Centre of Indian Yoga Association hosted a series of transformative sessions centered on Varma therapy, which plays a significant role in enhancing physical, mental, and emotional health. The month-long series was conducted by experienced practitioners, each focusing…

Indian ancient Siddhars and the science of longevity: A remarkable discovery byAttangaogam Peedam 

Recent research, supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), sheds light on the ancient practice of Attangaogam, Associate Centre of Indian Yoga Association, and its impact on longevity. The study, titled “Effect of Yoga-Pranayamam on Telomere Length in Medical Students,” revealed ground breaking…

Tamil Nadu SCC meets to discuss way forward 

The Tamil Nadu State Chapter Committee meeting was held in World Community Service Centre, Chennai on December 28, 2024, at 10:30am. The meeting commenced with a prayer and meditation session, creating a serene atmosphere for the discussions that followed. Shri Rajeshwari Prabhakaran, Senior Vice-Chairman of…

Enriching programs at Sri Aurobindo Society, Hyderabad 

Throughout December, the Sri Aurobindo Society, Hyderabad, hosted a series of insightful talks and satsangs, focusing on various elements of yoga and spiritual growth. The month began with Elements of Yoga 1 by Smt. Suneetha Sekhar on 1st December, followed by Smt. Harshitha’s session on…

Vedic Kaya Sadhana celebrates convocation ceremony 

The Vedic Kaya Sadhana, Associate Centre of the Indian Yoga Association, recently held its convocation ceremony, marking a significant milestone for its graduating students. The event celebrated the culmination of rigorous training and dedication, with graduates receiving certifications that recognize their comprehensive understanding and expertise…

SSIYRC Students Set World Record inArdha Matsyendrasana 

In a remarkable achievement, 105 students from the Sri Shankari Institute of Yoga and Research Center, Gummudipoondi (SSIYRC), Associate Centre of the Indian Yoga Association, sustained the Ardha Matsyendrasana pose for an impressive 10 minutes, earning them a place in the Worldwide Book of Records….

Sree Bala Yoga Studio reflects on a year of remarkable achievements in 2024 

Sree Bala Yoga Studio, Associate Centre of the Indian Yoga Association, celebrated a year of significant milestones in 2024, underscoring its commitment to yoga education and community wellness. The studio conducted two sessions of its 200-hour Certificate Course in Yoga and a 500-hour Advanced Certificate…

Ananda Chaitanya Meditation Center launches in Coimbatore 

The Ananda Chaitanya Meditation Center in Kurumbapalayam, Coimbatore, Associate Centre of the Indian Yoga Association was inaugurated with grandeur on December 20, 2024. The event began with the traditional lighting of the kuthuvilakku by renowned writer Jeyamohan, symbolizing the dispelling of ignorance and the illumination…



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07 Feb 2025

Yogavani

Yogavani is now One-year old!
Editorial

Yogavani is now One-year old! 

Yogavani completes one year of its existence, and, as we look back at the year that was, it truly feels that the yoga community has so much more relevance in the world that we live in today.
The Indian Yoga Association’s mandate was to bring together all the Yoga Parampara (the lineages of Yoga) for giving direction to the teaching and propagation of authentic yoga by creating a culture of inclusion and integration.

To this end, we invited experts from various parts of the country, various traditions and schools of Yoga for a meeting organised by the Standard Aca­demics and Accreditation Committee of IYA (SAAC), with an objective of framing a common minimum standard for certification of yoga programs in a non-formal education system.

Developing a syllabus is always tricky, and this one was not easy either. While inclusiveness was the top priority, not compromising on the purity was equally central to the design. The focus had to be kept on making sure everyone was heard, accepted and repre­sented, while keeping the authenticity of Yoga intact. On the other hand the Yoga Certification Board had already started certification schemes and many lead­ing Schools were already offering these courses. So, a big question was why should IYA create a paral­lel framework?

My answer would be simple; because we are the only organisation in the world that have, as its members, almost every leading Yoga parampara that is born to the holy land of India. Because, we enjoy the advan­tage of being a non-governmental, self-regulatory body with an undoubtedly a perpetual existence which is independent and free from political influenc­es and biases. Therefore, we strongly feel that being the representative of the Yoga institutes, IYA has to lead the efforts of accreditation and certification.

The team brought along some learnings from the design and implementation of the Certification of Yoga Professionals Scheme by the Quality Council of India. The lack of any freedom had displeased many a yoga school. Standardization of this sort could destroy the uniqueness of each parampara. Therefore it was important this time to allow some freedom to the schools along with a certain minimum standards or commonality arrived at, by none other than the Yoga schools themselves. This would ensure the uniqueness of each institution for its teaching is catered to, while adhering to a basic framework.

The techniques and methods developed and taught by our revered Yoga Gurus who are drshtas or seers are unique. We must ensure these traditions are continued and not lost in the name of standardisation. The expert committee decided to allow 30% of the syllabus be designed by the institution itself with topics pre­ferred in their parampara.

We also understood that much like the Guru Shishya Parampara, in many of our Yoga schools, it’s the Guru who qualifies the student rather than a formal certificate or a degree. There are many wonderful Yoga teach­ers and Acharyas who have for many years learnt under their Guru and may not necessarily hold a degree in Yoga. Keeping this in mind our team of experts decided to allow the schools to self-declare their own unique process of recruitment, training and qualification of master trainers rather than suggesting any set standards. In the long run it was felt that, in wanting to lay down standards, we may unknowingly damage this beautiful Guru-shishya parampara.

Today, I am extremely happy to share that IYA accreditation has been welcomed and embraced by many member institutions and we are growing each day into a bigger and bigger family of Yoga professionals trained from the leading Yoga institutes of our country!

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the entire team of Yogavani and the Director of the Standing PR and Publications Committee for completing one year of spreading wisdom of Yoga and pulling so many lives out of despair and hopelessness during the past year of unrest. I hope you all enjoy reading this annual issue of Yogavani!

Smt. Kamlesh Barwal

(Secretary General, Indian Yoga Association)

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