Yoga Teacher Training Forum

Maybe New York and Virginia realized yoga alliance doesn't interview, train, test, or certify. If yoga alliance steps out into the lime light, they have to come clean about their actions. I guess the state of New York used the yoga alliance directory. Or something else happened to that data base. Or worse......

NY only went after registered yoga schools. They didn't mail a letter to the rest of the schools in NY and there were so many more to go after. They would have eventually, but the yoga teachers in NY are a model to copy. Unify, even though we have differences. Its hard to lump fitness, boot camp, and spiritual schools into one category, but that's yoga.

Anyway the states won't show YA any respect. They never applied any of the dues to lobbying. They applied their profits to marketing yoga instructors. Get real - if there are really ten thousand RYTs in North America there has to be over sixty thousand certified yoga teachers in the US alone. And that's not including Canada.

Reality check: How often does anyone demand you be registered as a requirement? YA might be special in CA or NYC but I don't see many RYTs in other parts of the US. Have your students ever really cared? Do they even notice. Teachers are certified and that's all they care about. Some teachers don't have certification at all. Most gyms and companies only want to see a valid certification.

Namaskar,

Well, I'll try to be objective about the lack of action on behalf of paying registered yoga teachers in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. YA is doing the best they can. They're very busy answering tons of phone calls and tons of e-Mail. There are only so many hours in a day to do all of that work!

On the flip side - What did we get for our YA dues? We got a neat card and paper to frame with our RYT stuff. We got to fill out some lengthy questionnaires about how YA would define its role. We got some e-Mail about Yoga day and a discount on a few things. We got to feel real important anout our RYT club. It's been real and its been fun, but it hasn't been real fun.

When it's time to renew, I have to do some soul searching.

OM

Namaskar Everyone,

This is indeed a "Hot Thread." The value in becoming a member of any yoga teacher organization is the feeling of spending good time with people you are comfortable with. You should know other teachers well and regard them with deep affection and trust. There are online associations like Aura where we can share ideas on the blog comments or in this forum. This isn't in person, but it helps. I can't travel as much these days. We are encouraged to share our thoughts and we learn as a group. State level yoga teacher groups exist too. At my age I don't feel like drving 8 hours to and from a 3 hour meeting. That's 11 hours! I should have moved to a smaller state. The interaction respected members receive tells much about the organization itself. I need not comment on YA.

Blessings,

Pranam,

You know it is hard to defend an organization that makes a promise and takes no action in defense of yogis when paying registered yoga teachers in NY were under fire. FYI, Yoga Alliance is NOT a national regulatory body for yoga at all. No organization should try to institutionalize Yoga. But if you tried to create an institution, you should step up to the plate and defend those paying registered yoga teachers who are a stone's throw from your Arlington, Virginia office! Teachers never were required in any way to register with yoga alliance in order to teach yoga.

Kind Regards,

Hi,

Thanks very much for this comment. It help me to think about my ideals.

Thanks again and please keep posting.