According to the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States (IYNAUS), “Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers are held to an unusually rigorous standard, earning their certification only after years of training and evaluation. The Iyengar Yoga Certification Mark is your guarantee of a yoga experience that’s safe, suitable for individual physical conditions and beneficial for both body and mind.”
“Becoming an Iyengar Yoga Teacher begins with long term, thorough and dedicated practice. One is a student of Iyengar Yoga for many years before becoming a teacher. Only after three years’ study, and after developing a relationship with a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher who agrees to become a mentoring teacher, may the candidate begin the application process. Then comes two years’ teaching, exclusively in the Iyengar Method — all before the actual testing begins. In the assessment process itself, candidates are carefully observed and evaluated as they demonstrate asanas and Pranayamas and as they teach a class of students.”
In order to use the Iyengar Yoga Certification Mark, teachers must:
* Teach the method set forth by B.K.S. Iyengar without mixing in other styles or disciplines
* Maintain a regular personal practice
* Continue their training with senior teachers or by traveling to the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in Pune, India
* Adhere to ethical guidelines
Every Certified Iyengar Teacher has passed at least one rigorous, standardized assessment. Upper level teachers have passed many more.
Nadine Sims, CIYT Level II
Nadine is a Certified Iyengar Level II Yoga Teacher. Nadine has been teaching yoga since 1997, and formerly owned Iyengar Yoga of Bend. Today Nadine teaches in Sisters, Oregon. Read Nadine’s complete bio
“We want sharp crisp teaching, not casual teaching. We want to feel the candidate has done the work, knows the poses, is able to get the information out in a clear concise form and sees what is in front of them. At each level these expectations increase.”
“We need to feel the teacher is a safe teacher and can take care of the students in a positive, safe manner. This requires both practicing and teaching the poses over and over until you know them on a cellular level.”
— Senior Teacher Joan White on what is expected from candidates for certification
Iyengar Yoga Certification Mark