Becoming a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher (CIYT™) begins with long-term, dedicated practice. One is a student of Iyengar Yoga before becoming a teacher. For CIYTs, earning a Certification Mark demonstrates their commitment to maintaining the purity, excellence, and high standards of Iyengar Yoga.
CIYTs commit to teaching the method of yoga set forth by B.K.S. Iyengar without mixing in other styles or disciplines. They maintain a regular personal practice and continue their training with a mentor, or travel to the Iyengar institute in India. CIYTs adhere to the ethical guidelines set forth by the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in India.
Mentors like me assess the teachers of Iyengar Yoga, while RIMYI provides certificates. The assessment process that leads to certification has been designed and refined over many years under the guidance of B.K.S. Iyengar, Geeta Iyengar, Prashant Iyengar and Abhijata Iyengar.
In July 2020, RIMYI updated the guidelines for the assessment and certification of teachers. Please find the Certification and Assessment Guidelines here.
Iyengar Yoga welcomes all, regardless of age, body type, flexibility, or level of fitness. In an Iyengar Yoga class, you will learn the foundations of our approach and begin to experience the lifelong benefits of yoga.
Where Do I Start?
Iyengar Yoga Links
International Iyengar Yoga Associations
Iyengar Yoga offers a variety of classes for all levels. An introductory class is a great way to start if you are a beginner or have been away from yoga for some time. Classes are carefully sequenced with the beginning student in mind and help build stamina and strength while promoting a sense of calmness. If you’re a more experienced practitioner, you might benefit from a Level 1 or a Level 2 class. Iyengar studios will have a listing of what the class levels mean.
Students come from all backgrounds, ages, cultures, and capabilities. Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers strive to address the students' needs in the class based on the competency required for their certification level. Beginning classes start with standing poses and seated poses, teaching the foundations of the practice. The class may feel challenging, but with dedication and practice the poses will start to come with ease. In a short while, you will find yourself feeling more flexible and stronger.
Becoming a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher (CIYT™) begins with long-term, thorough and dedicated practice. One is a student of Iyengar Yoga before becoming a teacher. Certified Iyengar yoga teachers (CIYT) undergo rigorous teacher trainings and are assessed to teach by a dedicated board of experienced senior Iyengar teachers. CIYTs maintain a regular personal practice and are required to complete continuing education hours each year to deepen their knowledge of Iyengar Yoga. CIYTs are certified in the Iyengar method at five different levels of skill. Look for this certification mark when choosing an Iyengar Yoga class.
Iyengar Yoga Association of the United Kingdom
iyengaryoga.org.ukAssociazione Light on Yoga Italia
iyengaryoga.itIyengar Yoga Vereinigung Deutschland
iyengar-yoga-deutschland.deIyengar Yoga Association of Australia
iyengaryoga.asn.auIyengar Yoga Association of Israel
iyengar-yoga.org.ilIyengar Yoga Association Denmark
iyengaryogaorg.dk
“Action is movement with intelligence. The world is filled with movement. What the world needs is more conscious movement, more action.”
Progressing in any physical discipline comes gradually. Starting a new practice requires patience and dedication. Talk to your Iyengar Yoga teacher about how you feel about your progress. You’ll find your teacher will have ideas and suggestions.
Iyengar Yoga welcomes all, regardless of age, body type, flexibility, or level of fitness. In an Iyengar Yoga class, you will learn the foundations of our approach and begin to experience the lifelong benefits of yoga.
RIMYI
Bellur Yoga Center
The Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in Pune, India, is the mother institute of Iyengar Yoga worldwide. Prashant Iyengar, Abhijata Iyengar, Sunita Iyengar and others who studied and trained directly with B.K.S. Iyengar for decades continue to teach and refine the constantly evolving method that is one of the world’s most widely practiced yogas. Here, teachers from around the world come to practice and hone the skills they will take back to their own Iyengar Yoga communities.
All applications and admission to RIMYI are handled by the Institute Admissions Office in Pune. Please read the full instructions under the “Foreign Student” section of the Registration at RIMYI page.
The applications can be submitted via email to info@rimyi.org and will be approved as per the availability. Students can then pay their full fees at the time of their arrival in Pune either by cash or debit/credit card. Please include any relevant health issues in the application.
An acceptance letter and schedule will be mailed to those admitted to study
Students must reconfirm their attendance at least 2 months in advance
Students will need to make their own arrangements for lodging and boarding
Foreign students, who are already experienced practitioners of Iyengar Yoga, are permitted to attend the general and ladies classes every month. Please note that the classes are generally booked a year or two in advance.
The student should be practicing "Iyengar Yoga" for at least 8 years. This should include the regular practice of inverted postures such as Sirsasana and Sarvangasana for 8-10 minutes. All students should have read, at the minimum, the introductory chapter to Light on Yoga and be familiar with the terms and principles covered in that chapter. Women should know what is to be practiced during menstruation.
Additional questions may be directed to:
Mr. Pandurang Rao
Secretary, RIMYI
1107 B/1 Hare Krishna Mandir Road
Shivaji Nagar, Pune 411 016
INDIA
Phone: +91-20-2565-6134
Office Hours (Indian Standard Time: +5.30 GMT)
9 am to 11 am: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday
4 pm to 6 pm: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, & Saturday
B.K.S. Iyengar was born in the small rural village of Bellur in Southern India. He left as a teenager; however, the residents' poverty and ill health always weighed on his mind. In 1967, he financed the first-ever primary school in the community. In 2002, Mr. Iyengar learned that the school was in very poor condition, and the local children did not continue with education beyond the age of seven. In 2003, he set up the Bellur Trust in memory of his parents to achieve health, educational and economic reform for the people of Bellur and to further the practice of yoga.
The B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Center was inaugurated in December 2015 to provide a welcoming and supportive environment for locals and visitors to experience high-quality yoga instruction as a group in a fully equipped center designed by B.K.S. Iyengar. The yoga hall has amazing natural light, cross ventilation, yoga wall ropes, and inspiring photographs of B.K.S. Iyengar. The 7,715-square foot hall can accommodate up to 300 yoga students. Dormitories for 40 students are conveniently situated near the hall and an outdoor cafeteria that provides delicious vegetarian meals in a beautiful setting overlooking the Kolar Hills.
The Iyengar family and highly experienced Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers (CIYTs) from around the world teach special workshops at the center, providing additional study opportunities for those traveling to study at RIMYI in Pune and those unable to attend classes at RIMYI. For more information and a schedule of events, please visit here.
In 2004, the Bellur Trust erected a water tank to provide a clean water supply for the village. Following the completion of the initial project, other landmark accomplishments were achieved: a free hospital, water treatment facilities, free primary and high schools which supply uniforms and a hot meal, a college, India’s first temple dedicated to Patanjali, and in 2015 the B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Center with a practice hall, cafeteria, and dormitory for 40 practitioners.
Mr. Iyengar requested that in lieu of gifts to him, his students could best express their gratitude for his teaching by supporting the transformation of Bellur. RIMYI accepts individual donations to The Bellur Trust Donations may be made online or by check. All donations are tax-deductible.
PLEASE CHECK YOUR INBOX FOR CONFIRMATION OF YOUR ENROLMENT.
