Changing Focus
Did Yoga Alliance lower yoga teacher educational standards in the United States of America?
As some have been aware, I have re-evaluated my current position with Yoga Alliance, in order to focus more on my business, and making money.
For the better part of a year and a half I have had to support myself while starting my business all the while – pointing out the Yoga Alliance’s many inaccuracies about their business practices, the blatant dishonesty pertaining to regulation of yoga, and the inept effort and failure as the self appointed role of yoga education credentialing.
Is Yoga Alliance refusing to come clean about their involvement with government agencies and their questionable corporate conference relationships, and the direct involvement in working against Virginia and New York Credentialing efforts?
Yoga Alliance’s untruths quickly turn into ulterior motives that encompass more than just policy, or partnership deals, or a lack of commitment towards yoga teachers who have been changed by their actions.
I have lost too much sleep over yoga credentialing and isolated myself because I had to, not because I wanted to. Being the sole whistle blower for an industry that does not see the value in questioning why the yoga industry hasn’t progressed further, or why Yoga Alliance has forced compliance onto yoga teachers regarding their own futures and education, has been a very difficult stomach.
John Matthews was quoted recently as saying I was “a Yoga Alliance Insider,” which – though flattering – cannot be further from the truth. Yoganomics has gone where no one else was willing to go, and find the information that was critical to yoga teachers, and yoga education. We went where we were led. We found the glaring discrepancies and pointed them out publicly warn unassuming yoga teachers to see.
As a life choice, in order for yoga to progress into the realm of accepted medical practice, like medical rehabilitation and physical therapy, we must make a decision.
The issue is not whether we should or shouldn’t – the real issue boils down to how should we proceed.
- Yoga Alliance charges money for a service they provide in theory only.
- Yoga Alliance president Mark Davis, contacted state and city governments urging them to tax yoga teacher training and use Yoga Alliances pre-established 200 / 500 ERYT and RYT credentialing methods to further their own gain.
- Yoga Alliance admittedly claims that their credentialing is based on the minimum required standards of yoga education.
- Legally Yoga Alliance’s 200/500 credentialing accomplishes nothing, and is a theoretical safeguard for American society to feel better about their yoga teachers based on a credential that isn’t worth anything.
John Matthews and I have never spoken. Lynn Bushnell and I have never spoken.
UPDATE: John Matthews and I have spoken on the phone since writing this article, and no resolution has been reached. – July 18th, 2019.
I feel like a broken record when I keep repeating that their credentialing does not mean anything, legally or otherwise.
The premise behind the RYS & ERYT programs is money based and founded upon the bare minimum of standards.
If Iyengar is considered the benchmark of yoga and Bikram is considered the “playboy” of Yoga, then Yoga Alliance is the “Walmart of Yoga” by credentialing anyone who wants to be theoretically “trusted” as a yoga teacher.
We get what we pay for … the bare minimum.
I have been teaching yoga for 32 years. I estimate having taught perhaps as many as 10,000 classes. It astonsihes me to see a newbie (maybe 6 months of classes) take a trip to Costa Rica, or Mexico and return in three weeks a certified Yoga Alliance 200-hour teacher… I do not have a 200 hour, nor do I have a 500 hr or a deserved 10,000 hour…. I also am witnessing hundreds of studios cashing in on "teacher training" charging any amount to get their students to be part of the teacher training program so they can put the number 200 or 500 after their name… that is where the money is..I love the spead and enthusiasm for yoga all over the globe but who decides what and who is a yoga teaher? And howmuch does it cost.. It costs time, experience, a personal yoga journey… a contemplative life… thanks for your post….
Suradevi –
Thank you – We are addressing these issues all the time. I would love to sign you up for our newsletter?
Feel free to contribute any thoughts you may have to me personally and I will edit them and put them out for people to read.
Namaste –