Training Standards

The term ‘standards’ is difficult to apply to Yoga. By its very nature, Yoga is concerned with inward, subjective events, rather than outward, objective performance. However, government and education authorities and students rightly require some assurance that their Yoga teacher will not only be fully qualified but also competent in their Yoga profession. In drawing up these standards the Yoga Federation of Ireland has attempted to address the authorities’ and students’ needs.

To serve the needs of students by having a sound practical and theoretical grounding in Yoga and Yoga teaching methods, all teacher training organisations within the Yoga Federation of Ireland must provide a minimum of two year’s teacher training in order to qualify as a Yoga Teacher.
Only those students who have completed a minimum of two years’ regular Yoga practice may be selected for a teacher training course.
A teacher’s diploma will be awarded only on completion of the two-year teacher training course.
Each Training Course must have a minimum of 400 contact teaching hours and 600 hours in total for the course
While each Yoga training organisation has its own individual style, it is the aim of each organisation to enable students to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to become effective, safe and professional teachers of Yoga.
Each training course will cover the Eight Limbs of Yoga as its core subjects, together with a minimum of 50 contact teaching hours of Anatomy and Physiology. A First Aid Certificate Course and module on Child Protection will also be included as mandatory.
Individual tutors are encouraged to extend areas of study in the light of their particular knowledge, as long as they are appropriately qualified in the area, as there are many valid approaches to the subject.
Each training organisation will provide a platform for continuing professional study and self-development within the principles, philosophy and practice of Yoga.
Professional skill is mainly measured by the teacher's ability to help students practise safely in all aspects of Yoga
A group of students working together for their teaching qualifications should not exceed 18 (eighteen) in number.
Teacher training courses will be conducted by tutors whose qualifications meet the following criteria as laid down by the Yoga Federation of Ireland:

(a) Those who have trained in the last five years (since 1998) need either a 2 year teacher training course qualification and 5 years teaching experience or a tutor training qualification
(b) Those who have trained within the last 5 – 10 years, need to be in possession of any recognised Yoga teacher qualification
(c) Those who have trained more than 10 years ago need to have been teaching continuously in the meantime.

(The above criteria is applicable until the end of 2005. After that recognised tutor training will be required)

The Yoga Federation of Ireland has developed and set in place a monitoring system for the monitoring of training courses and adherence to agreed standards.

All enquiries concerning the above teacher training standards must be made in writing to the Yoga Federation of Ireland, 20 Auburn Drive, Killiney, Co. Dublin.

Yoga Federation of Ireland, 20 Auburn Drive, Killiney, Co. Dublin

Tel.: +353 1 2352120, email: yfi@eircom.net