Notes: A Sample Of Thinking About Yoga /Registration/Certification,
With Follow-up Comments
Author’s
note: This is a more negative,
long post in what is otherwise a rather optimistic and more specifically
focused blog. However, it may be
helpful to consider.
[These notes were
written/gathered around two years ago,
and the material
around this issue continues to expand.]
In a recent good book, The Science Of Yoga, William Broad argues strongly for more regulation
and certification in yoga facilitator training. Broad suggests injuries resulting from yoga practice
as a “game changer”—and yoga as “the basis for an inexpensive new world of
health care and disease prevention,”
….yoga must come into closer
alignment with science—with clinical trials and professional accreditation,
with governmental authorities and their detailed evaluations, probably even
with insurance companies and their dreaded red tape. Yoga could become a major force. Or it could stay on the sidelines, a marginal pursuit, lost
in myths, looking to the past, prone to guru worship, fracturing into ever more
lineages, increasingly isolated as the world moves on. [217]
In Awakening The Spine,
Vanda Scaravelli writes of yoga as freedom of the body rather than control of
the body [106], and of the need to be open supple rather than rigid or tied to
traditions or patterns [109]. Her
orientation is toward the art of yoga as an expression of beauty. She writes,
BE CAREFUL, VERY CAREFUL about
organizations. Yoga cannot be
organized, must not be organized.
Organizations kill work.
Love is in everything, is everything. But if you confine it, enclose it in a box or in a definite
place, it disappears. [110]
She envisions yoga as something quite different, not even
traditional vs. modern. She
writes,
The mind should not be rigid or
tied to traditions and patterns, but open and supple, even ready to change
directions. [109]
**********
In The Science of Yoga, William Broad envisions yoga as having arrived at a
turning point. It has
reached not only a critical mass of practitioners but also a critical juncture
in its development [215]. Broad writes, The timeless
image is a mirage. Yoga has
changed many times over the centuries and needs to change again [216].
To really become a force in addressing the global crisis in
health care, Broad sees the first step as
overcoming the barrier of a lack of reliable information about the
discipline’s pros and cons [217]. While Broad sees many
vigorous styles and the wide efforts of young professionals to make their
discipline safer [217], there is also the
din of competing styles [217] and
commercialism adding to the confusion.
He argues that just making good information available has a
long way to go[217]. Ideally, Broad would like to see an
impartial central repository that summarized information.
Broad
acknowledges, The science of yoga has only just begun [221].
And were the science of yoga to really fill out, Broad acknowledges that
science can only—yet importantly—show the bottom line [222].
Science can see without prejudice, but even with its powers of
discrimination and discovery—[science] is
extraordinarily crude [222].
He writes,
So while the
science of yoga may be demonstrably true—while its findings may be revelatory
and may show popular declarations to be false or misleading—the field by nature
fails utterly at producing a complete story. Many of yoga’s truths surely go beyond the truths of
science.
Yoga may go
further, and its advanced practitioners, for all I know, may frolic in fields
of consciousness and spirituality, of which science knows nothing. Or maybe it’s all delusional
nonsense. I have no idea. [222]
**********
So, Scaravelli opposes regulation for reasons of freedom,
and Broad would like to see regulation but sees limits with regulation due to a
lack of reliable information, and he notes limits to the kind of scientific
knowledge that he proposes, beyond providing a bottom line. Both presume that yoga can contribute
to health spans [immanent health] and life spans.
Into this discussion, it might be valuable to look at
critiques of yoga registration, certification and licensing:
J. Brown, in “Yoga
Alliance Approval, My Ass,” in the blog Yoga Dork, November 8, 2011, criticizes the Yoga Alliance as being an organization
that aspires to set some standards for yoga teacher training, but that has no
approval itself to do so.
Completing an initial 200 hour program that is approved by YA results in
the “credentials” of RYT after one’s name. One can then add additional programs to this to refine
knowledge. This implies that one
is then REGISTERED with YA, but not certified or licensed. Brown argues that there is no oversight
on YA. And the training does not
meet standards of most professional licensing programs, such as colleges that
are themselves held to accreditation, or national testing of candidates or
mandatory CEUs following certification. He cites an example of a requirement for 20 hours of
the 200 hours to focus on yoga history that he equates with reading
the chapter and answering summary questions in my 9th grade social
studies class. Brown concludes, 20
hours of profound diversity of texts and interpretations means absolutely
nothing.
**********
Tara Stiles, in “Tara Stiles, Yoga
Rebel,” argues that yoga certifications
are “rubber stamps.” She asks who it is that makes the rules
as to what yoga is. Tara Stiles,
herself, has been criticized for stressing physical health rather than
spiritual or philosophical dimensions as well as for various claims, such as
weight reduction through yoga.
**********
Jane Shure, in “To Regulate Or Not
Regulate Yoga Teacher Training, Huff
Post, 7/28/2009, suggests that registry, licensing, inspection requirements
represent the business end of yoga.
The traditional guru/student aspect is largely absent in modern yoga, so
there is a striving toward credentials.
She feels that it impacts negatively upon the spiritual essence and art
of yoga practice.
**********
Swami Jhaneshvara Bharati, in
“Modern Yoga vs. Traditional Yoga,” is
critical of modern yoga as having
become “gymnastic practice” that has come as much from the West in 1800-1900s
rather than from ancient traditions where it was taught orally. He sees modern yoga as individualized
and commercialized. He sees modern
yoga as fitness-oriented “posture classes,” not yoga classes. He considers the term “yoga classes” to
be an oxymoron. “Yoga” is “off
matt” perhaps more than it is on matt.
**********
Georg Feuerstein, in Yoga Day USA
And The Distortion Of Yoga In
America, suggests that the modern focus is on strength,
flexibility, weight management, improved circulation, cardiovascular
conditioning, better body alignment, present moment for stress relief, pain
relief, …
Modern yoga tends to dismiss the
5000 years of development of yoga and precursors that are integral to not only
spirit but health that are not present in modern yoga that is essentially a
posture class.
Website: Traditional Yoga
Studies
**********
Brian Costellani, yoganomics.net, is critical of Yoga Alliance:
[Yoga Alliance [YA], Arlington,
Virginia: A melding of two groups that decided to provide standards for
teaching yoga, organized into 200/500 hour training components.]
· notes
that YA does not claim to represent yoga, and represents their registrants.
· Represent
only a fraction of yoga practitioners
· Issues
with how those who become trainers are identified other than completing
training hours
· Multiple
organizational issues: YA has a small staff, have had staff
turnover/resignation, lack transparency with regard to what they do with the
money, how was governing board selected [some national open process?], lack
consumer input [e.g., rating of instructors], cannot demonstrate that their
credentialing products are valid or helpful, no tangible measures
· Exist
because of a commercial demand for certing, especially for fitness programs and
state licensing attempts
· No
external oversight on YA and no internal oversight on registrants
· No
open input from larger yoga community
· A
“deplorable reputation” in yoga community
**********
Patricia Kearney,
“Proposal for a national exam for yoga teacher certification,” Yoga
Requirements. Wordpress.com:
Critical
commentary following presentation:
· Schools
disagree on many points [e.g., how certain asanas should be performed and what
constitutes proper alignment—viniyana vs. Iyengar [KINSETH—and some alignment
stresses meridians and charkas which can differ from physiology]; no universal
agreement among highly regarded yoga teachers about anatomical principles
[KINSETH—just exam various yoga anatomy books, stretch anatomy books, medical
anatomy texts]; legitimate disagreement with regard to sequencing [yoga fitness
tends to emphasize “warming up” and “cooling down.”]
· Rather
than national certification, “Health Freedom” may be a better thing for yoga to
pursue/ advocate. A “Health
Freedom” focus presents yoga as a traditional health practice and, therefore,
emphasizes consumer knowledge about safety concerns. For example, a national/state licensed psychotherapist who
wants to use complementary practices with clients informs clients that this
practice is different and not supported by the professional discipline.
· Be
aware that certification produces additional costs/risks: For licensing, may need insurance bond,
state and national fees, CEUs required and costly, inspections, etc. Modern societies are increasingly more
litigious.
· Certification,
licensing tend to be pursued because yoga has become an “industry” and there is
a drive for certification to “certify” a level of skill, primarily for safety
[KINSETH—much of the injury from yoga practice may be coming from certified
teachers and even involves injury among certified teachers]
· National
testing or YA registration does not begin to come close to meeting standards of
most professional certifications.
· Were
a national test to be devised, it would be modified regularly by practitioners
writing questions, which introduces a bias that is present in other national
professional certification as well.
**********
Ekachakra [author], in Om
Shanti: A Yoga Blog, reviewing a 7/10/09 NY Times article
concerning a NY state regulation of yoga teacher training: “Gov’t Regulation Better Or Worse?”:
Conclusions: Yoga cert tends to be
certified with far less than a year’s practice—typically done as a fitness
variation. And often, a four week
intensive, and then one is a registered yoga teacher.
10,000 hours and a five-year
apprenticeship may be required to become a plumber.
Several years of yoga regular,
intensive yoga practice might be recommended, then years of training, then 1-2
years apprenticeship, plus 1-2 years of class work.
Then, examine how yoga teacher
training has little to do with training to deepen one’s own practice, because this modern certification cannot begin to
compare with ascetic practices of Vedic priests to control senses/mental
activity or meditation, or the relationship between thought and breath, or the Upanishads
or Bhagavad Gita and
their relationship to yogas of actions, devotion, karma, bahakti, jnana, and to
an overall sense of developing a path of awakening.
Modern teacher training is likely
to only scantly reference the Pali canons.
“Yoga” has become a form of
exercise/ stress relief.
COMMENTARY
Overall, there is a very clear
sense that there is nothing in current yoga teacher training that comes close
to approximating professional certification or licensing. Two to four week “intensives” result in
a participant being able to “register” as a “yoga teacher” at best. There is lack of inspection,
standardized testing, and extensive training by accredited bodies [e.g.,
universities]. There is no
oversight, no common agreement on what practices are effective or biased. One may be a fitness teacher, take an
intensive training and be a yoga teacher, much like one “certifies” to teach
TRX or zumba.
Certification and licensing require
oversight, and lead to extensive costs for applicants,, because they are
typically done for services that can draw insurance compensation or that
involve service that could require medical intervention if done
inappropriately, such at tattooing, hair styling/cutting and manicure,
etc. Simply on a cost/benefit
analysis for the yoga teacher alone, the cost of training almost outweighs any
financial remuneration. And
certification/licensing, especially if limited, may place both the fitness
center and teacher at legal risk when an injury either occurs or is perceived
to occur from yoga practice.
It is clear that yoga registration
and certification and licensing are all driven by the popular explosion of
interest that has lead to the commercialization of “yoga.” Fitness centers that incorporate yoga
want to be able to say that their yoga staff are “trained.” That which is being registered
as yoga is a de-spiritualized fitness
program/ health program.
Registration following course completion somehow becomes equivalent and
acceptable as “cerification.” Certification
is essentially a marketing point that aspire to assure participants are safe in
a class with a trained yoga teacher.
And yet, safety is not assured by having a “certed” yoga teacher as
injuries are fairly common, with injuries even occurring to certed teachers. Injuries may be less
common [but possibly quite significant] than injuries resulting from running or
other activities, so that to focus on yoga is perhaps overkill.
In yoga, unlike TRX training or the
latest fitness craze that someone develops and then teaches and “licenses,”
there are profound issues—not simple differences—as to who decides what is
appropriate yoga training.
Who has the right to decide
appropriate training, regulation, and inspection? Is
yoga even primarily oriented toward fitness and health? And is “health” physical or
psycho-spiritual?
What might be crucial in the public
arena with regard to yoga, is advocacy to assure for a freedom/art of practice,
or the deepening of bodywork or mental work or meditation which are fundamental
to “yoga.” As an art form,
yoga cannot be organized.
It is really quite facile—too easy,
too superficial—to assume that you can cert yoga. To do so reveals a sense of really not understanding
yoga. It is like certifying zazen, if you really get a sense of what yoga is
about. You might try because
you feel that there are “measurable” physiological aspects {and you would be
correct] but this is true of all body work. And now, even those findings are inconclusive,
whether, for example, 30 minutes three times per week or 30 seconds 3 times per
week provides fitness (as well as variations in how exercise affects
individuals, with some showing super gains and others next to nothing).
We don’t cert gymnastic studios,
although they are much more risky, or harmonial gymnastics, or, really, even
stretching, such as “classical stretching.” The books on the anatomy of stretching are likely to not
even mention yoga. We don’t cert
circus training, although contortionists can likely outdo almost any yoga
practitioner with respect to flexibility or strength. And bottom line, yoga is trying to do something that is
beyond sport and exhibitionism [although the archaic flexibility and yogic
feats of breathe reduction likely arose to some extent as a source of income--a
sort of court jester in the kingdoms of early India]. We don’t cert the variety of marital arts. And we really don't cert tri-athlete
training or marathon training. We
may try to establish a center that has particular resources that might measure
this aspect or that aspect. And
increasingly in modern litigious cultures, anyone can sues anyone irregardless
of training.
Good Directives: Broad is very
correct to encourage alignment with science to continue to contribute to an
understanding of potential health benefits and, especially, risks as popular
interest expands. Science
has been especially good at measuring physiological changes that we might not
sense, and give guidance to how to optimize, for example, flexibility. Interestingly, I do not see the science
that we do know being applied or taught in registration classes.
Not-So-Good Directives: It is too
easy to presume that science will be really enhanced by certification and
legislation. And to expect people
to practice only what becomes “certed” as effective yoga for either direct
health benefits and/or to validate insurance claims is also facile. Perhaps the largest current problem is
the co-optation of yoga into mass fitness experience where most practitioners,
registered or not, have everyone doing the same sequences [with, of course, a
nod to be careful] despite differences in weight, strength, and, if really a
filled-out popular class, with no ability to be everywhere at once. But the income is too attractive and
the dictum that “anyone can do yoga” and that “pain is gain” rationalize the
poses. Less people and
likely less problems, but always dependent upon the facilitator, certed or
not.
Yoga is, really, by almost anyone’s
standards, something that is not purely physical, or purely kinesics, or, on
the other hand, not something purely spiritual. When you do the most purely fitness-oriented yoga practice,
even the hard-edged profane person has a sense of something else going on that
is not occurring on a treadmill or in an “abs class” or in uber-sports
training. That “something” is
un-certifiable, “un-registrar-able,” or non-licensable. It is an essence found in a mastered
martial art or in Zen, or in yoga. To cert or register or license
disgraces yoga, steals yoga, culturally robs something that is thousands of
years in evolving development, and “fitness” is not the penultimate pinnacle of
yoga. It is a rip-off, shallow,
and not even resulting in optimal flexibility, but remarkable in its capacity
to generate income.
We don’t cert true art.
The final comment involves a sense
of an obvious value for experience and training and interaction with other
practitioners. If you choose to
use some level of training or some level of registration or certification or
licensing, you would likely benefit from keeping a sense that such processes
may not do any of the things that you presume that it does [and you will always
presume that they do those things.
If you become convinced that some sort of process is crucial, you should
likely continue to explore this belief.
If you presume that some process is critical/essential, you will be
revealing your bias more than your wisdom. Certed yoga teachers don't know this and they don’t know
that. Uncertified people, the
same. If you become a true
believer rather than try to be continually self critical, registration and certification
and training ad infinitum will tend to reinforce your assumptions rather than really
challenge them. Authenticity is
not certifiable, nor does refusal to be certified make one better. However chasing certification rather
than practice is generally misdirecting in ANY body-mind-spirit practice. And overall, as Vanda Scaravelli suggests,
will impede freedom rather than optimize it. Paradoxically, now there are practitioners who will certify
you in Vanda Scaravelli’s methods.
