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Winter 1998

NAMASTE,

It is with great pleasure and delight that I announce that four of our teachers, Colleen McClintock, Steve Mitchell, Mary Pappas- Sandonas, and Ann Thomas, passed the teachning assessment sponsored by the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States (IYNAUS) in September and are now certified Iyengar yoga teachers.

The Iyengar certification process is one of, if not the most demanding yoga teacher certification processes in the country. Its purpose is to create and maintain a community of trained and skilled teachers who adhere to a high standard. The standard is set by Sri B.K.S. Iyengar, whose excellence in practicing and teaching Hatha Yoga is recognized worldwide and whose books have become classics in the field.

To be eligible for assessment candidates must teach in the method set forth by Mr. Iyengar and receive continuing instruction from the Iyengar Institute in India or from senior Iyengar teachers. They must have three years of uninterrupted teaching experience or two years of teaching and a year of apprenticeship with a senior teacher. They must provide written recommendations from two senior Iyengar teachers. And they must also maintain a regular personal practice.

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In order to pass the assessment the candidate must demonstrate a high degree of proficiency in performing over fifty fundamental yoga postures (asanas). They must pass a written examination of their knowledge of core philosophical concepts and basic therapeutic and safety measures involved in teaching. And they are required to teach two separate series of poses to a class of ten to twelve students assembled for the assessment.

The assessment is conducted by four senior Iyengar teachers assigned by IYNAUS. In observing and evaluating the teaching segments, the assessors take note of such criteria as the candidate’s ability to observe and adjust the students’ poses, and a variety of other aspects of the art of teaching. A candidate may pass or fail any portion of the assessment, but they must pass all three – performance, written, and teaching – to be certified.

IYANUS and, more specifically, the certification committee, of which I am a member, constantly revise the certification procedure to make it as fair as possible to the candidates. More importantly, we continue to refine the process to make sure it accomplishes its intended purpose; to ascertain the qualifications of those who apply.

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As stringent as the weekend-long assessment is, it does have its limitations. For one, the subject of yoga is so vast that there is no way that any weekend examination could be comprehensive. Another is that, by its very nature, the assessment is an artificial situation, particularly the teaching segment. Some people who are quite comfortable teaching their own students, whom they have come to know and understand, may be somewhat ill at ease teaching a group of complete strangers with the added stress of four assessors watching their every move, furiously scribbling notes all the while. But one of the important things a good yoga teacher must have, and that the assessors are looking for, especially in the teaching segment, is presence of mind, i.e., the ability to call upon one’s own resources to deal with unforeseen occurrences and unfamiliar circumstances.

Some candidates prepare for the assessment by trying to memorize lists of details about the poses, the philosophy, and teaching technique. Some of this is necessary and valuable. There is basic information that just has to be memorized, e.g. the names of the poses, what are the eight limbs of classical astanga yoga, etc. But teaching is an intimate and intricate interaction involving more than just giving information. Nearly every class that one teaches presents situations, problems, or questions that are new in some way, shape or form. A good teacher presents instructions and then carefully observes the results the instructions produce in the students. The results may or may not conform with the teacher’s expectations, and she must have the ability to respond appropriately to what she observes rather than to preconceived expectations. The teacher has to be able to not only stand on her head, but think on her feet, as well.

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It is this ability to be in the moment and act according to the demands of the situation that requires presence of mind. The resources the teacher draws upon are built up over years of instruction, personal practice and teaching. The presence of these resources and the ability to call upon them as needed is one of the most important things that the assessment measures. It is the same pool of resources that make yoga such a valuable asset in living a spontaneous, caring, and vibrant life outside the class as well as within.

What all of this means is that Colleen, Steve, Mary, and Ann have worked very hard for a long time. They have put in countless hours of practice, have read and studied extensively, and have trained diligently to develop their teaching skills. And they have made yoga an integral part of their lives. Being certified is a formal recognition of their achievements. I am very proud of them.