Some Issues To Be Considered In Setting Up Accreditation Criteria For Yoga Teachers, Yoga Educational Institutions And Yoga Programme in India

February 7, 2008

By YOGACHARINI MEENAKSHI DEVI BHAVANANI

DIRECTOR : International Centre For Yoga Education and Research (ICYER)

16-A, Mettu St, Chinnamudaliarchavady, Kottakuppam (via Pondicherry)

Tamil Nadu – 605 104, Phone: 0143 – 2622902, E-Mail yognat

BASIC PROBLEM: THE MEANING OF THE TERM " YOGA " :

How to " accredit " Yoga masters, institutions and Yoga programmes is a conundrum worthy of a Zen Koan! The simple two-syllable, four-lettered word " Yoga " itself defies definition. To paraphrase the " Mad Hatter " in the famous English children's classic Alice in Wonderland, Yoga has, in the modern time, come to mean " exactly what each one chooses it to mean, neither more nor less. " Such " Mantric power " does this ancient sound " Yoga " possess, that to affix it to anything ensures an almost universal appeal. Physical, mental and emotional gymnastics are popularly associated with Yoga. Cults have tapped into Yoga, cloaking their obscure teachings with its allure. Keep-Fit studios, beauty parlors, health centres, academic institutions, schools, colleges and universities now offer " courses in Yoga " . " Yoga " has mutated in this modern age into a vague, elastic word which can be stretched to cover any fantasy. Yoga has become a " quick fix " to relieve stress, a palliative which offers comfort and relief to the harried and hurried humans pacing the corridors of The Age of Anxiety. This beautiful mystic science of spirituality has been brought into the consumerist ethos – " pay this, get that. " Yoga is more or less now a " materialistic spirituality " where the main question asked when the student walks into the five star hotel hosting the " Yoga Seminar " is not the profound Upanishadic query, – " What is that which knowing which I shall know all " but… " what do I get out of all this. I want my money's worth. " Let us face ground realities. " Yoga " is equated with " Asanas " – body postures guaranteed to produce health, strength, vitality. Sometimes, the term is stretched a bit to include a bit of huffing in one nostril and puffing out the other. For flavour, techniques are taught which focus on some mental construct presented by the teacher, which is tooted to give " instant peace of mind. " Yoga, that lofty science of spirit, is now dragged into the mire of materialistic sensuality and emotionalism.

That said, let us return to the work at hand. No one can argue that the wild mushrooming of Yoga Institutes and Yoga schools and proliferation of so-called Yoga Teachers is truly alarming. Wild, haphazard claims are made by ill-trained ignorant, gross personalities in the name of " Yoga. " Clearly, some regularization, standardization, clarification, accreditation is the need of the hour. But here rises the age-old question: " Who will bell the cat? "

SEVERAL ISSUES MUST BE CONSIDERED.

1. IS IT POSSIBLE TO PRESERVE YOGA'S SPIRITUAL ROOTS:

The term " Yoga " must be clearly and profoundly defined. It should not be confined to simply a means of health-culture or therapy for various illnesses. While conceding that many physical, mental and emotional problems may be overcome through the techniques of Yoga Vidya, the essential spiritual, non-materialistic roots of Yoga must be preserved and honoured.

2. QUALIFICATION OF STUDENTS: GURU-CHELA RELATIONSHIP

In ancient days, the student sought the Guru. Only if the Guru considered the student a " fit person " was he accepted for training. The onus was on the student to " prepare himself. " The student was often put to arduous tests to prove his sincerity. The onus of study was on the student, not on the Guru. Instruction was on a one-to-one basis, and was a lifetime commitment. The student was expected to possess several basic qualities: good health, (mental and physical) discipline, dedication, sincerity, moral and ethical soundness, etc.

3. STRUCTURE OF THE " INSTRUCTION " :

The word " instruction " contains mostly the word " structure " . Modern educationalists know that the proper environment is at least 50 per cent of the teaching. Yoga was traditionally imparted in the Guru-Kula, in Ashrams, in forest hermitages, where the ideals of simple living and high thinking were the life style. The Ashram was set in a rural environment and the life style was perfectly in harmony with nature. The entire personality, character, attitudes, of the student were observed by the Guru, in close personal contact who then subtly led the student step by step to higher Yogic modes of thought, feeling and action. The Guru was the final authority and his word was law.

4. PARAMPARAI – TRADITION

Teachings were transmitted in Paramparai, literally, " from mouth of the Guru to the ear of the student. " The tradition was purely oral. Later, when scriptures like the Yoga Sutra were composed, the knowledge was clothed in deliberately obscure language. Since only a priviledged few could read Sanskrit, only a miniscule minority even had access to these scriptures. Since the scriptures had to be written on palm leaves, only a few copies were available. Even by the time of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Gheranda, Samhita, Shiva Samhita etc, the authors deliberately withheld vital points of instruction so that the knowledge could not be misused.

5. " THE SUBJECT " OF YOGA " IS ALSO THE OBJECT. "

Yoga is the science of expansion of consciousness, conscious evolution, stilling the mind, creating evolutionary attitudes. How can the methods of producing intangible states be qualified by external measures?

6. DILEMNA – HOW TO MEASURE THE IMMEASURABLE?

Yoga developed in an ancient India which is as far removed from modern life, as life would be on Mars! From the forest to 20 story high apartment cubicles; from the quiet sounds of nature to the air horns of pollution-spewing buses; from close clan – family units to single parent households. From the village to the metropolis from face-to-face close human contact to impersonal communication through computers and telephones. The mind-set of man has changed to survive in the concrete jungle. The religion of the age is science. The 20th Century Mantra is " Science has proven " and the common man accepts this on faith. Science studies the material world through the senses whether telescoped or microscoped. Hence, it can measure only the physical nature of anything and denies anything it can not measure. Yoga is the Science of Consciousness. Can consciousness be measured through the senses? If it cannot be measured, how can it be judged and accredited?

7. THE MODERN TENDENCY IS TO EQUATE " YOGA " WITH " ASANA "

Yoga has been consistently put under the Ministry of Health in Government organisations. In many Universities it is put under the " Physical Education Department. " Since Yoga is the art and science of developing a wholistic personality, it should at least be put under Ministry of Education and or the Ministry of Human Resources. To confine Yoga narrowly as a " health system both preventive and cure " is to limit the scope of Yoga to an intolerably limited field.

These basic, inherent issues must be considered before we move to the practicality and mode of the process of accreditation. These questions must be asked.

1. What is to be measured?

Number of buildings, classrooms, teachers, facilities, libraries? Is size above necessarily a criteria of quality Yoga education? Number of students? Academic degrees of teachers? Length of courses? Can the " quality " of the subtle teachings of Yoga be judged? Is the popularity of the teacher or institution a gauge of value, or is it an indication of smart business factors and good public relations? What criteria can be set up for evaluation?

2. How can the quality of the teachings be evaluated?

Will they be " scientifically evaluated " ? Academically evaluated? Commercially evaluated? Are they " terms and concepts " to be memorized and tested through examination?

3. How can the content of the teaching be measured?

Which Asanas, Pranayamas, Mudras, Sauchams, will be acceptable as legitimate? Which names will be affixed to the practice? What procedure will be used for imparting the techniques? How to determine time frame? When differences of opinions rise amongst the various schools of Yoga, what will be the deciding factor as to which is system acceptable?

4. How can Yoga be taught outside of its " cultural context " , the Sanatana Dharma tradition of India?

Certain attitudes of mind and heart, cosmologies, world views, principles of the Cosmic Law are the foundation of the Yoga Science. This include the concepts of reincarnation, Karma, Dharma etc. Will these be ignored as non-secular or controversial?

5. Can Yoga be taught properly in an academic framework, or on a short term basis in an institutionalized setting or in structures involving mass numbers or in artificial sterilized environments?

Conversely, for the sake of " secularism " , " academics " , " scientific view point " , will only that " Yoga " taught in such an academic, institutionalized, mass oriented setting be " accredited? " Will the accrediting agency differentiate between institutionalized Yoga education and Yoga education imparted in the old Guru-Kula, Paramparai model? Will separate models be evolved for the two diverse approaches toward Yoga education?

PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES:

In India, at present time, eight major schools or traditions of Yoga are well established over scores of years. Life Positive, the well known, well established. New Age Life Style magazine printed from New Delhi did a profile on Yoga in its March, 2003 edition. It listed the following eight Yoga Institutes in India, as " most important. " The editor wrote: " While every city and town in India has Yoga centres by now, there are a few institutions which have been around for decades and have become world famous for their contribution to the promotion and teaching of Yoga, and to research and training.

The Yoga Schools profiled included;

1. International Centre For Yoga Education and Research (ICYER), Pondicherry –

Guru Swami Gitananda.

2. Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, Pune – Guru B.K.S. Iyengar

3. Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres – Guru Swami Vishnu-devananda

4. Kaivalyadhama, Lonavla – Guru Swami Kuvalayananda

5. Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute, Mysore – Guru K. Pattabhi Jois

6. Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Chennai – Guru TKV Desikachar

7. The Yoga Institute, Mumbai – Guru Shri Yogendra

8. Bihar School of Yoga, Munger – Guru Swami Satyananda Saraswati

All these schools and the Gurus who established them are well known internationally and have been pioneers in bringing Yoga to the 20th and 21st centuries.

But here one must here note a vital point – none of these Gurus were " accredited " by any Government agency. None of the Gurus have any " academic qualification in Yoga. " Yet, their teachings have stood the test of time. How will such institutions be evaluated and accredited?

Who will do the accrediting of the " great Masters " ? Certainly, it must be undertaken only by Yoga experts, such as those who have proved their method through decades of hard work. But, what if such people themselves have no accreditation? One of the most famous Yoga Masters in the world, B.K.S. Iyengar, did not even pass tenth standard! Who will " accredit him " and his Yoga teachings? How can his work be evaluated? Most of these schools differ widely in content, approach, organisation, terminology, even in concept.

The main problems thus facing such an Accreditation Project are.

1. The superficial perception of Yoga by general public.

2. The wide array of schools with widely diverse approaches and concepts.

3. The great difference in " structure " of the various institutions.

4. The difficulty of scientifically and academically measuring the work of Yoga Institutions.

5. The difficulty of standardizing Yoga terminology.

6. The loss of the cultural roots of Yoga and hence, its anchorless approach to basic human problems without its cosmological, philosophical and moral and ethical background.

How will such an accrediting agency deal with established Yoga Institutes whose teachers and Gurus, though famous, have no accreditation in Yoga themselves? Furthermore, some are residential, some are not. Some teach in large classes, some in one-to-one encounters. Some concentrate only on the physical practices, others are more theoretically oriented. Some teach very few techniques, concentrating more on Bhakti or Karma Yoga.

One must realise that the modern educational system in India still follows the Maucauley system which is a foreign structure imposed by the English colonizers on India to create " brown sahibs " who were more loyal than the queen! The ancient arts and sciences of India were taught in an entirly different structure, where emphasis was on quality, not quantity. Yoga was always taught in a Guru-Kula structure. Yoga and all the Indian cultural and spiritual arts such as Bharat Natyam, Carnatic Music, Vocal and Instrumental Music, have traditionally been taught in the Guru-Kula system. None of the modern Yoga Masters such as Sri Aurobindo, BKS Iyengar, Ramana Maharishi, Sri Ramakrishna, K. Pattabhi Jois, Sri Yogendra, Sri Swami Sivananda, Sri Swami Gitananda Giri and even Swami Kuvalayananda himself of Kaivalyadhama have ever had any certification or Government accreditation! It is a sacrilege to think that they need such! Their teachings stand as proof of their own validity and effectiveness. Their students teach others what they were taught by their Masters. This is Indian culture.

This anomaly was explored by Dr. K.S. Joshi in his reminiscences of his association with Kaivalyadhama in Lonavla, Maharashtra. Dr. Joshi set up what is probably the first Yoga course in any University in any state in India in Sagar University, Saugar, M.P. in 1959. In an article (pg 101) entitled Memories of My Relationship with revered Swami Kaivalyadhama in a SOUVENIR put out by Kaivalyadhama on the occasion of the 4th International Conference of Yoga Research and Value Educatiuon 28-31 December 2002. Dr. K..S. Joshi wrote:

…Swami Kuvalayananda wanted to discuss an important matter with me. It was a letter from the Vice-Chancellor, Sagar University, (M.P.) Pandit Dwarkaprasad Mishra, with a request to recommend somebody for taking up the work of organizing Yoga training in the University at Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. Swamiji said to me, " You have always evinced keen interest in Yogic path as a way of life. You have a liking for original Sanskrit texts, and have some proficiency in them, and above all, you have a good scientific background. So I think, this is a good chance to prove your worth. " I requested Swamiji to let the University know very clearly about two things, first, that my training basically was in Agriculture, and not in philosophy, Sanskrit or psychology, which were considered as subjects in some way related with Yoga, and secondly, that I had no certificate at all in Yoga, not having completed any course anywhere. He agreed to do that. And the sentence he uttered next was one of the greatest surprises I ever had in my life. He said. " You are worried about certificate. What certificate do you think I myself have? I have never bothered about one. And whom shall I go to? He sent his reply to the Vice-Chancellor and in a few days I received an appointment letter from the Sagar University through Swamiji. I joined there after completing necessary formalities for giving up a Government job, which took three months. I stayed at Sagar University for thirty years till my retirement in the year 1989.

The question of regulation and accreditation of Yoga Institutes and Teachers has already risen and been discussed at high Government levels. On August 13, 2001, The Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy called for a meeting of governmental officials and Yoga experts to discuss this very same matter. As per letter of invitation dated 6/8/2002 from the Department of Indian Systems of Medicine, (ISM & H) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, the subject of the meeting was " To discuss the minimum standard for accreditation of degree and diploma courses in Yoga and Naturopathy. " No. OSD (Y+N) /2001/5/dated 31/7/2001. Signed by Swami Pranavanad (Dr Naresh Kumar Braharchari) Officer on Special Duty (Yoga and Naturopathy). Eighteen Yoga Experts from leading Yoga Institutes all over India met under the direction of Secretary, ISM & H, Ministry of Health, Ms. Shailaja Chandra who served as Chairperson on August 13, 2001 in New Delhi of which I was one.

The minutes of that meeting raised many relevant points.

Secretary (ISH & H) welcoming the members observed that both Yoga and Naturopathy have gained wide recognition not only in India but also at international level. She, however, observed that there is wide disparity in the course curricula and standards of teaching and practice. She underlined the need for establishment of a Council for regulating teaching & practice of Yoga and Naturopathy and that such a regulatory / statutory Council can be set up only with the passing of an Act of Parliament as it was done in the case of Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha education and practice.

While referring to the accreditation mechanism, she gave the example of Australia where they accredit the hospitals and give grading. There is a public demand for it. An accreditation facility is better than having no standard setting body. We should also be clear how to operate accreditation facility. It is found that some institutions are producing thousands of Yoga teachers (70,000 teachers Bihar School of Yoga, 12,000 by Vivekananda School and so on). She also stated that we should be clear about the flexibility to be adopted by the Council for accreditation while aiming at a common denominator to determine course content and its duration leading to various diplomas, certificates etc. By and large, we should go by the guidelines laid down for accreditation, but must adopt flexibility in considering accreditation in regard to institutions which have made mark and secured a high degree of social acceptance. She also sought the opinion of the participants whether the accreditation should also be for self-employed people or for teachers.

The meeting went on to consider how an accreditation mechanism should be evolved to regulate Yoga & Naturopathy teaching and practice till an Act of Parliament is passed for statutorily regulating education and practice. It was felt that the Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy (CCRYN) could act as Accrediting Body, which can be done by amending its Memorandum of Association.

Many of the observations of the eminent experts who attended that meeting are worth reviewing. One of India's most eminent scientists, who also happens to be much interested in Yoga, and who has produced scores of scientific research papers in his experiments in Yoga with India's defense personel, and the Yoga practices in extreme conditions, is Dr. W. Selvamurthy, Director, Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Science, Ministry of Defence GOI, New Delhi. He wrote, to Secretary his opinion:

" There is a need to establish the central register of Yoga and Naturopathy in a similar line like registration of medical practitioners. The criteria for registration covers all the essential parameters to be considered as eligibility criteria for registration ….. CCRYN is the appropriate agency to be empowered to give accreditation to institutions of Yoga and Naturopathy for conducting various courses "

Dr. KD Sharma, the then Director of CCRYN, made appropriate points.

" Most of the institutions (of Yoga) are run privately in their own style having their own curriculum and syllabus. These systems have so far survived without Government patronage and therefore, the realistic view is required to be taken and efforts should be made to accommodate all those persons who are genuinely practising these sciences whether on the basis of their professional training or the expertise acquired through Guru-Shishya Parampara or some other means ….. Therefore, initially some provisions will have to be made to cover all those in the field as one time measure. For future based upon the requirements norms can be prescribed and only those who are in possession of prescribed degree/diploma may be registered. Provisions should always be made based upon existant status not upon non-existant qualifications "

Dr. Sharma further noted.

" Moreover, the systems of Yoga and Nature Cure have socio-cultural and religious background and therefore, while considering registration and recognition of the institutions and individuals due care is needed to be taken not to enter into any controversy in the initial process of recognition and registration in respect of duration and type of training methods being practiced in Yoga in different institutions and also the qualification of teachers imparting training in different institutions specially in the Ashrams and Monastries ….. Due respect is also needed to be shown to all those who have contributed in bringing these sciences to the present level of acceptance by way of recognising them irrespective of their educational background ….. Over and above all, the interest of entire manpower already engaged in Yoga and Naturopathy in the country in different states should be protected and guarded. No such provisions should be made which discourage the genuinely engaged persons ….. At present there exists no agency at Government of India level to regulate the teaching and training in the systems of Yoga and Naturopathy, or to recognize the courses and institutions of these systems and register the practitioners ….. At present due to growing popularity of these systems among the masses there is mushroom growth of institutions and practitioners. Therefore, it is felt necessary that the institutions are required to be properly listed and a uniformity is brought in teaching and training. It is also felt necessary that the practitioners are centrally registered.

Those concerned with ensuring quality Yoga Education are well aware of the difficulties of assessing and regulating this subject. Yoga is not a product of the one-hundred-fifty-year-old Macaulay system of British education imposed upon India by its colonial masters. It is not physical education as taught in the schools and hence, its value cannot be assessed by normal academic measures. It is an Indian art and science, not a foreign concept of physical training, and cannot be measured by the foreign standards of the Westernized version of education imposed on this country by the British. Yoga was always taught in a Guru-Kula, and the students lived intimately with their masters for decades to imbibe its wisdom. It is a wholistic way of life, not a subject to be studied in which examinations are given. Swami Vivekananda learned from Ramakrishna; Kuvalyananda of Kaivalyadhama learned from Madhavdas Ji; Sri Yogendra of the Yoga Institute also learned from Madhavdas Ji ; Swami Satyananda of the Bihar School of Yoga learned from Swami Sivananda of the Divine Life Society, Rishikesh; Swami Gitananda learned from Swami Kanakananda; B.K.S. Iyengar and K. Pattabhi Jois learned from Krishnamacharya of Chennai. None of the great living masters of Yoga today, famous not only nationally but internationally, have any academic qualification in Yoga at all! Some of them, like BKS Iyengar do not even have academic qualification or degrees in other subjects. Who can question their authority? They have trained hundreds of thousands of Yoga teachers and their work has benefited millions. Because of the efforts of these great masters, Yoga is a household word all over the world today.

The subject of Accreditation in Yoga opens a challenge equal to " walking on fire " . Certainly, those who undertake this exercise must possess a character strong enough to bear the generation of tremendous heat!