Mission statement of Hot Yoga Alliance
For nearly 200 years now, the US and other western countries have adopted myriad expressions of yoga, some in the Indian spiritual traditions, others as a physical expression known as Hatha Yoga. At first shunned in the West, then relegated to counter-culture status, in the last fifty years yoga has grown to become a global phenomena. Hatha yoga, the physical expression of postures are the dominant expression.
In recent times yoga systems have nearly exclusively been a guru led model of organization, adhering in varying degrees to a philosophical or spiritual foundation. That model is not obsolete, we respect and are grateful for its existence. Guru led models of spiritual or philosophical teaching will no doubt remain for those who seek that path.
Hot Yoga Alliance (HYA) sees a future with a less “top down” model in the organization of schools teaching yoga postures for health, fitness and peace of mind. We see a somatic, more modern, business philosophy. In cooperation with Singapore’s new policies of training Singaporeans for Singaporean jobs, HYA trains teachers to lead our classic series of Hot Yoga postures. But beyond good civic partnership, HYA sees an opportunity to set a new philosophical agenda for teaching yoga in a growing region. Precision, discipline and absolute adherence to good teaching and business ethics in schools led by responsible members of the community they are part of, not some far away charismatic figurehead.
Through our work and the work of our sister organization, BYCH Hot Yoga, we exist to sustain and support the field of yoga. We do so by providing the public with a registry of teachers whose training meets our standards and by supporting yoga teachers, schools and studios in their work as yoga professionals.
