The Hindu Business Line : Kirshnamacharya Yoga Mandiram gets ISO certification

Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (KYM), a non-profit public charitable trust, engaged in teaching yoga, has been awarded the ISO 9001-2000 certification. Why would a yoga institute need approval on quality from a third party organisation?

“We needed the certification to maintain our records and improve on the administrative infrastructure,” said Mr S. Sridharan, Managing Trustee, KYM. The quality of yoga delivered by an institute is not greater than good administration that runs the courses, he emphasises.

KYM’s approach to yoga has been markedly different from that followed by many other schools. Lessons are given on a one-to-one basis, designed for each individual depending on his health.

Maintain records

Over 35,000 people have benefited from these courses in the last three decades. The institute ensures that the administration is systematised so that flow of yoga teaching is properly routed for the satisfaction of the seeker.

“We need to keep these student records straight because people can come to us over their entire life time and losing records is like a loss of faith,” he said.

The ISO certification will be a boost for the institute – not to attract more students but to attract other practitioners of yoga and alternate healing practices. “Last week, we had a neurosurgeon from Harvard visiting us to see our work. The ISO certification will give us visibility in the medical circles,” Mr Sridharan said.

Research work

The research wing of KYM does in-house research on the efficacy of yoga in management of illness. With aid from the Government of India, it recently concluded a research on yoga for epilepsy.

KYM was started with an initial investment of Rs 1,000 and two teachers. Today, it has grown to be a multi-departmental institution with more than 30 active teachers. Instructors at KYM undergo a two-and-a-half year postgraduate diploma prior to becoming teachers. Curriculum for the course includes yoga, ayurveda, western psychology, anatomy and physiology.

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