International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT)

IAYT was founded in 1989 by Larry Payne, PhD, and Richard Miller, PhD. Larry served as IAYT’s founding president & publisher with Richard as the founding editor of the Journal of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. The first published Member’s Directory in 1991 presented 185 names representing 10 countries. Amy Gage was the next president, 95-96 and Lilias Folas served as acting president from '96-98. IAYT hosted a general membership meeting at the first Yoga Journal conference in 1996 with Dean Ornish, MD, as the keynote speaker. IAYT also hosted some of the first meetings on standards for the training of yoga teachers at the 1997 and 1998 Yoga Journal conferences, a project subsequently adopted by the Yoga Alliance.

Mission:
IAYT’s mission is to advance yoga therapy as a recognized health profession.

The International Association of Yoga Therapists has championed yoga as a healing art and science since 1989. Membership is open to all who are aligned with Their mission yoga practitioners, yoga teachers, yoga therapists, healthcare practitioners who use yoga in their practices, and yoga researchers.

Vision:
In the world envisioned by IAYT, yoga is routinely considered in settings around the world as a therapeutic option for physical health, emotional well-being, mental balance, and spiritual consciousness.