aYs Joins British Council for Yoga Therapy

The BCYT is the UK forum for yoga therapy organisations, promoting high standards in the training and provision of yoga therapy. It supports the regulation process provided by the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (which is recognised by the Dept. of Health) and promotes yoga therapy to the public, medical profession and other organisations.

By joining the BCYT, aYs is involved in the development of professional yoga therapy standards and the accreditation of yoga therapy training courses by the BCYT. In the future, membership of BCYT allows aYs to run accredited training courses for yoga therapy consistent with our viniyoga approach and which will be nationally recognised as being of a high professional standard.

(NB for aYs yoga therapists – both Paul Harvey’s Practitioner training and Sadhana Mala’s training are recognised as meeting the standards of the BCYT.)

The British Council for Yoga Therapy (BCYT) is a professional forum for yoga therapy operating in the UK. It is made up of professional yoga therapy training organisations and professional associations whose members are yoga therapists.

It aims to promote high standards within the profession of yoga therapy including the development of standards in the education/training of yoga therapists.

It liaises with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CHNC), the national regulatory body for complementary healthcare, and supports the regulation process. As part of this role it approves yoga therapy training courses which meet the National Occupational Standard for yoga therapy and has defined a core curriculum for yoga therapy courses. Yoga therapists who have completed these courses can apply to join the CNHC.

The BCYT also promotes yoga therapy to the public, medical profession, government, other national bodies and other complementary therapy organisations. It encourages research into yoga therapy in the UK and an awareness of research undertaken.

Links between BCYT and CNHC and why the CNHC is important

The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) is the UK regulator for complementary healthcare practitioners and is recognised by the Department of Health.

Its key function is to enhance public protection by setting standards for registration with CNHC. This means that the general public, and those who commission the services of complementary healthcare
practitioners, will be able to choose with confidence by looking for CNHC registration.

The Department of Health recommends that, where CNHC registers the professional discipline in question, that members of the public consult with someone who is CNHC registered.

The BCYT acting as a professional forum for yoga therapy in the UK, advises the CNHC on the acceptability of a yoga therapy training course before the course is able to join the list of qualifications on the CNHC website. www.cnhc.org.uk

Joining BYCT and the benefits to aYs

Many aYs teaching members are also yoga therapists and joining BCYT means that on a national level, aYs is represented in the process of setting and maintaining high standards in yoga therapy.

It allows aYs to develop its own accredited training course for yoga therapy within the viniyoga approach and which will meet the BCYT’s high standards.

aYs will be working with other BCYT members (which include most of the larger UK yoga organisations) to further promote the use of yoga therapy to the general public, medical profession and other organisations and to encourage research into yoga therapy.

For further information, please email Barbara Dancer barbaradancer@gmail.com who has represented aYs at recent BCYT committee meetings.