International Association of Yoga Therapists

What International Association of Yoga Therapists does

International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1989 to advance yoga therapy as a recognized health profession. Headquartered nominally in Little Rock, Arkansas (PO Box only; staff operate remotely), IAYT serves a global community of yoga therapists, yoga therapy training schools, healthcare professionals, and researchers across more than 50 countries. Its core offerings include the C-IAYT certification credential (the only international certification for yoga therapists, held by more than 3,600 practitioners), accreditation of yoga therapy training programs (69 accredited programs in 13 countries as of 2024, requiring a minimum 800 hours and 2 years of training), the peer-reviewed PubMed/MEDLINE-indexed International Journal of Yoga Therapy, the triannual Yoga Therapy Today magazine, and the annual SYTAR and SYR symposia.

IAYT generates revenue through a diversified, primarily recurring mix: individual membership dues ($50-$1,008), school and organizational memberships ($250-$504), conference registrations ($239-$749), print and advertising sales, donations, and Approved Professional Development (APD) provider fees. Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, anchored by two annual symposia, Global Yoga Therapy Day (a free virtual event held August 14 that grew from 1,100 to 2,200+ registrants in one year), and the yogatherapy.health public website. Backed by a small staff of approximately 15-18 people augmented by volunteers and committees, IAYT operates as the recognized standards-setter for the profession, actively pursuing regulatory recognition through policy coalitions and a healthcare taxonomy code for C-IAYTs.

Name

International Association of Yoga Therapists

Legal name

International Association of Yoga Therapists

Website

https://iayt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IAYT is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 that sets international standards for yoga therapy, serving approximately 6,000 members across 50+ countries through its C-IAYT certification, training-program accreditation, peer-reviewed publications, and annual symposia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Therapeutic/Adaptive Yoga & Clinical Pilates (HSADACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Yoga, Pilates & Mind-Body Movement Education (EDAAAHAC)

Keywords

• Yoga therapy certification
• Professional association membership
• Yoga therapy training accreditation
• Continuing education yoga
• Integrative health professions

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from individual yoga practitioners, teachers, therapists, healthcare professionals, and researchers. Tiered pricing: General $85/year, Supporting $108/year, Patron $1,008 for 5 years, Student $50/year.
2. School and Organization Membership Dues: School memberships at $250/year (Supporting at $504/year) and organizational/institutional memberships at $265/year. Member Schools and Organizations receive publications, directory listings, and access to town halls and conferences.
3. Advertising: Advertising revenue from IAYT publications including Yoga Therapy Today magazine and International Journal of Yoga Therapy, as well as e-newsletters and yogatherapy.health website. Members increased from 839 in 2008 to nearly 6,000 today, growing the advertising audience.
4. Conference Registrations: Registration fees for annual Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research (SYTAR) and Symposium on Yoga Research (SYR). SYTAR 2026: $649 for members, $749 for nonmembers, $549 for students. Day passes available at $239-$269. Tuition assistance available.
5. Professional Development and Continuing Education: Revenue from Approved Professional Development (APD) program recognizing quality yoga therapy continuing education courses. APD provider registration fee typically $155 (exempt for member schools and organizational members).
6. Print Magazine Subscriptions: Optional print subscription to Yoga Therapy Today magazine: $22/year in the US, $35/year outside the US for individual members. Included with organizational membership.
7. Donations: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, IAYT accepts tax-deductible donations via credit card, check, PayPal, and Donor Advised Funds. Donors can give one-time or recurring monthly donations. Minimum donation $5. Campaign funds support the organization's mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels14 records

Core offering

IAYT is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership association that advances yoga therapy as a recognized health profession. It delivers its core offerings through individual and organizational memberships, the C-IAYT professional certification for yoga therapists, accreditation of yoga therapy training programs meeting a minimum 800-hour and 2-year standard, peer-reviewed publications (International Journal of Yoga Therapy and Yoga Therapy Today), and annual symposia (SYTAR and SYR) plus the Global Yoga Therapy Day virtual event.

Product overview

IAYT is a professional membership organization (nonprofit 501(c)(3)) rather than a technology product company. The organization offers a portfolio of certification, accreditation, publications, conferences, and member services for the yoga therapy profession. Core offerings include the C-IAYT certification credential for yoga therapists, accreditation for training programs meeting 800+ hour standards, peer-reviewed International Journal of Yoga Therapy (PubMed-indexed), Yoga Therapy Today magazine (triannual), SYTAR and SYR annual conferences, Global Yoga Therapy Day virtual event, Approved Professional Development (APD) continuing education recognition, and Portfolio Review & Evaluation (PR&E) certification pathway. The yogatherapy.health public website provides consumer-facing resources and therapist directory services. These offerings work together to advance yoga therapy as a recognized health profession through standards, education, research dissemination, and community building.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• yogatherapy.health: IAYT's public-facing website for consumers and healthcare practitioners seeking information about yoga therapy

Quantifiable outcome

• 69 yoga therapy training programs in 13 countries hold IAYT accreditation as of 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Give Back Yoga FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019IAYT and Give Back Yoga Foundation co-present the annual John Kepner Seva Award at SYTAR since 2019. This award recognizes C-IAYTs bringing yogic practices to unserved populations. The award offers seed funding and publicity for well-defined service projects. Rob Schware, co-founder and Executive Director of Give Back Yoga Foundation, is a frequent presenter at IAYT events.
• Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health (ACCAHC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006IAYT joined the Academic Consortium for Complementary and Alternative Health Care (ACCAHC), now the Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health, in 2006. Yoga was the first nonlicensed discipline represented. ACCAHC supports IAYT's standards development and Meeting of Schools initiatives.
• Vivekananda Yoga University (VaYU)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of IAYT. Vivekananda Yoga University (VaYU), USA is the first yoga university outside India focused on graduate yoga education and research. Located in Los Angeles, California. Founded on principles of Swami Vivekananda, who brought yoga to the USA in 1893.
• beYogiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor of IAYT. Top-rated yoga therapy insurance provider offering comprehensive and affordable coverage to yoga teachers, therapists, and the wider wellness community. Offers exclusive rates for IAYT members.
• Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor of IAYT. MUIH's sole passion is improving and advancing integrative health and wellness. Distinguished by holistic approach, focusing on interconnection of mind, body, and spirit. IAYT-accredited yoga therapy training program provider.
• Singing Dragon (Handspring Publishing)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor of IAYT. Since 2006, Singing Dragon has published resources on acupuncture, Chinese medicine, yoga, yoga therapy, nutrition, and complementary health. Offers IAYT members 20% off titles including The Principles and Practice of Yoga in Health Care.
• Yoga BharatiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor of IAYT. Non-profit organization with holistic approach to yoga rooted in authentic traditions. Provides yoga therapy for chronic health conditions and offers Teacher Training and Yoga Therapy courses. Their 800-hour Diploma in Yoga Therapy is IAYT-accredited.
• Yoga Professional Academy (YPA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor of IAYT. Supports yoga therapists with expert mentoring, business growth strategies, and AI tools. Offers social media management, online business tools via Kajabi, continuing education, and a supportive community.
• National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing relationship maintained with NAMA. IAYT representatives participated in a panel on 'Smart Steps Toward Licensing and Enhancing Professional Recognition for Ayurveda' at NAMA's annual conference.
• Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing relationship with SIO. Veronica Zador serves on the Yoga Special Interest Group for SIO and co-chairs the Scientific Planning Committee of the Midwest Pain Society.
• Indian Yoga AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgreements with the Indian Yoga Association and aligned institutions in Australia were in development as of 2025.
• Integrative Health Policy ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAYT partnered with the Integrative Health Policy Consortium to submit a letter of support to the Health Care Task Force, Committee on the Budget, of the U.S. House of Representatives, advocating for inclusion of yoga therapy to improve health outcomes and lower healthcare spending.
• Coalition for Whole Person HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAYT became an inaugural member of the Coalition for Whole Person Health, an initiative of the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).
• Pain CollaborativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAYT became a stakeholder member of the Pain Collaborative to Advance Equitable Value-Based Solutions and signed on to a letter in support of the bipartisan Advancing Research for Chronic Pain Act (S.2922/H.R.7164).
• RAINN.orgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAYT offered members a free training on sexual misconduct awareness, prevention, and response in partnership with RAINN.org in 2022.
• Yoga AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAYT 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 Yoga Alliance. An ongoing reference relationship.
• National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (India)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWith India's National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, IAYT contributed to recommendations on yoga for achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
• Yoga JournalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAYT hosted a general membership meeting at the first Yoga Journal conference in 1996 with Dean Ornish, MD, as keynote speaker. IAYT also hosted standards meetings at the 1997 and 1998 Yoga Journal conferences.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Yoga Alliance: Yoga Alliance is the closest peer — both are nonprofit professional membership associations setting standards in the yoga field. Yoga Alliance focuses on Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT-200/500) and Registered Yoga Schools, while IAYT focuses on yoga therapy training and C-IAYT credentialing. They overlap on school membership and conference activity, and IAYT's 1990s standards meetings seeded what became Yoga Alliance.
• National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA): NAMA is the most structurally analogous peer to IAYT — a US-based professional membership association that certifies practitioners (Ayurvedic Health Counselor, Ayurvedic Practitioner), accredits training programs, publishes member resources, and pursues licensing recognition for an unlicensed complementary health profession. IAYT and NAMA maintain an ongoing relationship and co-participate in integrative health policy advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• International Yoga Federation: The International Yoga Federation is a broader incumbent operating globally across all forms of yoga, with member federations in many countries. Unlike IAYT's narrow focus on therapeutic yoga credentialing, IYF covers general yoga practice, teacher training, and philosophy at the umbrella level — overlapping with IAYT only on international yoga standardization.
• American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA): AMTA is a comparable professional membership association in the adjacent complementary health field of massage therapy — covering membership dues, continuing education, publications, conferences, school/program accreditation, and practitioner certification. AMTA is more mature (licensing in most US states), making it a useful comparator for IAYT's longer-term licensing trajectory.

Others

• Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health (ACIH/ACCAHC): ACIH is the consortium of complementary and integrative health professions where IAYT has held a seat since 2006 (first nonlicensed discipline). It is not a competitor but a peer coalition that supports IAYT's standards-development and policy-advocacy work alongside organizations representing massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, naturopathic medicine, and direct-entry midwifery.
• Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO): SIO is a multidisciplinary professional society advancing evidence-based integrative oncology. IAYT has an ongoing relationship via the Yoga Special Interest Group and co-conferences. While oncology-focused and not a competitor for credentialing, SIO represents a channel through which C-IAYTs engage clinical oncology professionals.

Emerging players

• Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH): MUIH is one of the leading IAYT-accredited yoga therapy training program providers (silver sponsor of IAYT) and a graduate institution specializing in integrative health. It competes with other accredited schools for yoga therapy students and represents the academic-track end of the market where IAYT accreditation increasingly matters.
• Vivekananda Yoga University (VaYU): VaYU is a graduate-level yoga university in Los Angeles and a gold sponsor of IAYT. As the first yoga university outside India focused on graduate yoga education and research, it competes with MUIH and other IAYT-accredited schools for students pursuing advanced yoga therapy credentials.
• Yoga Bharati: Yoga Bharati is a nonprofit that offers IAYT-accredited 800-hour Diploma in Yoga Therapy for chronic health conditions. It is a member school / silver sponsor that exemplifies the accredited training ecosystem IAYT has built — competing in the yoga therapy training market while relying on IAYT accreditation for credibility.

Regional players

• British Wheel of Yoga: The British Wheel of Yoga is the UK's national yoga governing body, operating as a membership organization with teacher training standards. It plays a regionally analogous role to IAYT but in the general yoga / teacher training space rather than yoga therapy specifically, and serves a primarily UK membership base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-association-of-yoga-therapists

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Association of Yoga Therapists