Independent Yoga Network

What Independent Yoga Network does

The Independent Yoga Network (IYN) is a UK-registered, not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, founded in 2004 by independently-minded yoga teacher trainers in response to the fitness industry's attempts to standardize acceptable yoga training. Operating from Cannock, United Kingdom, IYN functions as a membership and advocacy organization for individual yoga teachers and yoga teacher training schools, governed by three annually-elected company directors. Its sole revenue stream is recurring membership fees from individual teachers (non-voting supporting members) and yoga schools/teacher training institutions (voting members), with all surplus reinvested rather than distributed as dividends.

The organization's product surface consists of individual and school membership programs, 'The Yoga Register' as a qualification registry, online searchable directories for teachers, schools, and training courses, an online self-serve registration system, the Namaskaram web magazine and newsletter, and periodic conferences and member events (most notably 'The Future of Yoga' in April 2018, with online member meetings continuing through 2022). The underlying technology stack is a standard content-managed website with no proprietary platform, no app, no API, no disclosed integrations, and no AI capabilities.

IYN's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via its website and social channels (Facebook and YouTube), targeting two customer segments: individual yoga teachers (SMB/persona) and yoga schools with teacher training or post-diploma courses (SMB/persona). Membership eligibility for schools is conditioned on demonstrating alignment with three universal principles — Svadhya (self-study), Ahimsa (non-violence), and Satya (truthfulness) — rather than adherence to any specific yoga style, which IYN positions as its core differentiator from style-specific and fitness-industry-aligned bodies.

Name

Independent Yoga Network

Legal name

Independent Yoga Network

Website

https://independentyoganetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Independent Yoga Network is a UK not-for-profit membership organization founded in 2004 that represents individual yoga teachers and yoga teacher training schools, offering registration, searchable directories, advocacy, and periodic conferences to preserve independent yoga practice.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Yoga Professional Membership Organization

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

General Yoga Instruction (Hatha/Vinyasa/Flow) (HSADACAA)

Keywords

• Yoga teacher membership
• Teacher training schools
• Yoga professional network
• Yoga education directory
• Yoga association services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cannock

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The IYN generates revenue through membership fees from individual yoga teachers and yoga schools/teacher training institutions. As a not-for-profit organization, no profit is made and no dividends are paid. Voting membership is available to heads of yoga teacher training schools meeting the three universal principles of Svadhaya, Ahimsa and Satya.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Independent Yoga Network is a UK-based not-for-profit membership organization that represents and supports yoga teachers and yoga teacher training schools. Founded in 2004 and operating as a company limited by guarantee with no shareholders, it provides individual and school membership tiers, public-facing directories of registered teachers and schools, an online registration system, and conferences and events for the yoga profession.

Product overview

The Independent Yoga Network operates as a membership-based organization offering a unified platform of services for yoga teachers and teacher training schools. The core offering includes Individual and School Membership programs, supported by The Yoga Register as a qualification registry. The network provides online searchable directories for finding teachers, schools, and training courses, along with an online registration system. The organization also hosts conferences and events, including the biennial The Future of Yoga conference. IYN functions as a not-for-profit entity dedicated to keeping yoga free and independent without standardizing methods or ideologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Membership Annual membership tier for individual yoga teachers, providing professional representation, registration on the Yoga Register, and access to member benefits and events.
• School Membership Annual membership tier for yoga teacher training schools and yoga schools, providing organizational representation and inclusion in the school directory.
• The Yoga Register Public register of qualified yoga teachers who hold current Individual Membership with the network, serving as a credential verification resource.
• Teacher Search Directory Online directory allowing members of the public to search for registered yoga teachers by location and other criteria.
• School Search Directory Online directory allowing members of the public to search for member yoga schools and teacher training schools.
• Yoga Training Course Search Online directory enabling prospective students to search for yoga teacher training courses offered by member schools.
• Online Registration System Web-based platform for teachers and schools to apply for membership, manage renewals, and update profile information displayed in the public directories.
• Conferences & Events In-person conferences and events providing continuing professional development, networking, and advocacy for members and the wider yoga community.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• British Wheel of Yoga: The British Wheel of Yoga is the UK's long-established national governing body for yoga, offering teacher recognition, training standards, and membership services. It is the closest direct peer to IYN, competing for the same pool of UK yoga teachers and schools, with a more formalized standards-based model versus IYN's independence-first positioning.
• Yoga Alliance Professionals: Yoga Alliance Professionals is a UK-based membership organization that registers and certifies yoga teachers and training providers. It directly overlaps with IYN's school recognition and teacher directory offerings, and competes for the same independent teacher demographic.
• Iyengar Yoga Association UK: The Iyengar Yoga Association UK is a style-specific membership body for Iyengar teachers and schools. It represents the type of single-tradition organization IYN positions against as a neutral, style-agnostic alternative for UK-based yoga teachers.
• Dru Yoga UK: Dru Yoga is a UK-based style-specific yoga teacher training school and membership-style community. It overlaps with IYN's school-recognition function but competes within a single tradition, illustrating the style-specific bodies IYN aims to remain independent from.

Broad incumbents

• Yoga Alliance (US / International): Yoga Alliance is the largest international yoga teacher and school registry, setting widely adopted credentialing standards. While US-headquartered, it is referenced globally and sets a benchmark for school-membership models that IYN competes with for credibility among UK-based teachers.
• International Yoga Federation: The International Yoga Federation is a global umbrella body representing national yoga federations and member organizations. It is a broader incumbent in the same professional-body category as IYN, with formal recognition at international policy forums.

Emerging players

• Yoga in Healthcare Alliance: The Yoga in Healthcare Alliance is a UK-based emerging organization promoting yoga's role in healthcare settings, representing a newer type of yoga advocacy body. It is a partial-overlap emerging player that intersects with IYN's advocacy mission but is focused specifically on healthcare policy.

Regional players

• The Yoga Foundation (Australia): The Yoga Foundation is an Australian membership body supporting yoga teachers and schools, structurally similar to IYN. It is a regional peer in the same category, illustrating the global pattern of independent national yoga membership organizations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDEPkhBO7agNnclel44Fdjg
• Facebookfacebook.com/IndependentYogaNetwork
• Xx.com/iyn_for_yoga
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-independent-yoga-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Independent Yoga Network