The European Union of Yoga (EUY) is an international

non-profit organisation A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

which co-ordinates a network of

yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...

teachers, training schools and yoga federations. It was founded in 1971, and has since 1973 held an annual congress at

Zinal Zinal is a village in Switzerland, located in the municipality of Anniviers in the canton of Valais. It lies at an elevation of above sea level in the Swiss Alps in the ''Val de Zinal'', a valley running from the Zinal Glacier, north of Dent Blan ...

, Switzerland where yoga teachers and practitioners can meet in a multi-lingual, cross-cultural environment and hear from invited Indian yoga teachers.

History

The European Union of Yoga (EUY) was founded in 1971 by the entrepreneur Gérard Blitz and the yoga teacher and author

André Van Lysebeth André Van Lysebeth (10 October 1919 – 28 January 2004) was a Belgium, Belgian yoga instructor and author whose books about yoga have been translated into many languages. He is also known for a quintessential book on human sexuality he took thir ...

, with representatives of National Federations who met in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

to create the European Union of Yoga Federations (UEFNY), which became the EUY in 1975. In 1973, the first UEFNY Congress was held at Blitz's

Club Mediterranee Club Med SAS, commonly known as Club Med and previously known as Club Méditerranée SA, is a French travel and tourism operator headquartered in Paris, specializing in all-inclusive holidays. Founded in 1950, the company has been primarily o ...

, Switzerland, at the suggestion of Claude Peltier. The Yoga teacher training program has a minimum duration of 4 years and a minimum 500 hours of tuition. This must include tutorials with course tutor(s), seminars, and extra-mural courses approved by the Training School. The multilingual Zinal Congress, attended by hundreds of yoga teachers and practitioners, is held annually. It seeks to network across cultures with invited Indian teachers such as

T. K. V. Desikachar Tirumalai Krishnamacharya Venkata Desikachar (21 June 1938 – 8 August 2016), better known as T. K. V. Desikachar, was a yoga teacher, son of the pioneer of modern yoga as exercise, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. The style that he taught was initia ...

, who came to influence the

British Wheel of Yoga The British Wheel of Yoga was set up in 1965 by Wilfred Clark as a co-ordinating body for yoga groups throughout Britain that welcomed all schools of thought. It provides level 4 yoga teacher training leading to the Certificate in Yoga Teaching an ...

through the Congress.

Analysis

The Austrian yoga scholar Karl Baier describes the EUY as an international yoga association representing a secularised variant of the "

modern denominational yoga Modern may refer to: History *Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Modern age, Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century ...

" defined by

Elizabeth De Michelis Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

, a category he finds too narrow to be workable. The EUY in his view is not a neo-Hindu faith community, but it does draw on traditional yoga literature from India;

postural yoga Yoga as exercise is a physical activity consisting mainly of asana, postures, often connected by vinyasa, flowing sequences, sometimes accompanied by pranayama, breathing exercises, and frequently ending with savasana, relaxation lying down or ...

and

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally cal ...

are practised, while devotional practices are largely absent.

Member organisations

The EUY's member organisations are: * Austria: BY
Berufsverband der Yogalehrenden in Österreich
* Belgium: ABEP
Association Belge des Enseignants et des Pratiquants de Yoga
:::: FBH

:::: YFN
Yoga Federatie van de Nederlandstaligen in België
* Finland: SJL/YF
Yoga Federation of Finland Suomen Joogaliitto ry
*

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

: FIDH
Fédération Inter-enseignements de Hatha Yoga
:::: FYT Fédération de Yoga Traditionnels :::: IF
Institut Francais De Yoga
:::: FV
Fédération Viniyoga Internationale
*

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

: BD
Berufsverband der Yogalehrenden in Deutschland
* Ireland: IY
Irish Yoga Association
*

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

: FI
Federazione Italiana Yoga
:::: FM
Federazione Mediterranea Yoga
* Netherlands: VY
Vereniging Yogadocenten Nederland
:::: Y
Stichting Yoga & Vedanta
(associate) * Portugal: FP
Portuguese Yoga Federation
* Romania: GNSPY Groupe National d’Etude et de Pratique du Yoga * Slovakia: SY
Slovenska Asciacia Jogy
:::: YSadhan
Federación Nacional de Yoga Sadhana
* Switzerland: SY
Schweizer Yogaverband
:::: YC
Yoga Schweiz Suisse Svizzera
* Ukraine: UAA
Ukrainian Association Ayurveda-Yoga
*

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

: BW
British Wheel of Yoga
ref name="BWY 2016">

References

External links

Official website
{{Yoga as exercise Yoga as exercise Yoga training and certification

History

Analysis

Member organisations

See also

References

External links