CRITERIA FOR CERTIFICATION

The following Criteria for Certification must be met by all students wishing to become Hridaya Yoga teachers. If during the Hridaya Meditation and Yoga Teacher Training Course (HTTC), any staff member becomes aware of any breach of these criteria, HTTC Administration will be notified, and will investigate and address the matter promptly, in a case-appropriate manner. We reserve the right to deny certification to any student who does not fulfill course obligations or who does not meet Hridaya Yoga standards, detailed below. In the event that certification is withheld, it will be at the sole and final discretion of Sahajananda to grant permission to retake the course.

Attendance

With the exception of emergencies, the Hridaya TTC expects full attendance of all HTTC sessions in order to earn the certificate issued at the end of the course, pending the successful outcome of a student’s exams. A student will be granted a small margin of excused absenteeism from class sessions (5 percent or less) to account for illness, visa runs, or emergencies. Attendance is defined as participation in all facets of each scheduled session: theoretical presentation, asana practice, meditation, interviews, teaching workshops, retreats, etc. A student who does not meet the attendance minimum will not receive his or her teaching certificate. If a student’s excessive absence is due to a legitimate reason, such as an illness or other health emergency, he or she may join a future HTTC, at a cost of 25 percent of the course (€525), and must successfully attend all classes and pass all exams (with the same margin of absenteeism noted above, for the same acceptable bases) in order to earn the course certificate. Otherwise, should certification be withheld due to unexcused absences, the student may – upon reapplication to the program and reapproval – reattend the HTTC at a future date for the full program fee in order to receive certification.

It will be the student’s responsibility to make up any missed course material for excused absences.

Students may not study any Agama Yoga course levels concurrently while enrolled in the Hridaya TTC.

Exams

Five exams mark a student’s progress throughout the course. The first two contain written questions taken from lecture theory and supplemental course materials. Two final exams, in conjunction with a final evaluation of the student, must be completed successfully. One is a written exam covering teachings and theory specific to the HTTC; the other is a practical exam. Participants must complete the course with a cumulative passing exam average, in addition to attendance verification, in order to receive their teaching certification. Any Agama Yoga teacher who enrolls in the HTTC must also attend all exams.

Practicum Workshop Training

Successful completion of all practicum teaching assignments is a requirement for certification. Presentations must demonstrate a student’s ability to teach using the Hridaya Yoga methodology, including a good command of the scripted mnemonics that participants will receive in the course, as well as theoretical absorption of the material itself demonstrated by a proper understanding of the course material, correct answers to questions when student-teaching, etc.

Professional and Ethical Behavior

After certification, a Hridaya meditation and Yoga teacher is expected to adhere to certain standards, which will be described fully in the Spiritual Code that you will be required to sign at the end of the course. If there is found to be a professional or ethical complaint against a Hridaya teacher, an inquiry will be made. If a legitimate basis for the complaint is found, it could result in suspension of the teacher or other limitations placed on the teacher’s use of the name “Hridaya.”

Annual Blessings

Hridaya Yoga teachers teach under the permission and spiritual guidance of its founder and director, the meditation teacher Sahajananda. At the end of each HTTC, graduates receive a blessing to teach directly from Sahajananda. It is strongly recommended to receive a blessing from Sahajananda each year. This blessing meditation is arranged at least twice annually, scheduled a minimum of three weeks in advance. Teachers worldwide are asked to synchronize their schedules with this announced blessing meditation.

Use of the Name “Hridaya”

We encourage HTTC participants, upon graduation, to go out and teach Hridaya Yoga. The name "Hridaya" should be honored by the behavior and competence of the meditation and Hatha Yoga teacher.