About Us
Who We Are
The American Viniyoga Institute® is an organization of yoga practitioners and professionals sharing core values, guided by the spirit of Viniyoga and dedicated to offering quality experiential, educational and professional training opportunities in the fields of health and fitness, therapy and self care, and personal transformation.
We honor the integrity of ancient yoga teachings while making them relevant and practical today. We are connected by the teachings of Viniyoga through Gary Kraftsow, MA, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, who evolved this approach to yoga from the teachings of T.K.V. Desikachar and T. Krishnamacharya of Madras, India.
Gary Kraftsow, MA, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, is Founder and Director of the American Viniyoga Institute.
Viniyoga: an approach to Yoga that adapts practice to the unique condition, needs and interests of individuals and groups – giving practitioners the tools to individualize and actualize the process of self-discovery and personal transformation.
What We Offer
We Are Interested in Assisting You on Your Journey in Yoga
The American Viniyoga Institute offers a variety of programs and products for self-care, health and healing, and personal transformation.
Professional Training Programs
The American Viniyoga Institute (AVI) is a leader in training yoga teachers and Yoga Therapists in Viniyoga. We honor the integrity of ancient teachings while making them relevant and practical today.
We currently offer the following professional training programs:
AVI Viniyoga Foundations Program for Teaching and Yoga Therapy
AVI Viniyoga Therapist Training
Events, Workshops
AVI offers high quality educational experiences on a variety of topics including personal practice and transformation, yoga teaching, and Viniyoga Therapy. Our events are offered in a variety of settings including collaborating yoga studios, yoga centers, academic and retreat settings and include:
Personal Retreats
Corporate Wellness Programs
Workshops
Group Retreats
Products
We offer a variety of Viniyoga products for home practice, study of yoga and yoga teaching and Yoga Therapy that include audio CDs, DVDs, books and audio downloads. Gary Kraftsow, Founder and Director of the American Viniyoga Institute has written two books, Yoga for Wellness and Yoga for Transformation, produced four Viniyoga Therapy DVDs and three online workshops:
Prāṇāyāma Unlocked
Meditation Unlocked
Yoga Therapy for Depression.
Visit our store to see our full range of Products.
Research Consultations
Gary Kraftsow and selected faculty provide yoga intervention development, training and consultation for research studies and commercial development. The American Viniyoga Institute has a nationwide network of Viniyoga teachers and Yoga Therapists, many of whom are interested in working in research and other settings. Gary Kraftsow and several AVI graduates are actively involved in supporting yoga research.
Yoga Therapy Private Consultations
Yoga Therapy, derived from the Yoga tradition of Patañjali and the Ayurvedic system of health, refers to the adaptation and application of Yoga techniques and practices to help individuals facing health challenges at any level manage their condition. The general long-term goals of Yoga Therapy include:
Reducing the symptoms of suffering that can be reduced
Managing the symptoms that cannot be reduced
Rooting out causes wherever possible
Improving life function
Shifting attitude and perspective in relationship to life’s challenges
Our approach to Yoga Therapy is to treat the whole person, seeking to change attitudes and actions that inhibit the natural healing process, and cultivate attitudes and actions that support it. A Yoga Therapy visit includes an assessment, yoga therapy instruction and recommendations and a plan for follow-up. Written or other practice tools may be provided to help the practitioner with home practice.
Learn more about a Yoga Therapy Private Consultation with Gary Kraftsow, MA, E-RYT 500