Austin, TX, June 6, 2014 – The American Viniyoga™ Institute (AVI) announced today that its Yoga Therapy Training Program was awarded accreditation from the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT).  The accreditation award was made recently at the IAYT annual conference, the Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research in Austin, TX.

The IAYT is the only professional organization in the world to provide international accreditation for yoga therapy programs.  The two-tiered mission in setting standards for the emerging field of yoga therapy will include both training program certification as well as standards for individual therapist certification.

Yoga therapy is a growing field which utilizes a variety of yogic practices to aid the individual in conquering health issues.  Gary Kraftsow, MA, E-RYT 500, AVI Founder and Director, has been a pioneer in this field for over 40 years, and his Yoga Therapy Training Program has trained yoga therapists for over 30 years.  Says Kraftsow of the recent accreditation, “This landmark event represents significant progress in the elevation of Yoga Therapy as a complementary modality, and is an essential step in developing larger numbers of qualified therapists that can collectively move the profession forwards. I am both happy and honored that the work of AVI’s faculty and staff have been formally recognized as an integral part of this on-going movement.”

About the American Viniyoga Institute

The American Viniyoga™ Institute (viniyoga.com) 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.  Programs are available in various locations around the U.S. for teacher training and yoga therapist training as well as multi-level workshops for practitioners of all levels.

Contact: Robin Lilly