slovak yoga association – a union of SLovakian
Yoga organisations
President: Kováčska 19, SK 040 01 Košice, e-mail: gmtkg@tuke.sk, fax: +421 55 6227641; phone:
++6022899
Declaration of the view of SYA on education of yoga in schools
1. Yoga – as conceived by SYA - is
a valuable tool for somatic, mental and spiritual well being and
development. It is based on more than 4000 years of unbroken lineage of
theoretical and practical knowledge.
2. Yoga is thus a supporting tool for
increasing quality of life for adults and children alike.
3. There is a wealth of evidence world
wide that yoga – if practiced correctly – has a positive effect on physical and
mental health.
4.
Yoga
has to be taught by qualified persons. The basic yoga teacher´s course of the
SYA (accredited by the Ministry of Education) consists of 430 hours of
practical and theoretical learning. It requires the teacher to have regular
personal practice and to undergo 1 year of apprenticeship under a qualified
yoga teacher. Advanced teacher training consists of 445h of training that can
be commenced only after having 3 years of basic teaching experience.
5.
The
primary and secondary school teachers (preferably fully qualified teachers of
physical education) should go through
the basic SYA teacher training in order
to be well qualified for the task of teaching elements of yoga at schools.
6.
At the
schools yoga should be taught on a voluntary basis and in accordance with the
Decrees of the Ministry of Education of 1990, 1993, 1996 and 2001.
7.
There
is no conflict between religious denomination and religious practice of
whatever kind, and yoga. Yoga was never and is not a religion. Its philosophy
is theistic. It can help people to discover the divine dimensions of humans. It
does not provide, however, any religious framework. Thus religious persons can
get strengthened in their religion by practicing yoga.