Keep the wisdom holders deeply involved

John Kepner, Emeritus Executive Director of the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT), grew IAYT into the global standard for yoga therapy training and credentialing. He did it by accomplishing the things he says a professional membership needs to do—establish community via yearly member meetings, ground the profession in research, and publish a peer-reviewed journal as well as a professional member publication. In short, Kepner says, IAYT needed community, research, and standards, and he created all three. He did it working with hundreds of devoted professionals while "on the shoulders" of the giants who founded IAYT late last century.

Kepner believes passionately in integrating yoga therapy into the complementary and alternative medicine field and for yoga therapy to be a recognized and respected therapy. As a yoga therapist himself who was also a non-profit executive with an extraordinary administrative mind, he built IAYT, piece by piece, into the organization it is today.

This is a dense and fascinating conversation that includes many topics, ranging from our joint worry over the “race to the bottom” in yoga-teacher credentialing and training to how HSAs and FSAs are a real—if not the best—current way for yoga therapists to be remunerated for their work. This conversation is for anyone interested in the policy, leadership, and the professional future of yoga. Listen in and drop me a line to let me know what you think!