History & Intent

1947, Swami Sivananda established the World Sadhus Federation and in 1948 following the example of Swami Asuri Kapila, Swami Sivananda founded the Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy, to train yoga teachers and swamis as Swami Asuri Kapila.

Swami Sivananda founded the World Religions Federation and Swami Asuri Kapila founded Mystic International Association.

1948, Swami Asuri Kapila wrote to his friend, Lucien Ferrier (France), about the idea of opening Yoga Centres in France to establish in the future a national association and follow the way to the creation of an International Yoga Federation.Then, Ferrier opened the Academy of Occidental Yoga in Paris, France.
Swami Asuri Kapila proposed the creation of national yoga organizations and continental yoga organizations to base the future International Yoga Federation to share the Yoga all over the world.

	1965, Yogavatar Krishna Kisore Das founded the International Yoga Council in Bengale, India. 1967, Roma Blair (Swami Nirmalananda), founded the International Yoga Teachers Association in Australia. 1967, the National Yoga Teachers Assocation of France was founded.
	1972, the European Union of Yoga was founded by Roger Clerc, the disciple and successor of Lucien Ferrier and who continues the spirit of unity with Andre Van Lysebeth (Swami Sivananda´s disciple), Claude Peltier, Nil Hahoutoff and Hug.
	1982, Rama Jyoti Vernon founded the Unity in Yoga International (now Yoga Alliance of U.S.) in the United States, integrating yoga schools.

1985, Swami Maitreyananda (Dr. Fernando Estevez Griego) founded the Latin American Yoga Union with Vayuananda, Swamini Dayananda, Mataji Indra Devi, Luis Alvares De Rose and Swami Sarvananda. Yogacharya Fernando Estevez Griego Ph.D. (Swami Maitreyananda) visited India and met the Dalai Lama at his home in Dharamsala, Himalayas, Swami Direndra Brahmachari in his Ashram in New Delhi and Swami Chidananda from Divine Life Society in Rishikesh. After working with the founding of the International Yoga Federation with Swami Direndra Brahmachari, he met with the members of Yoga Federation of India. 1984 to 1987 started the communication between Vayuananda, direct disciple of Swami Asuri Kapila, Swami Maitreyananda, Swami Asuri Kapila´s successor and Gerard Blitz. Gerard Blitz met Rama Vernon and Swami Satchidananda. Swami Satchidananda becomes the Honorary President of the International Yoga Teachers Association in Australia. 1986, Yogacharya Fernando Estevez Griego Ph.D. (Dharmachari Swami Maitreyananda) meets the leader and general secretary of European Union of Yoga Gerard Blitz in Paris, to work with the Latin American Union of Yoga and create the future International Yoga Federation. 1986, December. Yogacharya Fernando Estevez Griego Ph.D. (Dharmachari Swami Maitreyananda) and Carlos Trotta (Yogacharya Vayuananda), both members of Swami Asuri Kapila School, meet the members of Yoga Federation of Brazil, Yoga Association of Brazil and National Union of Yoga, in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Swami Gitananda Giri founds the World Parliament of Yoga or the Vishwa Yoga Samaj at Pondicherry, India. 1987, Yoga Federation of India, States Yoga Associations of India, Yoga Association of Uruguay, Latin American Union of Yoga, National Yoga Confederation of Brazil, Yoga Teachers Association of Brazil, National Yoga Union, School Yoga Federation of Italy, Indra Devi Foundation, founds the International Professional Yoga Teachers Federation (the first name given to the actual International Yoga Federation) in Montevideo, Uruguay under the presidenship of Yogacharya Fernando Estevez Griego (Dharmachary Swami Maitreyananda)

The first board of International Yoga Federation 1987-1989, was: Honorary President: Mataji Indra Devi (Latvia), President Luiz Alvares de Rose (Brazil) and Secretary General: Dharmachari Swami Maitreyananda (Fernando Estevez Griego, Uruguay), Tresaure: David Lifar (Argentina)

1988, the International Yoga Congress meets in 1988 in Zinal, Switzerland to work towards the integration of national yoga associations. Presents: Yogacharya Dr. Fernando Estevez Griego (Swami Maitreyananda) and Mataji Indra Devi from Latin American Union of Yoga and International Federation of Professional Yoga Teachers; Gerard Blitz and Raoul Lenz from the European Union of Yoga, and Swami Satchidananda, Nancy Ford Khonne and Larry Payne from Unity in Yoga International (Yoga Alliance of USA).

1988, takes place the First World Yoga Congress of IYF at the City Palace of Montevideo Government, in Montevideo, Uruguay, to work towards the integration of national yoga associations. Presents: Swami Maitreyananda and Mataji Indra Devi from Latin American Union of Yoga and International Federation of Professional Yoga Teachers, Carlos Fiel from the European Union of Yoga, Larry Payne from Unity in Yoga International (Yoga Alliance of USA), Auri Moya from International Yoga Teachers Association of Australia and Puerto Rico, Luiz de Rose from Yoga Confederation of Brazil, Goldemberg from Yoga Association of Argentina, Babaji Singh from Mexico member of Kundalini Yoga Teachers Association of 3HO, Swamini Dayananda from Yoga Association of Uruguay, Swami Pravananda Mexico.

1989, Zinal, Switzerland the International Yoga Congress meets to work toward the integration of continentals and internationals federations. Presents: Gerard Blitz, Secretary General of the European Union of Yoga, Swami Chidananda from the Divine Life Sivananda Ashram, Swami Satchidananda from Integral Yoga USA, Yogacharya Dr. Fernando Estevez Griego (Swami Maitreyananda) from South American Integral Yoga and president of the International Federation of Professional Yoga Teachers and the Latin American Union of Yoga. This congress is considered the base of the International Association of Yoga movement.

Gerard Blitz becomes gravely ill and asks to integrate all the continental and national yoga organizations in an International Yoga Federation, in order to give yoga some seriousness. Yogacharya Dr. Fernando Estevez Griego (Swami Maitreyananda) offers to go forward with the project of Gerard Blitz and Swami Asuri Kapila and he slowly transforms the International Federation of Professional Yoga Teachers into the International Yoga Federation with a change of statutes.

1989, in Buenos Aires City, Argentina, Raoul Lenz (Switzerland), General Secretary of European Union of Yoga meets Yogacharya Dr. Fernando Estevez Griego (Sw. Maitreyananda), President of Latin America Union and elected president of International Federation of Professional Yoga Teachers, with Silvia Irigoyen (Sw. Dayananda), General Secretary of Latin America Union and Mataji Indra Devi, honorary president of both Latin America Union and International Federation of Professional Yoga Teachers.

1989, November. In the World Yoga Conference in Montevideo, Uruguay, Mataji Indra Devi and Swami Sarvananda propose that Yogacharya Fernando Estevez Griego (Swami Maitreyananda) to become the president of the International Federation of Professional Yoga Teachers. Yogacharya Dr. Fernando Estevez Griego (Swami Maitreyananda) is elected president of International Federation of Professional Yoga Teachers, president of the Latin American Union of Yoga and president of the Yoga Association of Uruguay. He is also member of the World Yoga Council in India, member of the International Yoga Society (U.K.), member of the World Parliament of Yoga in Pondicherry, and vice-president of the International Federation of Yoga Sports. He is part of General Assembly of European Yoga Union in 1988 and 1989 because the Yoga Association of Uruguay is member of EUY and friend with Gerard Blitz. M.S.Viswanath, vice-president of Yoga Federation of India, from Pattabi Jois Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga School, is elected president 1989-1994 of International Federation of Yoga Sports.

1990, World Yoga Conference in Buenos Aires City, Argentina, with Yogacharya Dr. Fernando Estevez Griego (Swami Maitreyananda) president of Latin American Union and President of International Yoga Teachers Federation, Susana Balech from Friends of Yoga Association, Mataji Indra Devi, Diego Martinez president of Yoga Association of Uruguay, Rosa Espinosa from Chile, Daniel Espina from Yoga Association of Argentina, Sonia Sumar from Brazil, Swami Sarvananda and the presidents of national yoga associations of South America

1990, International and Latin American Yoga Conference in Curitiba, Brazil. This Conference is organized by Yoga Association of Parana, Latin American Yoga Union and International Yoga Federation, integrating Brazilian associations with the rest of America associations. Were present Swami Sarvananda, Monserrat Rosa Fernandes, Neuva Ribeiro, Proffesor Hermogenes of the Yoga Confederation of Brazil and Yogacharya Dr. Fernando Estevez Griego (Swami Maitreyananda).

Proffesor Hermogenes of the Brazilian Yoga Confederation with
Yogacharya Dr. Fernando Estevez Griego (Swami Maitreyananda).
1991, International Yoga Conference in San Jose, Costa Rica. Are present: Rama Vernon, Nancy Ford Khone, Sandra Summerfield and Patricia Hansen from Yoga Alliance of USA, Yogacharya Dr. Fernando Estevez Griego (Swami Maitreyananda) president of Latin American Union and President of International Yoga Teachers Federation, Prue Ketner from International Yoga Teachers Association of Australia founded by Roma Blair (Swami Nirmalananda), Mataji Indra Devi, Ferriz Olivares from Great Universal Brotherhood, delegates from South, North and Central American Yoga Organizations and Russian Yoga Organization.

1992, January 12. Meeting in New Delhi, India, Yogavatar Krishna Kisore Das is elected the new president of the International Federation of Professional Yoga Teachers and moves its H.Q. to New Delhi until 1996. At the meeting are present all the leaders of national and state yoga associations of India. The members of World Yoga Council with Yogavatar Krishna Kisore Das meet the former board with Yogacharya Fernando Estevez Griego (Dharmachari Swami Maitreyananda)

Yogavatar Krishna Kisore Das was elected the new president of the International Federation of Professional Yoga Teachers and moves its H.Q. to New Delhi 1992

1993, World Yoga Conference at Pondicherry, India. The leading lights attending were: Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswathi. Sant Keshava Das, Shri Amrit Desai, Nancy Ford Khone and Patricia Hansen form Unity in Yoga (Yoga Alliance U.S.A.) Yogacharya Fernando Estevez Griego Ph.D. (Swami Maitreyananda), Pietro Bonvini, Ms. Viswanath, Yogarishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri, and Shri MP Pandit, spokesman for the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry. The leading political dignitaries of Pondicherry State Government including: the Lt. Governor Shri Har Swaroop Singh, Chief Minister Shri A. Gandhiraj, Chief Secretary Shri S. Sharma, Finance Secretary Smt. P.M. Singh and Director of Tourism, Shri V. Shivashanmugam. Participants meet the presidents of state associations that form the Yoga Yoga Federation of India.

1993, Unity in Yoga Conference celebrating 100 years of Yoga in America, in the Pocono Mountains Pensylvania U.S.A., with some of the Yoga masters well known internationally, including Yogi Bhajan, Amrit Desai, Swami Satchidananda, Swami Anandamoy and Dr. Pratap. Also are invited Yoga instructors such as Lilias Folan. Are present: Rama Vernon, Nancy Ford Khone and Patricia Hansen, leaders of Yoga Alliance of North America (Unity in Yoga), Yogacharya Fernando Estevez Griego Ph.D. (Swami Maitreyananda), President of International Yoga Teachers Federation meeting presidents of Yoga States Associations of U.S.A., Russia, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.

1993, World Yoga Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Are present: Professor Hermogenes from Brazil, Yogacharya Fernando Estevez Griego (Swami Maitreyananda), M.S. Vishwanth from India, Mr Espina, president of Yoga Federation of Argentina, Swami Sarvananda and 300 yoga teachers from: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Portugal, Spain, Italy, India, Israel, France, England, Venezuela, Mexico, France, Paraguay, Peru, U.S.A., Canada and Switzerland.

1994, World Yoga Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Presents: Pietro Bonvini, president Italian Yoga Schools Federation, Tony Sanchez (from Bikram School), president of U.S.A. Yoga Association, Marisol Sabate from Yoga Association of Chile, Taunay Valle, president of Yoga Association of Brazil, Daniel Espina, president of Yoga Federation of Argentina, Ada Saliz, president of Latin American Union of Yoga, Diego Martinez, president of Yoga Association of Uruguay, Yogacharya Fernando Estevez Griego successor of Yogavatar Kirshna Kisore Das, president of International Yoga Federation and World Yoga Council.

1995, Unity in Yoga Conference in Aspen, Colorado. Are present: Rama Vernon, Nancy Ford Khone, Sandra Summerfield and Patricia Hansen from Yoga Alliance of U.S.A., and Yogacharya Dr. Estevez Griego meeting Russian Yoga Organizations and presidents of Yoga States Associations of U.S.A., Russia, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.

1996, International Yoga Conference and Latin America Yoga Conference in Buenos Aires. Antonietta Rossi the Secretary General from the European Union of Yoga along with the directors from the Latin American Union of Yoga and the International Federation of Professional Yoga Teachers meet in Argentina to integrate the European Union of Yoga to the International Yoga Federation.

Past World Yoga Conferences of INTERNATIONAL YOGA FEDERATION

1st. World Wide Yoga Conference, New Delhi, India 1986
2nd. World Wide Yoga Conference, New Delhi, India 1987
3rd. World Wide Yoga Conference, Montevideo, Uruguay, 1988
4th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Montevideo, Uruguay, 1989
5th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Buenos Aires City, Argentina, 1990
6th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1991
7th. World Wide Yoga Conference, New Delhi, India, 1992
8th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Pondicherry, India 1993
9th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Buenos Aires, Argentina 1993
10th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Buenos Aires City, Argentina 1994
11th. World Wide Yoga Conference, New Delhi, India 1995
12th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1996
13th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Genoa, Italy, 1997
14th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Buenos Aires City, Argentina 1988
15th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Montevideo, Uruguay 1999
16th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Rio Janeiro, Brazil 2000
17th. World Wide Yoga Conference, New Delhi, India 2000
18th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Buenos Aires City, Argentina 2001
19th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Rio Janeiro, Brazil 2002
20th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Santa Maria, Portugal 2003
21th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Madrid, Spain 2004
22th. World Wide Yoga Conference, New Delhi & Rishikesh, India 2004
23th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Milan, Italy 2005
24th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Buenos Aires City, Argentina 2005
25th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Lisbon, Portugal, 2006
26th. World Wide Yoga Conference, New Delhi, India, 2006
27th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Mexico DF - Cancun, Mexico, 2007
28th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Colonia, Uruguay, 2008
29th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Rome, Italy, 2009
30th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Lisbon, Portugal, 2009
31th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Medellin, Colombia, 2010
32th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Rosario, Argentina, 2010
33th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Lisbon, Portugal, 2010
34th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Punta del Este, Uruguay, 2011
35th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Quebec, Canada, 2012
36th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Moscow, Russia, 2012
37th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Paris, France, 2013
38th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Santiago, Chile, 2014
39th. World Wide Yoga Conference, Santiago, Chile, 2015

Past International Yoga Conferences of

International Yoga Federation

1st. International Yoga Conference, New Delhi, India 1987
2nd. International Yoga Conference, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1988
3rd. International Yoga Conference, Montevideo, Uruguay, 1989
4th. International Yoga Conference, Buenos Aires City, Argentina, 1990
5th. International Yoga Conference, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1991
6th. International Yoga Conference, Santiago, Chile, 1992
7th. International Yoga Conference, Buenos Aires, Argentina 1993
8th. International Yoga Conference, Montevideo, Uruguay 1994
9th. International Yoga Conference, New Delhi, India 1995
10th. International Yoga Conference, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1996
11th. International Yoga Conference, Genoa, Italy, 1997
12th. International Yoga Conference, Montevideo, Uruguay 1998
13th. International Yoga Conference, Buenos Aires City, Argentina 1999
14th. International Yoga Conference, Rio Janeiro, Brazil 2000
15th. International Yoga Conference, Buenos Aires City, Argentina 2001
16th. International Yoga Conference, Rio Janeiro, Brazil 2002
17th. International Yoga Conference, Santa Maria, Portugal 2003
18th. International Yoga Conference, Madrid, Spain 2004
19th. International Yoga Conference, Buenos Aires City, Argentina 2005
20th. International Yoga Conference, Lisbon, Portugal, 2006
21th. International Yoga Conference, Quebec, Canada 2006
22th. International Yoga Conference, Cancun, Mexico, 2007
23th. International Yoga Conference, Quebec, Canada 2007
24th. International Yoga Conference, Cancun, Mexico, 2008
25th. International Yoga Conference, Quebec, Canada 2008
26th. International Yoga Conference, Buenos Aires City, Argentina 2009
27th. International Yoga Conference, Quebec, Canada 2009
28th. International Yoga Conference, Medellin, Colombia, 2010
29th. International Yoga Conference, Quebec, Canada 2011
30th. International Yoga Conference, Montevideo, Uruguay, 2011
31th. International Yoga Conference, Belgrade, Serbia 2012
32th. International Yoga Conference, Caracas, Venezuela 2012
33th. International Yoga Conference, Quebec, Canada 2012
34th. International Yoga Conference, Punta del Este, Uruguay 2012
35th. International Yoga Conference, Paris, France 2013
36th. International Yoga Conference, Quebec, Canada 2013
37th. International Yoga Conference, Punta del Este, Uruguay 2013
38th. International Yoga Conference, Santiago, Chile 2013
39th. International Yoga Conference, Chateau Talance, France 2014
40th. International Yoga Conference, Lima, Peru 2014
41th. International Yoga Conference, Quebec, Canada 2014
42th. International Yoga Conference, Medellin, Colombia 2014
43th. International Yoga Conference, Punta del Este, Uruguay 2014
44th. International Yoga Conference, Santiago, Chile 2014
45th. International Yoga Conference, Buenos Aires 2015
46th. International Yoga Conference, Lima, Peru 2015
47th. International Yoga Conference, Quebec, Canada 2015

INTERNATIONAL YOGA FEDERATION
Past International Yoga Festivals

1st. International Yoga Festival, New Delhi, India 1986
2nd. International Yoga Festival, New Delhi, India 1987
3rd. International Yoga Festival, Montevideo, Uruguay, 1988
4th. International Yoga Festival, New Delhi, India, 1988
5th. International Yoga Festival, Montevideo, Uruguay, 1989
6th. International Yoga Festival, Buenos Aires City, Argentina, 1990
7th. International Yoga Festival, Curitiba, Brazil, 1990
8th. International Yoga Festival, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1991
9th. International Yoga Festival, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1991
10th. International Yoga Festival, San Jose, Costa Rica, 1991
11th. International Yoga Festival, New Delhi, India, 1992
12th. International Yoga Festival, Buenos Aires City, Argentina, 1992
13th. International Yoga Festival, Santiago, Chile, 1992
14th. International Yoga Festival, Pondicherry, India 1993
15th. International Yoga Festival, Buenos Aires City, Argentina, 1993
16th. International Yoga Festival, Pensylvania, U.S.A. 1993
17th. International Yoga Festival, Buenos Aires City, Argentina 1994
18th. International Yoga Festival, New Delhi, India 1994
19th. International Yoga Festival, New Delhi, India 1995
20th. International Yoga Festival, Buenos Aires City, Argentina, 1996
21th. International Yoga Festival, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1996
22th. International Yoga Festival, Genoa, Italy, 1997
23th. International Yoga Festival, Buenos Aires City, Argentina 1988
24th. International Yoga Festival, Montevideo, Uruguay 1999
25th. International Yoga Festival, Rio Janeiro, Brazil 2000
26th. International Yoga Festival, New Delhi, India 2000
27th. International Yoga Festival, Buenos Aires City, Argentina 2001
28th. International Yoga Festival, Rio Janeiro, Brazil 2002
29th. International Yoga Festival, Santa Maria, Portugal 2003
30th. International Yoga Festival, New Delhi & Rishikesh, India 2003
31th. International Yoga Festival, Madrid, Spain 2004
32th. International Yoga Festival, New Delhi & Rishikesh, India 2004
33th. International Yoga Festival, Buenos Aires City, Argentina 2005
34th. International Yoga Festival, Milan, Italy 2005
35th. International Yoga Festival, Buenos Aires City, Argentina 2005
36th. International Yoga Festival, Lisbon, Portugal, 2006
37th. International Yoga Festival, New Delhi, India, 2006
38th. International Yoga Festival, Mexico DF - Cancun, Mexico, 2007
39th. International Yoga Festival, Buenos Aires City, Argentina 2007
40th. International Yoga Festival, Colonia, Uruguay, 2008
41th. International Yoga Festival, Cancun, Mexico, 2008
42th. International Yoga Festival, Buenos Aires City, Argentina 2008
43th. International Yoga Festival, Cancun, Mexico, 2009
44th. International Yoga Festival, Rome, Italy, 2009
45th. International Yoga Festival, Lisbon, Portugal, 2009
46th. International Yoga Festival, Buenos Aires City, Argentina 2009
47th. International Yoga Festival, Cozumel Island, Mexico 2010
48th. International Yoga Festival, Medellin, Colombia 2010
49th. International Yoga Festival, Rosario, Argentina 2010
50th. International Yoga Festival, Lisbon, Portugal, 2010
51th. International Yoga Festival, Punta del Este, Uruguay, 2011
52th. International Yoga Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2012
53th. International Yoga Festival, Belgrade, Serbia 2012
54th. International Yoga Festival, Moscow, Russia, 2012
55th. International Yoga Festival, Paris, France, 2013
56th. International Yoga Festival, Santiago, Chile, 2014
57th. International Yoga Festival, Bangkok, Thailand 2015

58th. International Yoga Festival, Rosario, Argentina, 2015
59th. International Yoga Festival, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2015