The following Criteria for Certification must be met by all students wishing to become Agama Yoga Tantra Instructors. If during the training any staff member becomes aware of any breach of these criteria, ATIT Administration will be notified, and will investigate and address the matter promptly, in a case-appropriate manner. We reserve the right to deny certification to any student who does not fulfill course obligations or who does not meet Agama Yoga standards, as detailed below. In the event that certification is withheld, it will be at the sole and final discretion of Swami Vivekananda to grant permission to retake the course.
Attendance
With the exception of emergencies, Agama expects full attendance of all ATIT sessions in order to earn the certificate issued at the end of the course, pending the successful outcome of a student’s exams. A student will be granted a small margin of excused absenteeism from class sessions to account for illness, or emergencies. Attendance is defined as active participation in all facets of the program: theoretical presentation, asana practice, meditation, interviews, teaching workshops, etc. A student who does not meet the attendance minimum will not receive his or her teaching certificate. If a student’s excessive absence is due to a legitimate reason, such as an illness or other health emergency, he or she may join a future ATIT at a cost of 25 percent of the course, and must successfully attend all classes and pass all exams (with the same margin of absenteeism as noted above, for the same acceptable reasons) in order to earn the course certificate. The student has two years to re-attend the program for the discounted price. Otherwise, should certification be withheld due to unexcused absences, the student may – upon approval of a new application to the program – attend the ATIT again at a future date for the full program fee in order to receive certification.
It will be the student’s responsibility to make up any missed course material for excused absences.
This training adopts a very intensive pace and if students decide to attend any other teachings or additional studies, activities, workshops, retreats, etc. in parallel, please be advised that Agama Yoga cannot adapt its program to such individual requirements.
Exams
The final exam, in conjunction with a final evaluation of the student, must be completed successfully. The final exam consists of a written section covering teachings and theory specific to the ATIT. Participants must pass the exam, in addition to attendance verification, in order to receive their teaching certification.
Practicum Workshop Training
Successful completion of practicum teaching assignments is a requirement for certification. Presentations must demonstrate a student’s ability to teach using the Agama Yoga methodology as well as theoretical absorption of the material itself demonstrated by a proper understanding of the course material, correct answers to questions when student-teaching, etc.
Teaching committee’s evaluation of character and knowledge
One of the main criterions for graduation is the evaluation of ATIT teaching committee regarding the participant’s quality of character and how well they have grasped the tantric knowledge. It is up to the ATIT teaching committee’s discretion if they feel each participant is ready to offer these teachings.
Use of the Name “Agama Yoga”
ATIT participants, upon graduation, teach this Tantra system under the name of Agama Yoga Tantra Workshop. If you have a company and website of your own name, when you teach Agama Tantra Yoga, you are required to do it under the Agama Yoga name and logo. Noncompliance with the policies and procedures of Agama Yoga may be grounds for revocation of certification.
Annual Empowerment
Agama Yoga Tantra Instructors teach under the permission and spiritual protection of the founder and spiritual leader of the school, Swami Vivekananda Saraswati. At the end of each ATIT, graduates receive such an empowerment directly from Swami Vivekananda.
All graduates will automatically be included in the "Agama Yoga Tantra Instructor Group."