The international yoga sports federation (IYSF) is one of six bodies that people mix up in competitive yoga. IYSF and USA Yoga sit on one track. WYSF, PP FYSBI, KONI and KORMI sit on another. Indonesian athletes trained in Seminyak follow that second track.
That is the short answer. The names cause the trouble, because most of them use words like “world”, “international” or “federation”. So below, I separate each body, show how they connect, and map the route our own graduates took to the podium.
I am writing from the teaching room. Mr. Ian Terry, E-RYT 500, founded YogaFX and serves as Master Trainer of the Republic of Indonesia Yogasana Sports Federation. Because of that, this guide mixes official sources with what we see in Bali. For the sport itself, start with our guide to a yoga championship and how Indonesia reached the podium.
What the International Yoga Sports Federation Actually Governs
The international yoga sports federation describes itself as the world-governing body for yoga sport. Its stated aim is to unite national federations and oversee IYSF competitions worldwide, according to its own website. That means the international yoga sports federation is a rule-maker, not a teacher registry.
Its rulebook groups postures into six skill groups: back bend, forward compression, traction, torsion, lifts and inversions. A routine has six postures drawn from those groups. Each posture is held for three to five seconds, and the whole routine must finish within three minutes.
Recognition is the open question. For example, IYSF says it is still working toward the criteria for GAISF membership, which it calls the first step to becoming an Olympic sport. One criterion it lists is 40 active federations across five continents.
What a federation like IYSF does not do
- It does not certify teachers. A credential such as RYT 200 comes from a school and a registry, not from a sports federation.
- It does not own a posture. Rules describe posture families and how to score them. They do not describe a brand of yoga.
- It does not replace national bodies. Every country still needs its own federation to pick and prepare athletes, so the international yoga sports federation works through them.
USA Yoga and the International Yoga Sports Federation
USA Yoga shows how a national body plugs into the international yoga sports federation. Its site calls it a non-profit committed to developing and promoting yoga sport. It also calls itself an independent member of the International Yoga Sport Federation, as its Our Story page explains.
The same page lists what it does for athletes and officials:
- Educational programmes, plus training for judges and coaches.
- Qualifiers that lead to the US National Yoga Sport Championship.
- A place at the International Yoga Asana Cup for national medallists.
So the chain is simple: local qualifier, national championship, then an international cup. A US athlete follows it from the first step. An Indonesian athlete sits in a different pipeline, which is why the next two sections matter.
If you want the posture side of the IYSF rulebook, our sister site maps which 26&2 postures match the competition families. Here I stay with the organisations themselves.
The International Yoga Sports Federation vs Yoga Alliance
Readers often ask whether the international yoga sports federation and Yoga Alliance are the same thing. They are not, and the difference matters if you plan to teach.
Yoga Alliance is a registry. Schools and teachers register with it, and credentials such as RYT 200 and E-RYT 500 come from that world. Mr. Ian holds E-RYT 500, for example. A sports federation does something else: it writes competition rules and runs events.
- Teacher credential: RYT 200 or E-RYT 500, earned through a registry and a school.
- Athlete status: a qualifier or national selection, run by a federation.
- Judge training: run by a federation, as USA Yoga describes for its own judges.
So a teacher can hold one without the other. Many graduates simply teach. Others do both, as Ivara does in Seminyak. Either way, the international yoga sports federation never replaces a teaching credential.
WYSF and the Yogasana Track: What Happened in Ahmedabad
WYSF stands for the World Yogasana Sports Federation, and Yogasana simply means yoga posture. Its first world event ran at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad, India, from 4 to 8 June 2026. Tribune India reported 522 athletes from 79 countries, and India won 114 medals, 102 of them gold.
India’s backing matters here. Olympics.com says Yogasana was formally recognised as a sport in India in 2020, and that it joined the Khelo India Youth Games in 2021. Coverage of Ahmedabad also spoke of a path toward Olympic recognition. That is an ambition, not a status, so plan around the current rules.
Mr. Ian reports regular dialogue with the WYSF chairman and board. Their stated vision is an Olympic test event in 2032. Treat that as a shared goal, because nobody has confirmed it.
The rules also differ from the international yoga sports federation format. Table 1 puts the two rule sets side by side, so you can see why a routine built for one event may not fit the other.
| Feature | IYSF yoga sport rules | Yogasana events (Olympics.com) |
|---|---|---|
| Routine format | Six postures within three minutes | Artistic: three minutes, ten asanas from a set list, with music |
| Hold time | Three to five seconds per posture | Traditional: 15 or 30 seconds by asana. Rhythmic: five to seven seconds |
| Structure | Six skill groups: back bend, forward compression, traction, torsion, lifts, inversions | Three categories: artistic, rhythmic and traditional |
PP FYSBI, KONI and KORMI: Indonesia’s National Layer
Indonesia stacks yoga sport on three local bodies. Each has its own job, so Table 2 keeps all six organisations apart in one view. In other words, it answers the question that every international yoga sports federation search leaves open.
| Body | Level | What it does | What it means for an athlete |
|---|---|---|---|
| IYSF | International | Describes itself as the world-governing body for yoga sport and aims to unite national federations | A separate pathway. Not the one our graduates used |
| USA Yoga | National (US) | Independent IYSF member that trains judges and coaches and runs US qualifiers | Matters to US athletes who want the IYSF cup route |
| WYSF | International | Behind the first World Yogasana event, Ahmedabad, June 2026 | The world stage our graduates entered |
| PP FYSBI | National (Indonesia) | Republic of Indonesia Yogasana Sports Federation. Mr. Ian is its Master Trainer | The home federation for Indonesian Yogasana athletes |
| KONI | National (Indonesia) | National Sports Committee, founded in 1946. It runs the PON national games every four years | The umbrella sports body above many federations |
| KORMI | National (Indonesia) | Community sports body behind the FORNAS festival | Where Arkan and Ivara won their national titles |
The National Sports Committee of Indonesia, known as KONI, is the oldest of the three local layers. FORNAS sits outside it, in the community sports world, and that is where our two medallists first won.
How the layers worked in practice
Before the Ahmedabad trip, PPYNI, KORMI and KONI all gave our athletes official send-offs. That shows the layers working together, because each body backs a different step. Slamet Ariyanto, a 2024 YogaFX graduate, chairs PPYNI, the yoga practitioner association, and managed the Indonesian Yogasana team.
Beneath all six bodies sits the local level of villages, studios and community evenings.
The Route Seminyak Athletes Follow, Step by Step
As far as our records show, our graduates did not take the international yoga sports federation cup route. Instead, they went through a national festival, an Asian championship and then the world event. Here is the route in five stages.
The Asian stage deserves a closer look. In August 2025, Mr. Ian and Ivara travelled to Fujairah, UAE, as representatives of the Indonesian Yogasana federations. The event brought together more than 160 athletes from 16 countries, and Ivara came home with silver.
Notice the pattern. Every step runs through a national or Yogasana body, so the international yoga sports federation does not appear in the chain. We do not claim one route beats the other. We only report the one our graduates took. You can read Ivara’s story as our Seminyak teacher for the full picture.
Which International Yoga Sports Federation Route Fits You?
Your home country and your goal decide the route. These four starting points cover most readers.
- You live in Indonesia. Start with PP FYSBI and your local sports committee, then ask about the next regional or FORNAS qualifier.
- You live in the United States. USA Yoga runs the qualifiers that lead to its national championship, and it is an international yoga sports federation member.
- You want the Yogasana format. Read the event rules first, because hold times and routines differ from IYSF yoga sport.
- You mainly want a stronger practice. You may not need a federation at all. A steady weekly class builds the same balance and control.
Whichever you pick, read the current rulebook of the exact event. Rules change, and sources differ on small details.
How to read a federation website in five minutes
Before you give time to any body, check five things on its site.
- The rulebook date. Old rules usually mean old routines.
- The event calendar. A live calendar shows the body is active.
- The member list. The international yoga sports federation says it needs 40 active federations, so a member list shows its real reach.
- Athlete categories. Age bands and event types tell you where you fit.
- Contact details. A real office and a real email beat a social media page.
Spend ten minutes on each body. As a result, you will know which one actually serves your country and your goal.
Training for Yoga Sport in Bali’s Natural Heat
YogaFX teaches Original Hot 26&2 at studios in Seminyak and Canggu, open every day from 06:00 to 22:00. A class lasts 90 minutes in about 40 degrees Celsius and 40% humidity. The warmth is natural tropical heat, not electric heaters.
Athletes and beginners share the same room. The sequence never changes, so you collect thousands of repetitions of each posture. Three habits carry straight into yoga sport, whichever rulebook you follow:
- Balance early. The standing series trains one-leg balance while you are fresh.
- A locked standing knee. Teachers correct it in every class, and judges look for it too.
- Calm breathing under heat. Staying composed in a hot room is good practice for a judged routine.
What research says about heated yoga
Research gives a reason to stay consistent. A 2023 randomised trial led by Nyer and colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, compared eight weeks of heated yoga with a waitlist. As the Harvard Gazette report explains, 59.3% of the yoga group cut depression symptoms by half or more, against 6.3% of the waitlist group.
Results vary from person to person, and yoga does not replace medical care. Consult a healthcare professional before practising in a heated room if you are pregnant or have a heart or blood pressure condition.
Mr. Ian has more than 12,000 teaching hours and five years of training with the founder of the Bikram Hot 26&2 method. Read his full profile as a Bikram yoga instructor in Bali for the whole background. If the practice pulls you toward teaching, our Bikram yoga teacher training in Bali guide explains the six-day hybrid MasterClass.
What YogaFX Trainees Say
Athletes are the exception. Most people in our room start as students and trainees. So here is what three of them said on camera.
Couldn’t have done it without you guys… I’m so grateful for you. It takes me a while for me to open up and I feel like I did that yesterday.
Clara, YouTube review, 2024
You’re never too old to do anything… I learned so much, improved my yoga and just everything was wonderful.
Shiela, YouTube review, 2023
I was afraid that I didn’t manage. I did it. I am very happy, I am full of joy, I am full of power, I believe in myself.
Agnieszka, YouTube review, 2023
Prefer to watch? Here is Agnieszka’s full video review from the YogaFX channel.
Try a Class Before You Pick a Federation
You do not need a federation to start. A first class takes 90 minutes, and our free guest pass makes it free. Our drop-in hot yoga classes in Bali guide lists schedules and what to bring.
- Message the team on WhatsApp at +628113888330 with your dates.
- Claim your free guest pass for your first class.
- Bring a towel and water, and tell your teacher it is your first time.
International Yoga Sports Federation FAQ
What is the international yoga sports federation?
The international yoga sports federation (IYSF) describes itself as the world-governing body for yoga sport. Its stated aim is to unite national federations and oversee its competitions worldwide. Its rules use six skill groups, six-posture routines, short holds of three to five seconds and a three-minute limit.
Is yoga an Olympic sport?
Not yet. IYSF says on its own site that it is still working toward the criteria for GAISF membership, which it calls the first step to becoming an Olympic sport. Coverage of the 2026 Ahmedabad event also spoke of a pathway toward Olympic recognition. That remains an ambition, not a decision.
Is the international yoga sports federation the same as Yoga Alliance?
No. Yoga Alliance is a registry for teachers and schools, so credentials like RYT 200 and E-RYT 500 come from that world. A sports federation like IYSF writes competition rules and runs events. A teacher can hold one credential without ever entering the other.
Does USA Yoga belong to the international yoga sports federation?
USA Yoga says on its Our Story page that it is an independent member of the International Yoga Sport Federation. It trains judges and coaches, runs qualifiers and holds the US National Yoga Sport Championship. National medallists can then qualify for the International Yoga Asana Cup.
Which route do Indonesian athletes follow?
Our graduates went through national events such as FORNAS, then the Asian Yogasana Championships in the UAE, then the world event in Ahmedabad in June 2026. National bodies such as PP FYSBI, KONI and KORMI supported them. Always confirm current entry rules with the federation itself.
Still have questions? Message Mr. Ian and the YogaFX team on WhatsApp and we will answer them personally. While you are there, claim your free guest pass.
Mr. Ian Terry