What you need to know about AFYI's 2026 Conventions

Dear Members,

We are very pleased to confirm that the 2026 IYENGAR® Yoga Conventions will be held at the Bourges Convention Center (Palais d’Auron 7 boulevard Lamarck, 18000 Bourges) on the following dates:

• National Convention: Friday, October 30 (10am) to Sunday, November 1 (1pm)
• Teachers’ Convention: Sunday, November 1 (3pm) to Tuesday, November 3 (1pm)

The conventions will be held under the theme: “How yoga changes the perception of life.”

During the National Convention, the teaching will be based on the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali and will focus on the three Niyamas—Tapas, Svādhyāya, and Īśvara Praṇidhāna - the three components of Kriyā Yoga.

The Teachers' Convention will continue the exploration of Kriyā Yoga through the study of the Guṇas, tracing the transformation of the individual's nature from tāmasic to rājasic, then to sāttvic, and ultimately beyond these three states.

The guest

The Iyengar Yoga French Association (AFYI) is honored to welcome Rajvi H. MEHTA as the guest teacher for its two conventions.

Dr. Rajvi H. Mehta is among the most experienced certified Iyengar Yoga® teachers in the world. She studied directly under B.K.S. Iyengar from 1979 onwards and has been teaching at the Light on Yoga Research Trust in Mumbai since 1987. She is also the editor of Yoga Rahasya, the quarterly publication of the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI).

She is widely recognized for the therapeutic dimension of her teaching and for her commitment to the study of the health benefits of yoga. Her research and teaching have focused particularly on the management of conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, as well as on areas of special interest in women’s health. For more than twenty years, she has presented specialized courses and lecture series on these subjects, some of which have been compiled in the landmark reference work Yoga Rahasya Therapy Compilation (available from the AFYI online shop).

A medical doctor specializing in reproductive medicine and fertility, Dr. Mehta has received numerous distinctions in recognition of her research and professional commitment.

Having been a direct student of B.K.S. Iyengar for many years, she embodies Guruji’s living legacy.

Previous conventions in France with Dr. Rajvi H. Mehta:
→ 2016 - Saint-Flour - Hyper-/Hypotension and Hyper-/Hypoglycaemia : A retrospective in pictures
→ 2006 - Toulouse - Yoga and Everyday Life

For further exploration:
→ Video: Yoga4unity Youtube - What is Iyengar yoga with Rajvi Mehta
→ Podcast: On the light - Dr. Rajvi Mehta - We Are Miniscule Compared To What Is To Be Known

Rajvi will teach in English, with simultaneous translation into French. Time for discussion and exchange will be provided during both conventions.

AFYI meeting

An AFYI Get-Together will be held as a friendly opportunity to connect, share, and get to know AFYI and the people who make up our community a little better. It will be a wonderful opportunity to talk about the association, Iyengar Yoga®... and, most importantly, about you!

Attend the Convention on-site or online

The National Convention is open to all Iyengar Yoga® practitioners with at least six months of practice.

The Teachers' Convention is open to all certified Iyengar Yoga® teachers, as well as to students enrolled in mentorship and registered with the French Iyengar Yoga Association (AFYI), provided they have first attended the 2026 National Convention.

a. Onsite at the Bourges Convention Center

Rates
→ SOLO rate for one convention : 200€ (including snacks and lunches)
→ DUO rate for both conventions (reserved for teachers and training/mentoring students) : 370€ (including snacks and lunches)

Registration
→ Registration and payment (by credit card only) will be made directly online on the AFYI website through your member account starting Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
→ The deadline for registration is Friday, October 16, 2026 (inclusive), subject to availability.
→ To be able to register, you must be up-to-date with your AFYI membership for 2026-2027.

Materials to bring (at a minimum and according to your needs)
→ 1 mat
→ 2 blocks
→ 2 belts
→ 3 blankets

Welcome to Bourges for registration
→ National Convention: Thursday, October 29 between 5pm and 7pm, and Friday, October 30, between 8am and 9:30am.
→ Teachers’ Convention: Sunday, November 1, between 1:15pm and 2pm.

To facilitate organization, we kindly ask you to arrive on time for registration and to strictly adhere to the schedule, ideally arriving 15 to 30 minutes before the start of the practice.

Refreshments and Lunches
→ They will be served at the Convention Center. Dinners are not included.
→ A buffet dinner will be held on Saturday, 31 October.
→ Please note that on the final day of each convention—Sunday, 1 November for the National Convention and Tuesday, 3 November for the Teachers' Convention—lunch will be provided as a takeaway picnic only.

Accommodation
→ Please find attached a list of hotels around the Convention Center.
→ AFYI also offers you negotiated rates.

Access to the Convention Center
Parking at the convention center is free and offers enough spaces for everyone.

b. Online from home

Rates
→ Rate per convention attended online : 125€
→ DUO rate to attend both conventions online: 225€

Broadcast
The conventions will be broadcast live via videoconference on the ZOOM platform. A replay will be available for 2 months following the end of the event.

Registration and payment
→ Registration and payment (by credit card only) will be made directly online on the AFYI website through your member account starting Tuesday September 1, 2026.
→ The deadline for registration is Wednesday, October 28, 2026 (inclusive).
→ To be able to register, you must be a member of AFYI or another national Iyengar® Yoga association (proof of membership will be required during registration).
→ Once your registration is complete, you will receive a confirmation email. A second email containing login details for personal use will then be sent to all registered participants.

Cancellation conditions

Onsite attendance
→ Cancellation up to D-21: no cancellation fees until the first day of the event minus 21 days, refund = 100%
→ Cancellation from D-20: 50% cancellation fee from the first day of the event minus 20 days, refund = 50%
→ Cancellation from D-7: no refund from the first day of the event minus 7 days, refund = 0%.

Please note: Each convention is considered as an event. If you attend both conventions (DUO), the first day of the event will be the first day of the National Convention, which is October 30th, 2026.

Online attendance
→ Cancellation up to D-2: no charge up to the first day of the event minus 2 days, refund = 100%
→ Cancellation from D-1: no refund from the day before the event, refund = 0%

T-Shirt 2026

A T-shirt specially designed for the Convention will be available for purchase. We will inform you when the T-shirt is available.

Useful information

City map of Bourges
→ Click here

List of hotels in Bourges
→ Click here
→ For special rates : click here

List of restaurants in Bourges
→ Click here

For any further questions, please write to us at: convention@afyi.fr
Looking forward to seeing you again in the joy of Yoga,
The 2026 Conventions Organizing Team