As the U.S. member body to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) seeks comments by May 3 on an initial draft proposal for a new ISO technical committee on Ayurveda and yoga.
“Ayurveda,” a Sanskrit word meaning the "science of life" or "knowledge of life,” is an ancient Indian medical system that incorporates the concepts of health and disease and aims at achieving homeostasis of the body, mind, and spirit, known as the “holistic” approach. Yoga, also an ancient practice, is recognized for disease prevention, health promotion, and management of many lifestyle-related disorders.
With an uptick of lifestyle‑related disorders, there is a global surge in popularity and resurgence of interest in Ayurveda and yoga to support the prevention and management of chronic and non-communicable diseases. To that end, developing international standards in Ayurveda and yoga is essential “for promoting their global acceptance, ensuring quality and safety, fostering research and evidence-based practice, protecting consumers and to bring about uniformity in the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures,” according to the proposal.
Submitted by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the proposal includes the following scope statement:
Standardization in the field of Ayurveda and yoga. Both traditional and modern aspects of products and services of these systems are covered. The committee will focus on following fields including but not limited to: terminology; quality and safety of ingredients, extracts, finished products, Ayurveda based dietary supplements and nutraceuticals, Ayurveda pharmaceutical equipment(s), and procedures; health and wellness service requirements; health assessment tools/equipment; rejuvenative procedures and tools/equipment /devices; yoga accessories, yoga props, and common yoga protocol practices.
Read the proposal and submit comments to Steven Cornish, ANSI senior director of international policy and strategy, at [email protected] by close of business on Friday, May 3. All input ANSI receives will be used to develop the ANSI representative input to the ISO Technical Management Board.
