Lately, there has been a lot of confusion about what credentials are needed to teach Yoga. There have been some recent changes within the certification bodies that train Yoga teachers. These are some of the most common questions and answers regarding Yoga credentials and regulations.
Why should a Yoga teacher be certified? What about established yoga teachers who don’t have a diploma? What is the “correct” yoga credential to have? When should I become a registered yoga teacher? Who regulates yoga?
In many parts of the world, yoga teacher accreditation is a new phenomenon. Yoga teachers had very small groups of loyal students and yoga was not a main activity. This same lack of accreditation still occurs within Tai Chi and some of the Chinese martial arts. The belief among some traditional yogis has been that credentials would lead to commercialization.
As yoga became more popular, the need for certification became apparent. Yoga teachers must be certified for their own protection. Since liability lawsuits are so popular these days, it would be wise to have a yoga teacher’s diploma on the wall. Yoga isn’t considered as dangerous as some of the other activities in gyms, but some yoga classes can be surprisingly vigorous, to say the least.
With yoga classes reaching every corner of the earth, some students jump off the couch and head straight to the nearest yoga class, no questions asked. This is a very good reason why Yoga teachers should have a quiz for new Yoga students. A questionnaire will tell you about health conditions, ailments, history, fitness level and if a yoga student is pregnant.
This sudden popularity of Yoga also creates a less formal relationship between the student and their Yoga teacher. Yoga can be seen as something to do to lose a little weight before swimsuit season. Many new Yoga students are “just trying it out”. The incentive can be a medical referral, a magazine article, or a TV news segment.
Yoga teaching credentials make purchasing liability insurance much easier. Depending on the activities within a studio, the chosen liability insurance policy could be for Yoga only or a sports liability policy similar to what a gym would have. So the short answer to the question, “Why should a Yoga teacher be certified?” It’s all about liability and don’t be left without insurance. Yoga is a relatively safe activity, but you should still cover up.
© Copyright 2006 by Paul Jerard / Aura Publications