Yoga Teacher Certification or Registration
- Part 1
by Paul
Jerard
zone3
Lately, there has been a lot of confusion as to what credentials are
needed to teach Yoga. There have been some recent changes within the
certifying bodies who train Yoga teachers. Here are some of the most
common questions and answers in regard to 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 “right’’ Yoga credential to
have? When should I become a Registered Yoga teacher? Who regulates
Yoga?
In many parts of the world Yoga teacher credentialing is a new
phenomenon. Yoga teachers had very small groups of loyal students and Yoga
was not a mainstream activity. This same lack of credentialing 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 clear.
Yoga teachers should be certified for their own protection. With liability
law suits being so popular these days, it would be prudent to have a Yoga
teacher’s diploma on your wall. Yoga is not considered to be as dangerous
as some of the other activities in health clubs, but some Yoga classes can
be surprisingly vigorous, to say the least.
With Yoga classes reaching every corner of the earth, some students are
jumping off the couch and going straight into the nearest Yoga class,
without asking questions. This is one very good reason why Yoga teachers
should have a questionnaire for new Yoga students. A questionnaire will
inform you of 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 his or her Yoga teacher. Yoga may be seen as
something to do in order to lose a little weight before swim suit season.
Many new students of Yoga are “just trying it out.” The incentive may be a
doctor referral, a magazine article, or a news segment on television.
Yoga teaching credentials make acquiring liability insurance much
easier. Depending upon the activities within a studio, the liability
insurance policy chosen could be for Yoga only or a sports liability
policy similar to what a health club would carry. So the short answer to
the question,” Why should a Yoga teacher be certified?” It’s all about
liability and don’t leave yourself uninsured. Yoga is a relatively safe
pursuit, but you should still cover yourself.
© Copyright 2006 by Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at:
Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified
Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts,
with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was
recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga,
martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater
Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for
You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga
teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html
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