Yoga Teacher Guidelines for Assisting, Part 2

The best action Yoga teachers can take is to have good liability insurance, know the law, have written and documented guidelines, enforce guidelines for safety's sake, "cover your back," and continue to learn about the laws as they change.

Even if your Yoga teaching career is limited to teaching a few Yoga classes per week, as an independent contractor for a Yoga studio, or the local health club, you still need to establish guidelines. These guidelines become your "company policy," and need to be enforced for student protection and for your livelihood.

Here is a little additional "food for thought." Imagine a new student - arriving late, skipping the warm-up, who didn't sign a release form, and no one had time to explain any precautions to him or her. This student could possibly be pregnant or have a serious medical condition.

Are you just a nice person, giving by nature, or just plain foolish, when it comes to protecting your own interests? The law does not care, and negligence is dealt with quite harshly. One lawsuit is all it will take for most Yoga businesses to permanently close. It does not matter if you win, or lose, if you have to pay an attorney to defend you. The cost of a legal defense is "staggering."

Now let's get back to assisting. As a Yoga teacher, you should also get verbal permission each time you touch a student for a physical assist. So, it is always wise to ask before making an adjustment to an alignment.

Have you ever had an assist that didn't really help much? Assisting Yoga students, into proper alignment, is an art form, and some Yoga teachers are much better at it than others. However, after what you just read, you may also be more cautious with your Yoga students, as well.

Have you ever had a physical assist that hurt you physically or in any way? Some Yoga students have, and this is why Yoga instructors should ask for feedback. Most Yoga teachers do not want to push their students beyond the comfort zone, but may not have the skill for feeling skeletal compression or muscular tightness. On top of this, some Yoga teachers don't know the difference. This is why establishing a track record of continuing education is so important for Yoga teachers.

© Copyright 2006 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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. yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html