Insurance for Yoga Teachers and Therapists

Yoga Teacher Training
#1

Yoga Teacher/Therapist Insurance: this has become a hot topic in my local community and I am also curious what people here think about it. Do you go into a classroom to teach without insurance? Do you expect your teachers and studios you practice with to have it? What about those in our larger communities who offer private classes or therapy consultations?

The Yoga Alliance has a page dedicated to it: http://www.yogaalliance.org/Insurance.html while IAYTdoes not. If you already have a policy, please shared your recommendations or complaints on any liability insurance companies that offer coverage for the Yoga community.

Namaste

#2

Namaste Nichole,

I know I do not live in the USA and most probably my perspective might not add anything, but for what it is worth I would like to share with you some of my experiences from a South African pov.

When I started teaching yoga I made inquiries about insurance. It was quite a shocker. Sport insurance in SA is very expensive and i would have to more than double my monthly fee per person just to afford the insurance. Then I haven’t paid rent for the hall yet and I didn’t put petrol in my car to get to the hall as well. This would have put many people off as I would have priced myself completely out of the market.

I do not own a studio, I rent a hall and teach a few times a week yoga to people who are drawn to me, my classes are not very big, so income from yoga is low. Furthermore, seeing that I rent a hall there was all sorts of problems with the insurance in terms of this and they had so many conditions attached to this and penalties which add to the cost eventually as well. Some companies didn’t want to insure me if I didn’t own the property as a business owner.

Where did this leave me. As with so many yoga teachers in SA, yoga is for many of us not a business venture, we do it mostly becasue we feel called to do it and because we love yoga and to share yoga.

This has also forced me and many teachers to give ample of consideration to safe practice. My feeling is that when you know that you have the back-up of an insurance you might neglect the safety aspects.

On the other hand we are still fortunate enough in SA that people don’t run to a lawyer for everything you might say or do wrong according to them and the blame-complex haven’t hit us yet here. Sorry to be so blunt here, but this is the unfortunate reality of America today and please feel free to correct me if my impressions are misguided here.

So, no I don’t have insurance I teach without it and make double sure my series of asanas are safe and that people don’t do dumb things to their bodies. I have done yoga all my life without any teacher having insurance, this didn’t bother me at all as all them was very safe in their practices and this wouldn’t be a deciding factor in selecting a teacher for me as well. We do not select a teacher for the good insurance cover, but for the spiritual and yoga value they add to your life. (And I know the reality is different for many.)

Just a few of my views. :slight_smile:

#3

Hi Nicole,
Thanks for starting this thread. I am planning to attend a teacher training course when I move back to America this year and have been wondering whether it was wise to take out insurance when I start teaching.

I do know that just about everyone in massage and bodywork seems to require insurance these days so it may be similar legals precautions necesary, especially for yoga therapy.

Pandara,
While much of what you say is true in some areas and age groups, in most places I’ve lived (all over the country) it is not like that. Please be gentle - we are a diverse nation of 300 million different souls and very difficult to generalize on.

Namaste,

Chris

#4

I think considering the relatively small cost, it’s worth it to have. Especially in the this day and age where everyone sues everyone. I plan on getting it when I start teaching.

#5

Namaste Chris,

Thanks for correcting me and yes I agree it is a terrible generalisation. I was just trying to bring across the same point Xela also mentioned. :slight_smile:

#6

So, a different thread got me thinking about the state of being surrounding yoga insurance –
In a practice that constantly reminds one to self-study, watch your breath, keep the backbend comfortable and broad, etc., the hope is that yoga students become the sort of folks who will not injure themselves (ahimsa, anyone?) on the mat.

I wish it were ironic, but its just that the ‘victim’ culture is louder than the ‘self-realization’ culture still.
I still think the best yoga insurance is adequate teacher training.

#7

I am a bit torn on this issue. I teach at a city owned swim and fitness center, so I am covered under the insurance policy. Even the volunteers are covered. At the yoga studio I teach at as well, the teachers are hired as free agents and are expected to carry their own insurance. The owner doesn’t even have coverage for the studio itself. This scares me since only a tiny handfull of the teachers carry their own coverage. I was injured in one of my fellow teacher’s classes, and I had a friend get injured as well. We are fortunate in that we had knowledge of what was going on and knew it was kind of our own fault for following what the teacher told us to do. If my friend was new to yoga and blindly acted on the teacher’s instructions, she might have sued, as my friend ended up having to go to the hospital from the pain. This scares me. Teachers need to be covered under something, because there are some teachers out there who have no idea what they are doing. I have put in my notice to the studio because the insurance issue has me on edge, as well as other factors. If and when I do workshops, privates, etc. I will get insurance, but for now I am fine working at places that cover me.

#8

Namsate Nichole

I?m teaching all the years without this insurance, but I think also the situation in germany is different from the states.
But I also tell the students that they are the only ones responsible for not to cross the limits of their own body.

Lars

#9

I finally did get insurance through www.fitnessandwellness.com because I only see clients in one-on-one, therapeutic sessions; they are usually coming to me to rehab a persistent injury or for significant doshic or gunic imbalances. I have not carried it in the past, but felt like I should listen to my instinct on getting a policy now. It may be important to note that the company would not insure me without my agreement to have my clients sign a waiver absolving me of any personal liability, whether perceived or actual.

In my experience so far, www.fitnessandwellness.com does not have the most helpful, or friendly, customer service, but it seemed to be the most comprehensive policy for the price. A few of my colleagues have also carried their policies in the past.

Thanks to each of you for your contribution to this thread.
All happiness,
Nichole

#10

Well if your instinct tells you to get this insurance and it`s not to expensive in your situation of teaching i would think about it as well.
All the best
Lars

#11

Useful to read tthis. Have just got insurance friom first for trades for ?70 (London) Think it is much better for your piece of mind! I am paying monthly
Imagine losing your house because someone decides you are a soft target and they can blame you for their long-standing injury!!!NO thanks

#12

Every now and then I notice Yoga Journal advertising insurance for Yoga Teachers. Has anyone signed up with them?

#13

Thanks for your comment on love,Kiran,esp as it comes from Jimmy Hendrix. Who unfortunately died from a lack of love in the back of an ambulance…choked on his own vomit.
Ho hum!
I checked out all prices as available to me and got ?70 p.a.YToga alliance I think ?94

#14

Thank you for your compassionate and loving reminder of how Jimi died.

#15

So sorry if I sounded cynical. That was not intended. Yours in yoga fellowship,Linda

#16

So, did you define with the insurance company already? For now it is very actual for me. I looked through some informative allstate reviews , but I am ready to hear other opinions, too.

#17

Yoga is a very popular form of exercise. In fact, almost half of the U.S. population has practiced yoga at some point in their lives!

Yoga insurance coverage can be essential for any yoga practitioner, especially those who wish to pursue a career in the field. Yoga can be a very lucrative business, as many individuals see it as a way to make money while de-stressing and improving their overall well-being.

However, not everyone understands what they are getting into when they start practicing yoga or how much coverage they need to buy. Here are some reasons why you should consider purchasing yoga insurance:

You could get sued if someone gets hurt while practicing your poses

Yoga poses like backbends and head stands can cause serious injury if people aren't careful about where they are going and how they are doing them correctly. This means that you could end up being sued by someone who gets injured during class because of your fault as an instructor or owner of the studio.

Yoga studios often require instructors to have liability insurance protection for themselves, so if something happens during class and it's your fault, you could be responsible for paying damages out of pocket.