Guest guest Posted November 14, 2001 Report Share Posted November 14, 2001 I know that YOGA ALLIANCE is a controversial subject on this board. And I totally understand the grievances. I am one to believe that you can¡¯t really standardize or certify teaching, it takes years of practice to become a teacher, and even after 3 to 5 years of serious practice you are just an advanced beginner. But at the same time I live in good ole corporatized USA and can see the value of registering with YOGA ALLIANCE if you live in this country. I only see this as a beginning (you have to start somewhere) and in no way see the 200 hour minimum standard as any gauge of true competency. So I am investigating different ways to become registered. According to YOGA ALLIANCE there are 2 ways to meet the minimum standards: <br><br>1. By having completed a yoga teacher training program at a school that is on the Registry list, or <br><br>2. By documenting equivalent training through a school not on the Registry list, or through independent study and/or teaching experience. <br><br>I am looking into the second way. Has anyone on this board met the standards through independent study? What does this involve? Do you take anatomy courses where you can find them? Do different workshops and retreats count towards the 200 hours? How do you document your time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2001 Report Share Posted November 14, 2001 If you are teaching Ashtanga, Yoga Alliance isn't a factor. <br><br>If you are teaching yoga responsibly, then you must have a teacher of your own with whom you study with regularly. Perhaps this teacher of yours can answer these questions for you, since as your teacher, they must have had to deal with similar situations.<br><br>If you don't have a teacher with whom you have this kind of relationship, then how do you feel qualified to teach yoga? I wouldn't give a penny to a person who teaches yoga and doesn't have a close relationship with a teacher of their own. Unfortunately, 90% of the so-called crap yoga teachers out there are in this contemptible position. How could anyone ask people to be students if they are not willing to be a student themselves? <br><br>The key to becoming a good yoga teacher is to be a good student. If you follow this path, there never going to be a question about certification. This is what happens in Ashtanga yoga and this is why Yoga Alliance is a non-factor.<br><br>PURE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2001 Report Share Posted November 14, 2001 ""If you are teaching Ashtanga, Yoga Alliance isn't a factor. ""<br><br>Oh to be so young, thoughtless and carefree. The alliance actually proabably will be a factor. If not the alliance, something akin to it. Most people who teach will need liability insurance. Insurers will want some reassurance that they can understand that the teacher is safe, low risk (different than competent). For better or worse, large organizations like insurance companies tend to look toward such accrediting agencies for guidance. That the alliance probably has no legitimacy, espescially with regard to ashtanga certification, is unfortunately a little beside the point, it's all the insurers have. So, don't be surprised to see it foisted upon your teachers too. They may not ever admit to being amember but they may need to do it to get insured. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2001 Report Share Posted November 14, 2001 The "alliance" and for that matter, insurance carriers, will NOT be a factor for anyone who choses not to be involved in it. There are plenty of massage therapists, acupuncturists, and doctors who make a living without becoming involved with insurance companies, essentially having a cash only practice. You can make a lot of money by becoming a health care provider for one or more insurance companies or an hmo, but a lot of people dont want that kind of business, and dont want to be strongarmed in to how they should practice medicine, or for that matter teach yoga, or what they should charge for such.<br><br>The Yoga Alliance will mostly appeal to the kind of individuals who are regularly crucified on this board: The types of people who weekend yoga teacher training certification workshops appeal to, or who just decide out of the blue one day that teaching yoga might be a decent way to make some money (or at least meet some cute guys/girls).<br><br>Hopefully, the yoga alliance means nothing to the people who have been teaching yoga in the US for years, whether its astanga or any other style. If astanga teachers really want to be able to bill insurance, which is doubtful, there is absolutely nothing to stop them from creating their own governing body, if in fact a given insurance carrier required certification from an organization like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2001 Report Share Posted November 14, 2001 ""If astanga teachers really want to be able to bill insurance, which is<br> doubtful,...""<br><br>Well, I guess I wasn't as clear as I should have been. I wasn't suggesting that ashtanga or other yoga instructors would need insurance to bill for income. I was suggesting that many insructors would need insurance to protect them and their livelyhoods from lawsuits. Whenever someone is hurt on the premesis of a business, like a yoga studio, the instructor, the owners of the business and of the property all face potential lawsuits.<br><br> Now, how many folks who pull a hamstring in janu a or injure a knee getting into lotus or hurt thier neck trying to do a handstand will actually sue their teacher? Don't know, but enough will feel the need to sue that the average teacher would not be able to make ends meet secondary to ongoing legal costs.<br><br>That's just the way it is. A teacher may well decide they are not going to fall "prey" to the insurance "trap" and choose not to participate. more power to them. Unfortunately, I would be willing to bet they are not in business too long. You may or not agree, but insurance is an essential risk reduction tool for almost all of us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2001 Report Share Posted November 14, 2001 Actually my mistake, read your post too quick, didn't realize you were only talking about liability insurance. I dont think there is any requirment for coverage other than a check to cover the premium; I purchased 1 and 3 million dollars malpractice insurance for my acupuncture practice and it was actually pretty cheap, and I'm not sure they even asked for my license. number. MDs are the ones who really get screwed, there malpractice rates are astronomical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 15, 2001 Report Share Posted November 15, 2001 If you are worried about getting sued you could have your students sign a release, which is what they do at Jivamukti and was also required at Guriji's month-long seminar.<br><br>Beats payin' vig to the yoga protection racket.<br><br>DMcG<br><br>PS if you are worried about getting sued you probably SHOULD be worried about getting sued. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 15, 2001 Report Share Posted November 15, 2001 it's definitely a nice thought that waivers will protect you in court, but the reality is unfortunately that they really won't....i've been told by a lot of people that lawyers easily work their way around waivers like they were never signed....<br>ah, if only the world weren't so bloody legalistic.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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