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OPEN MIND OPEN BODY Teaching Tools |
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Need Insurance? Yoga Teaching Insurance and Risk Management(This information is specific to teaching in the U.S.) Although most yoga teachers will never be the target of legal action, most teaching venues require teachers to have liability insurance. Liability insurance provides protection against most major lawsuits, assuming that the yoga teacher was not found to be practicing outside the scope of his or her training (i.e., practicing medicine without a license by giving medical advice). Insurance plans often require that teachers use consent forms or liability waivers, to reduce the likelihood that a student will take legal action. If you are interested in the legal issues that affect yoga teachers, check out the Complementary & Alternative Medicine Law Blog, which discusses issues like whether yoga instructors can offer health advice and how to use touch ethically and safely in the yoga classroom. Several organizations offer insurance for yoga teachers. Some insurance plans explicitly cover hands-on adjustments and yoga therapy; others cover only classroom instruction in specific settings. Investigate the options below to find the insurance that provides the coverage you need. You should expect to pay less than $200/year for individual coverage. Alternative Balance provides insurance for all hands-on healing techniques, including yoga. This insurance covers anything that happens in the classroom/session, but not advice given to a student. This program also provides discounts on dental and health plans, which can be very helpful for independent contractors. Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teachers receive discounts for three insurance providers. Yoga Alliance also provides a sample standard liability waiver. Yoga Journal Benefits Plus provides liability insurance (through one of the Yoga Alliance affiliated insurers) to yoga students and studios, along with discounts on Yoga Journal events and products.
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