The Ethics of Teaching Yoga

Being a yoga teacher means dealing with many responsibilities and upholding yoga ethics. What are the ethics that a teacher needs most to be aware of?

• • Teaching from experience and the right knowledge
  • Creating a safe space for practice
  • Safe and appropriate hands-on adjustments
  • Support each individual’s own progress
  • Upholding the public image of yoga
  • Understanding how to apply the philosophical base of Yamas and Niyamas into teaching, (see Part II)

Teaching from experience

A yoga practice affects people on different levels in our mental, physical, emotional and astral bodies. We, as yoga teachers, should be aware of these different aspects of the practice. Yoga teachers are not therapists, but one might get into situations where a student has a need to talk about their thoughts or emotions. Learn to listen and be there for them if they need to talk. Remember; if you are not a doctor or therapist, you shouldn’t act like one. There is a saying, “don’t open anything that you cannot close”. Speak only from your own experience and tell them where they can find professional help if they need any.

Creating a safe space

Yoga teachers are creators of spaces. We are the ones to light the fire of the space and keep it alive.  This means people should find it easy to approach you and stay around. Create a safe space for self-growth and personal exploration.

Here are some guidelines

• • Welcoming the students: greet, smile, hug, talk to them before the class.
  • Know their injuries, pain, practice background and ask if there is anything you should know about them.
  • Know the level of the class. Ask if there are first-time participants. Give all student levels something to do: options, modifications, challenges etc.
  • Safe practice: don’t teach anything that you don’t know how to do.
  • Safe hands-on assists: don’t assists when you don’t know what to do.
  • Treat all students equally: don’t point at or use any student’s practice or form as an example, unless you have first agreed with them.
  • If you have your friends or family members attending your class, maintain a teacher-student relationship and don’t give them any special attention.
  • Try not to point out beginners as they are new to the practice and might feel very uncomfortable to be noticed.

Upholding the image of yoga

As yoga teachers, we need to uphold the public image of yoga. It is up to us. For people who don’t know anything about yoga, we’re the ones who show them. Is yoga an Instagram picture of a flexible yogi on a beach in a fancy pose or a work-out class at a fitness club? Think about it; how do we want, as teachers, to promote yoga to the outside world?

“Upholding the public image of yoga doesn’t mean that teachers are required to uphold the image that all yogis are flexible, vegan kombucha-drinkers.  Yogis are people of all shapes, sizes, flexibilities, fitness levels, abilities, genders, races, religions, lifestyles and ages.” – Heather Agnew

See the second part of yoga ethics in teaching

Yoga Ethics PART II: Yamas and Niyamas as Guidelines in Teaching Yoga

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Blissful Living,

Doron