How is one to make sense of a new move by state governments to regulate yoga teacher training? I have been a student of yoga for over fifteen years, and for the past ten years, have been leading weekend workshops on Calming the Inner Critic at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, in Stockbridge, MA. So when reading about a new trend toward cracking down on the self-determined, free spirited nature of training yoga instructors, in favor of licensing rules with fees, forms and inspections requirements, I wondered how this might set some up at an advantage and others at a disadvantage.
It all seems to have started when a volunteer registry was created by the Yoga Alliance, a nonprofit group interested in establishing teaching standards and having a say over regulating the instruction of yoga classes. The New York Times reported that the Alliance now believes that licensing of the business end of yoga might be inevitable. Those in favor argue that yoga training is like other training schools and therefore should be forced to adhere to standards. Patrick Sweeney, a Wisconsin licensing official is quoted arguing in favor of regulation saying that "if you're going to start a school and take people's money, you should play by a set of rules."
To the mental health practitioner part of me, accustomed to the existence of regulatory standards in psychotherapy training, such a move makes sense. But to the yoga student part of me, I have my doubts. I fear for what this means in small towns and for the small businesses providing yoga instruction. I fear for how this might negatively impact the spiritual essence of yoga practice. And I fear for how the effort to regulate yoga might set the yoga industry up to be like so many other industries -- controlled by the biggest and richest.
When asked about the issue, Sophie Simpson, owner of Blue Banyan Yoga in Philadelphia, said "Teachers and students of yoga in the modern West, are at somewhat at of a disadvantage because we don't part take in the traditional Guru/ student relationship where the sacred teachings get passed on. Therefore some sort of self- governing body could be helpful to ensure a foundation in the eight limbs of yoga, and learning of the sacred texts, Sanskrit, and study of both subtle (eastern) as well as gross (western) anatomy. Ideally this regulation would be founded in the yoga community."
In New York State, teachers recently formed a coalition to deal with this issue. Backed by state senator Eric Schneiderman of Manhattan, they succeeded in getting the State Education Department to suspend licensing efforts and instead lobby for legislation to make yoga exempt from regulation. While states like New York might reap economic profits from regulating instruction, there seems to be recognition that the art aspect of teaching yoga stands to suffer. It is heartwarming to see that officials in New York recognize this.
At this moment in time, there doesn't seem to be unanimous support to regulate or to not regulate. Clearly there are pros and cons for both sides that need to be further evaluated and perhaps policy will grow from that process. Whatever happens, I hope that the quality and variation of yoga instruction is encouraged and promoted. I would hate to dilute the creativity inherent in yoga instruction and its training as a result of standardized and homogenized requirements.
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Justin Hakuta: Has Yoga Lost Its Soul? Part I: Selling Out and Innovating
The second (nicer) one was the edited version I intended to post, but your website glitched both of them into comments. Here I am trying to be nicer online, and my unedited first draft gets out anyway....please feel free to delete it.
I fear you have gone too far in calming your inner critic. Sometimes we need that critic to tell us what's right and what's wrong - and State licensing of Yoga is wrong.
Government enforcement of licensing and Yoga cannot co-exist. Yoga is about freedom and Yoga is about relationship, and force destroys both. If we are not free to conduct our relationships free of interference by third parties, there can be no yoga.
http://iyea.us/Declaration.htm
I was wondering if you've read any of David Hawkins' books or are familiar with with any of his other materials? Have you ever visited the site http://level-of-consciousness.org/ ?
thanks,
Linda
Sometimes we need our inner critic to help us take a stand for what is right and what is wrong.
Your last paragraph is a masterpiece of non-committal evasiveness. What does your gut tell you about the State's desire to control yoga? You seem to want to listen to it, but are reluctant to take a stand.
Government enforcement of licensing and Yoga cannot co-exist. Yoga is about freedom and Yoga is about relationship, and force destroys both. If we are not free to conduct our relationships free of interference by third parties, there can be no yoga.
Read my "Declaration of Independence for Yoga Educators" at http://iyea.us/Declaration.htm
If you have any questions after reading it, I'd be happy to correspond.
Members of the public who have weighed in on this issue in favor of licensing are under the impression that, somehow, licensing will be a magic bullet, preventing any and all injuries, even though those vetting the licenses will do no more than approve curricula written by the studios providing Teacher Training (TT).
Those vetting the licenses are not in a position to assess the quality of the program being licensed, except insofar as they can check the suggested minimum hour requirements posted by Yoga Alliance, the national teachers' registry. Meanwhile, the move to license yoga TT’s would mean that TT programs would be subject to a burdensome process, at least in NY State, with no true advantage to the consumer. (In a few other states, it appears that this process is less taxing both financially and bureaucratically, which does not, for all that, validate the process.)
Yoga for NY, the coalition referred to by Jane Sure, came into existence to fight licensing but also to become a voice for Yoga in NY State. We look forward to addressing the issues raised by this debate and to ensure excellence in yoga in NY State.
Alison West
Director, Executive Committee
Yoga For NY
Director, Yoga Union Teacher Training
Co-Director, Yoga Union
Center for Backcare & Scoliosis
32 West 28th Street, Fourth Floor
NY NY 10001
212-532-1512
www.yogaunionbackcare.com
yogaassociationny@gmail.com
1.Yoga is currently a large and established industry in U.S.
2. A small but steady stream of of consumer complains about various injuries, dubious practices and unqualified teachers find its way to the government offices.
3. Because the industry is so successful, various governments entities would like to get their hand into its financial cookie jar.
Solution:
preempt government regulation effort by forming a powerful trade industry association. followed by
a broad PR campaign to advertise its self-regulation effort and image.
Unlike Tai Chi, yoga has plenty of rich, powerful and influencing advocates. Us this power.
But some are.
Will we next be measuring photon packets from the Sun, and have to pay a fee to the government or someone else for our daily parcels of light & energy?