October 15, 2003 – The growing popularity of yoga has led to a proliferation of schools and teachers, but the fact that the field is almost entirely deregulated should make consumers exercise the utmost caution when it comes to ensuring that they are deal with professionals with solid qualifications.
In Canada, anyone can improvise themselves as a yoga teacher overnight and open a school, without having to prove to anyone that they are actually qualified to do so. There are even advertised “seminars” in some newspapers that claim to train teachers in a weekend, an assertion that experts find ridiculous.
The health risks of getting into the hands of an unqualified teacher are obvious, ranging from a simple stretched muscle to chronic pain that can arise from positions that are poorly taught, held for too long, or applied too vigorously.
In the absence of a Canadian body that would regulate the field, more and more Canadian schools are turning to the Yoga Alliance, an American organization that plays this role in the United States. The Yoga Alliance requires, among other things, that teachers in its affiliated schools have received at least 200 hours of training.
Jean-Benoit Legault – PasseportSanté.net
According to Canadian Press and CNN.com; August 28 and October 15, 2003.
Before registering for a yoga class
Visit several schools. The one that just opened around the corner is perhaps the most convenient, but the one two kilometers down the road is perhaps of better quality. You have to compare to choose well.
Ask the professor. What is his training? How long has he been teaching? How long has his school been in existence? What type of yoga does he teach? What lineage does his type of yoga come from? Nothing prevents him from lying, but elusive or incomplete answers will be cause for concern.
Ask for a trial class. This allows you to become familiar with the teacher’s way of teaching and to discuss with other students. See how many have been there for months or even years. If you are denied access to a trial class, what are you trying to hide?
