Weekly Newsletter

Hello Friends,

The countdown is on! One day left before the election.

Go Obama Go!!!

Make sure you go stand in line and put in your vote. We all need to stand up in this election and make your individual vote count.

Should Yoga teachers be Forced To Be Licensed?

Many states are trying to pass a law that requires yoga teachers to become licensed. The current response from yoga teachers is the majority do not believe in this and want to stop this from being passed.

There is a law proposed in New Jersey that the requirement would be for a teacher to have 300 hours or more in order to become licensed.

Until now yoga teachers have it pretty easy in terms of getting a certification and being able to start teaching immediately.

More and more studios are requiring you to have a Yoga Alliance certification but a lot of gyms and country clubs do not even require that. Usually they just want to see a copy of your teacher's certificate.

I think if this law gets implemented that it could encourage and enforce yoga teachers to have to achieve a higher level of training.

Massage therapists, acupuncturists, cranial sacral therapists all have a standard required amount of schooling and practical client hours that must be completed depending what state you live in.

I think this could make the credentials of a yoga teacher more recognized and the skill that yoga teachers looked upon with higher respect.

If you plan on changing careers and teaching yoga full-time, I feel one should invest in the skill that they are learning. Yoga is continually becoming more popular and people are realizing how much it can benefit them in so many ways.

When you are working with someone’s health and their physical body and different ailments, you the teacher have a big responsibility. I think there should be more standards set to ensure teacher’s are more qualified.

However I know that people begin teaching yoga who have come from various backgrounds and have skills and training in other fields related to the body and health. But if we want our profession to be looked upon and held up to a certain statute, then having to become licensed may be what is needed.

What do you think about this? Please log on and share your comments on our yoga forum.

Yoga Journal arrives in FT. Lauderdale in two weeks. Both Harlan and I will be there. If you are planning on attending, don’t be shy!! Come up to us and say Hello.

May you continue to stay strong in your spirit and playful in your life.

Om Shanti,

Sara

The War Against Licensing Yoga Teachers

STOP THE WHINING!

A proposed New Jersey bill explicitly targets yoga teachers and studios, and would require them to be licensed by the State. It also contains a minimum 300-hour training provision that would supercede the Yoga Alliance's 200-hour minimum for RYT registration.

Here is some of the wording of the bill:

“Board” means the State Board of Fitness Professionals...

“Exercise facility” means a health club, fitness center, wellness center, private personal training studio, yoga studio, martial arts studio, Pilates studio, or any facility that sells or offers for sale group exercise instruction...

“Fitness professional” means a personal trainer or a group fitness instructor who is licensed as a fitness professional pursuant to the provisions of this act....

“Group fitness instructor” means an individual who instructs more than one person at one time, with or without equipment, in exercises designed to improve cardiovascular conditioning, muscular strength, flexibility and weight loss in classes that include, but are not limited to, martial arts, Pilates, yoga, kickboxing, boot camp, spinning and any other group class that is taught at an exercise facility....

“Personal trainer” means a person who evaluates an individual's health and physical fitness; develops a personal exercise plan or program for an individual; and demonstrates, with or without equipment, exercises designed to improve cardiovascular condition muscular strength, flexibility and weight loss....

This bill is being sponsored by Rep. Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. (D) and was introduced on October 23, 2009.

I'm just stunned by the response the bill. Yoga teachers are declaring war.

Folks - when you are licensed, it is a sign you are a professional. Yoga teachers should be throwing up their hands to heavens and praising God for the arrival of this day...

Instead there is a campaign claiming that licensing yoga teachers intrudes on the teacher-student relationship.

Oh please.

Give me a break. So you'd have to take another 100 hours (which you probably already have in continuing ed hours already). Show me a yoga teacher who doesn't want to continue their learning. They don't exist.

It impresses me about Shiva Rea that whenever she is at a conference, if she has an opening, she grabs her mat and goes into another class and practices with a different teacher. She is always learning.

There is serious discussion at the Yoga Alliance about increasing the number of hours required for licensing anyway to 500 minimum or 1000 hours.

So why all the panic?

Because it's a change.

And the only one who likes change is a wet baby.

I'm finalizing my work for my teacher certification with Shiva Rea. Her teacher program requires much more than is required by the Yoga Alliance.

And now that I'm done I told Shiva, I enjoyed the training so much and see so much depth in her work, I'm planning on repeating the training!

For 200 hours, we are required to read six books about yoga. Like a true type A personality, I'm trying to read ALL the books on the list. I'll share my favorites next week. I think you'll be very surprised.

So when I hear another few hours are being required for licensing, I can't believe people are protesting.

These are people who don't see the future.

Picture this:

Since you are licensed professionals, a doctor can proscribe yoga sessions for patients with back pain and insurance will pay for it. Think that will make a difference in the number of your students? Darn right it will.

So don't get me started about the need to stop the licensing requirement in some states for yoga teachers, I say, let's welcome the day.

Om Shanti Shalommmm,