Scope of Practice

THE CONVERSATION: What is a yoga teacher, and what defines their practice? Is a clear Scope of Practice necessary to help teachers and students alike understand what a yoga teacher is qualified to provide (and not provide)? How is it different in the many environments in which they work?

WHAT WE LEARNED:

A resounding majority of yoga professionals and practitioners agree that a clear Scope of Practice is important to clarify the role of yoga teachers in contemporary society and to protect the public. This came through loud and clear via our survey, the listening tour, the virtual town halls, and the working group sessions.

As we saw in our 12,000-respondent survey, 93% of yoga practitioners and 86% of yoga professionals stated that better guidelines on what yoga professionals should teach and what should be referred to medical or other professionals was somewhat to very important.  This has broad appeal across different geographies and age groups, too.  Read more here.

Standards Review Project Survey: Attitudes and Beliefs of Yoga Professionals and Practitioners Worldwide, 2018, Edge Research.

Through the working group specific to Scope of Practice, there were a few recommendations that “rose to the top”:

  • All Registered Yoga Teachers (RYTs) should follow a Scope of Practice
  • The Scope of Practice might differ depending on whether an RYT is at the 200 or 500 level as well as whether an RYT holds any specialty credential
  • The concept of “informed consent” should be included within any Scope

To learn more about this working group’s recommendations, please download the Scope of Practice Working Group Paper here. As a reminder, Yoga Alliance brought together a diverse spectrum of expert advisory voices to maximize the perspectives and resources within this area of inquiry. They represented one stream of input in the process, albeit an important stream.  We thank them for their participation and dedication.

Note: these working group papers provide expert recommendations to Yoga Alliance and the yoga community for consideration as the Standards Review Project continues. They are not prescribed actions but rather insights from an experienced and dedicated group of subject matter experts. They were written by an independent third party. At this point in time, no decisions have been made regarding standards updates, and we welcome and encourage your feedback and comments regarding the entirety of the SRP process.

Related Videos

Advisors In This Group:

Susanna Barkataki

Susanna Barkataki

Susanna Barkataki, M.Ed. Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, member of Thich Nhat Hanh’s Core Community of Interbeing, is known for her passion for decolonizing yoga - practicing yoga not just as poses but as a way of life. She ...
Read More
B Grace Bullock

B Grace Bullock

B Grace Bullock, PhD, E-RYT 500 is a psychologist, research scientist, educator, science writer, yoga and mindfulness expert, and author of Mindful Relationships: Seven Skills for Success - Integrating the Science of Mind, Body and Brain (Handspring Publishing, 2016). She is the CEO ...
Read More
Sarah Court

Sarah Court

Sarah Court DPT, e-RYT, is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Yoga Tune Up® Teacher Trainer, and the creator of Quantum Leap. She teaches public workshops, anatomy for yoga teacher trainings, and trains Yoga Tune Up® teachers worldwide. She developed and teaches ...
Read More
John M. Doyle

John M. Doyle

John M. Doyle MD , a practicing medical doctor, found yoga at the tail end of his medical training and has been continuing both "practices" ever since.  He is a board certified pathologist who moved into Occupational and Urgent Care ...
Read More
Ginger Garner

Ginger Garner

Dr. Garner is a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill trained doctor of physical therapy (DPT), as well as a licensed athletic trainer (LAT, ATC) and professional yoga therapist (PYT). She has spent over 25 years studying and creating ...
Read More
Leslie Kaminoff

Leslie Kaminoff

Leslie Kaminoff is a yoga educator inspired by the tradition of T.K.V. Desikachar. For four decades he has led workshops and developed specialized education in the fields of yoga, breath anatomy and bodywork. His approach to teaching combines intellectual rigor, spontaneity ...
Read More
Hala Khouri

Hala Khouri

Hala Khouri, M.A., SEP, E-RYT, has been teaching yoga and the movement arts for over 20 years. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Columbia University and her M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. She is trained in ...
Read More
James Mallinson

James Mallinson

James Mallinson is Senior Lecturer in Sanskrit and Classical and Indian Studies at SOAS, University of London. He took his BA in Sanskrit and Old Iranian at the University of Oxford, followed by an MA in Area Studies (South Asia), ...
Read More
Jules Mitchell

Jules Mitchell

 Jules Mitchell MS, CMT, RYT is a San Francisco based yoga teacher, educator and massage therapist. She blends the tradition of yoga with her extensive study in biomechanics to help teachers develop their craft and empower them with education. She ...
Read More
Neil Pearson

Neil Pearson

Neil Pearson is a physiotherapist, and Clinical Assistant Professor at University of British Columbia. He is founding chair of the Canadian Physiotherapy Pain Science Division, the first PT to receive the Canadian Pain Society's Excellence in Interprofessional Pain Education award, ...
Read More
Matthew Remski

Matthew Remski

Matthew Remski writes and presents on yoga and ayurveda in the shadows of capitalism and climate change. He is the author of eight books of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction including Threads of Yoga: A Remix of Patanjali’s Sutras ...
Read More
Daniel Seitz

Daniel Seitz

Daniel Seitz, JD, EdD, is currently the executive director of the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education, a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agency for naturopathic doctoral programs in the U.S. and Canada. For more than 25 years, his professional work ...
Read More
Roopa Singh

Roopa Singh

Roopa Singh, works at the intersection of wellness and justice through art, scholarship, and social entrepreneurship. She is a licensed attorney, university instructor, and a yoga teacher/student.  In 2013, Roopa gathered the first public forums for South Asian American yoga educators ...
Read More
Matthew Taylor

Matthew J. Taylor

Matthew J. Taylor, PT, PhD, C-IAYT provided the first YA website and member database. He is past president of the IAYT board of directors during their early professional development phase 2007-2009, as well as a research journal editorial board member ...
Read More
Theodora Wildcroft

Theodora Wildcroft

Theo Wildcroft is a yoga teacher at the forefront of the movement for trauma sensitivity and inclusion. She teaches local communities in rural England, and especially loves bringing yoga to non-neurotypical children. She’s also a yoga scholar whose research uncovers ...
Read More