Code of Conduct Policy
Statement of Purpose
The purpose of our Code of Conduct is to help our teachers serve in their purest spirit and to protect our students and community.

We are committed to holding high ethical standards for our yoga teachers. We believe that it is the responsibility of a teacher to ensure a safe environment in which our students can grow physically, mentally, and spiritually. Students are looking for guidance from teachers with authenticity, experience, and wisdom. Our Code of Conduct was developed to protect our students in this potentially vulnerable relationship with their teachers and to uphold the highest professional standards.

We have adopted our Code of Conduct which applies to all our teachers. We believe our teachers must aspire to and express the highest possible standards of conduct as set forth in our Code of Conduct. Our Code of Conduct embodies the yamas and niyamas of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali which are rules of ethical conduct that apply to all practitioners of yoga.

Financial Practices
Teachers will be honest, straightforward, fair, and conscientious in conducting all of their business affairs. Teachers will manage their business affairs according to recognized standard business and accounting practices. Teachers will discuss all fees and financial arrangements in a straightforward professional manner.

Professional Growth & Continuing Education
Teachers shall maintain the integrity, competency, and high standards of the yoga profession by continuously striving to improve their skills through the continued study of the authentic roots of yoga, personal practice and by participating in continuing educational programs.

Teacher-Student Relationship
Teachers recognize the trust placed in them by their students and the power imbalance of the student-teacher relationship. Teachers shall avoid exploiting the trust and dependency of students. Teachers shall hold themselves out as stewards of safe and sacred spaces by maintaining clear personal and professional boundaries.

Teachers will continually be aware of their position of power and influence in their relationship with their students. Teachers will be mindful not to project their own agendas, perceptions, and outcomes on their students. Teachers will not seek to fulfill their personal needs at their students’ expense. Teachers shall maintain professional boundaries in relationships with students and avoid any relationships that may exploit trust between the student and teacher.

Teachers recognize that their purpose is to serve their student’s personal exploration and growth. Teachers will avoid any activity or influence that is in conflict with the best interests of their students or that may be solely for their own personal gain or gratification.

Teachers shall treat their students with respect and with regards to their individuality, dignity, and privacy.

Teachers shall commit to promoting the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of their students. Teachers shall cause no harm to their students, shall commit to practicing ahimsa, and strive to alleviate the suffering of all beings.

Teachers shall create and maintain a safe, clean, comfortable, and positive environment for the practice of yoga.

The relationship between a yoga teacher and a student is based on trust. To establish and maintain that trust, the teacher must be polite, considerate, and honest with their students. Teachers should practice good communication with their students.

Teachers should listen attentively to students, respect their point of view, beliefs and culture, and should not allow their beliefs and values to adversely influence their relationship with their students. Teachers should avoid imposing their beliefs on others, although they may express them when appropriate in the class.

Integrity
Teachers shall uphold the highest of moral standards. Teachers shall strive to ensure that their intentions, actions, and speech are based on honesty, compassion, selflessness, trustworthiness, and transparency.

Teachers recognize that the process of learning is never complete, and they shall avoid portraying themselves as “enlightened” or “spiritually advanced.” Teachers recognize that they are walking on the spiritual path along with their fellow teachers and students. Teachers shall cultivate an attitude of humanity in their teaching and dedicate their work to something greater than themselves.

Scope of Practice
Teachers shall represent their qualifications honestly and provide only the services they are qualified and certified to perform. Teachers shall not give medical advice. Teachers shall not recommend treatment, diagnose a condition, or suggest that a student disregard medical advice. Teachers shall refer their students to medical doctors or complimentary licensed professionals when appropriate.

Confidential Information
Teachers shall respect and protect the welfare of all of their students or clients. Teachers shall keep all personal information disclosed by their students or clients strictly confidential. All discussions among teachers concerning students or clients shall be conducted in secure, non-public environments.

Teachers shall not disclose personal information belonging to a student or client except (a) to comply with the law or the order of a court; (b) to prevent bodily harm or danger to the client or to others; or (c) where the information has already been disclosed to the public. Teachers will obtain the consent of students before taking photos and audio or video recording in class.

Inter-Professional Relationships
Teachers are part of the health care and well-being community and should strive to develop and maintain relationships within the community for the benefit of their students and their professional development. Teachers shall conduct themselves in an honorable manner in their relations with their fellow yoga teachers and other wellness practitioners.

Teachers shall practice tolerance and acceptance toward other yoga teachers, schools and traditions. Teachers shall not openly criticize practices followed by other yoga schools or teachers. However, teachers recognize that differences of opinion are to be expected, and they may be discussed in a sensitive and compassionate manner. When criticism must be made, it should be done with fairness, discretion and with a focus on the facts.

Advertising & Public Communications
Teachers shall not make false advertisements. Teachers shall refrain from making public statements on the benefits of yoga that are not supported by science or the generally accepted experience of the yoga community.

Advertisements of workshops, clinics, seminars or similar events must have a clear statement of the purpose of the event, the audience for which it is intended and its educational objectives. The education, training, and experience of the teacher shall be fairly and accurately disclosed. Advertisements shall be made with dignity. Advertisements shall not include exaggerated claims about the benefits of yoga.

Yoga Equity
Teachers will welcome, accept, and support all students regardless of religion, gender, sexual orientation, language, nationality, or cultural background.

Teachers will embrace yoga equity. Teachers shall seek to have an awareness and a commitment to making yoga more equitable, inclusive, accessible and diverse. This encompasses diversity, inclusion and accessibility in yoga. Teachers will make the conscious decision to address each of these issues thoughtfully and intentionally throughout their work in restoring equity to the yoga community.

Teachers will emphasize the importance of learning, teaching, and practicing yoga honestly, which means promoting equity, reducing harm, honoring and leveraging cultural differences, and fostering diversity and inclusion in all areas of yoga while honoring the integrity of yoga’s cultural and historical roots.

Teachers are encouraged to make yoga accessible and available to everyone. Teachers are encouraged to create integrated accessible yoga classes where all students can practice together. Teachers are encouraged to have an awareness and a commitment to making yoga more equitable, inclusive, accessible, and diverse.

This includes the ways that yoga practice can be modified to suit students with disabilities, physical challenges, chronic illness, seniors, and anyone who may not feel comfortable in a regular class. It also includes making classes welcoming to everyone, and approaching students in a trauma-informed way.

Teachers are encouraged to obtain appropriate training to offer accessible yoga classes.

Anti-Harassment Policy
Harassment Against Members of a Protected Class
We do not permit managers, employees, teachers, independent contractors, students, or others in the workplace to harass any other person because of age, gender (including pregnancy), race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, genetic information, or any other basis proscribed by law.
Harassment is a legal term that means unwelcome verbal and non-verbal conduct directed against someone in a protected class.

Sexual Harassment
We do not tolerate sexual harassment in our studio. Sexual harassment refers to any unwelcome sexual attention, sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal, visual or physical conduct of a sexual nature.

Examples of sexual harassment include unwanted and unnecessary physical contact; offensive remarks (including unwelcome comments about appearance); obscene jokes or other inappropriate use of sexually offensive language; the display in the studio of sexually suggestive objects or pictures; and unwelcome sexual advances by teachers, students, customers, clients, or other visitors to a studio. Non-physical gesture, behavior, unnecessary physical contact, verbal suggestion, or innuendo may constitute sexual harassment.

Sexual Misconduct
Teachers must maintain professional relationships with their students. This includes appropriate social and sexual boundaries. Teachers must create and maintain a safe environment that engenders trust and mutual respect with the students.

Teachers shall not initiate or engage in any sexual conduct, sexual activities, or sexualizing behavior involving a student even if the student attempts to create a sexual relationship. All forms of sexual involvement with students are unethical and constitute sexual misconduct.

We prohibit sexual misconduct in our studio. Sexual misconduct is any unwelcome sexual advance including requests for sexual favors, sexual touching, and verbal, visual, or physical conduct that creates a sexually hostile environment in a yoga class or studio.

Sexual misconduct exists if a teacher engages in conduct that has the result of requiring a student to submit to such conduct to obtain any benefit or privilege relating to the study or teaching of yoga.

While it is not possible to list all the circumstances that may constitute sexual misconduct, the following are examples of misconduct:

Verbal Harassment
• Unwanted sexual teasing, stories, jokes, remarks, or questions
• Sexual comments, stories or innuendo
• Turning work discussions to sexual topics
• Asking about sexual fantasies, preferences, or history
• Asking personal questions about social or sexual life
• Sexual comments about a person’s clothing, anatomy, or looks
• Telling lies or spreading rumors about a person’s personal sex life
• Referring to an individual as a doll, babe, sweetheart, honey, or similar term
• Repeatedly asking a person out on dates who is not interested
• Unwanted letters, telephone calls, or sending materials of a sexual nature
• Stalking on social media
• Unwanted pressure for sexual favors
Non-Verbal Harassment
• Blocking a person’s path or following
• Giving unwelcome personal gifts
• Displaying sexually suggestive materials
• Making sexual gestures with hands or through body movements
• Unwanted sexual looks or gestures
Physical Harassment
• Kissing, patting, or stroking as well as hugging without consent
• Touching or rubbing oneself sexually around another person
• Unwanted deliberate touching, leaning over, cornering, or pinching
• Giving an un-wanted massage
• Sexually oriented asana adjustments or touch
• Promising enlightenment or special teachings or status in exchange for sexual favors
• Actual or attempted rape or sexual assault

Romantic Relationships Between Teachers and Students
Teachers shall avoid getting into personal or sexual relationships with students that may result in the impairment of their professional judgment or that may compromise the integrity of their teaching. If a relationship begins to develop, the teacher should bring it to school management.

Yoga teachers are committed to maintaining impeccable standards of professional integrity and to promoting the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of their students. Teachers recognize the inherent imbalance of power in the teacher-student relationship and recognize that romantic relationships with students have the potential of exploiting the trust of students, creating dependent relationships, and compromising the integrity of the teacher.

Teachers should avoid acting on, responding to, or allowing sexual contact or romantic attraction with a student even if the student initiates the relationship. Teachers should ensure that their relationships with students are always professional, and not open to misunderstanding or misinterpretation.

However, if a romantic attraction does begin to develop with a student, teachers should seek guidance from school management before acting on the attraction. The school management will then decide how it wishes to handle the relationship. For example, it may bless the relationship, but establish boundaries to prevent conflicts of interest and other problems. It may also decide that either the teacher or student should leave the school.

If a teacher has a pre-existing relationship with a student that did not arise from the teacher-student relationship, it should be brought to the attention of the school’s management so that it can guide the couple in maintaining high ethical standards.

Anti-Retaliation Policy
We prohibit retaliation against anyone for reporting a violation of our Code of Conduct or other policies, or for participating in an investigation relating to a violation of our Code of Conduct or other policies.

We have a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment or sexual misconduct.

Retaliation means taking an “adverse action” against any person for having reported or threatened to report harassment, discrimination, retaliation, or violations of our Code of Conduct, or for participating in an investigation into a complaint of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation or violations of our Code of Conduct.

Grievance Policy
Reporting of Policy Violations
We encourage anyone who has been the subject of sexual misconduct or any other action that violates our policies and Code of Conduct to report the incident to our school management (henceforth referred to as the “review- ing body”).
The report should contain the following information:
• Your full name;
• Your email and phone number;
• The name of the person who the grievance is against;
• A description of the alleged policy violation;
• The date and location of the policy violation;
• Names and contact information of any witnesses with first-hand
knowledge of the situation; and,
• Any other credible evidence that is available to support the grievance.
In the interest of fairness and privacy, all reports must be made by the person who has personally experienced the misconduct. We will not investigate a matter based upon a third-party report of misconduct.

All reports must be made in good faith based on information the person reporting the incident reasonably believes to be accurate.

We may request additional information from the person reporting the incident throughout the course of review of the report.

We will take appropriate action to ensure compliance with our policies. The reviewing body will impose any sanctions that it feels are fair, just, and reasonable under all circumstances.

We will not allow anyone to retaliate against any person for making a report in good faith or providing information in connection with an investigation into an alleged violation.

Any information provided during a grievance report review will be treated on a confidential basis. Similarly, any actions that the taken in response to the report will also be confidential.

Refund Poilcy
If an applicant withdraws from the program after acceptance, but before the program starts, the full deposit amount will be retained by the program. However, such amount can be applied towards a future training program.

The program will not give any refunds or credits after the training starts. The program reserves the right to cancel any training before it begins. In that case any payments applicants have made will be refunded in full.

Special Cases
In case a student needs to withdraw from the program due to illness, accident, death in the family, or other circumstances that make it impractical for the student to complete the course, the program will provide a reasonable and fair refund.

Bad Conduct
No refunds will be given if the program removes a student from the program for bad conduct. Bad conduct is violation of the Code of Conduct, harassment, bullying, or any other behavior that is inappropriate or disruptive to the welfare of the program or to fellow students.

Attendance
Our program expects students to be on time for class, after breaks, and after lunch on longer training days. Please let our faculty know if you will be late. Being on time shows respect for the teachers as well as the other students and allows us to begin on time.

Students are encouraged to have 100% attendance. However, we understand that students have important commitments outside of the classroom. Should extenuating circumstances impact attendance, students are permitted to miss class, provided they work with the program director to make up any missed hours. Students are responsible for rescheduling missed hours to make up any course material they have missed.

To receive certification, all assignments must be completed and training hours fulfilled by graduation. In the case of extenuating circumstances, additional training or make-up hours may incur a supplemental fee.