Definitions

Harassment is a legal term that means unwelcome verbal and non-verbal conduct directed against someone in a protected class. 

Sexual harassment is a legal term that means unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature in the workplace. 

Sexual misconduct is a non-legal term used informally to describe a broad range of behaviours which may or may not involve harassment. 

Harassment Against Members of 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 unwelcome verbal or non-verbal conduct, based upon a person’s protected characteristic, that 

Harassment includes epithets, slurs, name calling, negative stereotyping, insults, intimidation, ridicule, threatening, intimidating or hostile acts, denigrating jokes, and display in the workplace of written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual or group based on their protected characteristic. Petty slights, annoyances, and isolated minor incidents may not rise to the level of harassment. 

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace 

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

(a) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment; 

(b) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual; 

(c) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance; or 

(d) such conduct has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment. 

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, behaviour, unnecessary physical contact, verbal suggestion, or innuendo may constitute sexual harassment. 

Sexual Misconduct

We prohibit sexual misconduct in our studio. Sexual misconduct is any unsolicited and unwelcome sexual advance including requests for sexual favours, sexual touching, and verbal, visual, or physical conduct that creates a sexually hostile environment in a yoga class or studio. Teachers may not use sexually suggestive language (including sexual jokes and degrading comments), gestures, movements, or images in their classes, in their studios, on their websites, or in their social media platform. Teachers should avoid making comments on their students’ appearance that could be perceived as sexually oriented or suggesting an attraction. Teachers should avoid making comments that idealize or assume a specific body type or image. If a student tells a teacher that any behaviour is unwelcome and the teacher repeats the behaviour, it may be considered harassment. 

Romantic Relationships Between Teachers and Students

Teachers shall not invite, respond to, or allow any sexual or romantic conduct with a student during the period of the teacher-student relationship. 

Sexual or romantic interactions that occur during the teacher-student relationship constitute sexual misconduct and are unethical. Sexual or romantic interactions detract from the goals of the teaching relationship, may exploit the vulnerability of the student, may obscure the teacher’s judgment concerning the student, may be detrimental to the student’s well-being and damage the reputation of the yoga community. 

Yoga teachers must maintain professional boundaries in their relationships with students so that the best interests of the students are served. The interest of the teacher is not relevant: the art of teaching yoga is focused on serving the spiritual needs of the student. The teacher-student relationship involves an imbalance of power and any appearance that this imbalance has been exploited for the sexual purposes of the teacher is unethical. Even if the relationship is initiated by the student, it must still be avoided by the teacher. 

If a teacher is becoming romantically involved with a student, the teacher should end the teaching relationship. The teacher must ensure that any behaviour in dealing with students is always professional and not open to misunderstanding or misinterpretation. If a relationship begins to develop, the teacher should seek the guidance of school management. 

Missing Training Hours: 

Each student can miss up to 35 hours of the 200-hour yoga training program. These missed hours must be compensated for with the course leader and are included in the cost of the program. 

Withdrawal Policy: 

If a student wishes to withdrawal from our program for any reason, they must first contact the program director to discuss their reasons for withdrawal. Refunds will be given in accordance with the program’s refund policy. 

Termination from Program:
The program may decide to terminate any student’s participation in the program if: 

(1) false information was used in the admission process that materially affects the program; 

(2) a student missed more than 25% of any subject category; 

(3) a student is absent for more than 3 consecutive days without contacting the program director; 

(4) the student fails to make timely payments of tuition; or 

(5) the student is unable to pass a test after being given 3 attempts. 

If the program decides to end the student’s participation in the program, the student is not entitled to any prior payments or fees. All prior payments and fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. 

Termination from Program: 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, gossip, harassment, bullying, or any other behaviour that is inappropriate or disruptive to the welfare of the program or to fellow students. 

Purpose Statement 

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. 

Financial Practices 

Teachers will manage their business affairs according to recognized standard business and accounting practices. We discourage teachers from any kind of financial involvement with students. This includes loans, gifts and business relationships. If teachers have any questions about conducting their business affairs or potential financial involvement with students, they should contact the Ethics Committee or school leadership for guidance. 

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 keeping current in new developments in yoga practice and by participating in continuing educational programs. 

Teacher-Student Relationships 

Teachers shall maintain professional relationships with their students. Teachers recognize that the teacher-student relationship involves a power imbalance. Teachers shall avoid any relationship with a student that exploits the student in any way or that may be used for the teacher’s personal benefit. Teachers shall not engage in harassment, abusive words or actions, or exploit students. 

The relationship between a yoga teacher and a student is based on trust. To establish and maintain that trust, teachers must be polite, considerate, and honest in their interactions with their students. 

Teachers should practice good communication with their students. Teachers should listen attentively to their 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 shall avoid imposing their personal beliefs on their students. 

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 not abandon or neglect their students. If teachers are unable (or unwilling for appropriate reasons) to provide professional help or continue a professional relationship, they should make every reasonable effort to arrange for instruction for that student with another teacher. Teachers should avoid giving any personal advice concerning a student’s personal life. 

Teachers shall not give medical advice. Teachers shall not prescribe a treatment or suggest rejecting a physician’s advice. Teachers shall refer their students to medical doctors or complimentary licensed professionals when appropriate. 

Confidential Information 

Teachers shall keep all personal information disclosed by their students or clients strictly confidential. A teacher who receives personal information from a student or client may not disclose such information unless it obtains the written consent of the student or client. All discussions among teachers concerning students or clients shall be conducted in secure, non-public environments. 

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 honourable manner in their relations with their fellow yoga teachers and other wellness practitioners. Teachers shall work to build the unity of their community by embracing diversity, collaboration and commitment the benefit of all. 

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 and Public Communications 

A teacher shall accurately represent his or her professional qualifications and certifications along with his or her affiliations with any organization(s). Announcements and brochures promoting classes or workshops shall describe them with accuracy and grace. These principles are designed to uphold the quality of our teachings and shall be in compliance with legal guidelines for appropriate representation of our services. 

Yoga Equity 

Teachers will welcome, accept, and support all students regardless of religion, gender, sexual orientation, language, nationality, political, 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, honouring and leveraging cultural differences, and fostering diversity and inclusion in all areas of yoga while honouring the integrity of yoga’s cultural and historical roots. 

Reporting of Policy Violations 

We encourage anyone who has been the subject of sexual misconduct or of any other actions that violates our policies and Code of Conduct to report the incident to our Ethics Committee, Human Resources department, or school management (henceforth referred to as the “reviewing 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 during the 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 of the 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. 

Confidential Treatment 

The reviewing body has an important obligation to maintain the confidentiality of all information they may receive in connection with reviewing ethical complaints. This includes any information provided by victims or witnesses in their investigations and any documents, emails, or notes they may gather. The reviewing body should make each person who is interviewed feel comfortable that the discussion will be held strictly confidential. 

This information is extremely sensitive. Its exposure could damage the reputations of the school, the teacher and the student, it could make the situation impossible to resolve fairly, and it could lead to legal liability. 

The reviewing body will make sure that the forum where they will be discussing the matter
is secure. They will not meet in an environment where someone may overhear what is being discussed. These meetings will not occur in a public place. Restaurants and coffee shops are public places and should not be used for meetings. Discussions will not be held in bathrooms and common areas at the yoga school or studio. 

Timeline for Reporting Violations and Complaints 

If an individual wants to file a complaint about the possible unethical conduct of a teacher or other person, he or she shall file the complaint within thirty (30) days after learning of the facts which may establish a potential violation. Complaints filed more than thirty (30) days after the violation of the Code of Conduct occurred may be reviewed at the discretion of the reviewing body. 

A complaint should not be filed unless the person filing the complaint has: 

1. material and credible evidence that may establish a violation school policy; 
2. personal knowledge of the facts that form the basis of the complaint. 

After the complaint has been filed, all persons with personal knowledge about the complaint are encouraged to assist the review by providing relevant and factual information about the potential policy violations. This will assist the reviewing body in promptly and effectively responding to the complaint. 

Due Process and Procedure 

We recognize that our reviewing body has an obligation to give a person accused of misconduct a reasonable level of due process. Because the person may lose his or her job and their reputation may be tarnished, the decision-making process must be fair and objective. Due process in this context does not mean that the reviewing body will conduct a mini trial but it will gather all of the relevant facts surrounding the matter and make a fair and objective decision based on the facts. The reviewing body may need to interview the person who reported the situation, the person who perpetrated the misconduct, and any other people who have direct knowledge about the situation. The reviewing body will examine all other credible and objective evidence about the situation. 

Dismissal or Acceptance of a Complaint 

Upon the receipt of a complaint, the reviewing body will evaluate the complaint to determine if it should be dismissed or reviewed. The reviewing body may dismiss a complaint if it determines that any of the following is true: 

1. the complaint is clearly frivolous or insubstantial; 
2. the information contained within the complaint is not credible; 
3. the complaint is not within the scope of school policies; 
4. the complaint has not been timely filed; 
5. a policy violation would not exist even if the complaint were true; 
6. no credible evidence could be provided which could support a finding that a policy violation has occurred; 
7. the complaint is anonymous; or 
8. the alleged violation has been cured by a good faith effort of the parties involved in the complaint. 

In making its determination the reviewing body may obtain and consider information relevant to the matter other than that included within the complaint or provided by the subjects of the complaint. 

Within thirty (30) days after the receipt of a complaint, the reviewing body will either dismiss
the complaint or accept the complaint for evaluation. After it has made its decision, the reviewing body will advise the person who filed the complaint as to whether it has dismissed or accepted the complaint. If the reviewing body elects to dismiss a complaint, it shall provide the person who submitted the complaint with its reasons for dismissing the complaint. 

Rules of Procedure After Acceptance of a Complaint 

If the reviewing body decides to accept a complaint and determine if there has been a violation of school policy, the subject of the complaint will be given written notice of the complaint. The notice shall include information sufficient enough to provide the subject with a fair opportunity to respond to the complaint. 

The subject of the complaint will have thirty (30) days from receipt of notice to submit a written response to the complaint. The response may contain any information which the subject feels is relevant and responsive to the complaint. The reviewing body may extend the response period for additional periods upon request. 

The reviewing body may consider the matters alleged in the complaint, the written responses of the subject of the complaint, and other interested parties, other relevant facts, and ethical and legal principles. The reviewing body may question the parties (and, in its discretion, third parties) and obtain such other information as it shall determine is necessary, relevant and proper. The reviewing body may conduct its own investigation into the complaint in its discretion. 

If the subject of the complaint fails to respond to the notice within the thirty (30) day period, it will constitute sufficient grounds for the reviewing body to act on the evidence in hand and impose appropriate sanctions. The reviewing body may extend the response period for additional periods upon request. 

Determination of Violation 

After its evaluation of all information relating to the complaint, the reviewing body will determine whether a violation of school policy has occurred. If the reviewing body determines that a violation of school policy has occurred, it may impose sanctions. 

The reviewing body will give the subject of the complaint written notice as to its decision on the complaint and the imposition of sanctions, if any. 

The subject of the complaint may file a written appeal of the sanctions, setting forth all information relevant to the appeal, within ten (10) days of receiving the notice, by sending notice of appeal to the reviewing body. The reviewing body will evaluate the appeal and render a decision on the appeal within seven (7) days. The reviewing body may extend the response period for additional periods upon request. The decision on the appeal shall be final. 

Sanctions 

We recognize the principle “the punishment must fit the crime.” We do not sentence someone to life imprisonment for jaywalking. There must be a sense of fairness and moral proportion in judging these situations. All cases of abuse and misconduct, from inappropriate commentary to physical assault, will be judged objectively and the reviewing body will fashion a sanction that fairly and equitably addresses the situation, and giving due considerations, to all the facts. 

In many cases, it may be hard to uncover all of the facts, there may be conflicting facts, there may be conflicts of interest, and there may be circumstances and facts that weigh on both sides of the scales of justice. 

However, the reviewing body will use sound and careful judgment in deciding what type of sanctions to impose. There are four options: 

1. Do Nothing. The facts do not show that the person committed the policy violation.
2. A Warning. The facts show that the person’s actions were minor and that a warning is a fair sanction. The warning could be coupled with counselling. 

3. Time Out. The facts show that the person’s actions were serious and warrant suspending the person from the studio or community for a decided amount of time. However, the actions were not so serious that they support termination of employment. For example, the person may be good hearted but made a mistake in judgement. This may weigh toward leniency. The “Time Out” period is usually one year but it may be shorter depending upon the circumstances. During the “time out” the person gets counselling, does spiritual work, contemplates their actions, etc. 

After the “Time Out” period expires, the person can approach the reviewing body to ask to re-commence their teaching activities or allow them to re-join the community. The reviewing body then will determine as to whether the person has resolved their issues and that it is appropriate for them to return. The reviewing body should consider whether there has been a sincere apology and contrition, appropriate reparation to the injured parties, rehabilitation and heart-felt change before the person may return. This decision will entirely at the discretion of the reviewing body. 

4. Dismissal. The facts show that the person’s actions were so serious that they warrant dismissing the person from the studio or community. The person is dismissed, and their employment or independent contractor agreement is terminated. 

Upon receiving an acceptance email, the applicant will be charged a deposit of £410 on their credit / debit card. 

6-months payment plan is available with 5 monthly payments of £410. Alternatively, the outstanding amount of £2,100 is payable prior to the start of the course.  The deadline to pay in full is two weeks prior to the start date of training. 

If applicant withdraws from the program after acceptance, but before the program starts, £200 from applicant’s deposit amount will be retained by the program. However, such amount can be applied towards a future training program in some circumstances. 

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. 

We will not retaliate against any person for having reported or threatened to report harassment, discrimination, retaliation, or violations of our Code of Conduct or polices, or for participating in an investigation into any of the foregoing. Anyone who retaliates against a person will be subjected to disciplinary action, up to and including termination. 

We encourage any person — including employees, non-employees, and students — who believe they have been subject to retaliation to inform a supervisor or manager. 

We have a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment or sexual misconduct. We encourage anyone who has been anyone who is subject to this behaviour to report it to the human resources department or school management. We will do everything possible to ensure that you are not retaliated against by anyone because you have reported misconduct.