4 ways yoga teachers benefit from liability insurance

Yoga teachers have the unique opportunity to guide individuals from all walks of life on the path toward becoming the best and most balanced version of themselves. But with privilege and responsibility comes the potential of risk, particularly with any practice that involves physical movement.

As more people discover the benefits of yoga and the number of those participating in classes grows, so too does the risk of practice related injuries. Unfortunately, many of the injuries that happen during a yoga class result in yoga teachers finding themselves on the receiving end of a lawsuit. Yoga teacher insurance can be especially beneficial to cover yourself in such a case.

There are a few questions to answer right off the bat when trying to understand yoga teacher insurance. What is it? How can it help? Would I ever need it? You’ll find answers to all of these pressing questions below.

What is yoga teacher insurance?

Yoga teacher insurance is general and professional liability insurance that may protect yoga teachers and instructors from a variety of risks. It primarily offers the following:

~ Coverage for third-party claims
~ Coverage for your equipment
~ The ability to meet venue insurance requirements

1. Insurance may cover you if a student gets injured

The primary risk yoga teachers face is the possibility of their students sustaining bodily injury. If a student gets injured during a session or class, you could be at risk of a lawsuit alleging that the student was injured as a result of your negligence.

Negligence can be a tricky word - of course you would never purposefully be negligent while teaching a class. When it comes to lawsuit terminology, however, negligence may be defined simply as not knowing that the client needed a block to help them perform a pose. Negligence could mean that there was a wet spot on the floor you weren’t aware of, which a student could slip on during a pose. Long story short, it actually doesn’t take much to be accused of negligence.

If something like this happens in a class you’re teaching, your yoga teacher insurance may protect you. You can file a claim and potentially have the costs associated with the lawsuit - attorney fees, settlements, fines, etc. -covered.

Most yoga teacher insurance policies will cover you for up to $2 million for a single claim, and up to $3 million aggregate over the course of a policy year.

2. Insurance can protect your equipment

One of the great things about yoga is that it’s not too equipment heavy. For many practitioners, all that’s needed is a mat and the floor. As a teacher, however, even the simplest equipment costs can add up. From essential oil diffusers to mats and yoga blocks, you’ve most likely invested a sizeable amount into your business. The less you have to worry about those costs, the better. Yoga teacher insurance can help you here as well.

If your mats are stolen, you can file a claim to have the costs of replacing those mats covered. If your equipment is stolen, you can file a claim to cover the replacement costs. While the costs associated with these incidents are not always steep, it’s good to know that you won’t have to worry about using your hard-earned money to repair or replace your equipment.

3. Insurance helps you meet venue requirements

You’ll find that many venues - studios, gyms, recreation centers, etc. -require that yoga teachers carry insurance. They do this to protect you as well as themselves. Often, the venue in which you teach will require that you carry yoga teacher insurance and that you claim them on your policy as an additional insured.

When you claim a yoga studio as an additional insured, it means that you’re extending your coverage to them. That way, they’ll be covered if something goes wrong during one of your classes at the studio. If a student gets injured and decides to sue, they’ll often sue the property owners in addition to the yoga teacher. By requiring teachers to carry insurance, these venues are making sure that they have the same protection as you do.

Carrying yoga teacher insurance could open many doors to you that may not have been available otherwise. At the very least, proactively carrying yoga insurance is one less hurdle to jump through as you look for places to teach.

An important note: be sure to check with the venues you teach at to find out what its insurance requirements are. If you teach at a chain gym, for example, it may already have coverage, and some of that coverage may even extend to you but would not extend to classes you teach outside of the facility.

4. Insurance gives you peace of mind and helps you work confidently

As you teach, the last thing you want to worry about is liability risk. You should be able to help your students work through your classes without worrying about getting sued. Yoga teacher insurance helps with that and also gives you an extra layer of security as you search for a job or consider new equipment to use.

As a yoga teacher, you have the honor of seeing and helping people grow. By getting insured, you’ll be able to take advantage of that opportunity with more confidence, security and peace of mind.