Introduction
Each physician in the Western medical profession is obliged by the Hippocratic oath to serve people with their knowledge, to put their welfare ahead of their own, and, above all, not to harm. There is an implicit guarantee in the current Western practice of yoga that a teacher will provide information and guidance in exchange for payment. Within the yoga community, there likewise exists an assumption that the aforementioned direction will be consistent with yoga’s ethical ideals (Raji 3).
Yoga can take the form of breathing, chanting, meditation, or philosophical contemplation (Freeman and Taylor 2). It also involves a specific set of poses meant to promote mental and physical well-being (Thron 5). Yoga is meant to promote the unity of the mind and soul (Jakubowicz 3). There is a rising recognition of the importance of establishing ethical standards and procedures. To date, this debate has centered on clear professional conduct guidelines, licensing regulations that define and regulate yoga therapy practice, and legal action for violations of ethical conduct.
Ethics in Student-Teacher Relationships
The problem of power dynamics in therapeutic interactions is especially pertinent to the field of yoga therapy. When people seek professional assistance, they are looking for something they are incapable of providing for themselves. This means that an instructor’s interactions with students seeking professional guidance always feature a power imbalance.
Gender norms, in particular, are part of the power dynamics that connect practitioners, the atmosphere of practice, and the prospect of a yogic experience (Mangiarotti 86). Numerous yoga teachers have a democratic temperament and may reject the concept of power relationships, having witnessed authority abused. Unfortunately, as long as others require their assistance, this component of the relationship is intrinsic and does not go away just because they wish it so.
There are many scenarios in which the practical application of yoga ethics is necessary. For instance, if an instructor receives several students from a specific yoga studio with injuries, it is vital to establish the degree of responsibility they assume for their new clients. Secondly, when working with students who experience intense emotions in response to specific postures and who exhibit severe emotional issues, it is vital to practice ethically.
Finally, when students choose to express their gratitude with a variety of gifts, it is essential to consider the ethical implications. Each of these scenarios is linked to the principle of non-harming, or the concept of ahimsa, which stresses that “violence is the attempt to impress our will or beliefs onto others” (Gladden 2). The highlighted examples demonstrate the need to adopt an ethical decision-making model that preserves the instructor’s integrity in their interactions with students.
A skillfully crafted ethical decision-making model allows practitioners to engage in conscious thought and contemplation. It also shifts the axis of accountability away from statutes and legal action and toward a supportive community of mentors and colleagues. Such a model should be simple enough to recall that it does not necessitate the use of articles, books, or notes (Suarez et al., 651). Not only do people rarely use these sources out of practical necessity, but situations often require action before such reference work can be completed. One such model uses mnemonic ethics to outline the steps professionals must take in their interactions with students.
The ETHICS Model
Evaluate the Dilemma
The first step in decision-making is examining the situation. It is essential to establish the facts and the parties that are involved. The determination of the information or facts involved in the situation and the exact identity of the student is vital.
It is worth noting that the question regarding the student’s identity is sometimes more complex than one might imagine (Suarez et al., 651). For instance, a client is legally defined as the person who pays for a service. Therefore, if a yoga therapy client’s therapy is paid for by third-party payers such as insurance companies or Medicare, they are also legal clients, with legal rights and ethical obligations that must be considered.
Think Ahead
The second step in the model involves thinking about the situation. It is vital to ascertain the relationships between the problem’s ethical, moral, and legal dimensions. Practitioners must also identify the specific legal issues that might be involved (Suarez et al., 651).
Identifying which additional people are affected by the situation, the ethical precepts such as the yamas and niyamas, and the other values at stake is essential. Yoga instructors must establish the degree to which the identified values relate to one another. Finally, determining the cultural issues to be considered and the gender concerns that may be at stake is crucial.
Help
The third step proposed in the model is to get help. It is recommended that practitioners consult their mentors and colleagues while maintaining the anonymity of any students. They should then proceed to identify the perspectives that are missing or may contribute valuable insights (Suarez et al., 651). If there are legal difficulties, teachers may need to consult an attorney. It is essential to identify other professional information sources that may be useful. Finally, instructors must seek emotional assistance whenever necessary. This aspect of requesting assistance is frequently overlooked in the drive to remedy the situation.
Information
The fourth step involves identifying viable options to remedy the situation. This ought to be a brainstorming session that results in a list of potential courses of action. Brainstorming will only work if the instructor refrains from judging the ideas as they emerge. It is vital to allow the thoughts to flow freely and give extra attention to ideas that seem wild, absurd, or hilarious, since these may contain incredibly inventive solutions.
Calculate Risk
The fifth step in ethical decision-making is evaluating consequences. Instructors must examine each suggestion on the list and carefully consider its benefits, hazards, and impacts on the student, other involved parties, the greater community, and the Yoga teacher community (Suarez et al. 651). It is helpful to take a deep breath and visualize three possible outcomes for a particular course of action. The best possible outcome, the worst possible outcome, and the most realistic outcome. It is then vital to determine the information that each of the highlighted possibilities provides about the situation.
Select an Action
The final step is selecting an option and securing support. The instructor should decide how to respond to the ethical situation. It is critical to consider the universality of the decision (Suarez et al., 651). Would the instructor recommend it to someone else in a similar situation? The decision should also be assessed for its fairness. The teacher should determine if it is fair to everyone involved. The instructor must also consider their personal level of comfort regarding potential publicity. Then, once the practitioner has arrived at their decision, they should seek support from peers or mentors for the problems they have overcome and that they may face as they operate in the chosen manner.
Maintaining Healthy and Ethical Relationships
The debate over touch best illustrates the maintenance of healthy, ethical relationships. It is generally expected that touch will be used in contemporary yoga lessons. Teachers’ use of touch is predicated on implied consent. Teachers, in other words, presume that students are cognizant of the fact that touch, as in hands-on assistance, is available during a yoga class. It is expected that instructors will observe the second principle of Satya that mandates the observance of “the highest rule of conduct of morality” (Gladden 2). There are no rules or regulations that teachers are expected to follow when providing hands-on assistance during practice. Yoga teachers are not required to get verbal or written consent from the class participants before or during a yoga session.
The ethics of touch in yoga instruction are more complicated than in other regulated professions. Numerous questions have arisen regarding the legal and ethical implications of touch, evidenced by several lawsuits (Rosman). In yoga, as in other healthcare professions, inappropriate touch is believed to occur due to unmet psychological and sexual needs, the provider’s limited experience, and psychological transference(Rosman). Given the fact that yoga instruction connects mind and body, physical touch is seldom fully embraced or completely avoided. The resulting paradox centers on how to achieve a state of equilibrium in which touch is appropriate but neither insufficient nor excessive.
Some students attend yoga while dealing with severe emotional or mental health issues. Yoga can be used as an intervention in the management of depression, anxiety, and stress. Although methods of instruction and ideologies differ, yoga teachers often use specialized language to help students access their deepest emotions and thoughts. The vulnerability of the yoga student’s experience is central to the argument. In essence, a student is asked to have an intimate exchange with their instructor. The yoga teacher frequently employs words, statements, and instructions that make students feel safe (Kaminoff and Matthews 1). The possibility of being touched during a yoga session is difficult to overlook(Suamba 491). Depending on their emotional state, religious inclination, cultural beliefs, and personal history, the recipient of touch may be influenced negatively. Touch can be beneficial or harmful, welcomed or unpleasant, constructive or disheartening (Rosman). There are concerns about the use of touch in a profession that is generally unregulated (Rosman). Contemporary society’s amplification of power imbalances has raised concerns about hands-on adjustments for both yoga teachers and their students.
The ethics debate is further compounded by the complexity of determining whether a student knowingly permits their instructor to touch them. Concerning consent, the Yoga Alliance, the world’s largest registering body for yoga instructors, concedes that physical adjustments have been a standard element of yoga practice for more than a century (Yoga Alliance). However, the fact that such practices have been an integral part of teaching does not imply that present techniques are suitable, safe, or essential (Yoga Alliance). Regarding the ethics of touch, there is widespread agreement that yoga teachers should understand and practice techniques that use touch only when necessary. The Yoga Alliance has led the charge in addressing ethical issues encountered in practice, as outlined in its comprehensive set of ethics policy documents.
Conclusion
The relationship between a Yoga instructor and their students is delicate and may be complicated by various factors. It is vital that, when addressing challenging situations, teachers evaluate the situation, consider the issues involved, seek help, gather vital information, assess the consequences, and identify solutions. Adherence to the aforementioned model will ensure that interactions with students are not marred by accusations or legal complications that would impede the transfer of knowledge.
Works Cited
Freeman, Richard and Mary Taylor. The Art of Vinyasa: Awakening Body and Mind through the Practice of Ashtanga Yoga. Shambhala Publications, Inc., 2016.
Gladden, Jessica. “Parallels Between the Yamas of Yoga and Social Work Ethics.” Journal of Yoga & Physiotherapy, vol. 10, no. 5, 2023, p.1-5.
Jakubowicz, Rina. The Yoga Mind: 52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen Your Practice. Callisto Publishing, 2018.
Kaminoff, Leslie and Amy Matthews. Yoga Anatomy. (2nd ed.). Human Kinetics, 2011.
Mangiarotti, Emanuela. “The Body of Yoga: A Feminist Perspective on Corporeal Boundaries in Contemporary Yoga Practice.” AM Journal of Art and Media Studies, no. 18, Apr. 2019, pp. 79–88.
Rosman, Katherine. “Yoga Is Finally Facing Consent and Unwanted Touch.” The New York Times, 2019.
Suamba, Ida Bagus Putu. “Yoga as Ethics of Self-Transformation in the Sivagama Text.” Journal of Bali Studies, vol. 11, no. 2, Oct. 2021, p. 481-496.
Suarez, Victoria D., et al. “Examination of Ethical Decision-Making Models Across Disciplines: Common Elements and Application to the Field of Behavior Analysis.” Behavior Analysis in Practice, vol. 16, no. 3, Sept. 2023, p. 671.
Thron, Raji. Mastering Vinyasa Yoga: The Yoga Synthesis Guide to Dynamic Sequencing with Hundreds of Photos and Instruction. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2018.
Yoga Alliance. “The Ethical Commitment.”, 2021.