Statement on Voluntary Registration for Yoga Professionals (2017)
Evidence of experience, training standards or professional registration is not currently required to conduct a professional yoga business in Australia (and internationally). This means that anyone can operate a yoga studio and offer teacher training courses.
There are no mandatory requirements for yoga professionals to have:
- Recognition or registration with an approved professional body (such as Yoga Australia)
- Professional and public liability insurance
- First aid qualifications.
This highlights questions about the standards for yoga professionals and compliance with workplace health and safety regulations. Debate about whether to mandate registration of yoga professionals has been raised with intent to improve the physical, emotional and mental safety of yoga practitioners and professionals and other industry concerns. The situation is complex. There are persuasive arguments for and against compulsory registration.
Arguments for:
- Elevated yoga professional standards through:
- Verification of teaching credentials against Yoga Australia’s curriculum standards
- Defined levels of yoga professionals aligned to experience based on Yoga Australia’s curriculum standards
- Compliance with current state and national legislation that applies to yoga professionals
- Yoga Australia’s commitment to the provision of relevant Professional Development opportunities to ensure the professionalism of yoga
- Networking and collaboration opportunities
- Exclusive online resources
- Conferences, seminars, short courses and events at a free or discounted price for members
Arguments against:
- Additional costs in membership
- Bureaucratic and time-consuming paperwork
- Standards that require monitoring
- Division within the profession between registered and unregistered teachers
- Prohibitive costs for registration for part time and hobby teachers where minimal income is received (Yoga Australia Member Satisfaction Survey 2017).
Role of Yoga Australia in the discussion
Yoga Australia has analysed mandatory regulation. If introduced, it proposes to improve standards and safety through introducing clear minimum training standards, requiring up-to-date insurance and first aid, ongoing professional development and adherence to professional codes of conduct.
While the Australian Government is not currently driving an agenda of regulation for the yoga industry, state and territory governments hold responsibility for developing, implementing, and monitoring legislation governing the fitness industry.
Options exist for Yoga Australia to work with the governments to support:
- No mandatory registration for yoga professionals.
- Mandatory registration for all yoga professionals.
- Mandatory registration for yoga therapists only.
At this stage Yoga Australia supports voluntary registration and will continue to monitor the issue.
