What Should Yoga Teachers Know About Promising Cures

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, YACEP

What should Yoga teachers know about promising cures? To get straight to the point, a Yoga instructor should never promise anything he or she can’t deliver. For most of us, one of the most disappointing experiences in life can happen when we trust a person or a product to deliver something a company promises. It can be pretty discouraging when they either underdeliver or don’t deliver at all. One of the reasons why the beauty industry is so lucrative is because millions of companies promise to provide products that will eliminate fine lines and diminish wrinkles and other claims. So many women spend millions of dollars to achieve those final results. They simply move on to another product when those results don’t happen.

Lackluster Results

The same concept occurs in city, state, or federal political campaigns. Politicians often promise to deliver results based on the needs of their constituents. As a result of desperation and a strong desire for change for the better, people vote for a politician with new and wonderful promises, which results in a new rise to power. As we know, the political theatre has no guarantees, and sometimes it becomes a never-ending cycle of similar promises with lackluster results. While these experiences run the gamut, it’s important to protect the sanctity of Yoga and what it represents. This is why it is very dangerous to provide claims that Yoga will be able to do something that it can’t do 100% of the time.

Is There a Difference?

Yes, Yoga is entirely different from sales and politics. So, once more: What should Yoga teachers know about promising cures? One of the reasons why it is very dangerous to hold Yoga on a pedestal to promise a cure is that each person is different. When a person enters a Yoga studio, they are coming into class with their strengths, mindset, and physical limitations. Whether a person is dealing with a hormonal imbalance, a backache, or a broken wrist, these factors play into how our student will be able to experience different asanas, pranayama techniques, meditation, mantras, Yogic teachings, and more. Some people will be able to receive Yoga as a cure-all for everything they’ve experienced. However, that doesn’t mean it will be the case for everyone.

Efficacy Rate

In the news, we hear a lot about the efficacy rate of vaccines. Many people were shocked to learn vaccines tested in controlled environments, in the best of circumstances, do not have a 100% efficacy rate. These vaccines and our modern pharmaceutical companies are created by some of the most brilliant minds in the world. Are they 100% effective all the time? Not always, but there are times when big gun pharmaceuticals are the best weapons we have if a pandemic strikes. When they don’t work or have side effects, the pharmaceutical industry has armies of lawyers.

Negative Thoughts and Fear of Failure

Now, back to the uncontrolled environment of real-life situations. Take a look at the simple act of floating on water. Many people can swim, but some of them struggle to relax. They just don’t know how to relax. As a result of their inability to relax, they can’t figure out how to float effectively for long periods. They struggle to figure out how to let go because fear is involved in their thinking, and they worry about sinking to their death. Until they can fully process how to let go of their fears and float, they’re not going to have a successful experience. This doesn’t mean that floating is impossible. They just can’t figure out how to connect their mind with their body to relax. The mind plays a role in life and within a controlled trial of the latest pharmaceutical creation.

Successful Outcome

The same concept applies to Yoga. While one person might look at Yoga and have a successful experience that changes their entire life. However, that might not be the experience for the next person. This is mainly because Yoga is a deeply personal experience. While you, as the teacher, can help a student understand the concepts, they have to put them into practice; they have to connect their mind, body, and soul to gain the full benefits. There may be any number of reasons why a successful outcome does not happen. So, you don’t want to claim that a technique will cure something when there’s a possibility that it just doesn’t happen.

Unintentional Shame

What should Yoga teachers know about shame? It has no place in a healthy student/teacher relationship. When we give advice, we want it to be useful. When we promise a cure and a student doesn’t experience healing, negative feelings come about. This can also usher in a level of shame for the student because it didn’t happen for them the way it might’ve happened for the next person. Then, people start to look internally and scrutinize themselves. Compassion should be one of the leading forces in teaching Yoga classes.

Liability

There’s also the factor of legalities and liabilities that you don’t want hanging over your teaching. While it’s okay to talk about the potential success people can experience with Yoga, never promise because you don’t know what that person’s journey will look like from the most practical standpoint. What should Yoga teachers know about the law? Teaching safe classes requires us to be responsible with our words and actions.

Cost of Giving Medical Advice

Ultimately, you can be fired for giving medical advice, even if you’re a yoga teacher. Here’s what you need to know. It’s important to remember that yoga is not a medical treatment. While it can be beneficial for overall health and well-being, it’s not a substitute for professional medical care. That means that as a yoga teacher, you should never give medical advice to your students. This includes promising cures for conditions or suggesting that yoga is the only treatment necessary.

Punished for Good Intentions

If you do give medical advice, you can be held liable for any adverse effects that occur. In some cases, this could even lead to your firing from your job. So, what can you do if a student asks for your help with a health issue? First, direct them to consult their licensed healthcare professional for medical advice. If they want to participate in classes, then provide them with general information and leave the specifics of medical treatment to their doctor.