Should Yoga Teachers Give Medical Advice?

By Eleanor Bartel

Yoga teachers are many things - they are versatile fitness gurus, grounded spiritual examples, and compassionate and open-minded leaders in their community. Many teachers have a lot of experience in not just the practice of yoga, but also in human anatomy and the body. This means that many experienced yoga instructors can recognize pain and discomfort in their students during practice. However, yoga teachers should recognize their own limitations when it comes to dispensing medical advice. Legally, yoga teachers are not licensed to give medical advice in most areas of health. There will be times when a student needs you to recommend a medical professional to help with their injury or discomfort.

Be Up Front About Your Qualifications

Many people will ask their yoga teacher questions about health and medicine. This may be because your students are more comfortable talking to you instead of their normal primary care physician, who they may not see on a regular basis. As a yoga instructor, it's your responsibility to tell your students that you are not equipped to give medical advice. This is for the safety of your students as well as for your own safety regarding legal and ethical matters. If students come to you asking for detailed, personal health information, such as what it means if their back pinches in a certain pose or why they are having digestive issues, avoid trying to diagnose the issue. Instead, recommend that they see a medical professional - such as their primary care doctor or a chiropractor. If you get asked a lot of questions, you can always have contact information for nearby medical professionals on hand.

Suggesting Poses and Props

If your student does have an already diagnosed medical condition or injury, one thing you can do without worry is recommend which poses they should avoid. This is something yoga instructors will learn during their teacher training. For example, you can help students with back problems avoid pain by telling them to avoid certain poses like intense backbends and deep forward bends. You can also help students by recommending poses that can help strengthen the area or stretch the sore muscles. For students who have existing injuries or pain due to lack of flexibility, props can also be used to make the poses easier and gentler. Have props like yoga blocks, straps, and bolsters available for use in your class so that you can help your students find the best way to do a pose for their current physical ability level.

Avoid Nutritional Recommendations

Because yoga is so focused on natural health and healing, many students will have questions about holistic nutrition and herbal supplements during class. While you may have your own personal nutrition guidelines outside of the studio, it is important to avoid giving any nutritional advice in the classroom. As a yoga teacher, you are not licensed to dispense this kind of information, and doing so could land you in legal hot water. The best approach is to recommend that someone with specific dietary concerns seek out professional guidance from a doctor or a licensed nutritionist or dietician. If you like, you can keep business cards or brochures at the studio for local professionals.

Because yoga teachers hold such a personal, prominent role in the lives of their regular students, they are often swamped with personal questions about health and medicine. As an instructor, it is your responsibility to direct students to the appropriate professionals regarding health, medicine, and nutrition. This will not only help your students to achieve optimal health, but it will also protect you from getting into trouble legally and ethically.

© Copyright 2014 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division