We have adopted our Code of Conduct which applies to all our teachers. We believe that it is the responsibility of our teachers to ensure a safe and protected environment in which a student can grow physically, mentally, and spiritually. We believe our teachers must aspire to and express the highest possible standards of conduct as set forth in our Code of Conduct. Our Code of Conduct embodies the yamas and niyamas of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali which are rules of ethical conduct that apply to all practitioners of yoga.

i. comply with all legal and business requirements that apply to their business;

ii. ensure all advertisements relating to the benefits of yoga are accurate, fair, and not misleading;

iii. treat employees, assistants, students, colleagues, and other wellness businesses fairly, transparently and honestly in the course of all business dealings; and

iv. follow sound environmental and sustainable practices in their professional and personal lives.

Teachers shall maintain and improve their professional knowledge and competence, strive for professional excellence through regular assessment of their personal and professional strengths and weaknesses, and through continued education and training. Teachers shall stay current with new developments in yoga through practice and study.

Teachers shall maintain professional relationships with their students. Teachers recognize that the teacher-student relationship involves a power imbalance. Teachers shall avoid any relationship with a student that exploits the student in any way or that may be used for the teacher’s personal benefit. Teachers shall not engage in harassment, abusive words or actions, or exploit students. The relationship between a yoga teacher and a student is based on trust. To establish and maintain that trust, teachers must be polite, considerate, and honest in their interactions with their students. Teachers should practice good communication with their students. Teachers should listen attentively to their students, respect their point of view, beliefs and culture, and should not 22 The Code of Conduct yogaalliance.org allow their beliefs and values to adversely influence their relationship with their students. Teachers shall avoid imposing their personal beliefs on their students.

Teachers shall uphold the highest of moral standards. Teachers shall strive to ensure that their intentions, actions, and speech are based on honesty, compassion, selflessness, trustworthiness, and transparency. Teachers recognize that the process of learning is never complete, and they shall avoid portraying themselves as “enlightened” or “spiritually advanced.” Teachers recognize that they are walking on the spiritual path along with their fellow teachers and students. Teachers shall cultivate an attitude of humanity in their teaching and dedicate their work to something greater than themselves.

Teachers shall represent their qualifications honestly and provide only the services they are qualified and certified to perform. Teachers shall not give medical advice. Teachers shall not recommend treatment, diagnose a condition, or suggest that a student disregard medical advice. Teachers shall refer their students to medical doctors or complimentary licensed professionals when appropriate.

Teachers shall keep all personal information disclosed by their students or clients strictly confidential. A teacher who receives any private information from a student or client may not disclose such information unless it obtains the written consent of the student or client. However, a teacher may disclose private information about a student or client without obtaining consent in the following situations: (a) to comply with the law or the order of a court; (b) to prevent bodily harm or danger to the student or client or to others; or (c) where the information has already been disclosed to the public.

Teachers are part of a network of health care and well-being professionals and shall seek to develop interdisciplinary relationships. Teachers shall conduct themselves in an honorable manner in their relations with their colleagues and other wellness practitioners. Teachers shall not openly criticize practices followed by other yoga schools or teachers.

A teacher shall accurately represent his or her professional qualifications and certifications along with his or her affiliations with any organization(s). Announcements and brochures promoting classes shall pertain only to Yoga Pearl offerings and all information shall describe them with accuracy and grace. These principles are designed to uphold the quality of our teachings and shall be in compliance with legal guidelines for appropriate representation of our services.

Teachers will welcome, accept, and support all students regardless of religion, gender, sexual orientation, language, nationality, political, or cultural background. Teachers will embrace yoga equity. Teachers shall seek to have an awareness and a commitment to making yoga more equitable, inclusive, accessible and diverse. This encompasses diversity, inclusion and accessibility in yoga. Teachers will make the conscious decision to address each of these issues thoughtfully and intentionally throughout their work in restoring equity to the yoga community. Teachers will emphasize the importance of learning, teaching, and practicing yoga honestly, which means promoting equity, reducing harm, honoring and leveraging cultural differences, and fostering diversity and inclusion in all areas of yoga while honoring the integrity of yoga’s cultural and historical roots.

Reporting of Policy Violations We encourage anyone who has been the subject of sexual misconduct or of any other action that violates our policies or Code of Conduct to report the incident to our Ethics Committee, Human Resources department, or school management (henceforth referred to as the “reviewing body”). The report should contain the following information: • Your full name; • Your email and phone number; • The name of the person the grievance is against; • A description of the policy violation; • The date and location of the policy violation; • Names and contact information of any witnesses with first-hand knowledge of the situation; and • Any other credible evidence that is available to support the grievance. 32 Grievance Policy Template yogaalliance.org In the interest of fairness, all reports must be made by the person who has personally experienced the misconduct. We will not investigate a matter based upon a third-party report of misconduct. All reports must be made in good faith based on information the person reporting the incident reasonably believes to be accurate. We may request additional information from the person reporting the incident throughout the course of review of the report. We will take appropriate action to ensure compliance with our policies. The reviewing body will impose any sanctions that it feels are fair, just, and reasonable under all circumstances. We will not allow anyone to retaliate against any person for making a report in good faith or providing information in connection with an investigation into an alleged violation. Any information provided during a grievance review will be treated on a confidential basis. Similarly, any actions taken in response to the report will also be confidential.

No refunds of any kind will be made after deposit or final payment is made.

We will not retaliate against any person for having reported or threatened to report harassment, discrimination, retaliation, or violations of our Code of Conduct or polices, or for participating in an investigation into any of the foregoing. Anyone who retaliates against a person will be subjected to disciplinary action, up to and including termination. We encourage any person — including employees, non-employees, and students — who believe they have been subject to retaliation to inform a supervisor or manager. We have a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment or sexual misconduct. We encourage anyone who has been anyone who is subject to this behavior to report it to the human resources department or school management. We will do everything possible to ensure that you are not retaliated against by anyone because you have reported misconduct.