Accountability

Yoga Alliance’s Grievance Policy outlines the types of complaints that we are able to review, what to submit with a grievance, and the steps we take once we receive a complaint. Before submitting a grievance to Yoga Alliance, we encourage you to try to resolve the issue with the teacher or school directly. If you are unable to resolve it that way, you can submit a grievance to Yoga Alliance. Once submitted, an Accountability Advisor will review the information you provide and contact you about the status of your grievance or any next steps.

Information you provide to Yoga Alliance, including your identity, will remain confidential to the extent practical, balancing the need for confidentiality and the ability to conduct a meaningful investigation. However, the investigation may require disclosing information to an investigator, witnesses, and respondents. Please note that even where Yoga Alliance does not disclose your identity, your identity may be known by respondents and witnesses simply based on the allegations or facts of the case.

Similarly, any actions taken in response to the grievance and information regarding the investigation will remain confidential to the extent practical. Sexual Misconduct grievances are handled non-anonymously.

There are many different levels of enforcement in how Yoga Alliance addresses grievances. These levels may include education, training, and warnings. Yoga Alliance also reserves the right to suspend or revoke any member in violation of our policies and standards. Such decisions are made after a thorough investigation based on the formal grievance. Often, members decide to submit a grievance but do not want any action taken therein. Yoga Alliance reserves the right to open an internal investigation and may impose final sanctions on a member’s credentials and registration, including failure to uphold any Yoga Alliance policies. With all cases, we record internal notes on members' accounts.

Yoga Alliance recommends you consult with your school to discuss their refund policy. If there is a dispute regarding what has been communicated, please contact Yoga Alliance. Please note Yoga Alliance does not intervene in financial disputes outside the scope of our policies.

When applicable, we require documentary evidence to support your grievance. Examples of documentary evidence include, but are not limited to, screenshots of text message conversations, printed or scanned copies of training manuals, handouts, website links, notes or advertisements, and pictures. After preliminary review of a grievance, the Accountability Department will determine if there is enough information to proceed with further investigation.

If there is a final decision on your grievance, you will be alerted of that decision once the investigation concludes. Yoga Alliance does not share information about the investigation as it is in progress.

We highly encourage you to file a grievance if you experience harassment or retaliation, however, we are not a judicial or government enforcing body. We strongly encourage individuals concerned about potential retaliation to seek professional assistance from local law enforcement and government bodies.

We strive to respond to initial reports within 5 business days of receipt. The length of the process varies depending upon the evidence gathered from all involved parties. If you have questions regarding the status of a grievance, please contact your Accountability Advisor directly.

Yoga Alliance will conduct a preliminary review for non-sexual misconduct third-party grievances. In the interest of the safety and privacy of the individual, Yoga Alliance will not initiate an investigation based upon a third-party report of a Policy violation.

Reports of sexual misconduct must be initiated by the individual who has personally experienced misconduct defined in the policy as unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, whether physical or verbal in nature. If the individual is a minor at the time of the report, the minor’s parent or legal guardian (should one have been appointed), can report the misconduct on the minor’s behalf.

No. We do not require background checks for membership. We do require all members to abide by our Ethical Commitment, including our Code of Conduct and Scope of Practice, designed to unify members around shared principles and to foster safe and respectful guidelines for the profession of yoga training. Yoga Alliance is a nonprofit 501(C)(6) membership professional and trade association.

A grievance can be filed against a former and/or currently registered member regardless of whether the complainant is a member. All grievances are recorded in the account(s) of Registered Yoga Schools (RYS), Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT), and/or Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Providers (YACEP). Disciplinary action may vary based upon the respondent’s current status, and such action may range from education to revocation of Yoga Alliance credentials.

Yes. You are welcome to submit a complaint or inquiry that you feel might not fit our listed policies. An Accountability Advisor will review your statement/question and determine if your claim/inquiry is covered by our policies.