Insurance for Yoga Teachers

Why do Yoga Teachers need insurance?

As a yoga teacher, it’s your goal to help others improve their wellbeing and find their inner zen. While you might take all the steps, poses, and care in the world to create a safe working space, putting all your expert skills in practice, the reality is things can still go wrong. That’s why it’s important to make sure you have the right insurances in place.

These are some examples to consider where business insurance may be required and could help to protect your yoga business:

• Does the local council require you to obtain a permit including Public Liability insurance before holding classes on council owned land, such as the public park?
• If you are providing professional advice and services to your clients on all things yoga, then you may want to look at covering your back with Professional Indemnity insurance
• If you’re out and about and teaching remotely, you may need to consider protecting things like your specialised yoga equipment with Portable Equipment cover
• If a claim were to occur, would you be able to afford the finances to pay for the damages and not to mention the legal costs involved too?
• Does your yoga services contract require a minimum amount of insurance cover?
• Has your professional association set a minimum level of cover required to be a member?

Insurance for Yoga Teachers

Professional Indemnity insurance*

Yoga is a highly physical practice that involves the movement of the body in many different twists, bends and stretches to achieve certain poses. While you are there to guide and provide your advice on the correct way to move to your clients, there is always a chance they can accidentally injure themselves in the process.

Even if you plan your classes, use particular sequences and include a mix of modification props, accidents can still happen, and your clients may unfortunately hold you liable. That’s where Professional Indemnity insurance becomes a vital form of cover to consider.

Professional Indemnity (PI) insurance is an important form of protection for businesses that provide

specialist services or professional advice. It is designed to respond to claims against your business for

losses as a result of actual or alleged negligent acts or omissions in the provision of your professional

service or advice. PI Insurance will also assist with the legal costs associated with responding to or

managing claims which are covered by the policy.

You work hard to build your reputation as a trusted yoga teacher, so the last thing you need is a claim to send it all crashing down. That’s where Professional Indemnity insurance can provide a safeguard when you need it most.

This is an overview of what Professional Indemnity insurance typically covers and excludes:

What’s typically included?

Depending on the Professional Indemnity policy selected, your policy could cover:

• Payment of compensation as a result of a claim, including but not limited to Court awarded damages
• An award of legal costs against you
• Reasonable legal costs incurred in defending or responding to the claim
• Claim investigation costs
• Disciplinary proceeding costs

What is typically not covered?

• Intentional damage
• Contractual liabilities
• Professional fees
• Known claims and circumstances
• Fraud and dishonesty

Public Liability Insurance*

When you work closely with clients, there is always the potential risk for a client to make a claim for an injury, making Public Liability insurance an important form of cover to think about as a yoga teacher.

Public Liability insurance is designed to provide protection for you and your business in the event

a customer, supplier or a member of the public brings a claim against you due to them being injured or sustaining property damage as a result of your negligent business activities.

It also gives you peace of mind knowing that if you accidentally damage your client’s property whilst providing an in-home private session, or you damage the wall-to-wall mirror in your hired studio your Public Liability insurance can provide you with some sort of protection.

This is a quick overview of what Public Liability insurance typically covers and excludes:

What is typically included?

Compensation for:

• personal injury suffered by a third party (e.g. a customer, supplier or member of the public)
• damage to property owned by a third party due to your negligent business activities
• legal and defence costs associated with a covered claim

What is typically not covered?

• Injuries to your employees
• Damage to your own property
• Costs of rectifying faulty workmanship
• Professional negligence
• Contractual liability
• Events occurring before or after the policy period

Business Insurance*

There are a variety of different types of business insurance options to help keep your business protected, these are a few to consider:

Contents: Covers your business contents or stock if they are damaged in a fire, storm or due to malicious damage or some other defined event listed in the policy

Building: Cover for loss and damage to buildings you own, as a result of an insured event (such as fire, storm, wind).

Portable Equipment: Portable Equipment insurance (also known as General Property insurance) covers you for loss and damage to items of portable equipment associated with your business. These can include tools of trade and items of stock.

Tax Audit: Tax Audit Insurance covers a business for specified costs in the event that it is selected by the Australian Tax Office for auditing. The policy offers coverage for the costs of accountants and other nominated professional fees incurred in the course of an audit.

Personal Accident and Illness insurance*

You rely on your physical health to be able to teach your classes, so if you were to fall ill or become inured in an accident how could you still manage to earn an income? It’s important to have some sort of plan in place to help support your business while you take the time out to recover.

Personal Accident and Illness insurance can provide cover should you become permanently disabled or pass away as a result of an accident. Cover could also include a weekly benefit for loss of income if you are unable to work as a result of an unexpected injury or illness (even if it occurs outside of your employment).

^ The provision of the claims examples are for illustrative purposes only and should not be seen as an indication as to how any potential claim will be assessed or accepted. Cover for a claim will depend on the specific circumstances around the loss and would be subject to the terms and conditions of the policy concerned. Coverage for claims on the policy will be determined by the insurer, not BizCover, and will depend on the specific facts and circumstances involved.

*This information is a general guide only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. As with any insurance, cover will be subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions contained in the policy wording. The information contained on this web page is general only and should not be relied upon as advice.