What is a Yoga Teacher's Scope of Practice?

Yoga teacher Jenni Rawlings and Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen are joined by the amazing Catherine Wilkinson to discuss a yoga teacher’s scope of practice.

Catherine Wilkinson is the founder of Wellness Connection Yoga School, where she also serves as the course designer and lead trainer for their 200hr and 500hr yoga teacher trainings (offered both in-person and online). Catherine holds a BSc/MSc in Health Sciences, and she strives to be as evidence-based as possible in her approach to training yoga teachers.

Points of discussion include:

• How has Catherine’s opinion about the scope of practice of a yoga teacher changed over time?
• Should yoga teachers ask yoga students if they have any injuries?
• What are some common ways that yoga teachers “step outside their lane”?
• Is using polyvagal theory in a yoga class to help students treat their trauma within a yoga teacher’s scope of practice?
• Is telling yoga students that they store their trauma in their hips within a yoga teacher’s scope of practice?
• How do publications like Yoga Journal and Yoga International help foster confusion about a yoga teacher’s scope of practice?
• The important distinction between teaching yoga *for* a certain condition and teaching yoga for people *with* a certain condition
• Understanding movement science does not mean that you’ll teach a yoga class that’s “safer”
• The contradiction between the widespread belief that yoga is dangerous and the widespread belief that yoga is so good for a multitude of conditions
• What’s a better approach to keeping students safe than “alignment”?
• Is advising students on their daily-life posture within a yoga teachers’ scope of practice?
• If we stop using fearmongering language in our yoga teaching about alignment and pain, what should we say instead?

Enjoy this engaging and eye-opening discussion for yoga, movement, and fitness geeks!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Learn more about Catherine Wilkinson’s *online, self-paced* yoga teacher trainings

Learn more about Catherine Wilkinson’s *in-person and live online* yoga teacher trainings

Follow Catherine Wilkinson on Instagram

Jenni’s email newsletter

Strength for Yoga Remote Group Training – ongoing, interactive monthly strength program for yogis designed by Jenni & Travis

Blog post: What Is a Yoga Teacher’s Scope of Practice?

Podcast episode: Should We Stop Teaching Yoga for Low Back Pain? w/ Paul Ingraham

Podcast episode: Is Rounding Your Back Dangerous? w/ Dr. Sam Spinelli

Online yoga class library & yoga anatomy workshops with Jenni

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