Teaching Private Yoga Classes: Insurance, Risk and What To Check

Teaching private classes is a natural progression for many yoga teachers. It offers more personalised support, deeper relationships, and greater flexibility.

However, with this comes an increased level of responsibility. One-to-one teaching often involves working more closely with individuals, adapting practices to specific needs, and sometimes teaching in a variety of environments.

From an insurance perspective, your risk profile changes when moving from group teaching to private sessions, which bring unique considerations that your insurance policy must reflect. For example, you may face situations such as a student slipping on a mat during a one-to-one session at their home, or a student experiencing an injury while following your instructions during an online class. These scenarios highlight why having the right cover is important. The right insurance lets you teach with confidence, knowing you’re protected if something doesn’t go as planned.

Does Your Insurance Cover Private Yoga Classes?

1. Scope of Your Insurance Cover

Not all policies automatically include private sessions. Some are designed primarily for group classes, so it’s important to check whether one-to-one teaching is explicitly covered. When reviewing insurance policies, consider the following:

- Does the policy cover private or one-to-one yoga sessions?

- Are there any restrictions or requirements for teaching private students?

- Are all teaching locations included (such as online, in students’ homes, or outdoors)?

2. Where You Teach

Private classes are often taught in a range of settings, including:

• Your home
• A student’s home
• Rented spaces
• Outdoor environments
• Online

Each of these can carry different levels of risk, and your insurance should reflect all the environments in which you teach.

3. Working with Health Conditions

Private students are more likely to seek tailored support, often due to injuries or specific health conditions. This increases the importance of:

• Student screening using health questionnaires
• Staying within your scope of practice by teaching only what you are qualified to teach
• Adapting sessions appropriately

4. Record Keeping and Documentation

Maintaining clear and accurate records is essential. This includes:

• Student intake forms
• Medical disclosures
• Session notes
• Consent for adjustments

In the event of a claim, documentation can play a key role in demonstrating your professional approach.

5. Physical Adjustments and Consent

Hands-on adjustments may be more common in private sessions. Clear communication and informed consent are essential to reduce risk and ensure students feel safe and supported. When planning physical adjustments, explain your approach to the student and obtain their explicit permission before the session begins. Document their consent in writing, such as on an intake form or through a consent form specific to adjustments. Reconfirm consent regularly and always check in verbally before each adjustment during sessions, noting this in your session records.

6. Cancellations, Payments and Disputes

Private work introduces additional considerations such as cancellation policies, refunds, and student expectations. Disputes can arise, and having clear terms in place, as well as access to legal support, can be important.

To help manage these situations, it is useful to include clear policy points in your terms and conditions. Here are a couple of sample terms you could adapt:

Sample Cancellation Policy: "Students may cancel or reschedule a session up to 24 hours in advance without penalty. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the scheduled session will be charged at 50 per cent of the session fee. No-shows will be charged the full session fee."

Sample Refund Clause: "Payments for private sessions are non-refundable except in the case of instructor cancellation or emergency circumstances, in which case a full refund or credit can be offered."

Including straightforward terms like these can help set expectations up front and minimise misunderstandings.

7. Understanding How Your Policy Responds

It’s important to understand how your insurance works in practice. For example, how does it respond if a claim is made some time after a session? Clarity here helps you avoid unexpected gaps in cover.

Checklist: What To Check Before Teaching Private Yoga Classes

Before or as you begin teaching private students, take time to check the list below. It is also a good idea to revisit this checklist regularly as your teaching evolves. Making this a habit supports proactive risk management and keeps your cover up to date.

✔ Does my insurance cover one-to-one sessions?
✔ Am I covered in all the locations I teach (home, student’s home, online, outdoors)?
✔ Do I have appropriate student screening (health questionnaire) and consent processes in place?
✔ Am I keeping clear and up-to-date student records?
✔ Do I understand what my insurance policy includes, and what it doesn’t?
✔ Does my insurance include support for disputes or legal matters?
✔ Have I reviewed my policy recently to reflect how I currently teach?

YogaPros Member Master Insurance Policy (from Balens)

For YogaPros members, it’s worth noting that the Master Insurance Policy, arranged with Balens, is designed to support the realities of modern teaching, including one-to-one sessions.

The policy provides portable, worldwide cover for teaching, including temporary trips abroad (excluding the USA, Canada, Belarus, and Russia). This means you are covered whether you are teaching in a studio, a student’s home, outdoor environments, or online; reflecting the way many teachers now work.

The policy operates on a claims-occurring basis, which means you are covered for incidents that take place during the period of insurance, regardless of when a claim is made. This provides longer-term peace of mind, particularly when working with private students, where issues may arise later.

In addition, the policy includes access to a legal helpline, offering guidance and support should you need assistance with a legal matter, dispute, or query related to your teaching.

As always, members are encouraged to review the individual policy details to ensure their cover aligns with their specific teaching activities and circumstances. Further information can be found here.

If you would like to add insurance to your membership, please contact us at support@yogaallianceprofessionals.org.

The Key Takeaway

Teaching private yoga classes can be a rewarding way to support students more personally, but it also brings extra responsibility.

Before your work grows, make sure your insurance reflects where you teach, how you teach, and the level of support you provide.

Clear cover, good records, and strong consent processes help you teach with confidence and protect your professional practice.

Learn more about insurance here!