Teaching Yoga
Exploring The Teacher Student Relationship

Further Information

Teaching Yoga explores with depth and compassion a variety of topics both practical and philosophical, including:

• how to create healthy boundaries
• the student-teacher relationship (including whether a sexual relationship is acceptable)
• how to create physical and emotional safety for the student
• what is a reasonable class size; how much a class should cost
• and how to conduct the business of teaching while upholding the integrity of Yoga as a philosophy, a science, and an art.
• A bonus CD features Donna speaking about yoga ethics at a 2002 conference.

Reviews

Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D., P.T.,
Author of 30 Essential Yoga Poses
“At last, here is a book that dispassionately discusses the ethics inherent in being a Yoga teacher in a modern Western context. I recommend this book because it explains the psychodynamics of the teacher-student relationship in ways that show core values, such as respect and fearlessness.

But I like this book because it dares to ask us hard questions about living a spiritual life, so that we can teach with clarity and compassion. An instant classic!”

Michael Hutchinson ~ BWY Diploma Course Tutor
“What are the dos and don’ts for Yoga teachers? Ideally, we would each have a mentor close at hand, to check and comment on our teaching standards. In practice few of us do, but Donna Farhi’s inspiring book on the ethics of teaching Yoga is the next best thing. Exploring, with frequent references to Patanjali, all the common issues that arise in the course of our interactions with students, this book provides a first line of defence against self-deceit.

Hard to put down, written with disarming frankness and fearless integrity, the book never preaches but certainly punches. Drawing on first-hand accounts from Farhi and other teachers, this book describes many incidents that should never have happened in the world of Yoga, and draws sharp lessons from all of them. It is ironic that Yoga, having its own professional standards (the Yamas and Niyamas) built in, sometimes displays lower standards than do similar disciplines. Wide readership of the book by both teachers and students will go a long way towards ensuring that high expectations are consistently maintained throughout our profession.”