We have discussed the “state regulation of the yoga studio world” issue at length here on our blog. (Click here for our post from last week which features a quick refresher on the issue.) New York has taken center stage in the regulation drama as of late. In response to regulation threats by the government there, yoga teachers and studio owners banded together to form the Yoga Association of New York, which succeeded in fending off the regulators, at least temporarily.
Well, it looks like the next state government to take part in this game is Virginia’s! The Washington Post published an article today titled “Seeking Rapture, Not Regulation: Virginia Yogis Take Assertive Position Against State Certification Plan”. The story is much the same in Virginia as in New York: the government is attempting to initiate official regulation of yoga studios which host teacher training programs (this would entail licensing fees, audits, and significant amounts of bureaucratic paperwork), and yoga teachers have joined together to resist the effort. In Virginia, the resistance movement has a Facebook page titled “Virginia Yoga Teachers” (no website yet, but we’re sure it’s in the works!)
From the article:
The tussle has pitted yoga enthusiasts against bureaucrats. At issue: Are yoga teacher training programs akin to vocational classes that should be regulated by the state? Or is Big Brother stretching too far into a centuries-old spiritual practice?
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia recently declared that studios offering yoga teacher instruction must be certified. That involves a $2,500 fee, audits, annual charges of at least $500 and a pile of paperwork.
Yogis, in an unlikely departure from their usual mission to foster harmony and balance, are pushing back. They launched a letter-writing campaign to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) and state lawmakers and started a “Virginia Yoga Teachers” page on Facebook to organize it. Even Sen. Mark Warner’s former private yoga instructor said she asked his office to back their effort.
Which state will be pulled into this intriguing yoga drama next? We’ll be sure to stay tuned and let you know!
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