Yoga Teacher Insurance (November 2005)

ORIGINAL QUESTION:

From Carol Gray
Ananda Yoga and Meditation Center, Ashland, Oregon

I am the coordinator of the Ananda Yoga and Meditation Center in Ashland. I am looking for yoga teacher insurance for myself and possibly for the entire center. We have five Ananda-certified yoga teachers. I'd love to hear from everyone with insurance and ESPECIALLY  from people who have insurance for their yoga center. I'm looking for the best insurance at the best price. Any suggestions?

Thank you!

ANSWERS:

From Gyandev

Here are three companies that provide liability insurance for yoga teachers. In the past, we referred Ananda Yoga teachers to Sports and Fitness, which may be why a couple folks  below have that coverage, or perhaps they shopped around and found it best. But when S&F stopped giving AYTA members a price break, we stopped recommending it, and we no longer know whether they offer the most cost-effective coverage. If anyone would like to do some in-depth shopping on these three companies and provide AYSutra with a brief analysis and recommendation, it would be great. Please let me know if you intend to embark on this service project, so others won’t duplicate your work. (P.S. One of the responses below suggests that Yoga Alliance provides insurance to its registrants. That is not true at this time.)

Fitness & Wellness Purchasing Group
380 Stevens Avenue, First Floor
Solana Beach, CA 92075
Toll-free: 800-395-8075
Office: 858-259-6069
Fax: 858-519-0822
Email: yoga@fitnessandwellness.com
Web site: www.fitnessandwellness.com

Sports & Fitness
212 Key Drive, Suite A
Madison, MS 39110
Toll-free: 800-844-0536, extension 2232 (Ashley Stairs)
Office: 601-898-8464
Fax: 601-707-1019 or 601-707-1047
Email: Ashley@sportsfitness.com
Web site: www.sportsfitness.com

Venbrook Insurance
22801 Ventura Boulevard, #300
Woodland Hills, CA. 91364
Toll-free: 800-991-3080 (Carl Ferraris)
Office: 818-991-3338
Fax: 818-991-4316
Email: cferraris@venbrook.com
Web site: www.venbrook.com

From Dan Riordan

Hello,

I have a liability policy with Sports and Fitness Insurance Cor. Very reasonable, great service,...this person listed below in particular. The did the whole deal in about 2 days. About $160.00 per year for $2 mil liability and an additional $25 to have an additional insured ...The local school district because I was teaching in one of their buildings. It would probably be different for you with your studio but these folks can probably help.

Nicole
Sports and Fitness Insurance
Personal Trainer, Pilates, Yoga Instructor Dept.
212 Key Drive / Suite A
Madison, MS 39110
Phone: 1-800-844-0536 ext. 2293
Fax: 601-707-1020
nicole@sportsfitness.com

Best of luck. FYI I have a sister in Ashland who I visit from time to time. I look forward to practicing at your studio some day.

Namaste,
Dan

From Robbie Campbell

The only insurance I have come across is the one through either Yoga Journal or California Yoga Teacher Association. It varies depending on how many class hours you teach but they also provide it through studios to cover up to so many instructors. I believe you can access the information from Yoga Journals website. Hope this helps.

Namaste-

From Jacqui Farless

Dear Carol:

I am insured to teach yoga through ABMP; the insurance has been added to my massage insurance at no extra charge.  ABMP membership starts at $199. per year, with extra to cover the premises.

As Ananda certified teachers are qualified to join the Yoga Alliance, they can be insured through the Alliance quite reasonably.  I have not looked into that, but was told at Ananda that they had a very reasonable policy.

Good luck.
Namaste,
Jacqui

From Denise Chicoine, AYTT 1/05

Hi Carol,

I have insurance through IMA Group (International Massage Association) - $150/yr if the teacher has less than 10 students per class at any given time. If you have more than 10 students in the class, the fee is higher. You pay an extra $10 to include additional insured, i.e. landlords, etc. The # and website: (540) 351-0800 or www.imagroup.com <http://www.imagroup.com>

From Veena Grover

I have yoga ins.from Sports & Fitness ins. My annual premium is $ 150.00 Please,call Ashley 800-844-0536 ,EX # 2232.

Good Luck,
Veena.

From Stuart Moody

SUMMARY OF THREE INSURANCE POLICIES

The table below shows figures that I was quoted by representatives of the three companies recommended by Yoga Alliance (and mentioned in Gyandev’s earlier message).  The rates are for “full-time” yoga teachers. Each of these companies, by the way, was willing to cover my other work of teaching folk dance in schools and community events.

“Individual” refers to single events or claims.  “Aggregate” refers to the total payable for multiple claims.

I was inclined to go with Venbrook, as their rates were lowest, but a church required the highest level of insurance for a benefit dance that I was going to call in their hall.  In a second round of calls, the representative at Fitness & Wellness inquired more carefully into the average hours per week that I am actually teaching yoga (vs. other teaching, and writing), and determined that I was “part-time,” lowering the rate to $145/year.  That, along with no charge for “additional insured,” clinched it for me.

“Additional insured” line refers to situations in which an organization asks that they be specifically named on your policy.  This can come up when you sub at a different studio, or do a special event (such as the above-mentioned benefit event).

FITNESS & WELLNESS
Level of coverage
Indiv.       Aggregate
500,000     500,000          N/A
1 m.           1 m.        N/A
1 m.           2 m.        N/A
2 m.           4 m.        $205/yr.
Additional insured        (First ten are free)

SPORTS & FITNESS
500,000     500,000          $150
1 m.           1 m.          175
1 m.           2 m.          190
2 m.           4 m.          N/A
Additional insured            25

VENBROOK (MY FITNESS)
500,000     500,000          $129
1 m.           1 m.          149
1 m.           2 m.          N/A
2 m.           4 m.          173
Additional insured            35

I enjoyed talking with each of the companies, and thought to ask two of them the amount of claims they had had to pay out for yoga teachers.  Sports& Fitness ensures 14,000 yoga and Pilates instructors, I was told, and had 5 claims last year.  A relatively low level, we agreed.  When I asked the man at Venbrook, he said, “I can tell you how many claims I have had since 1990:   one.”  An instructor left a candle burning in the studio overnight, and the whole place burned down.  No one was hurt.

I can’t compare these figures to other professions, but I hope that we can keep up the low rate of claims through our collective practice of ahimsa, dharana, and santosha in our teaching.

From Cynthia Saffell

Last year I checked the price of all 3 companies. Sports and Fitness was the best priced.  I don't know if that is still true this year.

Namaste-
Cynthia