Get Medical Clearance for Your Yoga Students

Have you ever had a student with a questionable medical condition?

Did you wish his or her medical provider would tell you whether it’s okay for this person to do yoga?

Yes, we’ve all been there. So has Damini Branen, a yoga teacher from Eugene, Oregon, who has generously shared with us her solution: she asks such students to get their medical providers to sign a simple clearance form before attending classes. As a former medical administrator, Damini is well qualified to design a form that works — for yoga teachers and for the providers.

Several parts of the form will have to be tailored to your specific situation. As you make changes, please keep in mind two very important things:

1. Describe accurately (but briefly) what the student will be asked to do in your class. Medical people do not necessarily know anything about Hatha Yoga.
2. Make it as easy as possible for the medical provider to respond. This is vital, as providers aren’t always able to spend extra time on their patients. The more you can reduce the provider’s role to “a quick read and sign,” the greater your chances of getting a response.

We recommend that you attach to the form a copy of your class flyer/brochure, in case the provider wants more information.

Download the Medical Clearance Form

• Word Document
• PDF Document