Ethics in teaching and touching.
Yoga philosophy emphasizes deeply the practice of Yama. Yama is a personal code of ethics for practicing and teaching yoga. It includes Ahinsa – Nonviolence, Satya – Truth speaking, Asteya – Non-stealing, Apahgriha – Non-possessiveness, and Brahmacharya – Abstinence or rightful use of energy. These ethics create a safe environment for the students and clear the intentions of teaching yoga. The teacher should teach what is true to their knowledge and not beyond their expertise. They shouldn’t push the student in a way that can be harmful to the student, physically, mentally, or emotionally. The teacher should be aware of the functional anatomy, contradictions, and risk factors for practicing yoga and help to strengthen students’ practice. Touching to correct alignment is an important part of teaching yoga. However, it should always be consented to by the student and the teacher should ask for consent before approaching the student. The teacher should not touch the student blindly, randomly, forcibly, meanderingly, and inappropriately. The touching should only be to correct the alignment and provide support or stability in an asana. The consent needs to be valued at all times.