Your annual cost for yoga teacher liability insurance isn’t the only factor you should keep in mind when selecting a policy. Learn what things you should consider when choosing insurance and how that factors into what you are paying.

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• Modalities Coverage: Ensure your insurance covers your specific yoga styles.
• Adequate Coverage: Aim for at least $2 million per occurrence and $3 million annually.
• Value Assessment: Consider the coverage-to-cost ratio.
• Part-Time Protection: Even part-time teachers need coverage.
• Online Teaching: Check if online classes are covered, and inquire about identity theft protection.
• Occurrence-Based Coverage: Choose policies that allow claims for past incidents.
• Member Benefits: Look for perks like website creation and discounts.
• Thorough Comparison: Compare policies for the best fit.
• Access Resources: Use comparison guides and contact providers for details.

Insurance for Yoga Teachers: What Factors Into Yoga Insurance

Congratulations! You’ve graduated from yoga teacher training and are preparing to dive into your new fulfilling career. When shopping for yoga insurance you may wonder how much you should be paying.

This decision can be especially confusing if you’re debating between part-time and full-time teaching. As a part-time yoga teacher, you may wonder if you even really need all the bells and whistles when it comes to yoga insurance. beYogi’s part-time coverage starts at only $169/year.

There are more than a few liability insurance providers for yoga teachers out there. You want to pick the best option, not only for your business but for your wallet, too. If you’re debating between a few brands there are important things you need to keep in mind. It isn’t only how much you are paying, but what you’re getting for your annual fee.

What Modalities are Covered 

The first and most simple thing you need to be sure of is that whatever you’re teaching is covered by your liability insurance. Many yoga insurance companies cover multiple traditions of yoga but some of the newer teaching styles might be excluded from the list. 

If their list of modalities seems to be widely varied, it may be just as important to make sure the insurance provider you choose is transparent with what they do not cover. 

What Amounts Are Covered?

The next basic item to check off the list is how much you are covered for. If the worst were to happen, legal fees could add up quickly. You want to make sure you’d have peace of mind for your wallet in case you need to make a claim as well as in your annual renewal payment.

The recommended coverage levels for professional and general liability insurance is $2 million per occurrence and at least a $3 million annual aggregate.

Are There Extra Add-On Costs?

Keep an eye out for add-ons that cost an additional fee. You could pay a low annual rate but have to pay extra for other things you may need, such as identity theft coverage or online yoga class coverage, or moving your coverage to another location or state. Make sure everything you need is already included in your price estimate or written into your policy.

What If You're a Part-Time Yoga Teacher?

You may think that you don’t need yoga insurance if you’re only teaching one class per week. If so, you would be wrong! Every person who is teaching yoga should be covered with liability insurance. Even if you are working as a yoga instructor at a studio that carries liability insurance, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are protected under that policy.

Unfortunately, accidents happen and if the worst-case scenario does come around, you don’t want to be responsible for all of the legal fees or equipment fees that may come with it. Insurance can give you some peace of mind in a worst-case situation. But you don’t need to get the same exact coverage as a full-time yoga teacher.

Is There Digital Coverage? 

Many studios and yoga businesses are choosing to operate online or with an online component. Yet, some yoga insurance companies require an additional fee or don’t cover online classes at all. 

Additionally, identity theft is a newer and unfortunate problem made more prevalent due to online yoga teaching. Ask if your insurance provider has coverage for identity theft (though, it might be an additional fee).

With beYogi, livestream, and pre-recorded classes are covered and you are protected from identity theft. Whether you plan to teach online or not, it’s a good idea to check that your liability insurance would protect you if you choose to change up your offerings to reach a wider online audience.

Claims-Made vs. Occurrence-Based Coverage

There are two types of claim coverage, occurrence-based and claims-made.

It has happened that a person reports an accident that occurred while you were covered by yoga insurance but it wasn’t submitted until your policy expired or you changed companies. This is called "Occurrence Based" coverage and many yoga insurance companies don't offer it. Some people may be delayed in reporting an accident and the belated claim wouldn’t be your fault at all so it’s important to be covered even then. 

The alternative is claims-made coverage, which is when all claims have to be completely submitted while your policy is still active in order for them to be considered. 

No matter if you choose beYogi or another provider, make sure your provider offers this type of coverage. The last thing you want is for the liability insurance you’ve been paying for to be useless when you actually need it.

Are There Member Benefits?

The most fun thing to take a look at when comparing costs of yoga insurance policies are the member benefits that come with it. This is an additional value besides coverage amount or annual fee cost. 

Every company may have different member benefits but some perks you can look out for are: a free professional website, health insurance benefits, discounts on yoga products and equipment, business resources, and deals on continuing education.

There’s more to choosing a yoga teacher liability insurance policy than the yearly payment you make to the provider. You want to make sure you’re covered no matter what so you can confidently teach and do what you do best: change the world one class at a time. But you can also keep an eye out for fun benefits and options to diversify your yoga teacher offerings - like going online.

Making sense of all of the different yoga teacher insurance jargon can seem intimidating. We’ve published our yoga teacher liability insurance comparison in our complete guide to yoga insurance.