Josh Summers

Creative and functional approach to the spiritual path, weaving insights and practices from Yin Yoga, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and ancient wisdom traditions

Ethics Assignment

Overview:

  1. Read: Teaching Yoga: Exploring the Teacher-Student Relationship by Donna Fahri
  2. Write a brief essay on the ethics of practicing Yin Yoga (300-500 words).

Intention: The Self-Reflective Teacher

In exploring the ethics of teaching yoga, we acknowledge that humans make mistakes. We have made – and will continue to make – mistakes.
The intention of this assignment is to develop a process of self-reflection around the ethics of teaching yoga. While this won’t prevent mistakes from happening, it can help you in two ways:

  1. You can mitigate the damage of a mistake when you are skilled in course correction techniques; and
  2. You help prevent similar incidents from occurring.

At the basis of this ethic is a commitment to not harming.

Exploration:

For this exploration, we’d like you to describe a scenario where some aspect of your ethical sense of what it means to teach yoga was compromised. Pick one of the following three scenarios to examine:

  1. A scenario from your own experience as a student, as a teacher, or  something you witnessed with others.
  2. You may create a fictional scenario in which some ethical standard was compromised.
  3. Or, you could draw from any of the recent revelations in the yoga and meditation world that exemplify the violation of ethical standards (Two examples: Bikram Choudhury or Pattabhi Jois).

Requirements of the Assignment:

For this assignment, please address the following in a 500-word essay:

  • Symptom: Describe a scenario (real or hypothetical) in which you perceived the breakdown of an ethical standard within the space of teaching yoga. Please articulate the ethical norm that was compromised and how it was compromised.
  • Diagnosis: Recount why you think this breach of an ethical norm occurred. Please use, wherever relevant, the concepts explored in Donna Farhi’s book of transference, countertransference, projection, adoration, disenchantment, and boundaries.
  • Outcome: How did this scenario get resolved, if at all? Were there people involved active in trying to “cure” it, or more passive about it? Was the ethical norm re-established or was it left open and unresolved? Describe, as best you can, the fallout of this dynamic.
  • Prescription: What might have happened to lead to a more optimal outcome? Given that hindsight is often 20:20, what can you take away from this scenario to help ensure better boundaries are established and/or sustained in the future? What resources, internal or external, might you call upon to offer greater support going forward?

Important: The Practicum is graded on a pass/fail basis. It is your responsibility to ensure that your submission meets the criteria of this assignment. Please review the above requirements carefully before you begin.
If your submission does NOT meet the requirements, you will need to resubmit the assignment along with a Resubmission Fee of $150.

Submitting Your Essay

  • Please email your essay to Josh and Terry at info@yinyogaschool.com. It can be in any format: PDF, Word document, or a link to a Google Doc.