Becoming a member as a teacher requires submitting an application to the secretariat and providing a copy of the teacher certificate with a description of the experience acquired in yoga.

The Board of directors examines the demand and if it is accepted, the member pays his membership.

Practicing members apply to the secretariat and pay their membership.

Other members pay their membership to their instructor, who himself has to be a registered ABEPY member.

More details below :

Effective teacher and trainer members (Belgium) :

Are required to provide a copy of their certificate, or to explain their experience in Yoga.
Have to be accepted by the board of directors.
Pay an annual subscription of xx,- €.
May participate in the general meeting and are eligible for the Board of Directors.
Are insured by Ethias (SMAP).
Can insure their students.
Can appear in the Federation mailing list and on their website.
Can have announcements (workshops, courses, conferences, trips, …related to Yoga) appear in the Echo of Yoga and on the Federation’s website under the section “Activities”.
Will benefit from publicity during the fairs attended by the Federation all year-round, through the secretary’s information desk. (Upon reception of the membership, and if they wish to, teacher members can appear on the lists sent to persons asking for information and on the association’s website).
Trainer members are teacher members who are in charge of a school training yoga teachers, which is accepted by the ABEPY. The head teacher alone pays the trainer’s membership of xx,- €.

2. Effective practicing members :

Practice and study Yoga.
Pay an annual membership of xx,- €.
Can participate in the general meeting and are eligible for the Board of Directors.
Are insured by Ethias (SMAP) for Belgium.
Receive a subscription to the Echo of Yoga for Belgium.

3. Other members (students) :

Need to be registered through a teaching member, who will settle their annual subscription of x,- €.
Are insured by Ethias (SMAP).
Can be registered throughout the year.
Can actively participate to the association’s life, but do not vote during general meetings.
Can subscribe to the Echo of Yoga, directly or through their teacher, for xx,- € per year.

4. Honorary members :

Have substantially contributed to the development of yoga or have proved helpful to its cause.

5. Associations and moral persons :

Can join the association by paying a subscription of xx,- €, providing their activities are compatible with its purpose. They can make announcements in the Echo of Yoga or on the association’s website, but they cannot participate in the management of the association, nor insure students. They receive the Echo of Yoga.

For subscription, use only the account number: ……………………………….

Indicate your name, surname and/or communication number.

I.Y.F.

Non-exhaustive list of Federations:

In Belgium:

Belgian Federation of Hebertisme and Yoga – Home
fbhy.be/
Yoga in Belgium: Association des enseignants et des …yoga-abepy.be/
FBHY federationbelgeyoga.be
French League of Hatha Yoga Belgium (Mahesh)
yogaligue.be/historique.htm

In France:

French Federation of Yoga:
yoga-paris.com/
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF YOGA: federationinternationaledeyoga.org/
French Federation of Hatha Yoga (Shri Mahesh)
ff-hatha-yoga.com/federation/
FNPY – National Federation of Yoga Teachers

www.federationyoga.fr/

French Federation of Yoga schools (Nâtha-Yoga)
federation-de-yoga.fr/
National Federation of Yoga teachers (FNEY) 3, rue Aubriot 75004 Paris  Phone : +33 1 42 78 03 05
http://lemondeduyoga.org/lassociation-fney/

In Greece :

Greek Hatha Yoga Association
esyoga.gr

In Europe :

European Union of Yoga
http://www.yogaeurop.com/

Professional Insurance RC and Personal accidents

To teach Yoga, you will need to be insured.

The insurance covers, worldwide or in the country where you engage in the activities of a Yoga teacher and similar techniques under the auspices of a professional Federation of Yoga that is recognized for it’s members, teachers or students.

A Professional Insurance RC”(civil liability) and personal accidents

Summary of the conditions of insurance.

Contract Ethias no xxxxxx

1 Subject: activities insured

The Board of ETHIAS, trusting us to define ourselves these activities, decided to place under its aegis:

Yoga and similar activities organized by its teacher members.

Activities recommended by a teacher to his students.

Two categories of risks are covered :

Civil liability (relative to a third party)
Personal accidents

Guarantees civil liability.

The contract guarantees the financial consequences (including the legal costs in the event of civil action) that could be borne by the insured following damage caused to other people. This warranty is granted during the insured activities and group travel.

Are excluded from the insurance :

Damage to goods, movable or immovable, e.g.: glasses, clothing and personal effects shall not be reimbursed.
Damage caused by the use of a vehicle that legally has to be insured.
Covered amounts: limited to xxx euros per claim for personal injuries.

Personal injury

The contract guarantees the insured payment of the sums provided, in case of bodily injury to themselves. This warranty is granted for accidents occurring during the insured activities and those that occur on the way to the place of meeting. Individual and group travel, even by plane, is therefore guaranteed.

“By accident” means a sudden event whose cause is foreign to the body of the victim and which produces a bodily injury. Shall be assimilated to an accident and therefore covered:

The consequences of physical effort, such as dislocations and muscle tears.
Diseases which are the direct consequence of an accident covered: insolation, accidental suffocation…

Amounts covered:

Processing fee

Transportation, medical, pharmaceutical, prosthesis, orthopaedic and special treatment expenses, (massage, physiotherapy,),
Hospitalization, etc.”

Are covered for 75 weeks after the accident.

The cost of treatment is reimbursed by reference to the rates of the NIHDI (so only for treatments that are listed there and without exceeding the fixed maximum amount), for the part exceeding the mutual repayments.

– Dentures are reimbursed to maximum xxx euros per tooth and not exceeding xxx euros per victim.

b) In the case of death, there is payment of a capital of xxx euros per victim.
c) In the case of permanent disability, there is payment of a capital sum determined in proportion to the degree of invalidity on the basis of a capital of xxx euros for 100% disability.

Are excluded from the warranty: accidents intentionally caused or occurring under the influence of drink or drugs.

In any event, ETHIAS intervenes after reimbursement by the mutual and by any other insurance covering the same risk. No cumulating is therefore possible.

Declaration :

The accident must be declared as soon as possible

Of effect :

You’re covered when you pay your fee as an effective member, teacher or practitioner. Your students are covered when you have sent their names and addresses to the secretariat and that you have paid for them the contribution of associate membership.

Student insurance is personal. One cannot transfer the assurance of one student to another one, even if the first one has given up coming.

Some jurisdictions require that teachers who offer courses of yoga in their building be covered by a RC-fire insurance.

The form required for this insurance is generally provided by the administration itself; otherwise, it can be obtained for Belgium from:

EHIAS, rue des Croisiers, 24 – 4000 Liège.

Tel : 04 220 36 07 (M. Dessouroux) or 04 220 36 15 (Mme Materne)

Your membership to the association covers accidents and liability,

The cost of this coverage is generally low. You can continue to register new students throughout the year but all entries (and insurances that are attached) expire on 31 August regardless of the date of registration.

For Belgium :

Ethias Insurance : http://www.ethias.be

For France :

For Greece :

In what professional setting exercise a Yoga teacher activity ?

There are several legal possibilities for exercising a professional activity as Yoga Teacher

Associative
Liberal

Becoming an independent worker

As from the age of 18, a self-employed person must become affiliated to a social insurance fund and pay a subscription.

Am I self-employed or a salaried employee in the eyes of to social security ?

In order to establish himself or herself, as self-employed, workers in certain professions, need to have obtained a bachelor’s degree or a graduate diploma.

Non-nationals must have a business card.

If a person exercises a self-employed professional activity for which he does not hold the required diplomas, he however belongs to the social status of self-employed people.

Self-employed complementary contributions

Obligation to contribute

As a self-employed person, you are required to pay contributions to your social insurance fund. Each trimester, you pay a lump sum, which will be divided according to their needs between different sectors

Family benefits
Pension
Sickness and invalidity
Insurance against bankruptcy

Attention : there is no contribution for unemployment for an independent.

Contributions must be paid no later than the last day of the trimester for which they are due.

Note :

A contribution is considered as having been paid the day the amount is credited on the account of your social insurance.

Your insurance coverage passes through the payment of contributions. If you neglect to pay, you can expect sanctions (fines, etc.) so do not pay late..

– Social contribution Calculation

– Exemption from payment of contributions *

Exemption of contributions

if you are not able to pay your social contributions, for special reasons, you can apply for a contribution exemption :

Basic conditions

You are primarily self-employed independent

You must establish that you are in need or in a state close to need

Note :

As an assisting spouse, you can get an exemption of dues so long as your independent partner has also been granted an exemption for the same trimesters.

Applications:

You must fill in an application form that you deposit on the spot or send by registered letter to your social insurance fund.

The exemption of contributions can be partial or total

Your social insurance fund will forward your file to the Commission of exemptions of contributions :

Which can particularly take into account

Your income
Your potential debts
Extraordinary expenses
The composition of your household

Attention

The periods during which you have obtained an exemption of contributions, will not be included for the calculation of your pension

« Social contributions »

Depending on the status under which you exercise your activity, you will have to pay social contributions. The conditions are different depending on the country, even in Europe…

Calculation of social security contributions

Contributions based on income

NET Professional income of the reference year

The contributions, to which you are indebted, primarily represent a percentage of your earned income. This percentage varies according to the category of assessment and of income of the contributor. Indeed, you may exercise your profession either full time or as a complementary activity; you may also be retired or not.

For assisting spouses, there is a special regulation.

Revenues that serve as base for the calculation of contributions are collected net from the revenues in the third calendar year preceding the year for which contributions are due (the reference year). Example: Your contributions 2014 are calculated on your income in 2011. There is a minimum and a maximum amount.

Indexing

Moreover, your professional income of 3 years ago is indexed. They are multiplied by a coefficient, which is determined by a royal decree at the beginning of each calendar year.

Your social insurance fund calculates the social contribution on your indexed. reference earnings

Cost of management

In addition to legal amounts, you will pay an amount to cover the costs of management. It is a claim that every social insurance fund may wear into account to manage its members. Management fees are a percentage of the contributions. Often, it comes to 4.20% of the amount of the contribution.

In January 2015, this reglementation is due to change

If you are in « Company »

You will pay your dues is :

As an independent, liberal profession
As an employee of the company

Professional associations for Yoga teachers

There are many professional associations:

The National Federation of Yoga teachers
The National Union of Yoga teachers (UNY)
National unions of Yoga teachers (SNEY)

And many Yoga Federations:

French Federation of Hatha Yoga
National Federation of Yoga teachers
French Association of Iyengar Yoga (AFYI)

«The yoga teacher will remain the privileged “instrument” of transmission of this ancient technique.» From there, the importance of the quality of “being “of the yoga teacher, and his personal training; as well as the immense responsibility that lies with those who have the load of training these teachers who bring what they have learned and more importantly, convey what they are”

André Van LYSEBETH

Yoga class pricing

First of all, don’t worry; it is possible to live on your passion.

It is possible to love all dimensions of your work, including the accounting aspect.

You will probably not work as an employee; most Yoga teachers are self-employed. This means you will need to pay your own social security charges (insurance, pension etc.). If you don’t teach any classes you will not have any cash inflow, but the basic costs will still be present. When you go on vacation you will not have paid leave. Therefore, you will need to plan … Each day will be different, some days you will have 10 students in your class, but other days you will have only 2. Sometimes your class may be cancelled because you will have no students showing up.

Your monthly income will depend on your hourly rate. The minimum hourly rate should be around 30€-35€, regardless of how many students you have in class. You are free to set your price based on group classes, private classes, and at home classes.

Check the rates usual in the area where you wish to exercise, so you can adapt to the “market”.

As an example, when you get 100 €, you will keep 40 € after deduction of all costs.

Don’t forget to calculate your running costs. For example, if you work in a cultural centre, your running costs will be very low (you will only have travel expenses). If you exercise in your own space, you will have more operating costs (heating, water, rental fee, electricity, toilet paper, carpets, cleaning fee, etc.). Good management is absolutely necessary.

Do not be afraid of the bureaucratic aspect, once organized; it is a genuine area of freedom.

Fees for group classes (1h30)

2014		Test Class	10 class card/group	Yoga mat rental
	Paris	25€	200€	2€
	Brussels	20€	130€	Free
	Province	Free or 5 €	100€	Free

Yoga Teacher salary

The salary of a beginning yoga teacher (as an employee) is based on the guaranteed minimum wage; add 20% for the transport costs.

How to determine commute/travel expenses

The price will depend on the means of transport :

Public transport: cost of transport tickets, keep them carefully
Bicycle: purchase of the bicycle, depreciation, and tire wear, maintenance costs, …
Motorbike: purchase of the motorbike, depreciation costs, tire wear, maintenance, insurance, …
Car: purchase of the car, depreciation, tire wear, maintenance cost, insurance, …
Don’t forget to count travel time …

The tax services issue information about acceptable transport costs, etc.

Yoga centre accounting : what’s it for ?

The general accounting of a Yoga Centre registers the value of transactions made by your yoga classes and it also identifies what the Yoga Centre owns and what it owes.

The accounting will document the cash inflows and cash outflows chronologically: the cash outflows (charges, expenses…) can be deducted from the cash inflows (classes, selling of T-shirts, books…), which will give you an idea of the operating result and the net income for the year (income statement)

Another document, prepared annually, is the balance sheet. This will show a state of the financial balance of your centre (company or Independent) by repeating in detail what it owns and what it owes.

Finally, there is a set of related documents that provide details on these recorded operations.

The legal obligation of accounting

It is mandatory to have accounting in all business activities.

However, there are different types of accounting, such as:

• Simplified accounting for liberal professionals: allows exemption of issuing a balance sheet of assets and liabilities, by completing a tax form (reference from# 2035A to 2035F)

The principle of the accounting chart

The general accounting principle of a “Yoga Centre” is the principle known as “double entry.”

Transactions are reported in a table with two columns:

• Inputs: the revenues

• Outputs: the expenditures.

This makes it easier to find a particular transaction or transaction group (expense or revenue) since everything is classified by type of expense or revenue.

The accounting books

It is mandatory to maintain certain accounting books based on the (business) size of your Yoga Centre. Today, accounting software produce general reports so it is no more necessary to buy big books in paper form.

There are also other differences for liberal professionals.

Invoices

All transactions between professionals require an invoice. Moreover, if you buy equipment (e.g. yoga mats), your supplier will need to issue an invoice on behalf of your yoga centre. On the other hand, issuing an invoice is not always mandatory, for example when selling to an individual.

Mandatory information, which needs to appear on invoices

Information that must appear on your invoices :

• Name and address of the Yoga Centre.

• Registration number or commercial register

• Legal form of the business/company (EURL, SARL, SA..)

• Name and address of the client

• Invoice number

• Issuing date of the invoice

• Precise description of the provided goods or services

• Quantity sold

• Unit price excluding tax

• The amount of the VAT

• Price all taxes included

• The date on which the invoice must be paid or the granted payment period.

Where appropriate, the invoice may include:

• Discounts, reductions

• Method of payment

• Late-payment rates

• Cash payment discounts

Terms for issuing an invoice

An invoice must be issued in two copies (in electronic or paper form):

• One copy for the customer,

• The other copy for the company/business, it must be conserved for a minimum of 5 years

The customer’s copy must be immediately issued for any sale with immediate removal or immediate delivery (carpet). The invoice can be submitted later in case of a service to be provided in the future. In this case, the invoice can be given on the date of the end of the services.

However, in some cases an invoice can be issued later than the delivery date, for example when you don’t know what the exact price is or if you prefer to issue a single invoice at the end of the month for a series of services (consolidated invoice).

Invoices for a professional customer/company

It is always required to issue an invoice when selling to a professional customer/business.

Your professional customer needs a proof of the purchase in his accounting but it is also necessary in order to calculate and recover the VAT.

Invoices for a private individual

The conditions regarding the invoices for a private individual are more flexible.

Issuing an invoice is mandatory when individuals:

• Have the ability to recover VAT, in the case of intra-Community sales with a country exempt from VAT,

• Remote purchasing

If requested by the private individual, you cannot refuse.
Association for their own space accounting
Professor of Yoga, to deduct their business expenses.

Download a sample sheet accountant :

Card received : course, session, etc. _EN

To keep your accounts, download a « EXCEL » file

Example of an « EXCEL » file for your accounting

The accounting of a « Yoga Center », is a real management tool that allows to track, understand and therefore analyze all the elements of the life of a « Yoga center ». It is therefore necessary to keep all the accounting documents up to date, with the upmost precision.

Hello, here is an accounting EXCEL file that you can download :

Where to teach the first Yoga classes (beginning professor)

How to get known and have students

Find a Yoga institute or association who is willing to give you a chance to prove your worth. You will then have to find students to attend your classes, and try to establish their loyalty. Word of mouth will surely be of big help to bring more students.

You need to keep an open mind to all opportunities. Don’t hesitate to investigate different places where you could teach:

In a big company or multinational organization
Prison (men, women)
Cultural centre
Sport centre
Any kind of association
Town hall
Own space
Shared space
At home (of the yoga student)
Workspace of the yoga student
In schools (Yoga for kids)
Universities
Retirement homes (Yoga for elderly)
Pedagogical centres
Centres for the disabled
Pain relief centres
Holiday centres (e.g. Club Méditerranée)
…

Cultural and sport centres usually require a test class or kind of internship before allowing you to practice. If the teacher has enough financial funds, he/she can always start to practice independently in order to fully exercise the profession. In this case he can also chose to dispense classes at the student’s home.

Of course it is necessary to dispense enough classes per week to have a suitable income.

Please keep in mind that a yoga teacher is mostly self-employed, this is why you should try to give class in different places. This will prevent you to be too dependent on one place.

After a while you can try to develop you own clientele and dispense private classes. Try to develop your network as soon as possible. Don’t forget that private classes are very demanding; you will need to provide your full attention to your student.

Different ways to work as a yoga teacher:

Group classes: several students, in a space specially equipped for the circumstance
Private classes: one-on-one student and teacher

Pregnant women

You should be informed of any pregnant students before class. If you don’t have the necessary skills, it is recommended to redirect the person to a pre-natal yoga class. Please keep in mind that during a group class you will not be able to keep a constant eye on only 1 person.

What to prepare:

Résumé – Curriculum vitae
Posters: you can place posters in different stores. Prepare a poster on which you only need to add the address, dates and times of the classes
Hold a conference or demonstration. Prepare your subject in writing and exercise with friends.
Publish a presentation article in local newspapers. Prepare several press releases.
Be present on the Internet, it is essential nowadays.

Constant training/education

Continue training and schooling as much as possible. A 500 hours training is not enough, it is just a beginning.

You are your best student. Take time to practice every day. Train with different yoga teachers. If this is not possible for you, check YouTube; get inspired with online videos. Don’t let your students get into automatic mode. Keep on challenging them.

Practice, Practice, Practice, every days…
Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

Ashtanga Yoga Institute #EN

610, Ch. Alsemberg – 1180 Brussels

Category Archives: Training space

Training Memories

Formation 2012

Mémoire de fin d’études de Annette Pedde

Les āsana(s) de la première série

Mémoire de fin d’études de Jean-Luc Marquise

De Formation Professeur Ashtanga Yoga

Mémoire de fin d’études de Sergine Laloux

Mémoire Danse et Yoga

Formation 2016

Mémoire de fin d’études de Rémy Mendelgwaig

Emotions et Yoga

Mémoire de fin d’études de Camille Dupriez

Étude comparative des pensées stoïcienne et yogi sur le rapport au corps au travers de la question : « Est-ce que mon corps m’appartient ? »

Mémoire de fin d’études de Dorothée Model

De la douceur…

Mémoire de fin d’études de Thomas Vandenheede

Mon histoire, le spina bifida et ma rencontre avec le Yoga

Mémoire de fin d’études de Jean Jaffré

Michael Stone et Richard Freeman, histoire et traduction

Becoming a member of a recognized Federation of Yoga teachers