To teach yoga, you must be insured. The insurance covers the activities of the yoga teacher and related techniques, placed under a recognised professional federation — for its teaching members as well as their students.
Two categories of covered risk
A “professional liability insurance” (civil liability) and personal accidents. Covered are the yoga activities organised by teaching members and those recommended to their students.
Civil liability
The contract covers the financial consequences (including legal fees) that could be charged to the insured following damage caused to other people, during the covered activities and group travel. Excluded: damage to property (glasses, clothing, personal effects), damage caused by vehicles that must be insured; amounts are capped per claim.
Personal accidents
The contract guarantees the payment of the sums provided in the event of a personal accident occurring during the covered activities and travel (individual and group travel, even by plane). An accident is understood as a sudden event, of a cause external to the body, producing an injury. Also covered: the consequences of a physical effort (dislocations, muscle tears) and illnesses that are the direct consequence of a covered accident (sunstroke, accidental asphyxia).
Covered amounts: treatment costs (transport, medical, pharmaceutical, prostheses, orthopaedics, special treatments, hospitalisation) are covered for 75 weeks, reimbursed by reference to the INAMI tariff, for the portion exceeding the mutual insurance; dental prostheses up to a cap per tooth and per victim; a capital sum in the event of death; a capital sum pro-rated to the degree of permanent disability. Exclusions: intentional accidents or those under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Ethias only intervenes after reimbursement by the mutual insurance and any other insurance (no accumulation).
Declaration and effective date
Any accident must be declared as soon as possible. You are covered from the payment of your dues (teacher or practitioner); your students are covered once you have sent their details to the secretariat and paid their affiliation dues. A student insurance is personal and non-transferable. Some administrations also require a liability-fire insurance to teach on their premises. All registrations (and insurance) end on 31 August, whatever the registration date.
Where to get insured?
Belgium: Ethias (ethias.be), a long-standing partner of the education world, offers “tailor-made” insurance. France and Greece: refer to your local federation.
