GPY School Policies Section

At Grounded Path Yoga, we are committed to creating a training environment that is both fair to our students and sustainable for our programs. These policies support a safe, respectful, and effective learning environment and serve as the foundation for our shared training experience. They are not only administrative requirements but expressions of the values that support yoga as a path of integrity, compassion, and respect. By agreeing to these guidelines, each participant helps create a space where learning can be both safe and transformative.

Code of Conduct Policy

We are committed to holding high ethical standards for our yoga teachers. We believe that it is the responsibility of a teacher to ensure a safe environment in which our students can grow physically, mentally, and spiritually. Students are looking for guidance from teachers with authenticity, experience, and wisdom. Our Code of Conduct was developed to protect our students in this potentially vulnerable relationship with their teachers and to uphold the highest professional standards.

Respect for fellow trainees, trainers, and the learning space is expected at all times.
Punctuality and presence are important; late arrivals or early departures disrupt the group and should be minimized.
Discrimination, harassment, or disruptive behaviour will not be tolerated.
Trainees agree to maintain confidentiality of personal information shared in the group setting.

Tuition, Refund & Withdrawal Policy

Tuition is due in full on or before the first day of training, unless monthly payments have been organised. Monthly payments are due beginning on or before the first day of training and thereafter the first day of each month.

Deposits are non-refundable.
Refunds for tuition (beyond the deposit) may be available if written notice of withdrawal is received before training begins. After the start date, refunds are not available.
In extraordinary circumstances (serious illness, family crisis, etc.), trainees may defer enrollment to a future training with approval from the lead trainers.
Any financial adjustments will be handled on a case-by-case basis in alignment with our ‘Fairness and Program Sustainability’ Policies.
Teachers will seek opportunities to render service to individuals or groups who are underserved by the broader yoga community on a pro bono basis.Fairness & Sustainability

We recognize that financial circumstances vary, and that investing in yoga education is a meaningful commitment. Our intention is to approach each situation with compassion while ensuring the long-term stability of our offerings.

Fairness – We strive to accommodate individual needs with understanding and integrity. Trainees may request financial considerations, which will be reviewed thoughtfully.

Sustainability – In order to maintain the quality of teaching, facilities, and resources, all financial adjustments must also support the ongoing health of the program and school.

Case-by-Case Basis. Any adjustments, including payment plans or partial reductions, will be considered individually. Decisions will reflect both the trainee’s circumstances and the sustainability of the training.

By enrolling in our programs, participants acknowledge this balance of fairness and sustainability, and agree to open, respectful communication about any financial needs.

Anti-Harassment Policy

Harassment is a legal term that means unwelcome verbal and non-verbal conduct directed against someone in a protected class. Sexual harassment is a legal term that means unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature in the workplace. Sexual misconduct is a non-legal term used informally to describe a broad range of behaviours which may or may not involve harassment. Your school has flexibility in creating your Anti-Harassment Policy. We encourage you to consider and address multiple potential situations within your policy, including your stance on non-sexual harassment, consensual romantic relationships, and non-consensual harassment allegations. To support you, Yoga Alliance has provided templated policy* sections to address the following situations: Harassment Against Members of a Protected Class Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Sexual Misconduct Romantic Relationships between Teachers and Students.

Harassment Against Members of Protected Class
We do not permit managers, employees, teachers, independent contractors, students, or others in the workplace to harass any other person because of age, gender (including pregnancy), race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, genetic information, or any other basis proscribed by law.

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
We do not tolerate sexual harassment in our studio. Sexual harassment refers to any unwelcome sexual attention, sexual advances, requests for sexual favours and other verbal, visual or physical conduct of a sexual nature when the conduct harms the person’s employment or working environment.

Sexual Misconduct
We prohibit sexual misconduct in our studio. Sexual misconduct is any unsolicited and unwelcome sexual advance including requests for sexual favors, sexual touching, and verbal, visual, or physical conduct that creates a sexually hostile environment in a yoga class or studio.

Professional Boundaries
Teachers-in-training are expected to maintain clear and respectful boundaries with trainers, fellow trainees, and future students. Physical touch (in assists or adjustments) must always be consensual, with explicit permission given before offering. Romantic or intimate relationships between trainees and trainers during the program are not appropriate. Boundaries also include self-care: trainees are encouraged to rest, nourish, and honour their personal well-being while undertaking this intensive program.

Financial Practices Policy

Teachers will discuss all fees and financial arrangements in a straightforward professional manner.
Teachers will manage their business affairs according to recognized standard business and accounting practices. Teachers are encouraged to render services to individual or groups in need without regard to financial remuneration.
Teachers will neither receive nor pay a commission for referral of a student.

Professional Growth and Continuing Education

Teachers shall maintain the integrity, competency, and high standards of the yoga profession by continuously striving to improve their skills through keeping current in new developments in yoga practice and by participating in continuing educational programs.

Integrity

Teachers shall strive to adhere to the traditional yoga principles as delineated in the yamas and niyamas. Teachers are committed to maintaining impeccable standards of professional integrity and to promoting the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of their students. Teachers recognize the inherent imbalance in the teacherstudent relationship and that relationships with students have the potential of exploiting the trust of students, creating dependent relationships, and compromising the integrity of the teacher. Teachers shall avoid getting into close personal or sexual relationships with students that may result in the impairment of their professional judgment or that may compromise the integrity of their teaching.

Scope of Practice

Teachers shall not abandon or neglect their students. If teachers are unable (or unwilling for appropriate reasons) to provide professional help or continue a professional relationship, they should make every reasonable effort to arrange for instruction for that student with another teacher. Teachers should avoid giving any personal advice concerning a student’s personal life. Teachers shall not give medical advice. Teachers shall not prescribe a treatment or suggest rejecting a physician’s advice. Teachers shall refer their students to medical doctors or complimentary licensed professionals when appropriate.

Confidential Information

Teachers shall keep all personal information disclosed by their students or clients strictly confidential. A teacher who receives personal information from a student or client may not disclose such information unless it obtains the written consent of the student or client. All discussions among teachers concerning students or clients shall be conducted in secure, non-public environments.

Procedure for deferring or leaving a Training Course Offered By GPY

If a student is considering deferring or leaving the training they should:

Inform their teacher/mentor of their plans.
Consider their intention for a minimum period of one week post informing their teacher/mentor. They should also ensure they have fully discussed all options with their teacher/mentor during this period. If after this contemplation the student still wishes to defer, they should then contact the administrator via email or in writing copying in the teacher/mentor.
After discussion with the student and teacher/mentor, the administrator will find a suitable point in the upcoming training for the student to rejoin the training. They will also liase with the student and teacher/mentor over submission of homework etc which are outstanding/are to be carried forward into the next training and discuss this with the student.
An administration fee is charged for all deferrals, which must be paid before re-joining the training. See your specific training module for the price of this fee.
Students will continue to pay their monthly standing orders during the deferral period (i.e., when not studying) If these are fully paid by the time they rejoin the training the student is no longer liable to pay monthly fees. In other words, there are no extra fees required apart from the admin fee. The exception to this is if the student is required to retake final assessment exams, class observations or if private tuition is required due to missed modules.
During the deferral period student discount eligibility will be revoked. It will be reinstated once they re-join the training.

*Students who leave the course are bound to continue paying their monthly fees as per the contract signed at the outset of the training.

All complaints/ administrative issues should be made via email directly to teacher training administration at the link below. We strongly discourage the use of group emails and the use of the group email address for raising administrative issues/complaints. If the issue warrants informing the whole TT group this will be done through administration.

Inter-Professional Relationships

Teachers are part of a network of health care and well-being professionals and shall seek to develop interdisciplinary relationships. Teachers shall conduct themselves in an honorable manner in their relations with their colleagues and other wellness practitioners. Teachers shall not openly criticize practices followed by other yoga schools or teachers.

Advertising and Public Communications

Teachers shall not make false advertisements. Teachers shall refrain from making public statements on the benefits of yoga that are not supported by science or the generally accepted experience of the yoga community. Advertisements of workshops, clinics, seminars or similar events must have a clear statement of the purpose of the event, the audience for which it is intended and its educational objectives. The education, training, and experience of the teacher shall be fairly and accurately disclosed. Advertisements shall be made with dignity. Advertisements shall not include exaggerated claims about the benefits of yoga.

Equity

Teachers shall commit to a shared responsibility for awareness of and commitment to change the inequities that exist within yoga that result in many people feeling excluded and underrepresented. These may be people who feel excluded due to their body composition and/or physical ability. Teachers are encouraged to take proactive steps to promote inclusion in yoga to: (1) promote equity; (2) reduce harm to students; (3) honor and leverage cultural differences; and (4) expand diversity and accessibility in all areas of yoga while honoring the integrity of yoga’s cultural and historical roots. Teachers shall not discriminate against or refuse to provide teaching or professional help to any student, client or employee based on any protected class such as age, gender (including pregnancy), race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status or genetic information.

Grievance Policy

All reports must be made in good faith based on information the person reporting the incident reasonably believes to be accurate. We may request additional information from the person reporting the incident throughout the course of review of the report. We will take appropriate action to ensure compliance with our policies. The reviewing body will impose any sanctions that it feels are fair, just, and reasonable under all circumstances. We will not allow anyone to retaliate against any person for making a report in good faith or providing information in connection with an investigation into an alleged violation. Any information provided during a grievance review will be treated on a confidential basis. Similarly, any actions taken in response to the report will also be confidential.

DUE PROCESS AND PROCEDURE

We recognize that our school has an obligation to give a person accused of misconduct a reasonable level of due process. Because the person may lose his or her job and their reputation may be tarnished, the decision-making process must be fair and objective. Due process in this context does not mean that the reviewing body will conduct a mini trial, but it will gather all of the relevant facts surrounding the matter and make a fair and objective decision based on the facts. The reviewing body may need to interview the person who reported the situation, the person who perpetrated the misconduct, and any other people who have direct knowledge about the situation. We will examine all other credible and objective evidence about the situation.

After the reviewing body gathers the facts, we will determine if the allegations are credible. If it is determined that is the case, the reviewing body will decide on the sanctions to impose and then communicate its decision to those involved.

SANCTIONS

We recognize the principle of “the punishment must fit the crime.” We do not sentence someone to life imprisonment for jaywalking. There must be a sense of fairness and moral proportion in judging these situations. All cases of abuse and misconduct, from inappropriate commentary to physical assault, will be judged objectively and the reviewing body will fashion a sanction that fairly and equitably addresses the situation, giving due considerations, to all the facts. In many cases, it may be hard to uncover all the facts, there may be conflicting facts, there may be conflicts of interest, and there may be circumstances and facts that weigh on both sides of the scales of justice. However, the reviewing body will use sound and careful judgment in deciding what type of sanctions to impose.

There are four options:

1.) Do Nothing. The facts do not show that the person committed the policy violation,

2.) A Warning. The facts show that the person’s actions were minor and that a warning is a fair sanction. The warning could be coupled with counseling,

3.) Time Out. The facts show that the person’s actions were serious, and they warrant suspending the person from the studio or community for a decided amount of time. However, the actions were not so serious that they support termination of employment. For example, the person may be good hearted, but made a mistake in judgement. This may weigh toward leniency.

Grievance Policy Templates The “Time Out” period is usually one year but it may be shorter depending upon the circumstances. During the “Time Out” the person gets counseling, does spiritual work, contemplates their actions, etc. After the “Time Out” period expires, the person can approach the reviewing body to ask to re-commence their teaching activities or allow them to rejoin the community. This body will then determine whether the person has resolved their issues and that it is appropriate for them to return. When making this determination, we will consider whether there has been a sincere apology and contrition, appropriate reparation to the injured parties, rehabilitation, and heart-felt change before the person may return. This decision will entirely at the discretion of the reviewing body,

4.) Dismissal. The facts show that the person’s actions were so serious that they warrant dismissing the person from the studio or community. The person is dismissed, and their employment or independent contractor agreement is terminated.

TIMELINE FOR REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND COMPLAINTS

We will take appropriate action to ensure compliance with our policies. The reviewing body will impose any sanctions that it feels are fair, just and reasonable under all of the circumstances. We will not allow anyone to retaliate against any person for making a report in good faith or providing information in connection with an investigation into an alleged violation.

CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT

The reviewing body has an important obligation to maintain the confidentiality of all information they may receive in connection with reviewing ethical complaints. This includes any information provided by victims or witnesses in their investigations and any documents, emails, or notes they may gather. The reviewing body should make each person who is interviewed feel comfortable that the discussion will be held strictly confidential. This information is extremely sensitive. Its exposure could damage the reputations of the school, the teacher and the student, it could make the situation impossible to resolve fairly, and it could lead to legal liability. The reviewing body will make sure that the forum where they will be discussing the matter is secure. They will not meet in an environment where someone may overhear what is being discussed. These meetings will not occur in a public place. Restaurants and coffee shops are public places and should not be used for meetings. Discussions will not be held in bathrooms and common areas at the yoga school or studio.

DISMISSAL OR ACCEPTANCE OF A COMPLAINT

Upon the receipt of a complaint, the reviewing body will evaluate the complaint to determine if it should be dismissed or reviewed. The reviewing body may dismiss a complaint if it determines that any of the following is true:

the complaint is clearly frivolous or insubstantial;
the information contained within the complaint is not credible;
the complaint is not within the scope of school policies;
the complaint has not been timely filed;
a policy violation would not exist even if the complaint were true;
no credible evidence could be provided which could support a finding that a policy violation has occurred; the complaint is anonymous; or
the alleged violation has been cured by a good faith effort of the parties involved in the complaint.

In making its determination the reviewing body may obtain and consider information relevant to the matter other than that included within the complaint or provided by the subjects of the complaint. Within thirty (30) days after the receipt of a complaint, the reviewing body will either dismiss the complaint or accept the complaint for evaluation. After it has made its decision, the reviewing body will advise the person who filed the complaint as to whether it has dismissed or accepted the complaint. If the reviewing body elects to dismiss a complaint, it shall provide the person who submitted the complaint with its reasons for dismissing the complaint.

RULES OF PROCEDURE AFTER ACCEPTANCE OF A COMPLAINT

If the reviewing body decides to accept a complaint and determine if there has been a violation of school policy, the subject of the complaint will be given written notice of the complaint. The notice shall include information sufficient enough to provide the subject with a fair opportunity to respond to the complaint. The subject of the complaint will have thirty (30) days from receipt of notice to submit a written response to the complaint. The response may contain any information which the subject feels is relevant and responsive to the complaint. The reviewing body may extend the response period for additional periods upon request. The reviewing body may consider the matters alleged in the complaint, the written responses of the subject of the complaint, and other interested parties, other relevant facts, and ethical and legal principles. The reviewing body may question the parties (and, in its discretion, third parties) and obtain such other information as it shall determine is necessary, relevant and proper. The reviewing body may conduct its own investigation into the complaint in its discretion. If the subject of the complaint fails to respond to the notice within the thirty (30) day period, it will constitute sufficient grounds for the reviewing body to act on the evidence in hand and impose appropriate sanctions. The reviewing body may extend the response period for additional periods upon request.

DETERMINATION OF VIOLATION

After its evaluation of all information relating to the complaint, the reviewing body will determine whether a violation of school policy has occurred. If the reviewing body determines that a violation of school policy has occurred, it may impose sanctions.

The reviewing body will give the subject of the complaint written notice as to its decision on the complaint and the imposition of sanctions, if any. The subject of the complaint may file a written appeal of the sanctions, setting forth all information relevant to the appeal, within ten (10) days of receiving the notice, by sending notice of appeal to the reviewing body. The reviewing body will evaluate the appeal and render a decision on the appeal within seven (7) days. The reviewing body may extend the response period for additional periods upon request. The decision on the appeal shall be final. SANCTIONS We recognize the principle “the punishment must fit the crime.” We do not sentence someone to life imprisonment for jaywalking. There must be a sense of fairness and moral proportion in judging these situations. All cases of abuse and misconduct, from inappropriate commentary to physical assault, will be judged objectively and the reviewing body will fashion a sanction that fairly and equitably addresses the situation, and giving due considerations, to all the facts. In many cases, it may be hard to uncover all of the facts, there may be conflicting facts, there may be conflicts of interest, and there may be circumstances and facts that weigh on both sides of the scales of justice. However, the reviewing body will use sound and careful judgment in deciding what type of sanctions to impose.

There are four options:

Do Nothing. The facts do not show that the person committed the policy violation.
A Warning. The facts show that the person’s actions were minor and that a warning is a fair sanction. The warning could be coupled with counseling.
Time Out. The facts show that the person’s actions were serious and warrant suspending the person from the studio or community for a decided amount of time. However, the actions were not so serious that they support termination of employment. For example, the person may be good hearted but made a mistake in judgement. This may weigh toward leniency. The “Time Out” period is usually one year but it may be shorter depending upon the circumstances. During the “time out” the person gets counseling, does spiritual work, contemplates their actions, etc. After the “Time Out” period expires, the person can approach the reviewing body to ask to re-commence their teaching activities or allow them to rejoin the community. The reviewing body then will determine as to whether the person has resolved their issues and that it is appropriate for them to return. The reviewing body should consider whether there has been a sincere apology and contrition, appropriate reparation to the injured parties, rehabilitation and heart-felt change before the person may return. This decision will entirely at the discretion of the reviewing body.
Dismissal. The facts show that the person’s actions were so serious that they warrant dismissing the person from the studio or community. The person is dismissed, and their employment or independent contractor agreement is terminated.

Retaliation Policy

We prohibit retaliation against anyone for reporting a violation of our Code of Conduct or other policies, or for participating in an investigation relating to a violation of our Code of Conduct or other policies.

RESPONSIBILITY OF TRAINERS

Managers have a responsibility to create, uphold, and promote a safe, respectful, and inclusive work environment. Like all employees, managers are required to comply with our Code of Conduct. Managers may be subject to disciplinary action if they engage in, ignore, or in any way condone, conduct that violates our Code of Conduct. Managers are required to promptly report any violation of our non-retaliation policy to the human resources department or school management. Promptness is key and managers should report as soon as possible upon learning of a violation. The failure by a manager to report in a timely fashion or at all, may result in discipline up to and including termination. Managers shall not, under any circumstances, retaliate against anyone, blame the victim, conceal a report, or discourage employees from reporting sexual harassment or violations of our Code of Conduct. If you believe a manager has behaved in that way, please report it to the Human Resources Department or school management.

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