Many yoga teacher trainers in New York State received a letter from the Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision (part of the New York State Education Department) in late April 2009. Some trainers did not receive the letter.

The letter said that their teacher training programs may need to be licensed. If so, those programs must be suspended immediately and until they complete the license approval process. The letter also said that those who teach without a license would be
subject to fines up to $50,000.

Within a few days of the letter, a memo posted to the BPSS website reiterated their position that yoga teacher training is not currently exempt from licensing.

Yoga teacher trainers and aspiring yoga teachers across the state wondered whether their programs could survive the elaborate, costly and time-consuming licensing process. And what is the fate of yoga in New York, if no new teachers are being trained?

Yoga for New York was founded in June 2009 by a group of yoga teacher trainers, yoga teachers and yogis determined to minimize government intervention in yoga teacher training. Hundreds of yoga lovers across the state have become involved in one way or another.

Just a few weeks later, the State Education Department announced its decision to "suspend licensing requirements pending action by the state legislature." Yoga for New York members and friends are redoubling their efforts to get the legislation passed to make that suspension permanent. Everyone can help with fundraising and grassroots advocacy — and with envisioning the possibilities for promoting yoga across New York State.

The "Yoga" bill ( A.8678-A), exempting Yoga Teacher Trainings from government regulation in NY State, passed in the Assembly ( A.8678-A) on February 23, 2010, and in the Senate ( S.5701-A) on March 1, 2010. It was signed into law by Governor Paterson on March 24, 2010.

Yoga Teacher Trainings are now exempt from licensing in NY State.

Selected press coverage:

Yoga City NYC: "Awareness of Continued Licensing Threat: What Yoga for New York is Doing" November 8, 2009.

The Huffington Post: "To Regulate or Not Regulate Yoga Teacher Training" by Jane Shure, July 28, 2009.

The New York Times: "Yoga Faces Regulation, and Firmly Pushes Back," by A.G. Sulzberger, July 10, 2009.

New York Daily News: "Albany fools tie yoga in knots: State bureaucratic crackdown is downright crazy," by Bill Hammond, May 19, 2009.

Timeline

APRIL 16, 2009 — NYS Education Department sends licensing letter to 80 NYC yoga studios.

MAY 14, 2009 — Attorney Len Easter, speaking at Yoga Journal's NYC conference, advises recipients to write back saying you have received the letter and are looking into how it relates to your center and its programs.

MAY 15, 2009 — Alison West and other concerned parties meet with the BPSS.

JUNE 2, 2009 — Senator Eric Scheiderman, introduces a bill (S.5701 of 2009) to exempt yoga teacher training programs from licensing.

JUNE 8, 2009 — Assembly member Deborah Glick, introduces a bill calling for dramatic increases in fees for schools seeking a license.

JUNE 19, 2009 — BPSS sends a letter to an individual teacher trainer "...deferring any prosecutions at this time." But, the letter also said, "Our position is that Yoga teacher training schools should be licensed... The bottom line is that until an exemption is passed, licensing would cover teacher training."

JULY 31, 2009 — Senator Scheiderman amends his bill to explicitly include yoga and martial arts as exempted subjects, and clarifies that those teaching teachers of exempted subjects are also exempt. Assemblywoman Rosenthal follows suit on August 17. (The new bill is S.5701-A/A.8678-A of 2009.)

AUGUST 21, 2009 — BPSS writes to teacher trainers: "At this time, we will not require licensure nor will we pursue any organization offering this training as an unlicensed school."

FEBRUARY 23, 2010 — The "Yoga" bill passes in the Assembly (A.8678-A)

MARCH 1, 2010 — The "Yoga" bill passes in the Senate (S.5701-A)

MARCH 24, 2010 — The "Yoga" bill was signed into law by Governor Paterson. Yoga teacher trainings are now exempt from licensing in NY State.