School Policies & Code of Conduct
The CODE OF CONDUCT and SCHOOL POLICY outlined below apply to all students participating in courses and activities, as well as non-participating guests at Yoga Retreat and Meditation. Your course or stay booking signifies your implicit acknowledgment, agreement, and acceptance of these guidelines during your time at our school. Kindly review the following carefully, and feel free to reach out if you have any queries.
Ethical Guidelines
Student Guidelines for a Safe and Nurturing Environment at Yoga Retreat and Meditation School
Our aim is to create a secure and supportive space for learning and growth, where students can thrive physically, psychologically, and spiritually. To achieve this, we have established a comprehensive Code of Conduct that all students are expected to uphold throughout their stay with us.
While it may not be possible to list every conduct, we highlight the most common guidelines that are essential for maintaining the integrity of our school. Additionally, students are required to adhere to any further instructions or warnings from the school management.
Please review the following Code of Conduct, which applies to all students participating in courses and activities, as well as non-participating guests at Yoga Retreat and Meditation:
- Abstinence from Alcohol and Drugs: The consumption of alcohol, drugs, or any addictive substances is strictly prohibited both on and off the school premises. Violation of this rule will result in dismissal from the program without certification.
- No Smoking: Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is not allowed on the premises. We encourage students to minimize smoking and maintain a distance from the accommodation and resort premises when doing so.
- Vegetarian Diet: We promote a vegetarian diet within the accommodation and school/resort premises. Students are responsible for bringing any dietary supplements they may require. Non-vegetarian meals are not prepared or served on the school premises.
- Respectful Behavior: Verbal or behavioral aggression, including gossip, harassment, bullying, or any disruptive conduct towards classmates, teachers, school staff, or resort staff is strictly prohibited.
- Full Attendance: Students are required to attend all training hours. Tardiness cannot be counted as full class participation.
- Mobile Phone Usage: Mobile phones should not be used for external communication or social media during ongoing classes to maintain a positive and focused class environment.
- Early Nights: Students are expected to be back at the school and in their rooms by 9 pm to ensure safety and focus on the intensive training schedule.
- No Overnight Stays Outside School: Students are not permitted to stay overnight outside of the school during their course.
- No Parties or Gatherings: Hosting parties or entertainment gatherings on school premises is not allowed.
- Professional Boundaries: Romantic relationships with teachers during the course are not permitted. Teachers are not allowed to take students out for meals or organize trips individually.
- Room Assignments: Students must sleep in their assigned rooms and are not allowed to stay in another student's room.
- Supervised Outsiders: Any guest entering the school premise must seek prior permission and be checked-in and paid for their stay. They are required to stay during specified hours and be under supervision.
- Music Usage: Music is allowed at an appropriate volume, subject to roommate agreement and no complaints from neighbors. It should be played during non-class hours, from 6 am to 9 pm.
School Policy
Our School Policy follow Yoga Alliance school policy requirements for all Registered Yoga School (RYS) as part of their most recent effort to maintain quality, integrity and system within yoga schools. Policy templates provided from Yoga Alliance were adjusted for use under the context of Yoga Retreat and Meditation.
- ENROLLMENT
- PAYMENT POLICY
- Payment methods available include:
- Card: Payments made by credit card are subject to an additional 4% transaction fee.
- Cash: We recommend paying the remaining balance in cash upon arrival. We can assist with cash withdrawal if needed.
- Direct Bank Transfer: Online banking is possible to avoid carrying cash or going to an ATM. Please ensure the transfer is completed before your arrival to ensure timely processing. Any bank charges for overseas transfers are the student's responsibility and should not be deducted from the transferred amount.
- PayPal: Payments via PayPal are possible, but a 6% additional transaction fee applies.
- ATTENDANCE POLICY:
- MISSING TRAINING HOURS: To graduate from our program, students must attend 100% of the training sessions. If you anticipate missing a maximum of 5 hours for acceptable reasons, you must arrange and obtain approval from the program director in advance. Make-up sessions for the missed hours can be scheduled, but a rate of US$15 per hour will apply. Acceptable reasons for missing classes include temporary sickness (e.g., fever, cold, headache) or absolute emergency calls from home or work. Regardless of the reason, all absences must be informed and approved in advance by the program director before missing each class. Leaving class before it ends is also considered a part of the Missing Training Hours section of the Attendance Policy. In case of an absolute emergency, if you need to leave an ongoing class, please inform the program director immediately. In the event that a student exceeds the maximum allowed hours of missed training, even with acceptable reasons and advance notice, the school may require the student to retake the course to fulfill the required training hours set by Yoga Alliance. Unapproved absences are not accepted and may result in dismissal from the program without refund. In such cases, the graduation decision will be at the sole discretion of the program director.
- TARDINESS: Arriving late for class by more than 10 minutes will result in an hour being docked from the student's training hours. Make-up sessions can be arranged, and the same US$15 per hour rate will apply for each missed hour.
- WITHDRAWAL POLICY: If a student wishes to withdraw from our program for any reason, they must first contact the program director to discuss their reasons for withdrawal. Fees paid are non-refundable in cases of personal withdrawals.
- TERMINATION FROM PROGRAM: Yoga Retreat and Meditation may decide to terminate a student's participation in the program if: False or omitted information is provided during the admission process, significantly affecting the program (e.g., omitted pre-existing medical conditions, false identity, etc.). A student misses more than 10 hours of training. A student is absent for more than 2 consecutive days without contacting the program director. The student fails to make timely payments of tuition (within 7 days after the course starts). A student displays mental or emotional instability and disruptive behavior. If the program decides to end a student's participation for any of the reasons mentioned above, the student will not be entitled to any prior payments or fees. All prior payments and fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
- TERMINATION FROM PROGRAM: BAD CONDUCT: No refunds will be given if the program removes a student from the program due to bad conduct, such as violation of the School Policy, Student's Code of Conduct, gossip, harassment, bullying, or any other inappropriate or disruptive behavior to the program or fellow students.
- CERTIFICATION POLICY: Certification will be provided to students upon successful completion of the program, in accordance with the School Policy and Student's Code of Conduct. In special cases where the program is not completed, the school holds the right to make the final decision regarding certification.
- REFUND POLICY:
- GENERAL CASES: After receiving an acceptance email, the applicant will be charged a non-refundable advance deposit of the course fee, as stated on the booking sites. A confirmation email will be sent with details of the remaining course fee due upon arrival. The full payment should be made within 7 days after the start date of the training. Failure to make timely payments may result in the program terminating the student's participation. Please refer to the "Termination from Program" section for further details. If an applicant withdraws from the program after acceptance but before the program starts, the advance deposit amount can be retained for rescheduling, provided the request is made 7 days before the program start date. However, the amount can only be applied toward the same program within a timeframe of 1 year from the original course date booked. After this timeframe, the booking will expire. Advance deposits are strictly non-refundable upon cancellation. If a student has paid in full prior to the course date and decides to cancel before the course starts, the remaining fee (after the advance deposit amount) will be refunded under the following conditions: Refund amount will be sent back via PayPal payment. The school is not responsible for any loss on exchange rates and fees/charges that may incur from the refund transaction. For those who made overseas direct bank transfers, we will request our bank to refund the amount received in Rupees, if possible. The school is not responsible for any loss on exchange rates and fees/charges that may incur from the refund transaction. No refund will be made for amounts lost to tax, transfer fees (e.g., PayPal fees, bank fees, etc.), loss on the exchange rate, non-refundable agency commission fee, or any other charges incurred from or on the deposit payment transaction. Essentially, the school will refund the amount actually received into our bank account (final rupee amount received). So we will send back the refund amount in Indian rupees ("Sender" amount) less the amounts lost (e.g., tax, fees, etc. as mentioned earlier). The school will not make any refund after the training starts.
- BAD CONDUCT: No refunds will be given if the program removes a student from the program due to bad conduct, such as violation of the Code of Conduct, harassment, violent or abusive language or actions, or any other behavior that is inappropriate or disruptive to the welfare of the program or to fellow students. Complete negligence to adhere to any specific requests made by the staff to correct behaviors or complete coursework within the allotted time frame also falls under this category.
- SPECIAL CASES: In case a student needs to withdraw from the program due to illness, accident, death in the family, or other circumstances that make it impractical for the student to complete the course, the program may allow the student to return to retake the full course at a future date within a timeframe of 1 year from the original course date booked, only if agreed upon by the school management team and arranged in advance of the student's departure. In such cases, proof of the circumstances will be requested by the school, and additional charges may apply based on the student's stay during the uncompleted course (considered as extra days).
- SECURITY OF INFORMATION:
- LIABILITY POLICY:
- CCTV POLICY:
- TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS:
- ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY:
- RETALIATION POLICY:
- GRIEVANCE POLICY:
At Yoga Retreat and Meditation, we require all trainees attending our Teacher Training program to have comprehensive travel, medical, and cancellation insurance for the entire duration of their training.
Upon arrival and check-in at our school, all students and non-participating guests are required to provide their passport and necessary guest information, which must be submitted by law to the Indian Government. Rest assured that passports will be returned after photocopies are made.
We have a policy that prohibits pregnant trainees or those who become pregnant during the Teacher Training Course from participating or continuing with the training. In such cases, no refund will be given. If you suspect you may be pregnant, we highly recommend you undergo a pregnancy test before enrolling for the training.
Yoga Retreat and Meditation reserves the right to refuse admission to trainings, retreats, or any other programs held at our school. In special circumstances, students arriving late may be admitted to trainings at the discretion of Yoga Retreat and Meditation.
To reserve a spot in our courses, a minimum advance deposit is required. Please refer to the specific course page for the exact amount.
The remaining course fee (if applicable) is due upon arrival. We offer multiple payment methods at our school reception in Rishikesh, India center. Please note that payment methods may vary at other school locations.
Yoga Retreat and Meditation reserves the right to make changes to payment options and policies at any time.
The school also reserves the right to ask a student to leave the training without certification or decide not to issue a certificate upon completion if the student violates any School Policy or Code of Conduct.
At Yoga Retreat and Meditation, we prioritize the privacy and security of our trainees' personal information. The collection of personal information is required by the Indian Government for check-in and by our school for student registration. Rest assured that this information will not be distributed to any third party.
Information submitted to Yoga Retreat and Meditation may be shared with administrative staff and teachers solely for administrative and teaching purposes.
Please note that Yoga Retreat and Meditation engages in social media networking, such as Facebook and Flickr, as part of our promotional endeavors, which may involve sharing photos or other information.
Yoga Retreat and Meditation yoga school may contact graduates in the future about upcoming events and opportunities, requiring the use of trainee contact details. If trainees are uncomfortable with this, they can explicitly communicate their preference to the staff via email.
Yoga Retreat and Meditation and instructors will not be held responsible for any personal injuries sustained or any pre-existing medical conditions triggered during the training, whether in or out of class. Students are responsible for any injuries and the associated medical costs that may occur during their stay at our campus.
To enhance the security of the building and its associated equipment, CCTV systems are installed both internally and externally at Yoga Retreat and Meditation premises. This also fosters mindfulness among the occupants.
The CCTV system operates 24 hours a day and retains footage for a maximum of 15 days, except when the image identifies an issue and is retained specifically for investigation or prosecution purposes. Access to the images and recordings is restricted to authorized personnel, and access will be limited to individuals on a need-to-know basis.
Please note that in certain circumstances, recordings may be viewed for specific incidences of crime or anti-social behavior.
To maintain professional boundaries, teachers at Yoga Retreat and Meditation are not permitted to organize trips outside of school for students, whether in groups or individually. This includes taking students out for meals or city exploration, even if the student initiates the invitation. Engaging in such activities may lead to temporary suspension from teaching or permanent resignation from the teacher position at Yoga Retreat and Meditation.
For additional consultation outside of class, time may be given to the student within the school premise only.
At Yoga Retreat and Meditation, we strictly prohibit harassment against members of protected classes. This includes age, gender (including pregnancy), race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, genetic information, or any other basis proscribed by law. We do not tolerate any form of sexual misconduct in our school. This includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, sexual touching, and verbal, visual, or physical conduct that creates a sexually hostile environment.
Teachers are not allowed to engage in any romantic relationships with students during the teacher-student relationship period. Such interactions are considered unethical and violate the focus of serving the spiritual needs of the student.
We take reports of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, or violations of our Code of Conduct or policies seriously. We encourage anyone who has experienced or witnessed such misconduct to report it to the Ethics Committee, Human Resources department, or school management.
We have a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment or misconduct and will not tolerate retaliation against anyone making a report in good faith or participating in an investigation.
If anyone experiences sexual misconduct or any other policy violation, we encourage them to report the incident to the reviewing body. The report should include detailed information about the incident, witnesses, evidence, and any other relevant information.
Reports must be made in good faith and based on information the person reasonably believes to be accurate. Third-party reports of misconduct will not be investigated.
The reviewing body will assess the situation objectively and impose sanctions based on fairness and proportionality. Sanctions may include warnings, time-outs, or dismissal from the school or community, depending on the severity of the violation.
We maintain confidentiality throughout the review process, and any actions taken as a result of the report will also remain confidential.
Our commitment is to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all our students, teachers, and staff at Yoga Retreat and Meditation.