An article in the Washington Post yesterday reveals that the state government of Virginia is attempting to regulate yoga teachers. Specifically, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia is attempting to require licensing for anyone who teaches yoga classes. No, this is not a move by the state legislature, or a proposal from the governor, but move by a regulatory agency trying to increase its own scope and power, and unsurprisingly, their budget along with it.
This move is not unprecedented in Virginia, or anywhere else in America for that matter. In Virginia the State Council of Higher Education already requires a license to teach truck driving, bar tending, and pet grooming just to name a few. The State of Michigan recently required licensing for interior decorators of all things.
The reason the bureaucrats give is that they are looking out for public safety. Letting unqualified yoga instructors teach endangers the students, so oversight and regulation is necessary say the regulators.
Unfortunately the actual motives behind licensing regulations are usually far more devious. First you have the regulating bureaucrats, who in order to justify their existence, need to constantly find new industries to regulate. As gravy they also get to fatten the state’s coffers by charging instructors $2000 to apply for a license and $500 a year to maintain it. Not a bad deal for a bureaucrat looking to prove his worth. Then you have the established industry insiders, who side with the regulators to keep out competition. If you own an established yoga studio and can afford the licensing fees, then it makes sense to support the regulation and keep new competition out of the market place.
Fortunately, a group of yoga instructors is fighting back. The AP reports that 3 yoga instructors filed a lawsuit today against Virginia claiming the proposed plan is an unconstitutional restriction of free speech, and they just might have a chance to win this battle. For one, they are being supported the Institute for Justice, the non-profit law firm that exists to protect individuals from 
bureaucrats. Secondly, they are finding allies in some interesting places. US Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) came out supporting the lawsuit saying “It’s the students who determine whether you’re a competent teacher”. Wow, that is quite a strong statement of individual freedom from a politician. The Democrat controlled Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is even considering proposals to exempt yoga studios from the state regulation.
Why are all these politicians jumping on the anti-regulation band wagon now? I would like to say that they’ve seen the folly of their regulating ways, but that’s probably being too optimistic. Likely they are friends and customers of these yoga instructors, which explains why they will stand up for their flexible friends but throw the truck drivers and interior decorators to the regulation hounds.
Still, it is encouraging to see individuals standing up to aggressive state regulators. As students and teachers of liberty we need to remember that the battle over free expression and free enterprise is not limited to the college campus. These teachers and their students are our allies, and we should applaud their efforts to keep the state out of their lives.
This would be awful it came true! No, No, No!
We showed a video about this at an SLF meeting on licensing. Crazy stuff.
yoga is very helpful with diabetes and also for stress/anxiety~:.