Terms and Conditions (“Terms”)

Effective as of 1st September 2025

1 – INTRODUCTION

Below you’ll find our Terms and Conditions, which apply when you confirm a booking through our website. They contain important information for you as a participant, so please read them carefully before completing the application form for our Embodied Yin Yoga Teacher Training. We also suggest saving or printing a copy for your records.

2 – BOOKING

2.1 Places on the course are limited and all applicants will be invited to an interview so that we may assess whether the course is a good fit for you and vice versa. Your participation will be confirmed following acceptance on to the course.

2.2 By registering for the course, you agree that your name, email address, and phone number may be shared with the accrediting body, Yoga Alliance Professionals (‘YAP’).

2.3 Levels 1 & 2 of this training are open to both qualified yoga teachers and experienced practitioners who wish to deepen their understanding of Yin yoga, whether for personal enrichment or to support their home practice.

2.4 We recommend that students have at least one year of consistent yoga practice before beginning this training. Exceptions may be made at our discretion—if this applies to you, please contact us by email at somae.yoga@gmail.com.

2.5 Level 3 of this training is designed specifically for established teachers who wish to further their development. We recommend that participants hold a 200-hour teaching qualification, a foundational Yin qualification, and have prior teaching experience.

2.6 If a course is fully booked, you may join the waitlist. Should a space become available, you will receive an email notification, and will have three hours to accept or decline before the spot is offered to the next person on the list.

3 – INCLUSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS

3.1 What’s included:

– Training and assessment by a qualified YAP Senior Yoga Teacher

– In-person tutorials and classes to deliver the course

– A comprehensive manual and course materials

– Access to pre-recorded online content for a set period of time to facilitate learning the theoretical part of the course at your own pace

– Printed certificate on successful completion of the course

3.2 Payment of the course fees does not automatically guarantee certification. To receive your certificate, you must successfully complete all assignments and attend 100% of the course. If you miss any sessions, they will need to be made up for in private tuition with the relevant staff member at an additional cost to you. Certificates are awarded only to participants who meet these requirements.

3.3 What’s excluded:

– Meals or drinks

– Accommodation costs

– Insurance (Available through YAP)

– Any costs of resitting assessments or catching up on missed classes

3.4 Should you face exceptional circumstances that prevent you from attending a particular session or sitting your assessments, we may choose to waive any additional fees that would normally be due to us, but this is at our discretion. Please contact us via email at somae.yoga@gmail.com to discuss your extenuating circumstances.

4 – OUR CONTRACT WITH YOU

4.1 Your agreement with us includes these Terms.

4.2 Please ensure that you read these Terms carefully, and check that the details of your booking are complete and accurate.

5 – CHANGES TO BOOKING OR TERMS

5.1 We may revise these Terms from time to time in the following circumstances:

 (a) changes in relevant laws and regulatory requirements;

 (b) to reflect changes to our course terms.

5.2 If you wish to cancel your booking before the course has been fully delivered, please see your right to do so in clause 11.

6 – PROVISION OF THE COURSE

6.1 We will deliver the course on the dates outlined in your booking.

6.2 We will make every effort to complete the course as scheduled. However, delays may occur due to an ‘Event Outside Our Control’ (see clause 10 for details).

6.3 In the unlikely event that we need to suspend the course, we will notify you in advance wherever possible, unless the issue is urgent or an emergency.

6.4 Access to pre-recorded course content is available online for a limited time, as stated on the course page. If you require additional time, you may request an extension. Extensions are available at a cost of £25, which provides an extra 2 weeks of access. To arrange this, please contact us via email somae.yoga@gmail.com.

6.5 If course fees are not paid when due, we reserve the right to suspend your access to the course with immediate effect until all outstanding payments have been received.

7 – COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

7.1 We are committed to providing an educational environment that values open and honest communication. If you wish to raise a concern or make a complaint, please follow the steps below so that we can work toward a resolution as quickly as possible:

• Support: You are welcome to involve another person to support you at any stage of this process.

• Stage One: Please email the teacher training team within three days of the incident to attempt to resolve the matter informally. We will respond within two working days.

• Stage Two: If the issue is not resolved, you may submit a formal complaint by email to the teacher training team. We will acknowledge receipt within three working days and begin an investigation. To help us address your concern effectively, please include:

-       A description of the issue

-       Any relevant correspondence or supporting information

-       The outcome you are seeking, if applicable

Our formal response will include:

-       The outcome of the investigation

-       A decision on whether the complaint is upheld

-       The reasoning behind our decision

-       Any redress offered (such as an apology, additional support, or referral to other resources)

-       Any further action to be taken

If we are unable to provide a full response within 30 working days, we will send you an interim update explaining the delay and confirming when you can expect a full reply.

7.2 If you are a consumer (not a business), you have legal rights if the course is not delivered with reasonable skill and care. Further advice about your rights is available from your local Citizens Advice service or Trading Standards office. Nothing in these Terms affects those legal rights.

8 – PRICE AND PAYMENT

8.1 The cost of the course will be set out in your booking confirmation.

8.2 To secure your place on the course, we require a non-refundable deposit.

8.3 The remaining balance may be paid in instalments. If you would like to set up a payment plan, please contact us via email at somae.yoga@gmail.com to arrange a suitable schedule.

8.4 All final payments must be received no later than eight weeks before the course start date. Payments can be made by BACs transfer, or by cash or cheque if agreed upon in advance.

8.5 If full payment is not received by the due date, we reserve the right to cancel your booking and retain any payments made beforehand.

9 – OUR LIABILITY TO YOU

9.1 If we fail to comply with these Terms, we are responsible for any loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breach or negligence. We are not responsible for any loss or damage that could not have been reasonably foreseen. Loss or damage is considered foreseeable if it is an obvious consequence of our actions, or if both you and we could reasonably have anticipated it at the time of entering this agreement.

9.2 If you hold a 200-hour teaching qualification, as well as a relevant insurance policy that is currently in force, you may use the skills gained through this course to teach Yin yoga to the public. However, you may not use the course content to train or certify others as Yin yoga teachers.

9.3 We make no guarantee of employment or business opportunities upon completion of the course. We accept no liability for any loss of profit, loss of business, business interruption, or loss of business opportunity.

9.4 If you intend to, or already do, provide yoga teaching to the public as a business, our total liability to you (whether in contract, tort—including negligence—breach of statutory duty, or otherwise) will in no case exceed the total amount you paid for the course.

9.5 Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for:

(a) death or personal injury caused by our negligence or that of our employees, agents, or subcontractors;
(b) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
(c) breach of the terms implied by section 2 of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 (title and quiet possession);
(d) breach of the terms implied by sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 (description, satisfactory quality, fitness for purpose, and samples).

10 – EVENTS OUTSIDE OUR CONTROL

10.1 We are not liable for any failure or delay in fulfilling our obligations under these Terms if such failure or delay is caused by an ‘Event Outside Our Control.’

10.2 An ‘Event Outside Our Control’ refers to any circumstance beyond our reasonable control. This may include (but is not limited to): strikes, lock-outs, or industrial action by third parties; civil unrest, riot, invasion, or terrorist threat or attack; war (declared or not) or preparations for war; fire, explosion, storm, flood, earthquake, subsidence, epidemic, or other natural disaster; or failure of public or private telecommunications or internet networks.

10.3 If an ‘Event Outside Our Control’ occurs which impacts our ability to meet our obligations under these Terms:
(a) we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible; and
(b) our obligations under these terms will be suspended, with the performance period extended for the duration of the ‘Event Outside Our Control.’ Once the event has ended, we will resume delivery of the course as soon as reasonably possible.

10.4 You may cancel your booking if an ‘Event Outside Our Control’ prevents the course from being delivered in its entirety. Please note this does not include changes to the course location, venue, or delivery format (including moving the course online) where the course continues to run. We reserve the right to cancel the course only if the ‘Event Outside Our Control’ continues for more than 30 days, in line with our cancellation policy in clause 11.

11 – YOUR RIGHTS TO CANCEL AND APPLICABLE REFUND

11.1 You may not cancel a course booking once the course has started nor within eight weeks of the course start date. However, you do have the right to cancel in the following circumstances, including if an ‘Event Outside Our Control’ entirely prevents the course from taking place.

11.2 If you cancel your booking eight weeks or more before the course start date, you will receive a 50% refund of the full course fee, minus the non-refundable deposit.

11.3 For cancellations made with less than eight weeks’ notice, no refunds or transfers will be provided unless:
 (a) the course is fully booked and we are able to fill your place from the waiting list, or
 (b) you find another participant to take your place.

In either case, once the replacement participant has paid in full, we will refund any payments you have made up to that point, minus the deposit.

11.4 You may request to defer your place to a future training date (subject to availability). A £35 administration fee applies to all deferrals.

11.5 We are unable to refund costs related to travel, accommodation, or other personal expenses if you cancel your booking. We strongly recommend that you obtain travel insurance to cover such situations.

11.6 To cancel a booking, please email us at somae.yoga@gmail.com, clearly stating your reason for cancellation. We will confirm receipt of your request by email. Cancellations are effective from the date we receive your email.

11.7 After the course has begun, you may cancel with immediate effect by giving us written notice if:
(a) we materially breach this contract and fail to remedy the issue within 10 working days of being notified in writing; or
 (b) the course cannot proceed due to an ‘Event Outside Our Control.’  

12 – OUR RIGHTS TO CANCEL OR ALTER A COURSE AND COURSE VENUE

12.1 To ensure the smooth running of the course, the teaching faculty may be subject to change at our discretion if an advertised member of staff is taken ill or otherwise unavailable in an emergency. In such cases, we will ensure that any replacement faculty member has credentials equivalent to the person they are covering for.

12.2 Should we need to cancel a booking or part of a course before it begins:
(a) This may occur due to an ‘Event Outside Our Control,’ or because of the unavailability of essential staff or materials without which the course cannot run. If this happens, we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible.
(b) If we cancel a booking under clause 12.2(a), any advance payments you have made for course elements not provided will be refunded in full.

12.3 Once your booking is confirmed, we may still cancel the course contract by giving you at least 7 calendar days’ written notice. In this case, any advance payments you have made for elements of the course not delivered will be refunded to you.

12.4 We may also cancel the contract for the course at any time with immediate effect by giving you written notice if:
 (a) you fail to make payment when due;
(b) you breach the contract in a material way and do not correct the issue within seven days of our written request;
(c) you fail to meet the experience requirements outlined in clause 2.4; or
 (d) we are unable to secure the course venue specified in your booking.

13 – INFORMATION ABOUT US AND HOW TO CONTACT US

13.1 We (Echo Elliott and Oceana Mariani) operate as sole traders.

13.2 If you have any questions or complaints, please contact us via e-mail at info@echo.yoga and oceana.mariani@gmail.com respectively.

14 – PRACTICE EXPERIENCE

14.1 Students will need to have experience in line with clause 2.4.

15 – PHOTOGRAPHY

15.1 The course leaders reserve the right to photograph or film teaching sessions for website and marketing purposes. If you prefer not to be photographed, please inform the teacher at the start of the course so we can ensure you do not feature.

16 – COPYRIGHT

16.1 All course materials are the intellectual property of the instructors. Reproducing, repurposing, or presenting course content in other trainings or public events without permission is prohibited.

17 – OTHER IMPORTANT TERMS

17.1 We may transfer our rights and obligations under these Terms to another organisation, and we will always notify you in writing if this happens, but this will not affect your rights or our obligations under these Terms.

17.2 You may only transfer your rights or your obligations under these Terms to another person if we agree in writing and you pay in advance our reasonable administration costs for effecting such change.

17.3 This contract is between you, Echo Elliott and Oceana Mariani. No other person or entity shall have any rights to enforce any of its terms.

17.4 Each of the paragraphs of these Terms operates separately. If any court or relevant authority decides that any of them are unlawful, the remaining paragraphs will remain in full force and effect.

17.5 If we fail to insist that you perform any of your obligations under these Terms, or if we do not enforce our rights against you, or if we delay in doing so, that will not mean that we have waived our rights against you and will not mean that you do not have to comply with those obligations. If we do waive a default by you, we will only do so in writing, and that will not mean that we will automatically waive any later default by you.

17.6 These Terms are governed by English law. You and us both agree to submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts. However, if you are a resident of Northern Ireland you may also bring proceedings in Northern Ireland, and if you are a resident of Scotland, you may also bring proceedings in Scotland.

18 – CODE OF CONDUCT

18.1 In order to maintain our high standards set out by our partners Yoga Alliance Professionals (‘YAP’), it is vitally important that by completing this course you reach the standard we require to enable you to teach to the best of your ability. In order to do this, we must ensure that all of our students behave in the manner we expect of them whilst on our course.

18.2 Our assessment process is continuous and based on a number of things including your behaviour and progress. Students who do not meet the required standards will be asked to improve on the areas of weakness and demonstrate that they have done this, before being issued with a certificate. All successful students can be registered on the YAP database of accredited teachers.

18.3 This Code of Conduct (see clause 18.4) is a summation and declaration of acceptable, ethical, and professional behaviour by which all of our students agree to conduct during training and throughout their teachings in the business of Yoga.

18.4 In order to abide by our Code of Conduct you vow:

– To ensure that you conduct safe and effective teaching to the public.

– To maintain and uphold the traditions of Yoga taught to you during this course, and to teach yoga from the experience of these traditions.

– To disseminate these teachings to anyone, from any background, who earnestly desires to follow these traditions.

– To uphold the integrity of this vocation by conducting yourself in a professional and conscientious manner.

– To acknowledge the limitations of your skills, as well as the scope of your practice. Where appropriate, you will refer students to seek alternative instruction, advice, treatment, or direction.

– To create and maintain a safe, clean, and comfortable environment for the practice of yoga.

– To actively encourage diversity by respecting all students regardless of age, physical limitations, race, creed, gender, ethnicity, religion affiliation, or sexual orientation.

– To respect the rights, dignity, and privacy of all students.

– To avoid words and actions that constitute sexual harassment.

– To follow all local government and national laws that pertain to your yoga teaching and business.

18.5 By registering for this course you agree to abide by the conditions set out in the course curriculum, the Terms and Conditions laid out here, as well as the Code of Conduct set out in clause 18.4.

18.6 You acknowledge that your failure to do so will disqualify you from completing the course and receiving any accreditation. You vow to uphold the standards of the teachings you have been given, and to maintain and promote the good name of Yoga at all times. You accept that your failure to comply may lead to the annulment of any accreditation obtained from our Teacher Training now and at any future date.