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There were a lot of things I did as a newbie yoga teacher that feel cringe years later. Like giving heavy-handed physical assists. Thinking I could legit “fix” someone’s injury by adjusting their physical practice. Proselytizing yoga as a cure for everything.
But the thing I might regret the most is snapping photos and videos of students in class without their consent–especially when they were in a vulnerable pose like Savasana—and then posting it on social media.
I told students (and myself) that I wanted to capture the vibe of the room. But if I’m being honest, I wanted to share how full my classes were. I know this because I definitely wasn’t reaching for my phone during classes with smaller attendance. There was zero reason for me to do this other than ego.
It wasn’t until other teachers and students started speaking up publicly about the ethical issues and privacy violations of such acts that I began to understand the error of my ways.
The Ethics of Taking Video and Photos During Class
One of many yoga teachers who has been quite vocal on the issue is London-based Adam Husler. He, too, snapped shots of students during the very early days of his teaching career.
But as he tried to put himself in his student’s shoes, Husler began to ask himself, “What if I wanted privacy? What if I didn’t want people to know my location? What if I was insecure in my appearance?”
Since his revelation, Husler has committed to never using unwitting students as models again. The ethics of photographing and filming students has become a talking point in Husler’s teacher trainings and he is not shy about reminding fellow teachers on lnstagram of the sanctity of the yoga studio.
For many yoga students, a discomfort with having their picture taken might run much deeper than not feeling camera-ready. “People often use yoga as a way to come back to embodiment after being disembodied for a long time,” explains Dené Logan, who is a therapist and a yoga teacher. “Learning to find sanctuary within oneself and cultivating a space of deep acceptance is unbelievably sacred.”
This was a large part of what motivated me to stop filming my students. My yoga practice was one of the first times I felt safe in my body.
Logan encourages teachers to consider that filming students in action might turn what’s meant to be an inward practice into something performative and external. While she has not had any clients discuss being filmed in a yoga class without their consent, the topic of social media, highlight reels, and comparison culture is rampant in her therapy sessions.
“Our days are inundated with the need to be performing,” says Logan. “And turning our practice into a performance is a way we perpetuate the idea of ‘I am not enough,’ when yoga’s deeper teachings are meant to be about union to Source. Our yoga practice should be a respite from all that.”
While I have never had a student say anything to me directly, I was sometimes posting class pictures multiple times a week. Just because people don’t say anything, doesn’t mean they weren’t offended. I have to imagine that people felt violated.
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From the Students’ Perspective
Sinnead Ali had an experience in a yoga class in Singapore that felt antithetical to the more inward intention of the practice. Ali was taking an aerial yoga class with a skilled teacher who was able to guide Ali into complex shapes she had never tried before. While hanging from the silks, the teacher’s assistant came in with his phone and began taking pictures of everyone upside-down.
“He went into full photoshoot mode,” she explained in a message. “They came out great but it was a really weird experience.”
The studio crossed another line, says Ali. The teacher’s assistant immediately sent the photos to students via WhatsApp from the phone numbers shared for class registration. They also asked individuals to post the photos on social media and tag the studio. Ali didn’t speak up at the time because she sensed the studio was struggling to maintain clients and doing what they could to stand out. But she never went back.
It’s not only teachers sharing images of students in class without permission. Steve Kleiman was doing a handstand split, shirtless and in shorts, when another student began filming him from behind without his awareness. In the video, the student says in a tone that one could call lascivious, “Here we go, guys,” before panning to Kleiman. You then hear the teacher laughing.
“I had no idea. I saw the video on the teacher’s feed on Facebook. I was livid. Red hot furious,” he says. Kleiman had no qualms about asking the teacher to remove the video and confronting the camera person the next time he saw them. Both were apologetic and removed the content. Kleiman came away feeling the situation was resolved.
Not all confrontations go as smoothly. Jennifer Pratt’s foray into yoga was short-lived due in large part to teachers using her image without permission. In one instance, a teacher used Pratt’s photo on their personal website. “The teacher clearly wanted to show a person of color and was mad when I asked her to take it down. She said I should focus my energy on ‘real racism’ and that I should be happy to have my picture on her site as she was well known in the community,” explained Pratt, “This definitely led to my strong dislike of yoga spaces.”
Violations aren’t limited to class. Long-time teacher Anita Mawji attended a local yoga studio’s open house when a person started taking her pictures. Mawji asked if she could share her contact info so she could see the finalized content and know when it was posted on social media, but the photographer waved her off. “She smiled and said she probably wouldn’t use it,’” Mawji recounted, “But when the studio shared content from the event online, there I was.”
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Teachers Weigh In
While many yoga teachers, therapists, and photographers are vocal about their disavowal of filming students during class, some see it as a necessary part of teaching yoga in the current social media-fueled climate. Gabi Metz, known as @thecontentyogi on Instagram, defines herself as an “IG + online biz coach for yoga teachers.” In early 2023, Metz posted a reel with a caption that encouraged teachers to take pictures of their students in class.
“We need to get over this yogier than thou attitude when it comes to sharing our students in action,” reads the caption on Metz’s post, which asserts that posting pictures of students is “social proof” for those who are considering practicing with a teacher for the first time.
The backlash in response to the post was intense. Metz shared with me in a message that the response led her to turn off the comments and rethink her social media strategy with her mental health as a priority.
Metz says she would word it more softly if she were she to reshoot the reel today and the caption currently includes a note at the end about having students’ permission. Although she stands by her conviction. “This type of marketing builds credibility, establishes a deeper trust and connection with your community, and empowers them to see what it is like to practice with you, ultimately leading to more clients and class bookings,” she told me in a message. When coaching clients, she currently includes the caveat that teachers must get permission.
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What the Law Says About Filming Others
Capturing content that features students without their consent is not only psychologically harmful, but a violation of their legal rights. Individuals are protected under the “right of publicity,” a federal law that says you must receive consent to use someone’s likeness for your own profit and is connected with First Amendment rights.
Additionally, California Civil Code 3344(a) reads, “Any person who knowingly uses another’s name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness, in any manner, on or in products, merchandise, or goods, or for purposes of advertising or selling, or soliciting purchases of, products, merchandise, goods or services, without such person’s prior consent, or, in the case of a minor, the prior consent of his parent or legal guardian, shall be liable for any damages sustained by the person or persons injured as a result thereof.”
There is a loophole here in that the image must be identifiable. In other words, if it’s a photograph or video of someone in a restorative yoga pose covered in blankets with an eye mask on or you are using portrait mode and the students are blurred, they will have to prove in a court that it is them. But this is not a free pass for restorative yoga teachers or an invitation to make sure your students are well-disguised before you start playing paparazzi.
“Just because something is not against the law doesn’t mean that it’s still okay to do,” explains attorney Jesse E. Morris, Esq, founder of Morris Music Law, “Laws don’t cover everything. We try our best with laws but there’s other things at play when we get into morals. Like, what’s right or wrong or good or bad. Are we respecting people’s rights or their right to privacy? Or their right to just enjoy a yoga class?”
Morris has represented yoga studios, festivals, and influencers, and though he is unable to share specific legal advice, he suggests considering the specific situation. “The typical best practice is to let people know you are filming,” says Morris. “And if you’re not letting them know, how would you feel about that?” In other words, imagine yourself unwittingly on the other side of the lens.
Also, while getting approval is often handled in legalese included in waivers for a studio, you can pretty much assume that most people don’t read the release form thoroughly or even know what rights they are signing away. For example, some yoga festivals require you to sign a liability release form that gives away your right to publicity. This underscores the need for teacher-student transparency and clear communication.
How to Responsibly Capture Video + Photos
It’s for these reasons that nearly every teacher, photographer, and organization I spoke with recommends always getting approval in advance. But there are a few more steps we can take to protect our student’s privacy and ensure that our studio remains a safe space.
1. Give Fair Notice
Let students know in advance—this could be a matter of days or even weeks—that you will be taking pictures of a particular class and give them the option to opt out. Also, let students know why you are taking the photos, where they will appear, and in what context they will be used.
Special events are the one exception Husler makes for capturing images. However, Husler cautions that being confronted at the studio with a release form minutes before the event begins might lead some people to feel pressured.
“I think people should have a heads up before they sign up for class so they are not put on the spot when they are already in the classroom,” says photographer Emilie Bers, who has created a successful business taking pictures of students during workshops and retreats for high-profile yoga teacher clients.
2. Teach a Special Class for Marketing Purposes
Consider arranging a class outside of your usual schedule to obtain marketing assets related to your teaching. Husler has invited students to attend these classes for free in exchange for taking their photos. Bers has photographed many of these classes for yoga teachers. Morris suggests paying students if you plan to use the images for marketing purposes.
Another option is to invite friends and fellow teachers to pose as your students. (Of course, you will probably owe them a last-minute sub sometime.) Or pool resources with a handful of other yoga teachers so you can hire a professional photographer for a few hours and act as each other’s models.
3. Capture Yourself—and Only Yourself—on Camera
Strategically set up your camera in a place where the pictures and video capture only you and the backs of students’ heads. If you are working with a photographer, ask them to film content in this way. You could also request that they blur students to the point of not being recognizable, although just because this is potentially legal doesn’t mean it’s ethically advisable.
4. Designate One Part of the Room for Filming
“I used to film in yoga studios for my YouTube channel starting in 2012 and I would put a piece of tape on the ground that said, ‘If you’re in front of this piece of tape you’re on camera,’” shares Brett Larkin, founder of Uplifted Yoga. “I just made it really clear to people.”
Former studio owner Kayse Gehret used the same approach whenever she captured visual marketing content at her studio. “Some people would throw themselves into the first row if it was going to be on social media,” she shared with a laugh in a voice message. “But those who didn’t want to be filmed could go in the back two rows.”
5. Consider Audio Only
“Audio is also a great way to get content out of your classes without having to worry about visuals,” suggests Kyle Rebar, former video production manager at Yoga International, where he filmed live classes at conferences and festivals. Recording only audio can also be easier to attain than needing to worry about all the details related to visuals, says Rebar.
“It’s good to take stock of what your content ‘get’ needs are. Like, how interested are you in the tech side of things and how much time do you want to spend on it? A teacher who is trying to just build up a library may not need something highly produced,” he says.
Once in a while, a memory will pop up on my social media that is a picture of students in a class I taught. I shudder when this happens. These days, I never point my camera toward students. No picture is worth violating the safe space that yoga can be for students.