May 15, 2008
Student Sues Yoga Teacher
Janet Weiss, student of yoga, filed a lawsuit yesterday against Wendy Sadler, teacher of yoga, after receiving "severe and permanent injuries" during one of Sadler's classes. Weiss attended a yoga class at Northbrook YMCA taught by Sadler who apparently "grabbed and maneuvered her" and now she's hurt forever. Weiss is also blaming the YMCA for not reviewing Sadler's qualifications before hiring her. Sadler trained at the Himalayan Institute. That's in Pennsylvania. Not in the mountain range separating the Indian Subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau, mind you. [S-T, photo by jillhudgins]
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You know, I would like to say this is a frivolous or "an assumption of risk" type of lawsuit. However, I have a friend that had the same type of thing happen to him--on a much smaller scale though. He was in a yoga class doing some type of back bend when the instructor came over, grabbed him, and bent him back further. It threw his back out and he couldn't go to work for 4 days. I really wonder how well some of these instructors are trained in basic physiology.
I don't know much about this case, but I don't necessarily think the teacher herself should be sued. Regardless of how well trained you are, if you are physically adjusting people in yoga postures, an accident can happen without any recklessness or irresponsibility on your part. However, not knowing the details of what happened, maybe she was making bad adjustments.
If it turns out that she was teaching without any proper certification, than I would expect her Employer would be the one to get sued.
Dammit, Janet.
Janet Weiss, "EX" student of yoga...
I liked her better when she played drums for Sleater-Kinney. She rocked.
I have a 22 yr. old friend who calls himself a Personal Trainer.
He has worked at Balleys and he himself is very much into working out, etc.
He takes on clients, he charges like $65 an hour, but he will not go to school to get any kind of degree or certification. He thinks he just knows it all.
He's a good kid, but so arrogant concerning his own powers and beliefs about working out and I have noticed many times he says things that are so totally wrong and could do actual harm to someone who believes him.
I went to college with a guy who was getting his doctorate in Exercise Physiology. He is now the head of the sports dept. at a large college out west. I learned a lot from him just by osmosis, but one thing that I learned that is most important is that
I would never, ever, EVER follow any kind of fitness regimen from someone who didn't have a degree in that area, or at the very least certification with many years of experience and some good recommendations.
@Ingrid -- thank you for your post. This has changed my selection process for a personal trainer. I never realize that a certification was required....I thought any old muscle-head would do.
BWChicago - very nice. You beat me to that.
All these phony yoga teachers should be sued. All one has to do is to look up the Sanskrit/Hindu word "yoga," and one will quickly discover that all of real Yoga is Hinduism. These "teachers" are not Hindus, and they not teaching Hinduism. In light of the facts about real Yoga, these "teachers" are not teaching Yoga--it is all a sham(e).