- Agreement for the provision of teaching services:
1.1 These Terms and Conditions, together with the description of the class, training course or workshop (hereinafter generically referred to as “Course” or “Courses”) as applicable, organised by Carolyn Cowan and provided through the www.carolyncowan.com and www.kundaliniglobal.com websites, shall form the Agreement for the Provision of Teaching Services (hereinafter referred to as “Agreement”) between the student and Devotion Trading Limited, company number: 5156034, registered at 2 Sanderstead Hill, Surrey CR2 0HA.
1.2 By making a booking for any Course, the student becomes a party to this Agreement, verifies the information provided in the Acceptance Forms and confirms acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.
- Teaching:
2.1 Carolyn Cowan is committed to personally teaching a minimum of 70% (seventy per cent) of any of the Courses. This is in-line with the Yoga Alliance policies for yoga training.
2.2 Other teachers may teach the remaining part of any Course, as applicable, and will be chosen at the discretion of Carolyn Cowan.
- Personal Practice:
3.1 It is expected and required that prospective students will have been practicing yoga for a minimum of two years before they embark on a Kundalini Global Teacher Training Course.
3.2 For any other Courses a regular yoga practice will be helpful, but is not required unless specifically stated in the course description.
- Course Content and Teaching Approach
4.1 Courses are intentionally multidisciplinary, multicultural and anti-racist.
4.2 Students will be expected to give and receive responsible feedback and to support each other emotionally. Courses can at times be emotionally demanding; throughout the training, students will need to be able to draw upon appropriate support from their personal environment outside the Course.
4.3 In line with our philosophy and principles of adult learning, the Courses have a strong experiential component and group involvement. Didactic teaching may be complemented by exercises in pairs, live supervision, triads and plenary, guided reading, self-, peer- and tutor evaluation and written assignments.
4.4 Devotion Trading Limited Courses are provided in the spirit of a vocation, accepting that the learning process is formative rather than informative; it involves the critical examination of personally held beliefs, attitudes, language and behaviours. In line with this, students need to be able to undertake a rigorous self-examination of their work and practice.
4.5 Devotion Trading Limited expects students:
4.5.1 to honour the subjectivity of the training experience;
4.5.2 to respect commonly understood boundaries, and conduct themselves at all times in accordance with their professional status and in such a way that neither undermines public confidence in the process or profession of yoga nor brings it into disrepute;
4.5.3 to refrain from commenting adversely on the conduct of other professionals including their peers, the course directors, faculty members and supervisors. There are properly constituted procedures for raising concerns about the course – please refer to the Complaints Procedure set out in Clause 15 herein;
4.5.4 to respect the status of all other professionals and the boundaries of their professional remits;
4.5.5 to demonstrate their ability to work with a wide variety of people, professional backgrounds, sexual orientation, class, ethnic background, age, relationship status as evidenced through active participation in teaching;
4.5.6 to take care of their behaviour in peer group sessions – with due regard to confidentiality and respect
4.5.7 if required, to support the Course through formal evaluation processes. It is not appropriate to undermine the course or trainers by making pejorative remarks.
- Qualification:
5.1 The student will receive the Course award only if they meet the required criteria set out in the Course requirements. If the student does not meet these requirements, they will receive certificate of attendance instead – unless at their own cost and in their own time they will agree a course of remedial action with Devotion Trading Limited, any such agreement being at the discretion of Devotion Trading Limited.
5.2 A minimum of 85% attendance is required in order to receive the course award. A certificate of attendance will be given to students who only attend less than 85% of the taught course. Alternatively, at the discretion of the course director, students attending less than 85% of the taught course may undertake additional tutorials, reading or written assignments, in their own time and at their own cost, in order to reach the required level to attain the qualification. Any such programme of additional work must be agreed with the course director.
5.3 Special consideration may be allowed, at the sole discretion of Devotion Trading Limited, should the absences be caused by documented illness. Supporting documentation may be required in this case.
- Exclusion from the course
6.1 Devotion Trading Limited reserves the right to exclude a student from a course if:
6.1.1 the student fails to adhere to the terms of this Agreement
6.1.2 the student’s behaviour on the course is deemed inappropriate (such as an ethical code violation);
6.1.3 the student’s contributions to the group or conceptual/theoretical understanding is below the academic standard necessary;
6.1.4 the student’s pattern of attendance is sporadic or the student arrives late/leaves early during a course.
6.2 In the case of behavioural contraventions, unauthorised truancy and breaches of this Agreement no refund will be offered in case of exclusion from a course. All other cases will be examined on an individual basis and refunds may be offered at the sole discretion of Devotion Trading Limited.
- Booking and Fees:
7.1 A deposit, as outlined in the course description, will be necessary to secure a place on any course. If the course allows for payment in instalments, the first instalment shall be considered the deposit.
7.2 Applications will be taken on a ‘first come, first served’ basis and students who have paid their deposit will have priority in admission onto the course over those who haven’t.
7.3 Devotion Trading Limited reserves the right to refuse a place to students who have not paid their deposit or full fees, as required, by the stated deadline.
7.4 The student is obliged to make all course payments within the designated timeframes. Should payments be in arrears, the student may be refused further access to the training and any ensuing qualification, until such arrears are rectified.
7.5 Fees include training and assessment by appropriately qualified individuals and, depending on the Course content, a full manual and associated paperwork. For the avoidance of doubt, fees do not include any travel, flights, accommodation food, insurance or other expenses that a student may require to ensure their participation in the Course.
7.6 Upon signing up for the Kundalini Global Teacher Training your name, email address and phone number will be forwarded to our accrediting body, Yoga Alliance Professionals (“YAP”), and you will get a free membership with YAP for the duration of your course.
7.7 For the avoidance of doubt, if the duration of a Course is spread out over a period of time, the student must complete a Course within that prescribed timeframe. Even though some Courses are taught several times per year and repeated every year, the payment for a particular Course entitles the student to attend the Course only on the dates that they paid for.
- Refunds & Cancellations:
8.1 A full refund will be given if you cannot attend and if you let Devotion Trading Limited know at least:
– 60 (sixty ) days prior to the start of a Kundalini Global Teacher Training programme, or
– 14 (fourteen) days prior to the start of a workshop or class.
8.2 There will be a 50% retention fee if you cancel:
– between 60 (sixty) and 30 (thirty) days prior to the start of a Kundalini Global Teacher Training programme, or
– between 14 (fourteen) and 7 (seven) days prior to the start of any workshop or class.
8.3 For any cancellations after the periods set out above no refunds will be given.
- Unforseen circumstances:
9.1 Devotion Trading Limited fully intends to deliver the training programmes as advertised. However, in the event of unforeseen circumstances or factors outside the organisers control, such as, but not limited to factors affecting availability of tutor or venue, Devotion Trading Limited reserves the right to alter – by providing a reasonably close alternative- the venue, dates, content, tutors or format of the course, while using best endeavours to maintain the intended material and style as far as possible. No refunds will be given under any such circumstances.
9.2 For the avoidance of doubt, in view of the COVID-19 or similar ensuing pandemic, Devotion Trading Limited reserves the right to – without notice – transfer any in-person course online and the provision of the course content online shall be considered to be an effective discharge of the obligations of Devotion Trading Limited under this Agreement. No refunds shall be given should Devotion Trading Limited transfer any in-person courses online.
- Force majeure:
10.1 Devotion Trading Limited shall not be in breach of this Agreement nor liable for delay in performing, or failure to perform, any of its obligations under this Agreement if such delay or failure result from events, circumstances or causes beyond its reasonable control, including, without limitation acts of God, natural disasters, epidemics or pandemics, quarantine, restriction of international travel, terrorist attacks, war, fire, explosion or accident, interruption or failure of utility service.
10.2 In such circumstances Devotion Trading Limited shall use its reasonable endeavours to alternatives to a Course as is possible in the circumstances, however if this is not possible Devotion Trading Limited shall not be obliged to make any refunds and shall not be liable for any ancillary losses that the students may incur as a result of the course cancellation.
- Intellectual property
11.1 All materials provided during a Course are for the student’s personal use and must not be shared, made public or otherwise disseminated.
11.2 The student acknowledges and agrees that all copyright, trademarks and all other intellectual property rights in all material or content provided as part of the courses and trainings shall remain at all times vested in Carolyn Cowan and Devotion Trading Limited. The students are permitted to use this material for educational purposes only.
11.3 The student grants Devotion Trading Limited a non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use (including but not limited to publishing, exploiting and modifying) any material the student emails, posts or submits to Devotion Trading Limited for the purposes of their studies.
- Photography and Recording
Devotion Trading Limited may record some or all of the classes and use such recordings commercially in the future. By participating in the Course the student expressly agrees to such use of photographs and recordings on the understanding that they may contain images and/or recordings of the student.
- Equal Opportunities Statement:
Devotion Trading Limited is actively anti-racist and anti-discriminatory and does not condone discrimination of any kind and believes that each individual has the right to be heard, seen and respected. We value and actively engage with diversity of culture, race, religion, gender, age, sexuality and ability or disability.
- Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure
14.1 The student acknowledges that all course material, course content and disclosure made by the course tutors and other participants is confidential (hereinafter referred to as “Confidential Information”). The student undertakes that they shall not disclose to any person any of the Confidential Information that they will have access to throughout the duration of the course.
14.2 This is especially important in view of the personal nature of the information other participants in the Course may share, the unauthorised disclosure of which may cause irreparable damage.
14.3 Materials provided as part of the Course also constitute Confidential Information and are subject to restrictions set out in this Clause 14 and also in Clause 11 above.
- Complaints Procedure:
15.1 In the event of a student wishing to make a formal complaint, a written submission setting out the detail of the complaint must be made to Devotion Trading Limited either by email or by post to the address of Devotion Trading Limited as set out in Clause 1 above.
15.2 Carolyn Cowan, as Director of Devotion Trading Limited, will respond to such complaint in writing within ten (10) days of receipt.
15.3 If the complainant is not satisfied with the response, a meeting to resolve the complaint will be arranged between Carolyn Cowan, as Director of Devotion Trading Limited, and the complainant. Other Course tutors may be asked for their input should this be relevant to the complaint. Best endeavours shall be used to resolve the issue.
15.3 Should the issue not be resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction, they can take the complaint further as follows:
– in the case of all Courses to the supervisor of Carolyn Cowan at the time of the complaint. Currently this is Mr. Bernd Leygraf (“the Supervisor”);
– in the case of the Kundalini Global Teacher Training to the Yoga Alliance.
15.4 Devotion Trading Limited shall be guided by any input received from the Supervisor or Yoga Alliance in reaching a final decision regarding the resolution of the complaint.
- Severance:
If any provision or part-provision of this Agreement is or becomes invalid, illegal or unenforceable, it shall be deemed deleted, but that shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the rest of this agreement.
- Third party rights:
Unless it expressly states otherwise, the Agreement does not give rise to any rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any term of the Agreement.
- Governing Law and Jurisdiction:
The Agreement, and any dispute of claim (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter or formation shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with the Law of England and Wales. Each party irrevocably agrees that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle and dispute or claim (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of or in connection with the Contract or its subject matter or formation.
