Anti-Harassment Policy
Barbara Sunchaser Yoga
Last updated 25 June 2026
Adapted with thanks from the anti-harassment policy written by Harriet McAtee, Director of Nourish Yoga Training.
My commitment
I'm Barbara Czarkowska, and I run Barbara Sunchaser Yoga. I'm a member of the Yoga Teachers Union, and I'm committed to keeping my classes, events and sessions safe, respectful and welcoming for everyone.
I want to be proactive about this, not just to respond when something goes wrong, but to create spaces where harassment and abuse are understood to be unacceptable, and where anyone who experiences or witnesses it feels able to speak up. I take reasonable steps to prevent harassment from happening in the first place, and I take any report seriously.
Who and what this covers
I don't employ staff. I teach my own classes, and from time to time I collaborate with other teachers or bring in a cover teacher. This policy applies to everyone connected to my classes and spaces, including:
Me, as the teacher and business owner.
Any teacher I collaborate with or who covers a class for me.
Students, participants and clients.
Anyone else present in the space, such as visitors, or others using a shared venue.
It covers behaviour in my in-person classes, at events and retreats, in 1:1 sessions, in online classes, and in related communication such as messages and social media. It applies to harassment by anyone in these settings — not only teachers, but also other students, visitors or third parties — and I will take reasonable steps to prevent it and to deal with it if it happens.
What harassment is
Harassment is unwelcome conduct related to a person's protected characteristic — such as age, sex, gender (including pregnancy), gender reassignment, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law — that has the purpose or effect of violating their dignity, or of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.
It can include things like slurs, name-calling, negative stereotyping, insults, ridicule, threatening or hostile acts, denigrating jokes, and the display of written or graphic material that shows hostility towards a person or group because of who they are. Whether something amounts to harassment depends on its effect on the person involved, so I'll always consider context, but you should never feel you have to judge that yourself before speaking up.
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment is any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of violating someone's dignity, or of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. It includes unwanted physical contact, unwelcome comments about someone's appearance or body, sexual jokes or innuendo, unwanted sexual attention or advances, and displaying sexually suggestive material.
This applies to conduct by anyone in my classes or spaces — whether a teacher, a student, or a visitor.
Sexual misconduct in a teaching setting
There is an inherent imbalance of power in the teacher–student relationship, and yoga involves trust, closeness and sometimes physical adjustment. I take the boundaries that come with that very seriously.
Sexual misconduct includes any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favours, or sexual conduct that creates a hostile environment in a class or session. Examples include, but are not limited to:
Unwanted sexual comments, questions, jokes or innuendo, including about someone's body, clothing or looks.
Asking intrusive questions about someone's personal or sexual life.
Repeatedly pursuing someone who isn't interested, or unwanted messages, gifts or attention.
Following or cornering someone, or unwanted staring or gestures.
Unwanted physical contact — hugging, touching, stroking, or sexually oriented hands-on adjustments.
Offering special teaching, status or progress in exchange for sexual favours.
Sexual assault or any attempt at it.
Any teacher I work with is expected to maintain professional relationships with students at all times, and to keep clear and appropriate boundaries around physical contact and consent. Hands-on adjustment is always optional, offered with consent, and never sexualised.
Romantic relationships
Because of the trust and power imbalance in the teacher–student relationship, a teacher should avoid romantic or sexual relationships with their students where these could impair professional judgement, create dependency, or exploit that trust — even if the student initiates it. Where a personal relationship pre-dates and exists outside the teaching relationship, it should be held to the same high standards of professionalism and respect.
How to report something
If you experience or witness harassment of any kind in connection with my classes — whether it's directed at you or someone else — please tell me. You don't have to be the person it happened to in order to report it.
The simplest way is to email me directly at yoga@barbarasunchaser.com. If you'd rather talk in person or by phone, just let me know and we'll find a time. You can share as much or as little detail as you're comfortable with.
I'll treat what you tell me sensitively and confidentially, as far as I'm able. I commit to acknowledging your report promptly, taking it seriously, and dealing with it as fairly and quickly as I can. Where appropriate, that may include speaking with anyone involved, adjusting how a class runs, or asking someone to leave a class or stop attending.
As a member of the Yoga Teachers Union, I'm also guided by their resources on handling these situations. You can read the YTU's guidance on how to report sexual harassment here.
If at any point you feel unsafe or that a crime has been committed, please contact the police. Nothing in this policy replaces your right to seek help or take legal action.
Keeping this policy current
I review this policy from time to time to make sure it reflects how I work and current good practice, and I update the date at the top when I do. If you have any thoughts on how I could make my classes safer or more welcoming, I'd genuinely like to hear them.