How we look after your information

Meiyogam is a yoga studio in Perumbakkam, Chennai. In this policy, "we", "us" and "our" mean Meiyogam, and "you" means anyone who visits our website, writes to us or practises with us.

This policy explains how we collect and use personal information through this website and at the studio. We follow the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and the other laws of India that apply to us.

We collect only the information you choose to give us, plus the basic technical details every website receives.

• When you write to us: your name, email address and phone number.
• When you sign in with your mobile: your mobile number, so we can text you a one-time code.
• When you sign in with Google: your name, email address and profile picture, as shared by Google. We never see your Google password.
• When you join a course or retreat: your contact details, and any health information you choose to share with your teacher.
• When you visit the website: technical details such as your IP address, browser type and the pages you open. Our hosting provider keeps these briefly to keep the site secure and working.

We use your information only for the reason you gave it to us:

• to answer your questions and arrange your free first session
• to sign you in and keep you signed in
• to enrol you in courses and retreats, and tell you about changes to your sessions
• to guide your practice safely, with your health in mind
• to send you occasional news from the studio, only if you have asked for it
• to meet our legal and accounting duties

We never sell, rent or trade your information, and we never use it for advertising.

Telling your teacher about an injury, a medical condition or a pregnancy helps them guide you safely. Sharing it is your choice.

Anything you tell us about your health is shared only with the teachers who guide you. We use it for nothing else, and we never share it outside the studio unless you ask us to, or in an emergency where your safety depends on it.

If something changes with your health, please tell your teacher before your next session.

We use no advertising cookies, no tracking cookies and no analytics tools.

When you sign in, a small record is saved in your own browser so that you stay signed in as you move between pages. It is removed when you sign out, and you can clear it at any time in your browser settings.

If you choose to sign in with Google, Google's sign-in window may set its own cookies. The Google map on our Contact page may do the same when it loads. These are covered by Google's privacy policy, not ours.

We share information only with the few trusted services that help us run the studio, and only what each one needs:

• a text-message service, to send your sign-in code
• Google, if you choose to sign in with your Google account, and when the map on our Contact page loads
• the company that hosts this website

We will also share information if the law requires it, for example at the lawful request of a court or the police. Beyond that, your information stays with us.

We sometimes take photographs at sessions, retreats and gatherings to share on this website and on social media. We always ask first, and you are always free to say no.

If you appear in a photograph we have shared and would like it taken down, tell us and we will remove it.

We keep information only for as long as we need it:

• messages you send us: up to 12 months after our last conversation
• your account: until you ask us to delete it
• student records, including health notes: while you study with us and for up to 3 years after, unless the law asks us to keep them longer

After that, we delete it securely.

This website uses an encrypted connection (HTTPS), and only the people who need your information to teach you or run the studio can see it.

No system is perfectly secure. If a breach ever affected your information, we would tell you, and the Data Protection Board of India, as the law requires.

Your information belongs to you. At any time, you can ask us to:

• tell you what information we hold about you, and how we use it
• correct anything that is wrong or out of date
• delete your information
• stop using it, if you had given us your consent
• let someone you name act for you, if you are ever unable to

Simply write to us or call. We will reply within one working day and act on your request within 30 days. If you are not happy with our answer, you can complain to the Data Protection Board of India.

We welcome young students when a parent or guardian enrols them. For anyone under 18, we collect information only from, and with the consent of, their parent or guardian.

If we change this policy, we will post the new version here and update the "last updated" date. If a change is important, we will also tell students directly.

If anything here is unclear, or you would like to ask about your information, we are happy to help. We reply within one working day.