When I took my first yoga teacher training, we did not talk about money. When I took my second, and then my third, and my fourth, and then every one after that, we still didn’t talk about money. We talked about so many other things, and I learned so much about movement and stillness and philosophy and pedagogy, and I am forever grateful to my teachers!
...but we did not talk about money.
We didn’t talk about how much money a yoga teacher might make, teaching drop-in classes.
We didn’t talk about how many classes a yoga teacher should expect to teach, if they wanted to earn a living wage.
We didn’t talk about how to make money, beyond teaching drop-in classes or private sessions.
I am here to change that.
We yoga teachers work in a largely unregulated field, where expectations, hours, and income all vary wildly. No one teaches us how to turn our work into a career, or to explore teaching beyond the studio. In fact, we are often told that we should do our work for free, or that to be paid well would be “aparigraha.” We are told that we should simply do our work, expect nothing in return, and let the universe provide. One of my previous employers even told me that if I really wanted to teach, I should plan to marry a wealthy man who paid my bills, so that I could pursue my passion.
Fuck. That.
No one tells an engineer that they shouldn’t expect to earn a living wage. No one asks a physical therapist to do their job for free. No one tells a computer programmer that asking for a raise is an act of greed. So why do we tell yoga teachers these things?
I do not have all the answers. And I do not promise to help you make 6 figures before your next round of estimated taxes are due (does anyone remember to pay those?!). But I have made teaching yoga my full time job, my passion, and my career for nearly a decade. I have learned things. I have made huge mistakes. I have also succeeded beyond what I thought was possible. And I am still learning. Most of all, I believe that everyone in this field needs to be in conversation about the money we make, and the money we want to make. Because it's not greedy to want to make a living. It's greedy when others tell you you can't.
Join me in conversation this June 22. I’ll share what I’ve learned, some of the biggest mistakes I’ve made, and offer a framework for how to start thinking beyond drop-in classes, private sessions, and workshops.
Dear Yoga Teachers: Let's Talk About Money
Wednesday, June 22
9:30-11am PT
Live-streamed via Zoom
