Yoga is an amazing practice that has been a life-changing tool for millions of people all over the world. It helps practitioners find physical health, mental wellness, emotional balance, and spiritual depth.
In an ideal world, learning yoga from a teacher or guru would not cost anything, because the knowledge is so valuable and so important that the guru would want to share it with as many people as possible to improve the world.
Sadly, while many yoga teachers wish they could teach yoga for free, the fact is that the world today demands you to have money. Therefore, yoga teachers, just like most people today, simply don’t have the resources to teach for free. They have to spend a lot of time and energy teaching their students and typically have to spend a lot of money for their yoga education before they become a teacher.
So, while us yoga students might grumble about fees, let us also remember that we want our yoga teachers to be able to afford a comfortable life in exchange for kindly teaching us this incredible art!
Read on to find out what your class fee pays for and how to find yoga classes that suit your budget.
What Costs Do Yoga Teachers Have?
There are a few different pay structures for yoga classes:
- Individual yoga teacher teaching without being affiliated with a studio/fitness centre
- Individual yoga teacher renting space in a studio/fitness centre
- A studio/fitness centre with yoga teachers on payroll or as independent contractors
When you take a yoga class at a yoga studio, ashram, or fitness centre, you are typically paying for the yoga teacher’s salary as well as a portion of the centre’s operations costs. The teacher typically receives only a cut of the student’s tuition fees per class, and the studio gets the rest. In this scenario, the teacher’s costs to provide classes are typically low, but the studio’s costs are high.
When you take private classes, the entire fee goes to the yoga teacher. While the teacher may not have a studio taking a cut of the money, their costs to teach are higher.
The Cost of Running a Typical Yoga Studio
Operating a yoga studio or offering private yoga classes involves various expenses that contribute to the overall fee structure. Here are some of the primary costs:
Rent and Utilities
The cost of renting a space for a yoga studio can vary significantly based on location. Urban areas like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore tend to have higher rental costs. Additionally, utilities such as electricity, water, and internet add to the operational expenses.
Equipment and Props
Yoga studios require mats, blocks, straps, bolsters, and other props. High-quality equipment can be costly but is essential for providing a comfortable and effective practice environment.
Administrative Costs
Modern studios require technology like computers and credit card readers, which can be expensive. And, credit card companies may take a fee per transaction, costing the studio more money. They may also have administrative staff like receptionists and accountants who require a paycheck even though they don’t teach yoga.
Insurance and Permits
Liability insurance is crucial for protecting against potential injuries or accidents during classes. Studios also need to comply with local regulations and obtain necessary permits, which can involve additional fees.
Registration and Accreditation
Just like how teachers can register with Yoga Alliance and AYUSH, yoga studios and ashrams can also register to show students they do their due diligence and are a trustworthy place to attend classes. They will typically need to renew their registration yearly with fees.
Marketing and Promotion
Attracting students requires effective marketing strategies, including social media advertising, website maintenance, and printed materials like brochures and flyers.
Teacher Salaries
Studios often employ multiple teachers, each requiring fair compensation. Experienced and highly certified teachers command higher salaries, which can impact class fees.
Maintenance and Upkeep
Regular cleaning, repairs, and maintenance of the studio space are required to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for students.
Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.
The Bhagavad Gita
The Cost to Teach for Private Yoga Teachers
While an independent yoga teacher may not have all the costs that a whole studio has, they still have some business costs they need to cover with their students’ tuition fees.
Years of Yoga Experience
A professional yoga teacher should have at least a few years of experience building their own yoga practice before they become a teacher. This means that, for years, they have been spending their own money on things like yoga equipment, mats, clothes, and classes in order to gain the wisdom needed to be an effective teacher.
Yoga Teacher Training
Many yoga teachers complete at least one accredited yoga teacher training course in order to prove that they are experienced and trustworthy enough to be your yoga teacher. One of the most popular, internationally-renowned yoga registries is Yoga Alliance. A typical 200-hour Yoga Alliance course (the minimum amount of hours required for certification) costs USD$900 (INR 75,000) to USD$2000 (INR 1.67 lakh).
From there, teachers often complete an additional 300-hour course (to become a 500-hour registered yoga teacher) and specialized certifications such as Yoga Therapy, Ayurvedic Yoga, Patanjali Certified Training, and/or specializing in different schools of yoga (Hatha, Ashtanga, Iyengar, etc). This costs additional lakhs and a lot of time and energy.
The Ministry of Ayush has also implemented a specific training program that can be found at many different yoga institutions for aspiring teachers to take. This program, the 200-hour Yoga Protocol Instructor course, tends to be more affordable at around INR 15,000.
Renewing Registration
In addition to Yoga Alliance Courses, teachers must maintain their education with Yoga Alliance-approved trainings and re-register every three years with YA. Yoga Alliance fees alone cost about USD$100 (INR 9,000) every three years, and each continuing education course may cost anywhere between USD$20 (INR 1,600) to USD$300 (INR 26,000), depending on how many hours it is and how advanced the material is.
The Ministry of Ayush charges about INR 75,000 for initial certification and INR 25,000 for renewal every three to five years.
Insurance
Yoga teachers typically need liability insurance to cover themselves and their students in case of injury.
Business Costs
Private yoga teachers may invest in equipment like mats, blocks, straps, and more, in addition to things like an inversion-assisting bench. They may also have marketing costs and website fees to consider.
Travel Costs
Yoga teachers who teach individuals likely travel to many homes, unless they exclusively teach from their own home. Then, they will need to pay more for fuel and/or other transportation expenses.
Wow! If you’re an aspiring yoga teacher, don’t be disheartened by the amount of things to pay for! Many teachers teach on the side to build up their student base before diving in full time (if they ever do) to ensure they can cover all the required costs and still have funds left over for all the other expenses of life.
And if you’re a student, hopefully you understand why teachers and studios charge as much as they do for their yoga classes fees structure.
Yoga does not just change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees.
B.K.S. Iyengar
What Kind of Yoga Class Should I Choose?
Which type of yoga class is the most affordable? Well, depending on where you live, the prices of different classes can change. What’s most affordable for someone in the city might not be the same as someone in a more rural area.
The average price of Yoga classes on Superprof.
For example, yoga classes in big cities such as Mumbai or Delhi typically cost an average of INR 700/hr to INR 1000/hr for in-person classes. Meanwhile, in smaller cities such as Madurai, where competition is very low among yogis, the hourly coaching rate can plummet to as low as INR 100/hr!
In-Person Group Classes
When you attend group yoga classes in a physical location, you get all the benefits of being part of a tangible yoga community: enjoying class with other yogis, hands-on help from the yoga teacher, a relaxing and sacred place to practice.
You also need to pay for all the costs associated with your attendance, like equipment used and water (if you use the restroom or wash your feet).
Therefore, this tends to be a more expensive option than some others out there, but you simply can’t get the same experience from different types of yoga classes!
Online Group Classes
Many yoga studios will charge less for online classes because you aren’t using their facilities during the class. The downside is that the teacher might not be able to give you as astute advice and corrections as they could if they were with you in person. They also can’t physically adjust you, obviously.
The benefit is that these classes can be more convenient, especially if you have a busy schedule and can’t make it to the studio in time, or if you don’t live near a place that teaches yoga.
Private Yoga Classes (Online or In-Person)
Just like group classes, private online yoga classes tend to be cheaper than in-person ones. This option may be more expensive than group classes in general, because you are getting individualized lessons, instructions, and attention from the teacher. Your private yoga teacher should be instructing you in the way that suits your learning style and your needs best, that is, not a one-size-fits-all solution.
However, this option for yoga can be more affordable than group classes depending on where you live. Additionally, if your teacher teaches you well, you’ll be able to practice yoga on your own without the guidance of a teacher, saving money on future yoga classes!
Free Pre-Recorded Yoga Classes
Of course, you can’t forget YouTube! There are millions of free yoga classes from thousands of amazing yoga teachers available on YouTube. The downside is that they aren’t live, so the teacher can’t help you at all. The other downside is that not every free video on YouTube is guaranteed to be a good class. Some teachers may not be the best, and can end up creating risky yoga videos advising poor practices.
If you’re not confidant in your yoga abilities, you also run the risk of accidentally hurting yourself because you don’t have someone to guide you or answer your questions. But, as long as you’re smart with your movements and listen to your body, your chance of injury is low.
Weigh the pros and cons of each type of class and explore your options. You don’t have to limit yourself to just one avenue! Research costs of yoga classes near you and compare them. See what’s included with the costs and what is the experience level of the teacher.
Yoga begins right where I am – not where I was yesterday or where I long to be.
Linda Sparrow
How To Find The Best Yoga Classes Near You?
The easiest way to find yoga classes in-person or online is with Superprof! The yoga teachers on Superprof typically offer private yoga classes, but may also offer small group sizes for you and a friend or two. Teachers range in costs so you can find a handful in your budget no matter where you live across the country!
Discover Yoga Teachers on Superprof
Every yoga teacher profile on Superprof is vetted, so you can be sure that you’re finding qualified and trustworthy teachers. Superprof verifies the teacher’s identity, experience, diploma and address. This guarantee is a great plus for prospective students.
In addition, all students are invited to leave comments on their yoga instructor’s profiles, so future students can gain insight into the teacher’s credibility, teaching style, and more.
Superprof encourages yoga tutors to offer their first lesson for free so that students can get to know them and decide if it’s a good match.
Find affordable, qualified, trustworthy, and all-around-incredible yoga teachers on Superprof to begin your yoga journey today!
Discover these amazing yoga classes near me with fees.
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