Yoga Teaching and Learning
​at www.yogauk.com

​
Hello Reader

Welcome to the November newsletter.

The title of this month's article is: Yoga and money

Do come along and chat on Zoom about your experiences around pricing classes, managing money and the ethics around this, at our next networking meeting (see below).

As usual, we can also talk about anything you are facing or reflecting on in your teaching at the moment. All are welcome - you'll receive a Zoom invitation the day before (go to 'Preferences' at the bottom of this email if you prefer not to receive the invitations).

See also the free workshop in December that may be of interest.

Love and light,

Keep scrolling for:

🤷🏻 Article: Yoga and money

👉 News and resources for yoga teachers - yoga teacher networking meeting dates and free online workshop in December exploring what's involved in creating an online yoga course

---

Article:

Yoga and money

For many, teaching yoga isn’t just a job or a career choice – it’s a vocation or a calling. We share the benefits of yoga and are motivated by being able to have a positive impact on our students’ lives, rather than earning more money.
​

​
Sometimes charging money for yoga can feel at odds with yoga philosophy that emphasises aparigraha (non-grasping) and karma yoga (non-attachment to the fruits of our actions).

However money is a reality that we have to contend with. Exploring our relationship with money can help us to be more pragmatic around the topic, and is also a way to reconcile how it fits into our lives alongside our main aims in teaching yoga.

Let’s start by putting the concept of money into perspective.

---

What is Money?

It’s easy to forget that money is not actually real! Money is an idea rather than something tangible.

In early human communities people would directly exchange goods and services - known as bartering. Later, coins emerged followed by bank notes, which served as tokens.

With this currency you could ‘buy’ some vegetables, or ‘pay’ someone to fix your fence. This exchange became accepted as a socially agreed concept to replace bartering.

But these days most money exists only as numbers on a screen. The ‘money’ only exists because you and the bank and people you are paying, agree that it does.
​

​
Money is a system of trust. It’s not valuable in itself, but we each buy into the collective belief that the symbol or token represents a value that can be passed on to someone else.

💷

Money is a social agreement of value. Some work or items are valued more highly in society than others, or something is given a higher value due to its rarity or the benefits it offers.

💎

Money is energy. Money represents time and effort, so money can be considered as a form of energy. Thinking about money in this way can help to side-step emotional blocks we have about money. Energy needs to flow in both directions for work to be sustainable.

---

Financial realities

• There are necessary costs attached to teaching yoga, such as room hire, wi-fi, insurance, yoga clothing, travel and more. We have to consider these, in addition to earning a living.
  ​
• Earnings from classes are often inconsistent. Drop-ins mean you never know who will turn up, and numbers fluctuate.
  ​
• Then there’s the lack of a safety net to consider. If you’re ill or injured, you either cancel or pay someone to cover your classes - either way, you lose money. Holidays are unpaid too.
  ​
• Some yoga teachers have paid employment as well as their yoga teaching, or run another business alongside. Some have a partner’s income to fall back on when needed. But others rely solely on their teaching income so have to think more about financial resilience.
  ​
• Discussing these issues with peers and colleagues can give us new ideas around to how to tackle them to create more financial security and resilience.
  ​

---

Valuing your work

We each have a finite number of hours in the week when we can work, depending on lifestyle, responsibilities and health.

Even if you enjoy teaching yoga and get a lot out of it, it’s important to remember that it is still work - it requires our time, energy and skill.

It’s helpful to reflect upon how we are using those working hours in order to maximise what we have to offer, without getting over-loaded.
​

​
Some yoga teachers tend to under-charge because they under-value what they do, often due to lack of confidence. But cheap fees can suggest that your classes are of a lower quality, and may also undercut colleagues teaching nearby. If this is you – consider increasing your fees. Concessions can of course be offered if you wish.
​

👉 If your net income isn’t in balance with your energy output, you may start to feel undervalued over time and even end up giving up teaching.
​

So planning for the long term is vital – consider cover for periods of illness, maternity leave, retirement, financial security, and additional income streams for financial resilience. Talk to peers and colleagues to get new ideas.
​

​
Yoga teaching can be a lifelong journey - many continue into their 70s and 80s - but it requires careful planning if it’s to be sustainable.

---

The business side of teaching

Running private yoga classes is running a business. And business requires administration, which takes time that isn’t directly paid for. This needs to be factored into your class fees.
​

​
Marketing is an essential part of business admin - people only come if they know about you. That might mean social media, newsletters or distributing leaflets. Not all of us want to make reels or TikToks, but we do need to be visible somehow or other.

Admin and organisation take time - keeping records, managing payments, liaising with venues, emailing new students, creating and updating your website, sorting out technical issues, etc.
​

​
Class planning takes time too - offering intelligently structured practices appropriate for the group and not just ‘making it up as you go along’ makes for more fulfilling practices and variety to keep your students engaged.

And then there’s your own training (or CPD – Continuing Professional Development) which you need to keep you in the learning zone, and to provide inspiration and support for your teaching.

---

Shifts in the yoga landscape

The world changed with the Covid19 lockdowns. Many teachers moved classes online and have kept these going ever since. A mix of in-person and online classes can work well. This gives students flexibility, and teachers can reach people outside their local area.

​
There are also options to supplement your income with workshops, retreats, or online courses. Retreats can be rewarding, though are a lot of work, while online courses take effort up front but can provide longer-term income.

---

Reframing and boundaries

Earning an income through yoga teaching can be part of your personal yoga path if you act with integrity, fairness and detachment, embodying the ethics of yoga.

Valuing your own work allows you to continue to offer yoga to your community. It needs to be priced at the right rate to avoid burnout and to ensure that you can continue teaching for as long as you want.
​

​
Boundaries are essential. Helping others shouldn’t mean self-sacrifice that leads to burnout. Some unpaid voluntary work is fine of course, but it’s important not to say “yes” to everything. If you’re hitting your limit, then it’s time to reflect on the way you run your business.

It's helpful to review your model periodically. Everyone’s approach and relationship to money will look different. But for all of us, it’s something to focus on regularly and manage mindfully.
​

​
Yoga brings benefits to many people and it's important to remember the great value that your work has to you students. People return because they feel the benefits - often profoundly and silently. The money you receive allows you to continue supporting the health and wellbeing of your community.

🤝 Charging thoughtfully provides a fair exchange of energy in both directions, that benefits everyone and makes the world go round.

---

News and resources

Yoga Teacher Networking meet-ups

These sessions are short, impactful meetings designed to connect and support us all in our yoga teaching. More info here Join the next session to share, listen, and get inspiration:

• Saturday 29th November 2025 at 10-11am
• Saturday 17th January 2026 at 10-11am
• Saturday 7th March 2026 at 10-11am

Our friendly meetings are open to all yoga teachers and are free of charge. You'll receive an invitation by email the day before if you are subscribed to this newsletter. (If not subscribed you can sign up here.)

(It's easy to turn off the mailings you prefer not to receive - click 'Preferences' at the bottom of any email.)

---

Resources for yoga teachers:

👉 Workshop: Creating an online yoga course 2-3pm Sat 6th December. Learn the ins and outs of setting up an online yoga course to create an additional income alongside your classes. Led by Andrea, this workshop is free to all yoga teacher subscribers.
Email yogauk@gmail.com to request the Zoom invitation.

👉 Patterns of wellbeing (examining six qualities and habits that cultivate a sense of calm and feeling well) - course of 6 yoga practice classes online with Andrea from 4th Nov - 8th Dec 6-7pm more here​

👉 Essential Anatomy and Physiology for Yoga Teaching online study - more information here​​
​​

For your students:​
​
👉 NEW BWY Foundation Course - starting March 2026 (online)
​See information about the previous course here and interested students can email andrea@yogauk.com to request the course information pack. Students are required to continue to attend their weekly yoga class throughout.

---

Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to any yoga teacher friends or colleagues who might be interested in any of the content. They can sign up to receive newsletters to their own inbox at www.yogauk.com
​

---

Select the 'Preferences' link below to make sure you're getting the right information. There you can indicate that you're not a yoga teacher or if you'd like to pause the Newsletters or Networking invitations.

If you don't feel at home here, you can unsubscribe from Yoga Teaching and Learning at yogauk.com at any time using the link below. Note that unsubscribing will cancel any course or community enrolments you have and you will lose access to those. For technical enquiries email support@yogauk.com

​Unsubscribe | Preferences​

YogaUK, Unit 159668, PO Box 7169, Poole, Dorset BH15 9EL