It must be working for you if you have been running the studio for three or four years?

Things have definitely shifted for us since we initiated the discussion. People seem to have a much clearer idea of what the whole concept is about, and the average has shifted much closer to $10 per student. There’s just an general awareness which is nie to see.

Great to hear how it’s worked for you.

Blessings,
KL

in my studio, students sign in (on a class list) and check a donation catetory ($5-$10, by the month, or other). then they put whatever they like in the slot. so this happens BEFORE class. sometimes i’ve thought that it might be better to have them donate AFTER class, as you do. but i guess i don’t want to spoil the moment with monetary decisions.

Shanna, thanks for your thoughts as well. I’ve observed a shift in the degree of awareness about what the act of exchanging money for a yoga class means to people since KL started this discussion so maybe an open discussion is an alternative to or another path of ‘education’, especially when we are all adults. I have personally learned a lot through the discussions, about my own attitudes about money and about wonderful alternatives.

Thanks again KL and everyone who is joining the conversation.

With respect,

Marianne

The “big red box” is more like a tool box, with a large round hole carved into the top of it, presided over by a gold Buddha standing on a pile of coins. It’s also big -I have to heft to lift it off the ground.

Plus at the end of class, I usually say something along the lines of “Please bless the Buddha with your offering for the class on you way out.” But not always, it’s easy to forget in the post-class bliss.

I like the idea of increasing the ceremonial nature of it. When we make all of life sacred, we are living in bliss. When I retrieve money after I’ve packed up, I like to say thanks for each note and coin as I collect them, taking a moment to sit in gratitude for whatever has been offered.

Hey Shanna,

What’s the difference in our internal awareness between someone who gives what is expected of them, and someone who gives what feels right to them?

How do we shift from viewing something as a cost or price, to viewing it as an offering freely given?

Hmmm… ’tis truly a fascinating area.

Blessings both,
KL

Look at how confusing this conversation(previous post included) has been so far for the perticipents. We all had different concepts of what we thought Kara-Leah meant. That is the same confusion her students are facing when they see the red box.

Again, people have to be educated on your concept of value. Until we go to a money-less society or one where money is no object to every one, the concept of value will always be confusing because the average person does think of things in terms of cost even when they are thinking about value.

My thoughts: KL’s discovery of people’s assumption of ‘ it’s a donation’ is so important.

Presumably the lazy mind rejects the new, difficult and self-responsible concept KL and Marianne are presenting and simply uses the familiar concept ‘donation’.

The very concept of ‘donation’ suggests: “give what isn’t important to you, don’t give what has meaning.” Yuk.

My contribution to this thread is this:

I’m wondering about the ACTUAL STRUCTURE that is provided for payment, and that it might not support ‘doing it consciously’.

# After class, the last thing I want to deal with is money: I’m tired and relaxed. I don’t want to think or count or make decisions. If I have to do so, I’ll minimise or avoid it.

# The ‘red box” – (and I’m assuming, because I havn’t been to the studio) – looks like a donation box. Donations go in such boxes. Ergo, it’s a donation they want.

By contrast:
Think about how this is done in the Christian Church: They pass a collection plate from person to person, And this is done at a certain point in the proceedings, when everyone is assembled.

Now that’s doing it consciously.

I see the plate coming around and have plently of time to consider what I’ll give. When it is my moment, everyone in the room is aware of that, including me.

There is a certain ceremonial quality to it: not casual.

Awareness is demanded by this structure. See what I mean?

What do you lot think of this? KL?

Value is different from person to person. So if your classes avg around $2 a person because that is the avg value that people are putting into it then, it is what it is. You can’t have it both ways.

You raise some great points again – about the difference between value and cost, and how we much prefer it when someone just tells us what the cost of a thing is.

And as for value… where does that come from? And how does it differ for each of us? Is it something that we can teach? Or something that each of us has to discover within us?

Lovely to have you stop by.
Blessings,
KL

We have to communicate the value to people. My daughter thinks its cool to waste food and break her toys. I have to teach her why these things have value and should be respected. People have to be taught value.