Back when I first started this website, I was teaching Prana Flow Yoga classes where students paid whatever they thought the class was worth.
This was an interesting experiment which generated a series of articles on how much a yoga class is worth.
Recently I received an email from a teacher in Namibia who’d found these articles via Google and was excited about doing the same thing with her yoga classes.
I’ve been thinking of switching to a donation based class and… I want the students to consider what this is worth for them.
I used to go to a donation based Buddhist meditation centre and I had the hardest time deciding what to put in the bowl. It was worth so much to me! But how do I quantify that in monetary terms?
So, as I consider making this switch, I’m debating how to tell the students. Do I give a little talk on mindfulness and valuing things? Do I send an email with a link to your blog post? I’m curious how you made the transition and if you have a flier or anything that you can send me that you use to describe it to your new students?
This email sat in my inbox for over a week, as I pondered how to reply, mostly because I’m no longer teaching those classes, and I wouldn’t teach ‘pay-what-you-think-it’s-worth” classes again.
I was no longer in the first-flush of excitement about making yoga accessible to everyone who wanted it.
Nope, I’d gone past that point awhile back and hit a more cynical “stump-up -the-cash” milestone. And also an ego-sobering moment of self-awareness.
This meant I couldn’t offer tidbits of advice on how to approach donation-style classes with students because I was over it.
Here’s why.
Firstly, my motivation to offer these classes wasn’t pure. Turns out, on reflection, there was plenty of ego at play. Subconsciously, my reasoning went something like this:
- Make yoga classes accessible so there’s no barrier to entry
- Attract large numbers of students
- Impact a lot of people with my amazing teaching
- Therefore be a rockstar yoga teacher
I was hoping, secretly, that these classes would get 30 – 40 people rocking in to have a blast doing yoga.
I was hoping that based on the amount of money each class generated, we’d be able to have other teachers assisting and create this party-like fun yoga experience that would sweep the Wellington yoga scene by storm.
Didn’t happen.
The classes were great.
The people who came week after week loved them.
But those who dropped in just to see what it was all about and boosted class numbers above 30 often never came back and the large numbers just made it much harder to teach the regulars. I was always having to teach to beginning students with a variety of injuries.
So, taking my ego out of the equation, would I still offer donation-style classes with the intention of making yoga accessible to everybody?
Nope.
Still wouldn’t.
For the simple reason that…
Yoga is already accessible for anyone who truly wants it.
Yup.
Yoga. Is. Accessible.
No matter how poor you are, if you truly want to do yoga, you will find a teacher who will teach you.
Or you will get a book out of the library.
Or you will find a DVD in a secondhand store for a buck.
Money, or lack of it, is no barrier to yoga.
No studio or teacher I know would say no to the homeless person who turned up wanting to learn yoga.
Nope, the only thing that stands between people and yoga is their own sense of limitation. Their own thoughts and feelings about yoga, and their own thoughts and feelings about who they are in relation to yoga.
And offering donation-style classes ain’t going to fix that.
In fact, making the yoga classes you offer donation-style will have a detrimental affect on yoga. It makes the classes “cheap” and devalues the very thing you’re offering. People equate price with value, even though they’re often two different things.
Discounting a product or service so it becomes cheaper devalues that product or service.
Far better to offer extra value for ‘free’ than to cut the price. This means the value of the class is retained, while students feel like they’re getting something extra. Like offering a free workshop to any student who attends all ten classes in a term. that kind of thing.
So forget donation-style classes. They don’t make yoga any more accessible than it already is, and they risk devaluing a service that’s already devalued enough.
But don’t despair. If you really want to reach people who don’t come to yoga classes because of perceived limitations and barriers… you need to go to them.
Volunteer your time and go teach in a prison. A school. A hospital. A hospice. A women’s refuge. Keep charging for your regular classes to cover this volunteer time.
Many of these people would never dream of walking into a yoga class, which is often perceived as the domain of female, white, middle-class, fit, bendy folk. Taking yoga out of the studio and to different groups breaks through these barriers and once people get a taste of yoga…, you never know where it will take them.
That, more than anything else, will turn some of those people into the type of people who will turn up at a yoga studio or class. And isn’t that the reason that we get all super-excited about being generous and compassionate and offering donation-style classes? So people who wouldn’t do yoga start doing yoga?
Yup, if every yoga teacher out there donated a class a week to a disadvantaged group… why we’d change the world. Faster than we’re already changing it.
So forget donation-style classes, and instead donate your teaching.
wasn’t buying (sorry, pun intended) into your thesis, until this,
“don’t despair. If you really want to reach people who don’t come to yoga classes because of perceived limitations and barriers… you need to go to them…
great point, leaves a chunk to think about, thanks!
Hey Adan,
Love the pun… so that sentence turned you into a buyer?
KL
At my Timbs Natural Therapy Clinic I have been offering Donation Only or Koha as my fee structure for the last 18+ months – this is after 31 years of practise. I initially changed for 1 week then decided to continue.after feeling comfortable with the idea. Clients don’t always find it comfortable though – it goes against the concept of squeezing every bit of value out of your service/product that every other service provider/seller does. I am sure that if any retailer or service provider could charge more than they currently do then they would.
For me it works out OK – I think the important thing is to first build up your reputation as having a good product, be authentic, and establish a successful business first – then maybe offer a donation only system if you feel 100% comfortable with that system.
Basically I got tired of being told either I can’t afford to come as often as I wish to or the opposite which was you don’t charge enough for your services.
Donation Only or Koha would not work for someone in the ‘business of yoga.”
Hey David,
It can be really uncomfortable for people eh? That’s something I’ve noticed as well. We like to be told what to pay, because we’re used to always trying to get a bargain… and when we can choose what to pay suddenly we don’t want to be a cheapskate. It’s tough to make a decision when it’s left up to us!
Do you find that those who believed they couldn’t afford to come, now come for treatment? Has it made your services truly more accesible?
And do other people now pay more?
I’m not sure what you mean by the last line “Donation Only or Koha would not work for someone in the ‘business of yoga.” ? Especially as you’ve just said that donation is working for your business.
Thanks for the insight, great to hear of different business models making a go of it.
Blessings,
KL
I’m not sure if I agree that a donation scheme devalues a yoga class or cheapens it in any way. I do a weekly pay-what-you-want class in Sydney that attracts between 30-40 people. About 80% of them are regulars and during the first class of each month we chat and decide on a cause to donate the month’s proceeds to. So as a teacher I am doing the classes for free, but we are all working towards something positive. To me this is a winning situation all around.
Donation based classes can also be a good way to introduce students to practising asteya, which is also something I mention at the beginning of every class. Asking everyone to take responsibility for their contributions is just another way to encourage mindfulness off the mat.
My 2c 🙂
– t
Ah Taisuke!!!! My original partner-in-donation-style classes. Great to hear from you, and to hear that you’re still continuing the tradition. And great to hear that’s it still working for you. Love the idea of everyone choosing where to donate the funds raised every month too.
I guess my point is not that donation-style classes aren’t awesome, or do cool things… but that I don’t believe they necessarily make yoga accessible for those who wouldn’t otherwise go to class.
Although I have no data to back up my gut feeling so maybe I’m just totally wrong.
Blessings,
KL
Wow! As someone that has taken full advantage of Sangha Yoga in Welly, I don’t really get what you are saying. Its such an individual experience…the perception of value…I know that I felt good about being able to put in a tenner, and often ashamed I could only put in 5, or even a gold coin (cringe). I totally felt I was getting valuable teaching, and even though I pay a gym membership weekly, I’m only able to. and only attend one yoga class a week there, so knowing there are two more a week I can access really makes a big difference to me.
Just because I am white,middle class, female,& bendy, doesn’t mean I am often shocking at managing my budget and just as financially disadvantaged as any prisoner, domestic violence victim or homeless junkie… and I’m sure about that.
Hey Gisele,
Awesome to hear from someone on the other side – I’m guessing that donation-style classes have worked for you – they’ve made yoga more accessible?
Although if you’re paying for a gym membership then surely you’re choosing to spend your money on that rather than a yoga studio membership? So the gym membership has more value?
My point is that when someone truly wants to do yoga, nothing will stop them. They’ll value it highly and make choices that reflect that.
And I suspect that often it’s not lack of money that stops people attending classes, but fear and intimidation.
So that’s what I’m saying – if you want to make yoga accessible, take it to the people who would never ever walk into a yoga studio no matter if it was free.
Hope that adds some more clarity!
Blessings,
KL
It has helped for some people who otherwise couldn’t afford my old fee but those same people usually don’t appreciate the value of their treatment (that statement is backed purely by their casual conversation during their visit). And the part about ‘being in the business of yoga’ means most yoga studios I have experienced around the world are struggling and are usually backed by a spouse who earns an income from other means. Sure people put out DVDs, speak at conferences and may have a ‘NAME’ but still if the truth be known they are struggling financially. The most successful yoga teacher I know has no studio, works out of someone else’s and then teachers workshops work wide. In other words they have no teaching overheads.
Hey David,
Great insight from you… and really interesting that those who perceive they couldn’t afford the fee usually don’t appreciate the value of the treatment. I wonder about this link – that which we value highly we find a way to experience regardless of the price.
And I wonder why yoga studios find it so hard to be a successful business. Do the numbers just not stack up? is the cost of delivering yoga higher than what people will pay for it?
Thanks again for your thoughtful response.
Blessings,
KL
hey KL, i read this post this morning and something in me felt a little sad. i am not sure why, probably because the donation yoga classes i’ve gone to for almost 2.5 years have meant so much to me.
i can never speak from a teacher’s point of view, but i can from a student/customer. i cannot grasp the concept of donation classes devaluing or cheapening the experience for a student. i can see how perhaps a teacher may feel devalued when there is not a whole being donated. but for me – a student – it made the experience so much more valuable. it was a beautiful lesson to see and learn from. it’s not often people give so much of their time, energy and spirit for free, with nothing asked in return. i am eternally grateful to you and Taisuke for starting these classes, back in the good ole days, when there were some evenings you could see your breath in the air and there was a good chance your toes would go numb 🙂 your dedication to us made me an avid fan of you both AND yoga. i hate to sound cheesy, but you guys and MARIANNE were total rock stars in my eyes! still are 🙂
yoga felt accessible to me ONLY when i discovered the leaflet that advertised donation classes at pump dance studios. up to then yoga seemed like something other kinda cool and stretchy people did. something about prana flow classes just went CLICK and made me think ‘that’s something i could have a go at’. the fact that it was donation played a part, no doubt, i was repaying lots of debt to IRD at the time. but it wasn’t the only factor. i think the photos may have sold it, something just said FUN, DO IT. it was like by discovering you two, i discovered yoga.
just wanted to say thank you, thank you, thank you 🙂
amy
Hey Amy,
I am so sorry that this post made you feel sad! That was not my intention at all, and I suspect ‘ve been less than skillful in writing this article.
I LOVED teaching those Prana Flow classes, and loved the enthusiasm from students like yourself.
In fact, the fun we had, the community we created, and the sense of exploration are the very reasons why I would teach donation classes again.
I think based on your feedback, that I misse an important nuance of the role that price does play. As you’ve said above, just having that one barrier dropped helps to neutralise the other perceived barriers – and that’s something I hadn’t considered properly.
When Taisuke and I designed the flyers and poster, we deliberately set out to cerate a fun, accessible poster that would entice people in. Perhaps this was as much a part of the success of those classes as the “pay-what-you-think-it’s-worth’.
Thank you for sharing your experience, it;s helped me to see where my article fell well short.
Many blessings,
KL
The reality is that it is not one size fits all. It depends on your market. This model works from some areas and not for others. A lot of running a studio is trail and error. You have to figure out what works for your neck of the woods.
Hey Shanna,
Yes, yes & yes.
And again, I think the way I wrote this article made it sound like I was saying donation classes are wrong for all people in all places, which was not my intention.
Many blessings,
KL
so thought-provoking — thank you!
I really get your point about yoga being extremely accessible.
as a studio owner in california, i have seen donation work/not work. we offer one free class every week — some weeks it is packed, other weeks you couldn’t pay people to come. there’s no consistency, people often come late… things that don’t happen as much in our other classes. we also have five $7 classes every week (our usual drop in is $15) to help cut costs.
there is a donation-only studio in our town. what confuses me is the “suggested donation” is $7-15 a class. well… isn’t that what we charge? i get that people ‘can’ pay less if they need to, but i’ve never turned anyone away for lack of funds. i know this is a slightly different angle from what you’re talking about, but i reminded me of what you’re saying about accessibility, availability, and value.
thanks again!
Hey Michelle,
I’m glad you took something of value from this article.
It would be really interesting to collect some data from various studios and teachers around the world on donation-style classes and see what comes back. I suspect I was glib and shallow in my writing above, as some of the comments have shown. Being able to look at the data and see what’s showing up would be interesting.
Like the fact people are more likely to come late to your donation class – I wonder why that is?
And is it donation if there is a suggestion? Do people tend to pay what they can get away with, rather than what they value the class for?
Many blessings,
Kara-Leah
Thanks Kara-Leah for getting a conversation started on this topic. I also think a lot about what actually makes yoga accessible or inaccessible to people and agree that although money is certainly one factor, it isn’t the only one and those of us who feel called to make yoga more accessible need to think beyond pricing.
The fact that all the in-person yoga classes I currently teach are located up one flight of stairs is an accessibility issue that does not escape me, for example. That’s one of the reasons I used to be committed to teaching weekly by donation classes at my local community hall – the building was physically accessible.
So I agree that offering a donation class will not, by itself, make yoga accessible to everyone.
But my experience, having taught pay-what-you-can classes in Wellington and Paekakariki for the past two years is that by lowering even just one or two of the barriers (i.e. let people pay what they can and move the class to a community hall, which is physically more accessible and perhaps less intimidating for some people than a studio) you might give people the window in which they find the courage to overcome the other barriers (and we all know that our internal barriers to yoga are probably the most challenging).
So I continue to teach pay-what-you-can classes. I offer some of them as pure ‘seva’ classes in which all the money donation goes to a charity, and others are classes where my students chose to pay what they can and that is my income for the week.
I can see there might be a risk of these classes affecting general perception of the ‘value’ of yoga – but that generally hasn’t been my experience in my classes. On the contrary, I think it’s fair to say that the regular students in my ‘pay-what-you-can’ classes demonstrate a strong commitment to the value of yoga. They are eager students, hungry to learn more about the philosophy of yoga and to constantly deepen their practice.
Other teachers who cover for my ‘pay-what-you-can’ classes often comment to me on what a beautiful group of students they are, what a pleasure they are to teach because they are so very open to yoga, to learning.
Which raises the question – is there a way to offer “pay-what-you-can” classes that fosters a strong sense of the value of yoga?
And the larger question remains: what does it really take to make yoga accessible to all? And given that the largest barriers are likely to be internal, how can we help remove the external barriers and then support people to get over their own inner resistance?
Thanks!
Marianne
Ah Marianne,
You’ve summed everything up so beautifully. And I love the questions you ask at the end:
Is there a way to offer “pay-what-you-can” classes that fosters a strong sense of the value of yoga?
What does it really take to make yoga accessible to all? Those internal barriers can be the largest of all, but as you say, somehow, removing the external barriers makes them less surmountable. This is something I hadn’t considered in my article, and I think this particular nuance means that I was wrong in what I said.
Even though the financial barrier is largely imaginary because no teacher would turn away an eager student, it is also totally real because it does stop people from seeking out yoga.
You, and all the other commenters, have helped me realise that I hadn’t properly considered all aspects of this topic, and I’m glad you’ve all taken the time to weigh in and offer your insight.
Much love,
KL
you are a brave and honest lady kara-leah
i am glad you are around to post and comment and discuss
thank you 😉
Hi Kara Leah,
I read your article and responses with much interest!
As I have recently returned from London after 10 years away from Wellington, my experience has been as follows. In London a typical class in a yoga studio was about 18 pounds ($36-40nz) and 7-10 pounds ($14-20) for a community centre class.
I charged 10 pounds for a class run in a church hall and 50 pounds for a personal lesson. Which by London standards was on the low side.
Here I have found that the price is about half eg $10 for a class in a scout/church hall, $50-$60 for a personal lesson.
The cost of living here is not much less than London in my experience which makes it a much harder career choice here in Wellington /nz.
I have covered Koha classes here in Wellington and have had mixed financial outcomes, from a few coins in a jar to $90!
What made the difference for me was to talk about value and expectations and the expression of giving.
It was not a comfortable thing for me to talk about, but was immensely valuable to me and I would suggest to those who thought about it deeply.
I had an interesting experience in the States when I did the Yin teacher training around the issue of Koha, as part of our training we read a book from a guy called Gil Frosdel who runs the Insight Meditation Centre in Redwood City California. The book was supplied on what they called a Dana basis. It intrigued me how a publication could be offered in this way. It was a great book and helped me considerably with my sitting practice.
It wasn’t until I got back to the UK that I found Audio Darhma podcasts from the same author and centre in the US completely by accident. These talks are also offered completely on a dana basis and I have since found out the whole centre is run on darna/koha and is very successful.
You may of read the book “The Continuum concept” by Jean Ludlow when she wrote about the differences in cultures, that of her own (european) and that of an Amazonian tribe, and how they reared children and the differences in understandings of things.
One that stands out in this context is when she was living with the tribe in the Amazon, that the chief of the tribe wanted her necklace for his wife and offered a trade of sugar cane which she was very partial to. But what struck her was, as he presented more and more sugar cane to her, the chief would ask her is this enough and she would say more, it soon became apparent that the chief totally trusted her to tell him the right value for the exchange!
Another example that comes to mind is “Wall Street money never sleeps”. When many of the banking institutions are falling apart, the character Jake asks Bretton James after making a killing on the collapse off his competition, is asked “what’s your price” and Bretton says “more”
It made me think about how NZ society wants as much as it can get for its goods and services and at the same time pay as little as possible for the same – a paradox in deed. This differs from the tipping and giving culture in the US. Perhaps what’s missing in our exchanges is a mutual generosity for what we have to offer AND what we can afford.
Food for thought
Namaste
Greg
Hey Greg,
Thank you for such a rich & insightful comment. You’ve added so much to the discussion – in particular, it’s fascinating to hear the difference of yoga’s ‘perceived value’ between here and London.
I do think NZ suffers from a belief of always wanting to get a bargain… which undervalues many services and products. We’re often reluctant to pay all kinds of people for their expertise, doing whatever we can to muddle our way through or find a cheaper method.
I worked in Canada as a waitress and bartender for many years, and LOVED the tipping system – being on both sides of it. It was such a joy to offer incredible service, be appreciated for it, to appreciate others and be well looked after.
Many blessings,
Kara-Leah
Love this discussion!
At my studio in Dunedin we offer a free class once a week and the rest are paid classes. I would never turn someone away who didn’t have the cash to pay for yoga and needed to come to a paid time slot, but often ask about energy exchange – I have received massage, fresh bread, elderflower cordial and blessings from eager people.
As you know Kara-Leah, I have questioned whether I am making enough ‘profit’ from running a studio. I have a tiny income by NZ standards, but whenever I look at my present I realise I have everything, everything I need. Sharing yoga gives me joy and opens me up to grace in a way no other work has. Energy exchange happens in so many ways and the person you are giving to ‘for free’ will pass that on in some way, some time. So many times in my life I have been given to, without any expectation, and this frees me to give to others. We can free eachother to trust.
There is a deep beauty in trusting we ARE all supporting one another, unconsciously, consciously, in magical ways outside of logic, outside of ‘you give me this, I’ll give you that’; and that we are already supported and have everything we need to be right where we are.
Love 🙂
Oh Emma I love this comment… somehow it unbinds everything and takes it into the expansion of all.
What is enough? What do we need? Do we ever truly lack?
You’re doing fabulous work down in Dunedin, and it’s love to hear how filled with grace you feel because of it, and despite the tiny income.
Many blessings,
KL
Reading this post, I’m reminded of the controversy surrounding the NYT’s article on American yoga figure John Friend, who started the Anusara yoga school. Much hay was made by the newspaper of Friend’s status as a “rockstar” yoga teacher and whether or not he was over-franchising his brand and being too commercial for yoga. I think there is a cultural expectation that yoga teachers work for peanuts (and I pick up on this attitude even as a home-based/DVD-centered yoga practitioner, it is so widespread in the US), because yoga has a spiritual component. Which is, frankly, kind of silly if you ask me. I don’t expect Shiva Rea–or anyone who teaches yoga in my community–to not be able to feed their children because they’re teaching me a discipline with a spiritual nature. But it is a lamentably common attitude in the US that people who work in positions with a civic-minded or public service nature–teachers, firemen, librarians, etc.–also work for very little, compared to whiite-collar workers in private industries. There is this attitude within the culture that when one is working out of an ethos of service and love, compensation ought to be less somehow, which I don’t quite understand.
Yoga teaching may be similarly & negatively impacted for another reason: it’s a profession dominated by women in the West and female-dominated professions often suffer from a kind of marginalization of the “this is not REAL work variety.” Sad stuff, indeed. It’s not a bad idea to pare down, to be humble, to be thrifty and conscious of spending and work not to be greedy, but it is another thing altogether to be taken for granted or treated with contempt. Isn’t self-protection–of oneself and one’s children–a form of ahimsa that yoga teachers should value?
Hope 🙂
Hope, you raise some really great points. I really appreciate you taking the time to make this comment! Thank you!
PS. Heres’ a link to the article Hope references – The Yoga Mogul: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/magazine/25Yoga-t.html
Hi Kara-Leah
I enjoyed this article and the resulting discussion. What I like most about the article is that it is from your personal perspective. and the very honest introspection around your motivations and expectations.
I read a great book on the client/bodyworker relationship. (The Educated Heart) and the author made the point that payment/sacrifice by the client is an important part of THEIR therapeutic process.
You make a very good point that yoga is already accessible to those who want it.
Among the free ways of accessing yoga are also youtube instructional and podcasts. This site is another way you have provided free access to yoga info.
In this information age all this free sharing of ideas and content is becoming more and more prevalent. There is a lot to gain by sharing. It’s one of the cheapest forms of marketing, creates a profile or maybe just feels good to share.
I think having self-serving expectations in giving isn’t a bad thing in itself (to judge them bad would either leave me in denial -or feeling bad about myself).
I love that the comments have opened many different perspectives on this, and have shown that what we can give is going to shift and change depending on all the circumstances we are in and the and the value that we receive.
I teach a “yoga for mums” class in Island Bay where mum’s and dad’s can bring their kids along to play/sleep while they do yoga. I had a extra week I could teach in before Christmas last year and thought it would be nice to run a Christmas koha class with the proceeds going to charity.
I enjoyed it and like the idea and so am trying to run a week of koha classes each term.
I like that the class feels like a community group and I think the koha classes help to reflect that.
I feel I get a lot of value from doing them personally and the time/energy commitment from me isn’t taxing.
HOWEVER it’s been surprising to me that these classes have never had as many people as the set-price, for profit regular classes!
Thanks again for your article and all the time you’ve put into this site!
Hey Oli,
Great comment – thank you! And it’s so interesting that the koha classes you’ve offered haven’t been as busy as the paid classes… really enjoy getting this kind of feedback from different teachers. Seeing how different things have worked, or not worked.
Hi KL, I just found your website doing a Google search of “108 sun saluations” and have been poking around. You have some really interesting writing here, and as someone who will be in yoga teacher training soon (as a side interest, not career training), I find your experiences very insightful.
In the above article, I love that you came out and admitted that part of the reason you were attracted to donation classes was ego. It is quite a place to reach to be able to admit that out loud, since many of us (all?) have the sensation of wanting recognition for our efforts, or even wanting to be a rockstar yoga teacher or something else. In other words, I see this admission as a strength, not a weakness. I wonder if you tried the “donation class” experiment again – fully aware that personal ego was one motivation, but also aware that you can let go of the outcome, let go of the ego – you would meet with success. Good luck.
Hey Anne Marie,
Yeah for Google! And great question about the power of awareness of the ego… and Yes! I would teach donation-style classes again, because I love the energy that they created and the ease around the financial side of them. As for the ego aspect… just becoming aware of my motivations has helped to release them, and given me a good giggle in the process. Awareness is such a powerful thing, it alone can create change merely by shining it’s full light upon something.
And I reckon you’re totally right… now that I don’t need the recognition or want to be a rockstar yoga teacher… I may quite likely find that when I go back to teaching drop-in classes again, students just magically show up.
I’ll keep you posted 😉
Have a blast at your teacher training – love that you’re doing it as a side-interest, reckon you’ll get so much out of it.
Namaste
I find my head nodding salutes in agreement! All comments are so valid…not only with my yoga teaching but with our cafe Seoul Food, my husband and I discovered the pay what you worth concept was really difficult – especially for clients – and New Zealand folk are not used to this – even bartering is not part of our culture so really giving what you can affoprd and what you think it is worth is quite stressful for these people! Kind of defeats the purpose ha! These days I tell them a price (we no longer have the cafe – but in my meditation/yoga coaching); and people are welcome to pop a little xtra into the koha cup….it doesn’t have to be money….and I find people say ‘thanks’ in different ways….for some this is really important – it could be a flower, tickets to an event….home baking or fresh produce….it is the smile as they leave the ashram/gompa….and that they have contributed a little of themselves aside from money…..Namaste
Hey Susan,
So true eh… our culture here has doesn’t really get into bartering, and it makes people feel uncomfortable when there’s no set price. I like the way you’ve opened up another way for people to give something other than the set price.
Blessings,
KL
Thanks for the great article KL! Great to hear about your experience.
I have not had the same experience and have run a voluntary donation based studio for all classes, 3 to 4 per day, for 20 years now in Park City Utah. The difference is that it is not a business and i understand why for someone trying to make it work as a business that this is not a great model, expecially in a small town.
For me this has always been about community service and i cannot tell you the number of times students have reached out to me with tears in their eyes because had it not been for what we were doing they do not think they could have made it through that then challenging stage in their life.
that said i believe there are pros and cons for the donation based studio but in general, it has been a good fit for my inention which was never about becoming a yoga rock star or the other intentions that the author recogonized in honest self reflection. That said, I see the truth and appreciate much of what she discovered in her experience.
Anyway, If you are ever in Park City come check out THE SHOP yoga studio. If you are active in the yoga world, expecially the Anusara world, you have probably already heard and or been here.
Blessings
David
Yoga and the sense of community that can come with it is not available freely without regular donation based yoga. Pretending those that can’t afford it can “just get a book” misses the point and promotes social exclusion and classism. While many studios might not turn away a homeless person, many would, Further, most homeless people would never consider approaching a studio for free classes if firm prices are already stated. Having experienced poverty and homelessness for several years, I know what I missed out on. I will be offering donation based yoga in my community for this reason as it is pretty much nonexistent.