The intersection of yoga and business is a very modern one and It is a complicated one
It is by no means impossible to combine the two, but it is challenging to do both well. I have found that it requires adjusting the basic principles of each.
As a yogi who knows the potency of the tools and techniques of yoga for well being , I cannot operate in good conscience with profit maximization as my guiding light. However, as a small business owner with a landlord and light and heating bills, I cannot be delusional about the necessity to cover my bills and save for the rainy days.
Sustainability means I have to find a way of holding yogic principles and business principles in some harmonious way. By the end of 2022, it became increasingly clear that I had not been holding yoga values and business imperatives in balance and I find I have to change how the studio charges for classes and courses going forward.
I want to practice business as I practice yoga: with a commitment to meet reality with wisdom, integrity, compassion, and care.
The latter half of 2022 saw a dramatic rise in prices across the globe. At Yoga Home Sligo, this meant a significant increase in our operating costs, especially fuel oil and electricity. When I sat down and thoroughly examined the situation, I saw that even though 2022 had indeed brought a sudden hike, all the operating costs of the business, both brick and mortar costs and online operational costs like web hosting and the mindbody booking system, had been steadily rising since our launch in 2016. Yet we had never changed our prices.
And of course Covid! Sixteen months of closure with ongoing rent and other assorted overheads meant I had lost the financial cushion that the business had built up pre-pandemic. Many of you know that I had actually called it quits and given notice to my landlord because I could no longer afford to keep paying rent. However regulations announcing imminent re-opening came a week later and I was able to scramble, beg, borrow and steal (almost) to save the studio.
I fully realize how lucky I was to open again because across the yoga world, many studios were wiped out and many teachers had to find other employment. I am very grateful to still be teaching yoga, and I am determined to make this survival meaningful and to do everything I can to keep not just to keep Yoga Home Sligo viable, but to ensure it remains a thriving space for community yoga.
It has always been hugely important to me to meet people where they are, physically, emotionally AND financially.
I know that not everyone is in the same place when it comes to financial security and I never want money to be a barrier to the benefits that yoga practice can bring.
So that is the context for what feels like a big experiment in blending yoga and business. My hypothesis is that people might find it weird at first, but come to appreciate it.
The simple idea is that there are three rates and you pay according to what feels fair to you, taking into consideration both the reality of your situation, the value of yoga in your life and the quality of the experience at this particular studio. Those who are in a position to pay at the higher rate make it possible for the studio to offer a lower rate for people who are in a tighter financial situation. You are trusted to make your choice when you complete online booking and it will be completely respected, no questions asked.
Such a system, or the ethos of such a system is in keeping with both the yoga and buddhist traditions, but it is not the common practice at most yoga studios. So it might seem odd at first, requiring more thought that an easy one size fits all transaction, but I believe it can work. Let’s see what happens . . .
Yoga Home Sligo offers three Fair Trade Options
Supported Please choose this option if you are negotiating financial challenge (approx €12.50 per class for full Weekly course enrollment*—speciality Courses and workshops will vary depending on content and duration)
Standard Please choose this option if you are experiencing financial stability (approx €15 per class for full Weekly course enrollment*—speciality Courses and workshops will vary depending on content and duration)
Supporter Please choose this option if you are enjoying financial security (Approx €17.50 per class for full Weekly course enrollment*—speciality Courses and workshops will vary depending on content and duration)
Please choose what feels most appropriate for you—no questions asked.
Further, if you are unable to pay in one instalment and smaller payments over time would be workable, please inquire about a payment plan. This can apply to any of the three rates. The payment plans will be worked out on a case-by-case basis upon request.
Finally, if these options still do not make it financially possible for you to access classes at Yoga Home Sligo, please reach out to me and we can explore how we might make it work.
* Partial enrollment in weekly classes will be calculated by deducting €10 from Standard Course fee per class not attended. Single Class attendance is a flat fee of €18
As you consider Which option Is appropriate for You it might be helpful to bear in mind the following;
It is an important value for Yoga Home Sligo that yoga does not become a luxury but remains an option for all who are interested in what yoga has to offer.
For Yoga Home Sligo to continue to offer a warm welcoming space with regular classes and a variety of yoga options, the business must covers its costs and provide a living wage for the teacher and any sub-contractors.
Money is often an uncomfortable topic and one of the goals of yoga practice is an ability to get comfortable with discomfort.
This process is an opportunity to practice honesty with regard to finances, to ask yourself what value yoga has in your life and what you can honestly afford to pay. Maybe it’s appropriate for you to pay more, maybe less. What is important is that you give it due consideration as part of your yoga practice.
Where applicable, we want to encourage the opportunity to appreciate good fortune, share resources and experience the pleasure of activating generosity in support of others. Those who can afford the Supporter Rate are making possible my ability to offer the lowest Supported Rate
Where applicable, we want to encourage the opportunity to gratefully receive the support of others and experience the pleasure of recognising that there is generosity in the world. Those who avail of the Supported rate can do so only because of those who choose to be Supporters.
Payment plans offer flexibility and allow those who are living on a tighter weekly budget to still participate at whatever rate feels generous and appropriate to their situation.
The process gives us an opportunity to engage with the reality of money, while at the same time seeing yoga not just as a commodity with students as customers, but as a shared and valuable practice around which we can build community.
