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| Hi Sharon here. I have been looking for yoga classes in my area and they are so expensive. They cost around 16 dollars a class. Is that normal?
Thanks,
Sharon |
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| It's not out of line--normally single classes are right around there--packages normally offer lower per class cost. |
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| as bruce said, pretty standard. around here (philly region), classes that last 1.5 hrs cost $15-17 for "drop ins" and individuals who buy class cards of 10 classes pay $12-15. Some studios also offer work-study positions (work in exchange for classes), and others also offer senior and student discounts.
for studios whose classes run 1-1.5 hours, classes cost $13 for "drop ins" and $11 per class if you buy a class card (of 10 classes). |
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| Our classes are 15 each. |
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| That is why I do yoga at home. It is easy for some to say to go to classes or take private lessons but not every one can do it. I have been doing yoga for 3 years now, learnt from reading, DVD and subscribe Yoga Journal. There are so many of us who does yoga with DVDs and have no problem, then there is this wonderful forum you can take help from. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| Sharon - that is about right out here in BC as well. When you register for a series of classes, it is a lot cheaper. Teachers take a big risk with drop-in and may be teaching for next to nothing if not enough students show up for a given class. Drop-in students pay for the convenience of having a teacher there and ready to teach whether or not the student comes to a class. FWIW, this is similar cost to things like dance lessons, pilates etc. |
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| The weekly rates at my studio are comparable to its drop in rates
1 - Drop in Class $16/CDN
2 - Unlimited weekly classes $18CDN/Per Week
Tourist you've mentioned that you're west coast BC.
I live and practice in Vancouver. What about yourself? |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Pretty close to you, Tom! Will be traveling through Vancouver on our way to see Geeta Iyengar in Penticton later this spring. DD is in Vancouver. |
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| Hi Sharon here.
Am I the only one that thinks yoga is expensive?
Thanks
Sharon |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Looks like you are the only one,  |
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| Sharon--considering that you just need a $10 mat and just about any ole clothes, yoga is a bargain compared to just about anything else where equipemnt and special outfitting is needed. |
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| Also, I compare it to the cost of some other classes I like to take such as tango and belly dance. Yoga classes are about on par with those as well (in fact, a couple years ago I was taking belly dance classes that were more expensive than any yoga classes around).
However, many studios offer work-study programs, so you can volunteer time helping the studio in exchange for free classes. Some offer scholarships as well as other trade options. For example, I have frequently offered free classes for people willing to go out and put flyers up for me or help in other ways. Many offer 'community' classes for cheap or even free. So for those who really can't pay, there are options. |
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| SharonL - 2008-02-16 4:33 PM Hi Sharon here. Am I the only one that thinks yoga is expensive? Thanks Sharon I agree and disagree. As someone who likes to go to yoga classes, I am doing more yoga at home because even 1x a week is almost $50/month in my area. I can join a gym that has classes included but the times and frequency don't really work for my schedule. I also don't know the quality of the classes but if the schedule worked better, I'd give it a try. Some area studios give unlimited classes for a monthly fee in the $80-$100/month range. To practice more frequently I use dvds and have signed up for Yoga Teacher Training to learn more to be able to practice better on my own. Participating in YTT has also shown me that teaching yoga classes in some cases is not covering gas money to get there, never mind the prep time of putting together the class. I'm not sure why but I think that the cost of the studio space (or whatever space is being used) is the biggest part of the overhead. Add insurance, props, heat, advertising, etc. It looks like some Studio owners, and yogis who write books and videos and give workshops can create a profitable business. But like any business, the expenses come before the income and the income is not always guaranteed. I don't think at this time that I could quit my day job and jump into yoga as a full time business without taking a big pay cut. (Though I expect there are some good business models out there...) There have been some interesting discussions and articles about the role of profit or service in yoga, though I'm sorry I don't have a link handy for you... |
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| karmann - 2008-02-16 8:42 PM
I recently saw a flyer for a yoga class not too far from me- $5 - wow.
Karmann - I went to a class recently that was advertised for 5 bucks. My first experience with someone that trained under yoga fit. She had a great spirit - but it was an exericise class and not a yoga class. People were not instructed to breathe through their noses and not their mouths. -- I do not mean to cause a yogafit discussion - we've had those before - I'll just call next time I get interested in a new class. (She had also only had two weekends of yoga fit training.)
So the OP - I'd say that those 17 bucks you spend for a class could be the best you spend or the worse. The quality of yoga teachers is so varied - that you might be getting a bargain (highly qualified teacher) or worse end up injured.
Best wishes.
Vic |
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| how about the money a yoga practitioner will spend as they become more and more serious about their practice, and move into teaching?
there's props, workshops, teacher trainings, ongoing classes, assessment fees, etc...
maybe it is relatively inexpensive to pay 15 dollars a class, or 130 dollars for a ten week session of classes, but let's look at the yoga budget that i'll be looking at after i move to san francisco:
conservatively, 150 dollars a month in class fees and 1600 dollars a year for intensives. thats about 3500 dollars a year. conservatively.
granted, i'm going to study with one of the top teachers in my discipline in one of the most expensive cities in the country, but in my case, yoga will be expensive.
thats over a quarter of what i made last year!
...
conservatively.
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| karmann - 2008-02-17 7:08 AM
I remember one of my teachers saying that Mr. Iyengar told her not to give away classes, (she could probably well afford to), saying "charge them and then exceed their expectations by far."
karmann - we try to live by that ideal. Another thing to remember is that we (in the studios I teach in) use money over and above what we need to run the business end to support students and teachers with scholarships and bursaries. |
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| one of the studios that i worked for offers a weekly "community class" that costs $5. the teacher volunteer teaches it, and it is advertised that these teachers have recently completed the studio's teacher training program. the proceeds from the class (that is, less the costs to the studio to hold the class) are donated to a charity that changes each month.
another studio in the area also offers a $5 community class in which they ask all of their teachers--from most experienced to least--to volunteer to teach that class on rotation. so, each week there is a different teacher--some who are very experienced and some who are not. but, all of their teachers are high quality teachers.
some of the local gyms have extremely good yoga programs, but one should ask the normal questions about the certifications and experience of the teachers. the gyms where i work give my web address so that the prospective members can see who i am, what i do, and decide if they want to join. A number of my students pay $35-50/mo to join a gym to get 4 classes/wk with me. it comes to $2.18/$3.13 per class for them.
and, as diyyogini mentioned, many studios and teachers offer work-study opportunities. I offer this when i can (for independent classes--as i can't for gyms, etc), and the studio where i currently work offers this as well. they also offer a scholarship program there as well.
as others mentioned, yoga is roughly the same price as other movement modalities in cost, AND there are costs related to running yoga classes. |
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| Yes, I do think yoga is mad expensive, but I love it still. Unlike a lot of people who practice in NYC, I am not made of money and about $160 a month for yogs is a pretty big chunk of my budget. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Well, just like with anything, I have a rule...You get what you pay for. It's interesting, in the residential painting business, I always advised our customers to get 3 estimates. Usually they don't go with the cheapest, they go with the middle estimate. So, therefore, I always stayed within the mid-range of pricing. Although...in today's world, now everybody wants cheap. Mostly because no one has any money to spend anymore because most people are out of work and/or have lost their jobs due to outsourcing and the US condition right now. We're in bad shape. Yea, even I get challenged from time to time coughing up my $30 per class for me and my daughter. BUT, if I have to choose, I will choose Yoga.
Now, I can't wait for the day that my DD says, "Mom, I'll pay for my own Yoga class, don't worry about me".  |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 517
Location: New Jersey | I pay $20 per drop in class at my studio. There are discounts with packages of 10 or 20 classes though. I never thought of it as too much because it's right around what the other studios in my area charge. I've always thought of it as cheap because this particular studio is right across the street from the beach, their rent must be through the roof! I love the teachers, the style, and the feel of the studio, so it's worth it to me. |
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| What price do you place on your own evolution?
Edited by purnayoga 2008-02-19 1:10 PM
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| i think it is possible to evolve without paying someone else.
though, i have no problem paying people for their assistance in learning a skill or technique that may facilitate my evolution.
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| The question wasn't about money but value.
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| Hi, Sharon here Thank you Cyndi, with all the people saying that spending a lot of money was normal on yoga classes, I was embarassed to admit that I don't have that much money. I have been through alot as you say -Mostly because no one has any money to spend anymore because most people are out of work and/or have lost their jobs due to outsourcing and the US condition right now. We're in bad shape -
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Hey Sharon,
Don't be embarrassed. I know I for one have to watch and manage where my US $$'s are going these days...more than I ever have. The good news is that I have my yoga practice....to keep me sane about it, Take care and hang in there. |
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OMG
