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Namaskar Everyone,
I am hoping this will grow into a large thread with more information for teachers who find the road of teaching yoga classes financially difficult. This economy is a tough one, even though our politicians were in denial about a recession. I think the American public were all accused of having a mental recession by one of John McCain's friends.
All politics aside, marketing on a sh string is an infinite subject. Many of us, myself included, become yoga teachers because we are passionate about yoga. Unless we have strong financial stability, we can't teach yoga for long. Passion alone won't pay the bills. Let's work together to create right livelihood.
Here's my tip of the month.
Cultivate Testimonials - At the end of your season package, provide feedback surveys to your yoga students. Give the option to include their names. You could create a check box next to a statement that allows you to reprint student comments on your promotional material.
Please give us your feedback.
Wishing you abundance and happiness in whatever way you define it,
MSook
April 27, 2015
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I am yoga teacher I have been teaching since 2003, and before that I spend 5 years learning yoga with teachers and it was quite a process, I see your proposal to become a yoga teacher with mindful bussiness and marketing ideas!!!!!!!!! are you kidding me?????? with no proper guidance , with no proper training , without a teacher, Man are you even aware this tradition of thousand years old was compassionately passed teacher to student in a very sacred way????????? honestly what are you thinking about marketing yoga? oh yes maybe in the so profitable marketing way yoga can bring into your life as I can see..... it makes mee feel sad about it really the way you think yoga should be spread out worldwide, is there any respect and honor for this practice and all the woderful teachers that have spend their lifes and I mean their lifes devoted to teach ethically?
honestly it is not nice to see this things anout yoga business going around.
are you aware really about the misperception of things that you are spreading around?
do you even know what is the purpose and real meaning of yoga?
OH!!! my God I am sorry but this is just ridiculous and I'm sorry to say this like this but guys come on...learn yoga marketing...listen to your story !!!!!!!!!!!
thank you for being my mirror in which I reflect so I can change and not do this things..
-- Namaste
April 27, 2015
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Kind Attention Laparadis,
Thank you for telling us about your 11 years of yoga experience. I'm impressed. Do you realize how many teachers on this forum were born with Yoga? This is a forum for yoga teachers, but please know that you have more to learn.
Many teachers on this forum are from India, US, UK, and Canada and many have 20 to 60 years of Yoga experience. And like myself, we see yoga has changed in India and outside. You are entitled to your opinion. Please take time to train your mind. Please try some meditation and pranayama. Don't be so hasty to judge others.
Now may I ask a few questions?
1. When you teach yoga, do you get paid?
2. Do you need money to live?
3. Did your guru tell you to teach yoga for free?
4. What is wrong with the proliferation of yoga?
Kindly answer any questions you are comfortable with.
OM Shanti,
A.S. Kumar
Namaskar Everyone,
Many Thanks for your enthusiasm. About testimonials: Please get good testimonials from satisfied yoga students. By adding testiomials to your marketing materials you have created a powerful method that adds credibility to your teaching services.
There are many ways to get good testimonials, including sending out e-mails with questionnaires or forms for your students to complete. The best way is to talk with your yoga students face to face. Ask what they like about your yoga sessions, how your classes were useful, and which of yoga's benefits they like the most. Be sure to get your student's permission (in writing) to post their testimonials.
Bless you,
MSook
April 27, 2015
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I am not going to answer your questions kumar. There is no ethics in this yoga business idea. i don't care if you say it exists in India. A teacher shouldn't accept payment for yoga classes. There can be donations but that's all. this idea of turning yoga membership into a pyramid scheme isn't good. This is completely unethical. I don't need to take a payment for classes because I have a day job. About testimonials - I can't see how you could get any beacause all of you see your students as cash cows.
-- Namaste
April 27, 2015
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Testimonials come from satisfied yoga students, who received benefits from your classes. You can't force testimonials out of your students if you teach poor classes. MSook has good ideas and so do the rest of you.
About business and marketing ethics: Most people expect to pay. If you have your class rates posted there is no deception on the part of teachers. It's no surprise to me when I pay for seminars or yoga teacher training.
About teaching for nothing: "teaching for nothing" think about that. Is it teaching yoga without a cause? Is it worthless yoga teaching? Don't get me wrong - there's nothing wrong with seva or karma yoga, but I bet all of us paid money for training.
Peace
April 27, 2015
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My deepest congratualtions to you Laparadis. You don't need money to live? Hence, you feel that taking money for food, shelter, and paying overhead is wrong. If we teach yoga for donations only most of us will be on the street. It isn't difficult to be homeless these days.
The banks will gladly put anyone on the street. It dsn't matter to them if you always paid your bills. The banks have used every trick in the book to garner extra fees from the public. With government money the banks are cash heavy. But you see greediness in yoga teachers?
And you don't seem to understand that 99.99% of the world runs on money. You are insulated from the poverty around you. Maybe you have a recession proof "day job." That's a beautiful thing but, I humbily request that you open your mind to a life without a secure job and try to imagine how the other half of humanity lives. Some yoga teacher have to charge money for classes to live!
Thank you MSook for your generous advice. I hope that you'll post again because I want to learn from you and Paulji. And I admit I need money to live. I wish it was different but my day job barely makes ends meet. The money I make from yoga classes is going toward my kid's educations so we can better ourselves. And yes, my family came from complete poverty. I know what hunger is and I know what it is like to be on the street.
April 27, 2015
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One of the cheapest ways to attract more yoga students is by word of mouth referrals.
Referrals work so well because they come from a credible friend who wants to share how yoga made a positive change in their life. When you think of our tight budgets, referrals make the most sense because they are completely free.
When a student tells another person about you and your yoga teaching practice that student is telling someone else why they visit your studio or attend your classes.
The easiest way to encourage referrals is to ask for them. Most yoga teachers who don't ask for referrals believe that asking their best students and customers would place a burden on them of having to do something that might make them uncomfortable. For many yoga teachers, the idea of asking for referrals makes them feel anxiety and guilt.
April 27, 2015
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9 Steps To Promote Your Yoga Business On YouTube
By George A Watts
Outcome
Market your yoga classes, courses or retreats by using YouTube.
Purpose
Marketing is the life blood of any business, and your yoga business is no exception. YouTube is an incredibly powerful yoga marketing tool. I know of yoga YouTube videos that have 1,000,000 hits! And the best part is your video only needs to be a couple of minutes long. One of the biggest advantages that YouTube offers yoga teachers is its low cost. Uploading videos to YouTube is free, and only need a cheap camera with video. You don't even need a camcorder these days.
Video is a great way to promote your expertise. And when you're known as an expert, many doors can suddenly open up for you (e.g. magazine contributor, radio interviews/show, TV interviews/show, etc). One of the best free ways to showcase your yoga class, course or retreat is to show your prospects a sneak preview of it which is exactly what YouTube lets you do.
Steps
Step 1: Get an account on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com.
Step 2: Get yourself a camera or digital video camera.
Step 3: Pick a yoga posture.
Step 4: Practice. Practice. Practice.
Step 5: Ask a friend to film you - don't worry about it looking like a million pound production. Just make sure you've practiced the pose and don't look at any notes when during the filming. Be natural. Don't try to look or sound like a yoga teacher. Be yourself.
Step 6: Add the video to http://www.youtube.com.
Step 7: Follow steps 3-6 over and over and over again.
Step 8: Send your students links to your yoga videos - they may use them to send to their friends which is great viral marketing.
April 27, 2015
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What are you doing Laparadis? Are you feeling Okay? I thought you were against marketing Yoga and now you are putting out this You tube advertising information!
No problem, yoga is not a business. Don't market your yoga classes. In India yoga teachers are not so concerned with money. You people are too concerned with money, marketing, and business. The principal activity in your life is that you earn money. yoga teachers in India only need a few dollars to survive, so you should learn to deal with less wanting of material possessions.
April 27, 2015
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Dear Class Yoga,
Namaskar!
You claim yoga teachers in India do not need money. Kya khayal hai tumhara? I am thinking you have never been to India at all. Where are you put up? My question is do you know a nose-screw from a flyover? If I am incorrect, please do the needful.
April 27, 2015
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Hi A.S. Kumar,
Thanking you for your honest post. Unfortunately, gurus and their families need money to live. I take issue with the idea that we should live like dogs because we teach yoga. It's not as financially rewarding to be teaching yoga in India as compared to the West, but it is rewarding. Luckily some western tourists are very generous to Indian gurus.
Hari Om,
Mila
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