Yoga Teacher Training Forum

Is it Right for Yoga Teachers to Take Money?

The art of yoga is rarely seen as a career path, but for many dedicated yoga practitioners, it becomes just that when they decide to teach others what they know in a classroom. Teaching yoga requires dedication, patience, empathy, and a love for healing; it is certainly not a job that the average person can take on. The qualities needed in a yoga instructor simply cannot be found in everyone, but those that have these qualities and are dedicated to teaching yoga can make this a career that they love and enjoy. Why, then, is there question about these teachers receiving payment?

Many people who question this consider it ethically wrong for yoga instructors to take money, as yoga is often prescribed as an alternative medical therapy. These questioners view teachers who accept money as benefiting from the poor health of others. This is, in the simplest term possible, false. Yoga instructors do not wish poor health on their students, and the focus of a yoga instructor is the health benefits for the students. Yoga is used as medical therapy and preventative medicine.

As unfortunate as it may be, money is extremely important in our society. Everyone is faced with the question of how they will make a living once adulthood is reached, and those who find that they love yoga and are dedicated to teaching it are lucky to find a career that they truly value. If yoga instructors are not able to accept money for teaching, then they must find another source of income, and this can lead to decreased time spent in the yoga studio with their classes. Accepting payment for their teachings allows for yoga instructors to focus solely on this aspect of their career and the students that they teach.

Along with teachers needing to find a second job and having less time for their students, another negative side effect of yoga instructors not accepting money is that many people would begin to teach classes with none of the qualities that are important in yoga teachers, and there would be less available yoga classes in general. This is detrimental to the students in the class, whether they are taking the class for therapeutic purposes or for recreational and relaxation purposes. Truly dedicated teachers are needed in yoga classes, and allowing yoga instructors to accept payment for their teaching keeps the availability of quality yoga classes high.