Making a living as a yoga teacher isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. It’s hard work and contrary to popular belief, it’s not just getting all bendy + flexy in the yoga room + looking awesome in your sassy Onzies – you have to actually get off your asana and hustle. This means planning, marketing, saving, organizing and seeking alternative methods of income. Every self employed person should currently be drafting their plan for 2014. How am I going to pay my bills? What is it going to take to get to the next level? How am I going to make enough more money teaching yoga?
5 ways to boost your teaching income
Privates. Seems like a no brainer, right? WRONG. I can’t tell you how many teachers I meet that just don’t offer or don’t market private yoga sessions. If you secure 2-3 private clients per week, you will practically double (if not more than double) your teaching income. Newly certified teachers can comfortably charge $50-$75 per session while seasoned vets can command up to $200 per session. Make sure you work with the studio managers where you teach – be straight up with them about wanting to build your private practice. They may help you by contributing space + marketing (for a small piece of the pie – don’t forget to negotiate). DO NOT get all sneaky about it. This is a sure fire way to loose a great gig!
Niche Workshops. Remember a week or so I talked about Awesome Sauce? Well this falls right in line with that. Yoga is big, fat and diverse. Find one specific aspect of it that turns you on and dig in full force. Then spread your knowledge like herpes… ok gross… just contact studios and let them know you have some Awesome Sauce to dish. When I finished my first 200hr training, I was also big into hooping. I birthed my first tiny biz, Karma Hoops Yoga from $0 to $18,000 in revenue within 5 months. 1/3 of that came from the hoops I was making, 1/3 came from teaching and the other 1/3 came from workshops. One specific workshop in fact – Chakra Hoop Meditation. It was a funky class that started with a little vinyasa flow and moved into some intense (yet meditative) hooping + chanting. People couldn’t get enough of it. It was different. It was colorful + playful. It was Yoga and hooping and chanting. And because it was unique, I had the ability to take the workshop to lots of spaces outside of my home studio. My friend Jess rocks her Awesome Sauce out with Yoga + Hiking. It’s her dash of personality. She’s more than just asana. I promise, there’s more to YOU than Just asana. So, what is it? Figure that shit and marry it to your yoga. Then go workshop it up!
Don’t forget to charge what you’re worth! Offer peanuts and you’ll attract monkeys!
Writing. If you’re good at it and you like it, check Virtual Vocations on the regular. They have weekly updates on paid for blogging opportunities. Blogging ain’t easy. Ask any crafty blogger on Pintrest. It actually takes a shit load of time and effort. That being said it’s a GREAT way to get exposure, which will lead to additional income. All the big editorial sites take submissions (.01% of them pay for submissions). Get writing and share your words. Their readers will be so wowed + turned on by your thoughtful, spunky jive they will click through to your site. WOOHOOO you just got more traffic on your website/blog!!
Which leads me to suggestion number 4….
Products. You need to have a little bit of a sales bug for this one. But lets be honest – students gobble up what yoga teachers dish out and are always looking for more. So you have a couple of options here. Option 1 : create your own yoga product once and turn it into passive income on your site (ie Class Download, Guided Meditation etc.) Option 2. design the hippest, catchiest tee shirt, mug, panties whatever and to sell them on your through Zazzle and Cafe Press. Option 3: create a webstore and become an Amazon Affiliate and peddle stuff you love that can be purchased on Amazon. You could also monetize your site with blogsvertise, depending on how you feel about advertising on your little chunk of the internet.
Do it Everywhere. Step out of the little zen studio box you’re livin in. Yoga isn’t just taught in a studio or your local membership gym. Get outside of your average box. You’re not the average yoga teacher, YOU have superstar potential! Just think about the places you could teach; schools, hospitals, nursing homes, retirement communities, schools, kiddo play places, dance schools, parks, beaches, country clubs! Everything in life is an option, if you make it. DO NOT FORGET about the man. Corporate Yoga will be the way of the future. Wellness program is currently mandated by the Affordable Care Act (given the right side crazies don’t blow the whole fucking thing up). Yoga is wellness and corporate yoga is the opportunity for further abundance. So get your shit together, start drafting a proposal and sent it out!
Make a plan for 2014 so you can continue to do what you love and love what you do.
Need help with a corporate yoga proposal? I got your back. We can jam this out. Just send me a message!
Joy up By Design 
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