Mary Billard’s recent article in the New York Times, “A Yoga Manifesto”, describes a new trend in yoga instruction and yoga business. In reaction to so-called “rock star” yoga teachers who draw students from across the country and are featured in stylized videos, she notes that “There’s a brewing resistance to the expense, the cult of personality, the membership fees.”
One expression of this resistance is Yoga to the People, a studio concept and business established by Greg Gumucio. Gumicio noticed that teachers were being elevated by students to the extent that “students stop doing yoga because they couldn’t practice with a favorite teacher.” But wasn’t the point, he thought, to learn that you are your own inner teacher?
His multi-city studio business relies on high-volume classes and employs a “by donation” fee for students (about 1/2 of each day’s students contribute something). Classrooms are filled to capacity; when there is no more space, students are sent to another classroom. Teacher schedules are not publicized and teacher differences are de-emphasized in favor of a general studio atmosphere.
It is an interesting business concept and offers a indication of how much people may be interested in very different environments for practicing yoga. However, the most direct way this model seems to encourage an engagement with the deeper principles of yoga is to encourage students to accept the studio as it is—which might mean crowded and de-personalized.
I think my greatest skepticism about this version of yoga education is the assumption that teachers don’t matter (much). While I agree with Gumucio’s point that we are ultimately our own teachers in our practice as yogis, I believe that committed, informed, experienced practitioners have enormous gifts they can share with us through their teaching. Further, as my long-time teacher Lisa Clark says, it is the role of teachers to “hold the space” for student learning and discovery. Teachers create an environment where students can dive deeply into practice. Teachers nourish compassion and self-care, while encouraging us to open to new questions and sensations. Teachers can be very different in their specific approaches and talents, but equally profound in their ability to support our growth. Skillful teachers help us find and develop our inner teacher.
To suggest that yoga is simply an enjoyable series of movements set to fun music and taught by “whomever” is to miss the gifts that artful teachers share every day. If teachers don’t really matter, why don’t we just play a recording? Yoga has both a long oral tradition and a history of embracing teacher contributions. Teachers carry the tradition of their own teachers within themselves, and pay homage to that tradition even as they create their own teaching practice. As students, we deserve to be exposed to the depths of yoga, and to the richness of artful teaching.
On a more practical note, I’d like to comment on the studio economics suggested by Yoga to the People. The practice of offering yoga by donation reveals some more complicated values than might be assumed. Many studios and teacher perceive the donation option as a way of assuring access to yoga to people of all incomes. Others see donation options as part of the practice of generosity.
I do think it’s important to point out who is being generous is these situations. Studio environment costs (rent, utilities, etc.) are fixed, no matter how many students attend a class. Moreover, it is fairly common for studios to operate with a fixed minimum take from each class they host. Yoga teachers are typically independent contractors and their compensation depends largely on the numbers of students they teach.
When teachers accept by donation classes, they are also accepting that their contributions may or may not be worth paying for. Frequently, teachers are expected to be more generous that studios when students skip donations or offer a dollar or two. Some might argue that the studio is taking an even bigger risk, as they have fixed costs to address for the classroom space. In either case, both studio and teacher can end up inadvertently suggesting that the educational experience they are offering is free for the taking. This does not necessarily build respect for the teacher/studio offering, nor does it contribute to a sustainable class or business. In fact, a by donation model can actually diminish the value students place on quality instruction. This practice might be a good thing for those concerned about “star” teachers, but it is also a way of de-valuing skillful experienced instruction. Finally, the donation model actually hides much of the cost of offering skilled movement instruction in a specific location. We certainly are used to an economy that hides many costs from us—whether the cost of a hamburger or of the latest electronic game. But I’m not so sure ignorance about cost is something we want to foster!
I think it’s interesting that many studios (including Yoga to the People) actually articulate a suggested donation amount (which does make one wonder how much it is a donation). On the other hand, I know of studios who have neglected to do this and ended up with far fewer dollars than they could live with on a regular basis.
I do think by donation classes have a place in yoga education. They make the most sense to me when they are offered in community locales that do not require rent to be paid. I’ve known other yoga teachers to offer such classes in parks, on beaches and in churches with great success. The no or low cost setting can help bring yoga education to new students while still offering an appropriate compensation for a teacher’s time, travel and expertise. I am also excited by the trends in online yoga education. Many studios and teachers are offering podcasts and online videos of classes. Many of these are free and are offered as a way to expand yoga access and to encourage students to practice.
What does Yoga for the People mean for you? Is your yoga class offering you the support, encouragement and fee options you need? How important is it to you to work with a particular teacher? I welcome hearing your comments and ideas.
I’ll end by reminding readers that I love to embrace the teaching and practice of yoga in everyday community settings. My current class is held in the Kingston, TN community center. We routinely practice next to other community gatherings—whether master gardener meetings or Tea Party politickers. I pay a modest rent to the center and charge a modest fee for the class—in order to support my rent, on-going professional yoga education and certifications, insurance, and gas costs. I do not make a living teaching yoga; rather, I enrich my life by teaching (and practicing) yoga. I am grateful for my students for supporting this class and to the center for hosting us.
