The Confidence to Charge Appropriately

Let me ask you this: Do you understand the difference between running a charity and running a business?

If you feel called to offer seva, I really want to encourage you to do that! Our world most certainly needs it. I also ask that you consider how and when and why you offer seva, and if doing that in the context of your teaching makes sense for you.Maybe it does, in which case, GO FOR IT. Bringing yoga to underserved populations is incredibly valuable and badly needed. And also: you will have more to offer from your own well if you are charging appropriately for your services as a baseline. I know way too many yoga teachers who are teaching practically for free even though they cannot afford to do so.

So let me ask you this: Are you offering discounts on your private lessons, or teaching group classes for really low rates, because you want that to be your service offering?  Or are you undercharging because you are uncomfortable asking for an appropriate rate for your services?

If you want to feel stronger and more clear in charging appropriate prices for your work then I’ve got some things for you to think about:

• What you charge for private yoga lessons has nothing to do with what you are worth. Read about that here if you missed it.
• The intersection of yoga and money is inherently complicated. Here are some thoughts for you about that.

I want you to show up as the best teacher you can be everyday. I want you to feel confident that you are offering an extremely valuable service that is worth every penny your students are paying.

Here are a few important things to keep in mind:

• It is important that you are a really strong space creator and holder. Don’t change or cancel an appointment unless it is an extreme emergency. {I only cancel on clients if I am really really sick and that happens less than once a year.}
• Make sure you have the basics of teaching and finding and organizing private clients down pat.  This primer training has everything you need to get started.
• If you can travel to see students in their space, DO IT. It makes the service much more valuable for them, and the only overhead is your own time and energy. As time goes on that may become more expensive, but if you are just getting started, I highly recommend traveling to see your clients in their home or office whenever possible.
• If you need to rent a studio space, because neither you nor them have a space that works for private yoga, make sure you handle that in a behind-the-scenes way, so it feels easy and effortless for them. There is no need to bombard them with details. If you want them to pay the space rental fee {which is appropriate} just make sure you work that out at the beginning of your relationship.
• Offer additional resources that support their home practice. I have one student I record personalized guided meditations for every few weeks and another student for whom I recorded a section of his asana practice, so he could have my voice guiding him when he practices on his own. I did both of these on soundcloud and it is super easy. Just make sure you make the link private so no one else can see or listen to it.
• Take super good care of yourself so you can be a clear and empty vessel for the teachings to move through. What your students need most is your presence and care.

Does that all make sense? Please ask me any questions that are coming up!