Last week New York magazine ran an article entitled “Welfare Yoga” about the current state of yoga teachers and their lack of income sources. Below is the letter to the editor I wrote in response. The points raised in this piece further confirm that I made the right decision by turning away from the traditional studio teaching route; my gut steered me toward a brighter future by seeking to integrate with the traditional healthcare system.
“Dear Editor,
Thank you for your excellent piece “Welfare Yoga” on October 2, 2011. As a yoga instructor, I’ve been disappointed to see how the value of yoga classes in New York has been deeply diminished by offers through Groupon, Living Social, and other similar sites, as well as the less-than-savvy marketing efforts of many studios.
In many ways, yoga teachers have created the trend of cheap-to-free yoga to their own detriment. Now their own efforts have put them in the bind of people expecting free yoga and the studios not being able to keep their doors open. Rather than fixing this broken business model, an increasing number of studios are compounding the problem by generating their income through teacher training programs that produce even more teachers who compete for an ever-decreasing number of paying teacher gigs. It’s a vicious cycle that yogis are feeding at a dizzying rate.
Unfortunately, “karma” has been equated with “free” in the yoga world, and some teachers and practitioners have come to believe that all yoga should be free to everyone, regardless of the means of their students. We live in a world where eventually there is a cost for everything. In the case of yoga classes in New York City, the ones truly bearing the cost are the instructors who have to work several jobs in addition to (their often free) teaching so they can meet their own basic personal expenses.
Sadly, the only people we have to blame for this situation are ourselves.
Sincerely,
Christa Avampato”
Published by Christa Avampato
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
View all posts by Christa Avampato
Last week New York magazine ran an article entitled “Welfare Yoga” about the current state of yoga teachers and their lack of income sources. Below is the letter to the editor I wrote in response. The points raised in this piece further confirm that I made the right decision by turning away from the traditional studio teaching route; my gut steered me toward a brighter future by seeking to integrate with the traditional healthcare system.
Christa Avampato 
Well put, Christa. I’ve been wondering if we are devaluing classes since I heard someone say that discounts killed the book industry. Trying to think of other ways to get new students, and those less financially secure, over the hump and into class.
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Thanks, Erica. So true that we have seen this happen in the book industry as well. Same exact pattern! For Compass, I went the nonprofit route for this very reason – our attempt to cook-up a new breed of business model.
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I’m confused! Are you suggesting that the free-of-charge yoga we offer those with no money for $15-$20 studio class, but great need for yoga, is responsible for the difficulty we’re having making a living as teachers?
Warmly,
Stacey
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Hi Stacey,
I am all for meeting students where they are in terms of financial need! The tough part is determining that need. As the article in New York magazine states, there are many students of very substantial means who attend free or deeply discounted yoga that is provided by yoga studios. Cheap or free yoga is now so plentiful in NYC, to all students regardless of their financial means, that students no longer have to pay $15 – $20 a class. Groupon, Living Social, and other offer sites have done a very good job of helping yoga studios get people in the door but then the studio down the street runs an offer and students just migrate there for a comparable class at a deep discount.
The traditional studio model, combined with the offer sites, have changed consumer sentiments about yoga in NYC. There’s no more need to pay good money for classes and in the process it’s become harder and harder to earn a living as a teacher.
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Well put. It can be difficult in not just New York for studios to keep the doors open. And I agree that the teachers have caused it, but I also know that when you truly love something you want to share it with everyone and in the forget that if you are trying to make a living doing what you love, you need to charge and people will still pay for it because it is something they love. Unfortunately, with the economy if someone is offering a better deal most people aren’t going to stay and pay more if they can jump ship to a place where you don’t have to.
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Hi Carolyn,
It is a tough conundrum for sure! I don’t know that the current model is sustainable. We have to find a better way to make yoga affordable and to support teachers making a living.
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