Re-opening studios: Will your wages take a hit?

As public spaces, gyms and sports centres worldwide begin to reopen, many yoga teachers are asking themselves, what will the post-lockdown studio look like? 

In addition to a rigorous cleaning and sanitation schedule, it’s generally accepted that each class will run at a lower capacity, with fewer classes being held each day. The studio space will likely slow to a pace akin to that period between Christmas and New Year, when regular practitioners are lost to far-away families and boozy work-do’s the night before. 

As any yoga teacher who has worked said shift will know, such working conditions can lessen your earning potential. It may not be the thriving studio we were dreaming of, but if lockdown has taught the yoga community anything, it is to be resourceful and adapt to challenging circumstances by seeking out solutions. 

While your studio-classes may look a little thread-bare to begin with, supplement your in-person classes these other options.

Online Classes

Online yoga classes have been a saviour for many a yoga teacher during the lockdown, with the vast majority of professionals logging on to deliver classes screen to screen. 

Looking for insurance to teach online? Look no further!

As social distancing measures relax, the popularity of such classes is not showing signs of slowing down. This continued interest is in part the result of a general anxiety for entering busy public spaces, in part due to the blissful ease of practising yoga at home. It is then likely that Zoom classes will remain a permanent feature of the yoga-space, offering teachers a chance to counterbalance lower in-class numbers with an ever-growing online audience. What’s more, if your studio, and students, permit it, you could even stream your “real-life” classes to those e-yogis. It’s a win-win!

Check out our video guide to teach online.

Outdoor Yoga 

Now that outdoor yoga classes have been sanctioned and summer is on its way (supposedly), taking some additional classes outside will increase your earning potential while not forgoing the in-person element of teaching. In light of reports indicating that the risk of infection is substantially lower outdoors, the local park may well be more inviting to those more apprehensive about returning to pre-lockdown conditions.

Where class numbers are low enough to be deemed semi-private, you may consider upping the prices. Given the more individualised approach and increased time dedicated to each individual (at a safe distance of course), it is acceptable to charge a slightly higher rate than your standard studio class. This is particularly relevant if you are teaching in a pupil’s garden whereby the requirement to travel is placed on the teacher alone. 

If you are teaching outside yoga classes, take a look at our safety recommendations for outdoor teaching. 

Private Classes

It turns out that a nationally enforced lockdown was the best marketing strategy yoga teachers could have asked for. With gyms and sports centres closed, online yoga classes quickly became the answer to those looking to maintain their physical and mental wellbeing. 

As these individuals progress and develop a genuine passion for the practice, it’s likely they will seek out ways to advance their skills. The most effective way to achieve this is 1-1 tutoring, hence the popularity of Personal Training in the fitness industry. Whether you take to the outdoors or opt for e-mentoring, personal yoga tutoring is proving to be a viable income stream for yoga teachers. And, if this wasn’t reason enough, knowing how to personalise your service will improve your teaching skills and retain your client base both on and offline. 

Corporate Classes 

Working From Home has gone from being the realm of freelancers to the working conditions of employees worldwide. “Remote working”, with its subsequent reduction in office costs, lower environmental impact and wider talent pool, is being heralded as the future for office work. However, the subsequent loss of company culture, absence of a walking commute and the risk of non-stop work, can be detrimental to employee health if not addressed. In light of this, and the potential risk to company profit, many employers are seeking out ways to support staff wellbeing from afar. Cue online corporate yoga classes. 

The post-quarantine yoga class may not quite resemble studios of old, but as we all embrace the “new normal”, why not use this time to diversify your teaching and subsequently, your income stream?