Stop Asking Yoga Teachers to Work for Free & The Straw that Broke the Camel's Back

Are taxi drivers, electricians, or plumbers expected to work for free? Why is this the norm for yoga teachers?

I’m tired. I’m tired of seeing posts in Facebook groups where retreat organisers are looking for facilitators to teach at their retreats in exchange for participation (while guests are paying couple of thousands per spot) or, even worse, a discounted stay on their retreat (more on that below). I’m tired of being asked to teach in exchange for a ticket to the event.

I taught at a huge festival two summers in a row and got paid for my workshops and transportation. I was told how valuable my time and experience were, how great my workshops were.

Guess what. This year, I’ve been told that there are enough teachers who want to teach without payment, so they won't be hiring me again. Of course I felt sad. I enjoyed teaching at that festival so much.

And these are not the only examples. There are too many examples of this in our industry.

I love sharing yoga asana, meditation, pranayama, and movement exploration. This path is so dear to my heart. However, I am tired of this attitude within our industry.

Let me be clear, this blog isn't about shaming anyone or claiming I know it all (because I don’t). I'm on a continuous journey of learning and making mistakes, striving to grow and become the best version of myself - for myself and hopefully for others, too. This blog is an invitation to reconsider. This blog is me sharing my scattered thoughts. Maybe some food for thought, too.

Exceptions & When Teaching for Free might Make Sense

I understand there might be exceptions. Perhaps it's a non-profit or charitable event, or it’s a small business just starting out. Perhaps you recently got qualified and would like to get more teaching experience, would like to start building your portfolio or insert anything else.

So yes, I absolutely understand that there are exceptions. I am sure there are other exceptions not mentioned here that will make sense for you, and I absolutely respect that. I, myself, in the past have also taught for an exchange and loved it. I felt valued, I felt seen, I learnt so much while doing so. Unfortunately, in my personal opinion it seems that nowadays this ‘trend’ is becoming more and more widespread.

The more widespread this becomes, the harder it will be for yoga teachers to make a living. It concerns me to witness this, knowing that teaching yoga is how I and many others earn a full time living.

Facebook Group & the Straw that broke the Camels Back

This morning, I was browsing Facebook yoga retreat groups and saw this post about the 'co-creation' and discounted rate at their retreat below:

I checked their website and saw that the cheapest option was 1790 euros per person. I replied with my thoughts about paying their facilitators, asking them to reconsider their offer.

Later I open Facebook again and was so surprised. My comment received more than 100 likes and hearts, I got quite a few new friend requests and private messages thanking me for speaking out, too.

For me it seems that it’s not only me who is getting tired. There might be more of us.

Because of this post, because of your messages, I decided to write this blog. I want us to continue speaking about this. Again, not to blame or shame anyone, but with the hope of making this whole industry more sustainable for us all.

Paying the Bills with Sun's Energy

Yoga teachers, like any other professionals, need to make a living. We are often required to have years of teaching experience, advanced certifications, and continuous education.

This year alone, I spent more than 3000 dollars on my continuing education training. Personally, it’s a lot of money for me, but I want to continue learning and growing. I want to be able to offer the best knowledge that I can.

Yet, when it comes to financial remuneration, too often there is "no budget".

Do people think we, yoga teachers, live off sunlight and air? Do they believe our passion for our work should compensate for our financial needs? We often hear, "We will give you a marketing promotion in exchange" or "It’s a privilege to teach at this event; you should be grateful."

Do organisers ask the same of other professionals? Are taxi drivers, electricians, or plumbers expected to work for free? Of course not. So why is this the norm for yoga teachers?

My Personal Experience

I am not perfect. I don’t have everything figured out. 

When I hosted my first-ever retreat in 2019, I wrote a post on Facebook saying that I was looking for a co-teacher to join and share classes at the retreat. I received so many messages and did around 15 informal interviews. When I asked them how much they would like to get paid for these classes, quite a few people told me they were happy to do an exchange as it sounded amazing. Easily I could have chosen someone to come and teach on my retreat in exchange. Nevertheless, I remember I wanted to pay the facilitator as I really valued their time. To be honest though, looking back, I feel ashamed as I paid too little for their classes. Yes, of course I also covered their accommodation, transport from the airport and food. But at the time, I really had no clue whether I would even cover my retreat costs. I had no idea how much I could afford to pay. I was just starting out. But the intention was there. Another example.. During one of my other retreats I struggled to cover the costs and didn't have the retreat fully booked. I didn't want to cancel it as I so much valued the people who signed up on a retreat already. I invited a teacher to co-teach on my retreat and a photographer to document the retreat in exchange for participation. I wish I could have paid them, but I couldn't. I'm sharing this to give empathy to others. Maybe this person who wrote that Facebook post is organising their first retreat. Maybe they are just starting out. Maybe they are finding it difficult to fill up all the places.

How Can We Survive in This Society?

In my opinion, this practice of finding qualified teachers to teach in exchange for the event or marketing promotion harms and devalues the whole industry. It disrespects the facilitators who invest significant time, energy, and money in their qualifications and experience. If you can pay for the teachers, please pay them.

Let’s create an environment where yoga teachers can financially survive in this society. This change starts with us.

This is a message for everyone to pause and take a few moments to think about how we want our whole industry to look. Let’s create an environment where yoga teachers are valued and respected for their work. Let’s continue speaking about this.  Finding Silver Lining

Despite the challenges and frustrations outlined, I am so grateful for each and every one of you for valuing and recognising the contributions of the teachers. Grateful for companies and organisations who compensate their facilitators fairly. It's lovely to see teachers creatively diversifying their income streams through online classes, workshops and other offerings as well. Grateful to see teachers supporting other teachers as well.

Cheers to the shift towards creating mutually beneficial arrangements for everyone involved.

I'm planning to write a part 2, as there are quite a few other things I want to share.

Thank you very much for reading and till next time.