The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast
297: Yoga Philosophy & Business with Rebecca Sebastian
Description:
As yoga teachers, we can feel like making money and running a yoga business is out of alignment with yoga and the philosophy of yoga. This can cause us to struggle with marketing and charging for our services. Why does this happen and how can we overcome it? Rebecca Sebastian shares her insights.
Rebecca Sebastian has been teaching yoga for 20 years and working as a yoga therapist for a decade. She is also a yoga studio owner, yoga non-profit Founder, and the host of the Working In Yoga podcast. She isn’t afraid to stand up for human rights and yoga - and she also isn’t afraid to talk about making money as a yoga teacher.
In this conversation, Rebecca shares her thoughts on why yoga teachers are struggling to make money and be okay with making money, and why we all need to double our prices (today). She explains why making our offerings more accessible doesn’t necessarily mean lowering the price and how we can help increase access to yoga while still making a sustainable living. Rebecca gives tips on what to do when you don’t feel comfortable “selling” yoga and explains how yoga philosophy fits in with running a yoga business.
If you are struggling to make money as a yoga teacher and feeling like marketing and business isn’t in alignment with yoga, this episode is a great pep talk.
Key Takeaways:
[0:38] sponsors - OT, PHP
[2:45] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Rebecca Sebastian
[7:41] What does Rebecca do and who does she do it for?
[8:30] Why do yoga teachers struggle to make money and feel comfortable making money?
[11:25] Other than doubling our prices, how can we as yoga teachers reconcile how we view yoga philosophy and making a sustainable living with yoga?
[16:33] Rebecca speaks about why many people have relationships with money that are rooted in shame and guilt.
[18:31] We put a lot of judgements on wealth, but that doesn't necessarily have to be the way - we are positioned to radically redistribute wealth.
[21:38] Rebecca reflects on how some of the conversations we may be having around cultural appropriation and whitewashing in the yoga world may not be shifting the needle but merely adding shame to the conversation. We need to have these conversations and find ways to make a sustainable living in alignment with the teachings of yoga.
[23:02] How does Rebecca help yoga teachers with pricing?
[26:59] Shannon pops in with a shout out of thanks to the team at Offering Tree.
[29:15] Shannon and Rebecca discuss some other ways to determine pricing for yoga offerings.
[31:34] Rebecca invites us to unpack any of our thoughts that are laced with shame and guilt around money.
[32:45] What advice does Rebecca have for yoga teachers who are feeling resistant to marketing and the business side of teaching yoga?
[35:25] What are some resources that Rebecca recommends for unpacking money stuff?
[37:30] How can we tackle that competitive mindset that may come up?
[40:37] What does Rebecca wish yoga teachers knew about how yoga philosophy goes well with business?
[44:21] What final thoughts does Rebecca have for yoga teachers as they start to get comfortable with unpacking money stuff and increasing their rates?
[48:49] Connect with Rebecca and learn more from her on social media or via email.
[50:02] Shannon shares her key takeaways from this conversation with Rebecca.
Links:
Gratitude to our Sponsor, OfferingTree.
Quotes from this episode:
"We've taken it to the point where it's not okay to want a sustainable living and that's just silliness... It's okay to make money as a yoga professional."
"The truth of the matter is that if you want to be of service, you have to make enough money to not be the person who needs help."
"If good humans have conscious moral effort to make money and do good with it, we can change how this works."
"Yoga is this amazing tradition, the spiritual discipline - stop selling it. Sell something else and charge a premium price for it."
"I want you to find your humans and I want you to charge them enough money for you to make a living."
"I believe that you can make money and create impact and do good things. It's not an either/or, it can be a both/and."