September is designated as National Yoga Month by the Yoga Health Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting yoga and its health benefits. The foundation offers free week-long passes for new students at studios across the country this month, allowing a budget-friendly introduction to the practice.
With yoga classes ranging in price from $10 to up to $20, this campaign represents a good value. But what happens after your beginner pass is all used up and you want more? To help keep your practice strong without weakening your budget, here are several ways to save on your next yoga class.
Community gatherings:
Many yogis swear by Meetup.com, the online forum for organizing community gatherings. Gabrielle Pelicci, a certified Kundalini and Jivamukti yoga teacher, says there are many free classes that are organized by instructors in parks and other public places. If you’re afraid casual meetups won’t create the kind of camaraderie present in fee-based yoga classes, don’t fret: Anne Marie Herring, a freelance yoga teacher based in Austin, Texas, says ongoing meetups offer the same benefits as formal yoga classes. “You’ll see the same students at each class so you’ll build a sense of community with like-minded individuals, which is one of the aspects of yoga that’s most enjoyable,” she says.
In addition to individually-organized classes, many towns offer free or low-cost yoga and fitness classes through their parks and recreation departments. Cathie Cush, a business owner in Bucks County, Penn., has been practicing weekly at her township’s yoga class for the past nine years. “Most studios in our area are charging $15 to $20 per class for drop-ins,” she says, while the community class currently charges $9.50. Cush takes advantage of discounts extended to locals, a perk some studios also offer.
Tosh Patterson, founder of Healthinista Living and certified Bikram yoga instructor, says many studios offer one and sometimes two free sessions per week that are open to the local community. “You could take advantage of those free sessions all over town,” she says.
Donation-based classes:
While yoga is popularized as a physical practice, called “asanas,” there are ethical and moral components as well. The “yamas” and “niyamas” promote kindness and compassion toward oneself and others. That’s why you’ll find many donation-based classes in cities across the country, allowing those on tight budgets to cultivate their practice cheaply, sometimes without cost. This format is the basis for the “Yoga to the People” initiative seen in Seattle, San Francisco and New York City, with suggested donations starting at $10. Pelicci says the program makes it “very easy to practice yoga on a budget. No one is turned away because they can’t pay.”
The rates for suggested donations vary by studio, and sometimes benefit local causes or charities in addition to subsidizing costs for budget-strapped students. “A local instructor offers a class twice a month at the local Gap Body store for a $5 suggested donation,” Cush says, and she donates the proceeds to pancreatic cancer research.
“Karma Yoga” or work-study:
For some, even small donations are beyond their means. That’s where work-study programs come in, or what some in the industry have deemed “karma yoga.” In exchange for work at the studio, ranging from studio cleaning to front-desk help, students can take classes for free. Patterson calls Karma Yoga “a well-kept secret most don’t know about.”
Herring’s tight budget led her to a work-study position where she cleans for a couple hours over the weekend in exchange for free, unlimited access to classes. “This particular studio normally charges $120 per month for a membership,” she says. Herring finds the benefits of this arrangement go beyond the classes themselves. “I’m able to give back to a community that provides me with so many benefits for my mental and physical health,” she says.
Yoga streaming:
Cost isn’t the only barrier for yoga students. The studio environment can be intimidating for beginners who fear their inability to keep up. Others simply prefer the flexibility of an at-home practice. While DVDs are always an option, streaming is an increasingly popular forum with a multitude of websites offering free or low-cost access to yoga classes of all styles and durations.
YogaDownload and YogaGlo are likely the most well-known platforms, with the latter offering unlimited access to over 2,500 classes for $18 per month, the price of one class at many studios. FitFusion.com offers over 70 yoga videos taught by such celebrity instructors as Jillian Michaels and Tara Stiles. And if free is what you seek, Sonima.com is a relatively new site offering full-length yoga classes from various teachers including Sharath Jois, whose father K. Pattabhi Jois is credited with developing Ashtanga, a popular vinyasa style of yoga.
Free classes can also be found from a place you might not expect. Cardyn Brooks, a yoga practitioner in Baltimore, Md., borrows yoga DVDs, streams videos and participates in the occasional on-site practice at her local library. “Taking advantage of the library’s broad selection allows me to practice when and where and how it’s most convenient for me,” she says.
Regardless of how and where you practice, there are plenty of options for finding yoga classes for less, both within National Yoga Month and beyond.
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How to Save Money on Yoga originally appeared on usnews.com
