Private Yoga Lessons Cost: A Yoga Teacher’s Guide On How To Price Classes

“Hey, Brett! How much do I charge for private lessons now??”

I get asked this ALL the time in my 200-hour online training.

And it’s absolutely something you should learn when you get your yoga teacher certification!

With the right business set up, yoga can make (good) money.

As an average, most teachers are spending around $3,000 on an initial yoga teacher training. (Don’t even get me started on the $100 courses, you can read why here!)

This doesn’t even go into the top-up workshops, hours of planning and equipment needed to make our classes special. With all this in mind, isn’t it kinda important we do ourselves due justice here?

Teaching yoga poses is no walk in the park and so our efforts and skills should be reflected in our pricing. This is something I’m SUPER passionate about and is why HALF of my 300-hour advanced YTT course is all about the business of yoga.

Still unsure? Have no fear, I’m gonna break it down for you…

I’m here to debunk the mysteries around yoga teaching prices and how to get your foot in the door in a way that’s sustainable for you AND your students.

Just graduated from your YTT? Read this first: 10 Thing You Must Do After Your Yoga Teacher Training

In this post:

Are private yoga lessons worth it?
Things To Consider When You’re Setting Your Private Yoga Prices
Thing #1 What are your additional expenses?
Thing #2 How many people are you teaching?
Thing #3 What is the going rate in your area?
Thing #4 Do you want to offer packages / discounts?
How much to charge for yoga private lessons
How much to charge for corporate yoga
How much to charge for a yoga class

Are private yoga lessons worth it?

In a nutshell….yes.

Private yoga classes can be really beneficial for both your student and yourself as the teacher. It means flexible scheduling, tailor-made tuition and a one to one connection that is very difficult to achieve in class. What else makes private sessions something to consider?

The rates.

Yup. When you come to set your prices for private yoga classes you cannot go for the set out price plan a yoga studio or gym may give you. These are personalized bespoke sessions that you are organizing as an individual, not through another organization… so your prices should reflect that.

Have a look at my checklist below…

Things To Consider When You’re Setting Your Private Yoga Prices

Thing #1 What are your additional expenses?

IE….travelling TO your class location. This one may seem obvious but it’s surprising how many teachers don’t factor in gas prices or travel expenses when deciphering their rates for private classes. It’s SO important to do so that you aren’t left out of pocket. There are a few ways you can do this…

OPTION A: Have a fixed rate fee for travel that you add to all invoices for students regardless of location.

OPTION B: Charge your student per mile/km for your travel rates.

Of course, you must do what is right for you here and that will be a little different for everyone.

You may also want to determine a radius in which you are prepared to travel to teach. Be realistic here

• if a class is an hour away, is it really worth it?
• could you be using that time more efficiently?
• does it make sense in relation to the location of your previous or following class?

And if you’re teaching yoga online, then consider the costs that come with leading a private Zoom yoga class and the equipment that goes with it.

Other expenses may include equipment and venue to rent (if not provided by your student), so don’t forget to factor these into your pricing.

Thing #2 How many people are you teaching?

A private class will tend to be one to one however you may receive requests for group/family or couples classes.

It’s always a good idea here to have a base rate of what you would charge for one person and then add on an additional amount per person.

For example, if you charged $60 per person you may want to add $15 per additional person because presumably, they would then split the cost between them. It’s kinda a win-win!

This also helps to avoid confusion in the case of one person dropping out one week and whether you should adjust the group rate.

Keep it simple and transparent for both yourself and your private clients.

Thing #3 What is the going rate in your area?

This one is important. There’s no use charging LA prices if you’re living in a small town in Delaware.

Don’t be afraid to speak to fellow yogis in the area. Generally speaking, the yoga community is a welcoming one and other private yoga teachers really will be willing to help. If nothing else, it is also in their best interest to advise you price wise so you don’t undercut them 😉

Thing #4 Do you want to offer packages / discounts?

This is something that you should decide before you start offering yoga or meditation classes. You can even include your package pricing in your yoga intake form to streamline your sales and intake process. Many teachers choose to do this as a way to ‘lock students in’ to more than one class.It also gives incentive for the student to save a little money and be held accountable to stick to classes.

For example, it could look something like:

1 x Private Session $80
A block booking of 6 x Private Sessions $450

This way saves your student $30 and gets you a nice little wad of cash for yourself in the bank!

You can also do this as a buy X amount of classes and get one free.

Anything goes to offer a sweet deal. Another win win 😉

How much to charge for yoga private lessons?

A good place to start here is with how much you would earn on average if you are teaching at a yoga studio or gym. What is the flat rate they give you?

As a general rule of thumb, take that and add $20. Yep, that’s right.

Value your classes enough to know that your students are getting a great deal and top quality private yoga instruction. However, for the love of all that is yoga, pur-lease don’t take this as bible if you think you can charge more. Do it…as long as it’s reasonable and realistic. Do NOT undersell yourself.

Remember that if your classes are significantly lower in cost than other teachers in the area, your student is likely to wonder why…they may even question your credibility.

If you are just starting out, you may want to charge a little less until you build your confidence and that’s okay. In fact, a lot of teachers do this to start off with but make your student aware that the current rate is likely to increase after X number of months.

How much to charge for corporate yoga?

Again there are two options here. You can either go for a standard flat rate or you can charge per person.

If you are charging a flat rate, consider a similar price to your one to one classes. It makes it easier for you not to have to juggle numbers and it will be a rate you have established as worth your time, efforts, travel expenses and any other additional costs.

If you are charging per person, $5 is normally the average. Bear in mind that the company will likely be paying for this class, so you would not charge a standard fee here per student (as you would for a studio) or the bill would end up being pretty extortionate.

How much to charge for a yoga class?

If you’re setting up your own group lessons, I’m not going to lie to you…unless you have an already established group of loyal students, you aren’t going to make a ton of money on these initially. HOWEVER, once built upon, nourished and shown a lil lurveee, group yoga classes can be one of the big earners, so hang in there!

Factor in your venue rental and any equipment so that you know how many students you will need to simply cover your costs.

Eg. If your venue cost is $30 an hour and you’re charging your students $10 a class, you know you need at least 3 students to break even.

Try and cover this as best you can from the offset.

Once again, do your research, have a look at other classes in your area and try and place yourself somewhere in the realms of what they are charging.

You can also choose to introduce the block booking system here too to guarantee students attendance.

Eg. $10 for a drop in or $50 for a 6 class pass (essentially giving the 6th free!)

Phew we did it! We talked about yoga AND money in the same context. Let’s all dive straight into a yoga practice to help ourselves through the trauma of this day.

Just kidding.

Seriously folks, time to put our big girl (or guy) yoga pants on and earn what is rightfully ours. Our yoga practice is sacred and to be able to share the benefits of yoga with others is such a blessing but it doesn’t come without its cost.

Remember your worth.

Remember people keep coming back for not only the practice but also for YOU and your teaching experience.

And remember, by charging realistically, you will be able to continue classes to the best of your ability.

Now go get that dollah!! 😉

Next steps:

• Get my business plan template to map out your yoga business
• Read my guide on how to manage cash flow and profit in your yoga business
• Get my Business Launchpad Course for more ideas about how to grow your business