When I first finished my yoga teacher training and started teaching, I quickly realized something that many teachers discover: the traditional yoga teaching model just doesn’t add up. You can pour your heart into your classes, run from studio to studio, and still end up struggling to make ends meet.
If you’ve ever felt that, please know — it’s not because you’re failing. It’s because the system itself is broken.
Why the Yoga Teaching Model is Flawed
Yoga teachers aren’t struggling because they’re not good enough, or not dedicated enough. The real problem is that the model itself is flawed.
Healing and nurturing professions — nursing, social work, caregiving — have been undervalued for centuries. There’s this cultural expectation, especially for women, that serving should be enough, and that asking for fair pay somehow makes the work less pure.
And with yoga, there’s an additional layer: the idea that yoga should be free. But here’s the truth — yoga was never really free. In India, students always supported their teachers, whether through food, service, or financial gifts. Teaching without any form of exchange has never been sustainable.
Today’s studio model makes things even harder. Teachers are paid per class, sometimes per student, and their income is tied to how many hours they can physically teach. For example, teaching 10 classes a week at $30 each comes out to just $1,200 a month before taxes, insurance, and expenses. No wonder so many yoga teachers feel exhausted and burnt out.
My Story: Why I Had to Do Things Differently
When I started teaching after my training, I saw these realities almost immediately.
I loved teaching yoga — being in the room with students, guiding them through practice — but it didn’t take long to realize this wasn’t going to be sustainable.
At the time, I was coming from 15+ years of working in digital advertising agencies. I knew what it took to build systems, run marketing campaigns, and create something scalable. And I could see that racing from studio to studio wasn’t going to give me the freedom or income I needed.
That’s when I made a choice: instead of trying to squeeze a living out of a broken model, I started building my own online business.
The Shift: From Yoga Teacher to Entrepreneur
This is the real turning point. If you want to make a consistent income teaching yoga, you need to embrace the fact that you’re not just a teacher — you’re also an entrepreneur.
And that doesn’t mean being pushy or “salesy.” It means creating offers that go deeper than a single class and learning how to share them with the students who need them.
Think of it like a photographer. A photographer doesn’t just take pictures — she also markets her work, creates packages, and books clients. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have anyone to photograph.
It’s the same for yoga teachers. You can’t just add more drop-in classes and hope it will be enough. To create sustainability, you need to build something of your own.
Real-Life Examples of What’s Possible
Here’s the exciting part: once you embrace entrepreneurship, so many doors open.
Stef created a membership during the pandemic. That gave her recurring monthly revenue, and later she added a high-ticket option with more personal support — making her business far more profitable.
Kamala launched her first online program teaching yoga philosophy. Even without a big audience, she signed up three clients in her very first launch, at $1,000 each.
Jane created a premium program to help women transform their retirement. Now she’s setting up her evergreen funnel so she can take long trips with her husband without worrying about money drying up.
And for me? My online business allowed me to move to a Mediterranean island, take afternoons off for hikes, spend cozy mornings working with my dog at my feet, and design a week with no Monday or Friday calls. This is freedom — and it’s available for you too.
What to Do Instead
If you want to make a consistent income as a yoga teacher, here’s what to do instead of relying on the broken studio model:
Create your own signature offer. Whether it’s an online program, a membership, a retreat, or a hybrid offer, give your students a deeper way to work with you.
Build a simple sales system. Don’t just post on Instagram and hope people find you. Use email marketing, evergreen funnels, or simple launch plans to bring in students consistently.
Embrace entrepreneurship. This doesn’t mean losing your soul. It means creating a container where your teaching can thrive and sustain you for the long run.
If you’ve been struggling to make yoga teaching “work,” please remember: it’s not because you’re failing. It’s because the system itself is flawed.
When you see yourself not only as a teacher, but as an entrepreneur, you create a business that supports you — so you can keep showing up fully for your students.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can yoga teachers make a living?
Yes — but usually not through studio classes alone. Most yoga studios pay per class or per student, which creates a hard ceiling on income. To make a sustainable living, yoga teachers often create additional offers like memberships, online programs, workshops, or retreats.
How do yoga teachers make money online?
Yoga teachers can create online courses, group programs, memberships, or even hybrid retreats that combine online and in-person elements. Marketing tools like email lists, evergreen funnels, and social media can help bring in students consistently without the constant hustle.
Why do yoga teachers get paid so little?
The traditional studio model was never designed to give teachers financial stability. Healing professions in general have been undervalued historically, and yoga carries the additional expectation that it should be free. Most teachers are paid per class or per head, which ties income directly to hours worked.
What’s the best way to create consistent income as a yoga teacher?
The best way is to think like an entrepreneur: create your own signature offer, build a simple sales system to bring in new students regularly, and stop relying on the broken studio model. This creates a foundation for steady, sustainable income.
If you’d like to see exactly how this can work, I created a free training: The Online Business Blueprint for Yoga Teachers. Inside, I walk you through the system I use to help teachers move from burnout and inconsistent income to something steady and sustainable.
Because yoga changes lives. And if you’re the one teaching it, you deserve to be supported while you do this work.
