by Jasmine | Feb 21, 2022 | Yoga DVDs, & Podcasts, Yoga Health, Yoga Teacher training
Down and out and need to be stretched and inspired? When I was working full time and making close to 6 figures I didn’t think too much about how to get free classes. I just paid full retail price and floated out of my class with my yoga buzz. I also took a few yoga-centered vacations at places like Omega and Kripalu.
Yoga-ing when You are Flat Broke – How to Get Free, Trade or Discounted Yoga Classes
The key is to be creative in your mindset and think about what you have of value and what you can offer the studio in exchange for you getting your downdog on.
- Often studios will let you take the first class for free or at a steep discount. Yogaworks lets you take the first took weeks of unlimited classes at one of their studios for $20.
- Barter is back! Some studios will let you do a work exchange for a workshop or teacher training. I know one college student that mopped the floors of her yoga studio a few times a week so she could do the more advanced and pricey teacher trainings. Can you do massage, graphic design, accounting, basic admin work, web site design? Maybe you can trade.
- I monitor via twitalerts terms like yoga philly, yoga philadelphia and almost every week there are deals from studios for a month of classes at 75% off from sites like Living Social, Groupon etc. This strategy works well for major metropolitan areas but not so much for small rural ones. You can sign up for a free account at twilert.com and moniter Twitter for certain keywords ….much better than following your Twitter feed every day (does anyone actually do that?)
- If all else fails, ask. I really wanted to take a yoga teacher training but the $1500 was just out of my budget. I emailed the teacher how much I wanted to take her training. The teacher offered one scholarship to one student each term that did not have the means and I received it for 50% off. Congratulations to me!
- There was a training I really wanted to take and I offered to be the teacher’s assistant. I didn’t need to do that much during the class and I received an awesome core strength teacher training.
- Are you a blogger or do you write reviews on sites like Yelp, Citysearch etc? Ask if there are press passes in exchange for an article or blog and list where you will publish these.
- Offer to post flyers at the cafes, natural food stores, wellness centers, etc that you frequent. Be specific about where you will post these, how often and how many. Can someone offer to do this for me? I’d love for someone that lives near one of the studios that I teach at every week to go flyering once a month.
- If you read the fine print of your health care plan, they might reimburse you fully or partially for fitness classes.
- Can you recruit a small group of friends to come to classes with you? Maybe you are pregnant and know a few other pregnant women that would love to take a Tuesday afternoon prenatal yoga class. Offer to organize the group and see what discount you would get as the organizer.
- When I was “liberated” from a Fortune 500 company a few years ago I got a great severance package. They offered to pay up to $8,000 for educational benefits. That is how I got quite a bit of my yoga teacher training. See if your company offers educational reimbursements for current employees.
- There is an ocean of online yoga videos for free or at a steep disount online. Do a search under videos in Google and be specific about what kind of yoga you want. Do you want a vigorous vinyasa class or a gentle beginner class? Since you can’t watch an hour video for free usually there are many sites that you pay a monthly membership $20 and can do as many classes as you want a month.
- For the studios that are very near you, subscribe to their newsletters. They will mention free workshops, anniversary weeks etc. If they cram up your inbox too much, ask them nicely to only mail once a month otherwise you will need to unsubscribe. (I’ve done this politely and the studio was respectful and put me on a “low flow” option.
- Do you have a birthday coming up? If people ask what you want, let them know you would love to have a monthly pass for yoga classses at the local hot yoga studio that is blocks from your house. I would much rather buy something my friend will enjoy and appreciate instead of a soap-on-a-rope. (Yes, I have bought that for someone before).
What are your ideas and techniques for getting free, trade or discounted yoga classes?
by Jasmine | Sep 8, 2018 | Couples Retreat, Couples Yoga, eStore, Meditation, Romantic Date Ideas, Stuff I like, Yoga Music, Yoga Teacher training
Top Yoga Meditation Music and Yoga Songs I play in Class
In a yoga class setting up a vibe with lights, music and space is such a key part of the experience. It really takes you to a sacred place and I tend to get all bejiggety is my sound system is not working. Whenever I am teaching at a new place or subbing I make sure to spend awhile understanding how their music system works (I’m not technically inclined and tend to panic when the music won’t start)
I tend to play the same 30 CDs all the time but I love picking up new ones all the time ( a few years from now this list will be very different) Even if you don’t practice yoga, these CDs will work well if you want a sacred vibe for meditation or a special ceremony. A few of them will work well for cocktail parties too. Since I work a lot with couples yoga, I am always looking for couples romance products to review and awesome yoga meditation music.
Shamanic Dream – When I play this in my classes, I almost always get a student come up and ask me what the CD is. It is hypnotic, ambient and a bit tribal all at the same time but with a fairly even tone. I teach a lot of couples yoga classes and I usually play this at the end so people can drop into a very deep space when the lights are very low. This will transport you.
Sound Sleep for Infants -Another CD you won’t usually find on your top ten yoga music CDs. I don’t know if I would play this during the entire class but it works stunningly during Shivasna. It is some ambient music with a heartbeat in the background. This doesn’t work well if there is background noise like an AC in background though. I also play this CD for 40 minutes at night when I have insomnia. This CD makes me feel like I am in the womb.
Dessert Dwellers – One of my students suggested this to me a few months ago. I tend to have a lot of CDs that are not just Sankrit chants and Ooommming. I like the chill, funky vibe but the tone is even enough to play in a class. A good one to play at cocktail hour as well.
Snautam Kaur – I discovered her when I was at Omega a few years ago. She was part of the Ecstatic Chant weekend. Don’t let her turban scare you. She does a few songs in English as well. She has a voice like an angel and you can feel her soul pouring into all of her chants. This is one of the CDs that my yoga students ask me about the most in my yoga class.
Rain – Another CD you won’t usually find on your top ten yoga music CDs. This is acoustic guitar and piano and I remember playing this when I driving around in the mountains of Vermont during the changing of the leaves. I still see the leaves whenever I listen to this. The music just matched the mood so well – melancholically beautiful.
Wah! – The ! is not a typo. I discovered Wah! when I was working at the Chopra Center in San Diego a few years ago. We used to play her CDs in the store to give it a Chopra Center vibe. I’ve seen her play a few times and it always shocks me that she is is not in bigger venues ( she usually leads a Kirtan at a yoga studio) If Natalie Merchant and a chanting Indian guru had a baby then this is who they would produce.
Yoga & Meditation Music and Song Reviews
Le Spa Sonique – Don’t let the purple flowers scare you. This had a euro chill kind of vibe to it, sweet, sultry and sexy. I think I discovered this at Kripalu a few years ago.The beat can be a bit funky and might not work that well during shivasana. This is a great CD to play for a cocktail hour as well.
Deva Premal & Mitten I don’t think you can call yourself a yoga teacher unless you have at least 2 of their DVDs. Deva’s voice is like an angel and their tunes are soulful, sensual and penetrating. I get plenty of students that come up to me after class asking what the music is. I remember the first time I went to one of their concerts. They think of their concerts more like a group of people getting together and singing…very interactive and the way that they lead some of the mantras you’ll feel incredibly connected to the ether of the universe. My favorite song is in English though, “There is so Much Magnificence”. http://www.devapremalmiten.com/ I love Deva Premal yoga music and her songs are so soulful.
Krishna Das What Bruce Springsteen is to Modern Rock, Krishna Das is to the kirtan (group chant) scene. I saw him perform at Omega a few years ago and have been a fan ever since. His songs are in Sankrit which could turn off some of your students ( or could turn the other ones on…everybody’s different). His CDs are good to play in class but attend one of his live shows and watch yogis jump and twirl around in delirium to his music.http://www.krishnadas.com
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by Jasmine | Nov 19, 2016 | Couples Yoga, Partner Yoga, Yoga Teacher training
Top Ten Tips
How to be a Bad Yoga Partner when you are doing Couples Yoga
Partner Yoga is a niche kind of yoga that is like having a stretching partner. Using the energy of the partner dynamic, you can go deeper in some of the poses, remain steady in some of the balancing poses by using your partner’s weight and get direction and support, while at the same time supporting, guiding and encouraging your own partner. It can be done with two solos who just met or with longtime couples.
You will take turns placing each other in restorative poses and then massaging your partner’s hands, feet, neck and face while they simply get to relax and melt. In poses and exercises, partners rely on each other’s support to keep correct body alignment, balance, and concentration. In a deeper sense, this physical support fosters deeper feelings of nurture and acceptance.
Here is a list of the ways you can be a partner that no one will want to practice with again.
Don’t shower or wear deodorant. You want to smell earthy and musky and be dripping sweat on your partner.
Forget to brush your teeth in class. This is really paramount for couples. . . . . your wife won’t want to get close to your tuna fish onion sandwich breath, especially when she is a few inches away in some of the more cuddly poses.
Another bonus tip – Don’t eat a fish and onion sandwich before a romantic date night.
Rattle your partner. When you are in the balancing poses, keep knocking your partner down and ruin their concentration.
Forget to wear yoga clothes to class. Don’t you love it when you jeans or tight pants rip down the middle and cause a scene. Also the view for your partner must be great now too!
Come to class late. This is really pivotal if you are coming alone and everyone has already been paired up. Even better if everyone is in a more silent, meditative pose and you disrupt everyone so that they can make space and find you a partner.
Check out the hotties. Keep staring and ogling the hot yoga chick in the tight pink pants next to you. Your partner doesn’t need you to be present and concentrate. Even better, if you came with your wife or girlfriend.
Show off your skills. Try showing off your range of motion and flexibility so that everyone knows you are the best in class. Even better if you are partnered with a yoga newbie or someone that has a limiting injury.
Keep your blackberry on. Leave your cell phone on that has an obnoxious ring tone. This works best if you can make sure to take calls during the meditation part and shivasana. Bonus points if you have a phone that flashes lights when you have a text or email waiting for you. Another bonus point if this is during the lights-dimmed relaxation part of couples class.
Push your partner past their limit and boundaries. Don’t they want to feel something intense in the poses? Don’t let your partner wuss out.
Criticize your partner. Why can’t they try harder to get their foot behind their head or stay longer in a handstand. Again, don’t let them wuss out.
by Jasmine | Apr 8, 2016 | Yoga Teacher training
Compassion – Do you want to have an extremely knowledgeable, know-it-all teacher that makes you feel like less or would you rather have a kind, patient, accepting teacher? Does it seem like your teacher is really committed to making a difference for their students or does it seem like they just like performing in front of a group? Are they accepting and non-judgemental about your abilities?
Training – Did your teacher get their training in a 3 day weekend or do they have 500 hours from a Yoga Alliance certified facility? Bonuses if they also have a medical background such as physical therapist or nurse and can give modifications if you have a herniated disk. Do they have a background in the specific kind of yoga you want to learn about (power, hot, restorative, prenatal, chair etc)
Protection – Does the teacher make sure that latecomers do not disrupt the class and that everyone has their cell phones off. Do they make sure that all shoes are off? Do they allow people to be disruptive and leave early during relaxation? Do they start the class on time and end on time? If it is an advanced class do they encourage newcomers to start with a beginner class so they don’t slow the class down?
Structured – Is there a warm-up, core postures and then a winding down into relaxation? Does the class flow nicely from one pose to another? Do you feel as if you entire body was rejuvenated or does your body feel uneven after the practice?
Preparation – Does your teacher make sure that everyone has all the props they need before class begins and mats are laid out properly? If it is a full class do they have students lay out their mats in such a way that if latecomers show up they can slip their mats in easily without disrupting the class? Do they have inspiring readings that they do at the beginning or end of class?
Inspiring – Does you teacher inspire you to come back to class? Do they help you think about how your practice relates to the rest of your life? Are they overly preach- and dogmatic?
Assists – Do you want a teacher that will correct your pose so you can learn it correctly or do you want to be left alone and not touched so you don’t feel as self-conscious?
Reviews – What kind of feedback has the teacher received? Do some research online about the teacher. Talk to students that are at your level and ask them who the good teachers are. Ask your health practitioners who they would recommend.
Accommodating – Are they able to give modifications for different body types, medical conditions and fitness levels? If you are very overweight or have an injured shoulder are they able to assist you in an unobtrusive way?
Music – Do you like to practice to sanskrit chants, new age grooves or in silence? Is the music so loud that you can’t hear the instruction?
by Jasmine | Feb 1, 2016 | Yoga Health, Yoga Teacher training
When I am just a student in the class and someone accidentally lets a noisy one out I giggle and laugh and look in the direction of the lethal missile. Now that I do a lot of teaching and am not the student that often, when someone in my class accidentally lets one out, then I have to swallow my laughter and giggle and not even look in the direction of the explosion. I remember one time, that this guy kept cutting his chakra cheese fairly audibly and we couldn’t all ignore it if we tried and he had to say “ Sorry, Excuse me” a few times. 
In order to prevent this (nothing horrifies students more when this happens….particularly when the studio is really quiet) I have the music at a fairly audible decibel. If you are hard of hearing then you might have some trouble hearing me though. Also, when I can I urge students to avoid a heavy meal like lasagna with cheesecake immediately before class I do so. I think it’s the most embarrassing when it is a guy doing this in a roomful of attractive young women. Maybe this is why guys don’t come to yoga as often.
Also, there are certain poses that will make this happen more often than not. Boat pose is particularly lethal so I make sure the music is pretty loud in this pose. I think boat pose, particularly when it is a partner pose, is usually the evil culprit. Also, appropriately titled, “Wind – Relieving Pose” sometimes makes this happen. I guess you are pressing on the descending colon in this pose
As a teacher or student, what are your experiences of observing this in a class? How did you react?
by Jasmine | May 9, 2014 | Iyengar Yoga, Yoga For Weight Loss, Yoga Health, Yoga Teacher training
I’ve been doing yoga for over 15 years but I only recently discovered Iyengar yoga. After getting familiar with William Broad’s, Science of Yoga book and hearing all the ire it got for it’s chapter about injuries I wanted to learn more about this not-very well known kind of yoga. Many yoga teacher training programs do not have rigorous standards for anatomy or bio-mechanics or how to work with students that have injuries or other limiting conditions. I often did quite a bit of research on my own on how to address working with students safely.
Iyengar Yoga Poses and Classes in Philadelphia and on the Main Line
Iyengar teachers have the most rigorous standards in order to pass their certification. In order to become an Iyengar teacher, you have to be practicing Iyengar yoga for at least 3 years which means you should be attending at least 3 classes as well as have your own home practice. There are also over 5 levels of teacher training which range from introductory knowledge to Senior teacher. There are also exams and theory papers that are due at each level. Just signing up for an Iyengar training is no guarantee that you will become one. You can expect rigorous tests on poses, anatomy and other tenets about yoga philosophy.
What can you expect from an Iyengar yoga class? What are the poses like?
Going to an Iyengar class is unlike the flow-iness that you find in a typical hatha or vinyasa class. I have only been to two studios here in the Philadelphia area but both of them are rather austere. There is no music, no aromatherapy and no candles. The teachers will want to know about what physical limitations or injuries you have. Do you have a herniated disc, torn rotator cuff or arthritis in your knee? Are you scared that going to a typical yoga class will be painful or you’ll hurt yourself more? If yes, get your bum body to an Iyengar class. The teachers will work with you on a fairly customized level ( depending on how many people show up in the class)
Because most Iyengar classes assume a certain amount of knowledge about the poses and yoga in general it is not a great option if you are a brand new beginner. They will often say the names of the Iyengar poses in Sanskrit. They also assume you have a certain level of bodily awareness and propioception which most beginner yoga students don’t have . If you are a yoga beginner, you would either want to talk to the teacher first or attend a more basic yoga introduction course. Avoid going to an advanced, power yoga , hot yoga, or “all-levels class” since you will feel intimidated and overwhelmed with the poses there.
You often spend a long time dissecting and breaking down a pose. First you might see the teacher model the pose first, then instruct you how to get in it with some very technical anatomy cues to pay attention to in your own body. After being in the pose, the teacher might model it again or have another student go into and point out certain ways the student is holding their body in the pose. Often you will go into the pose again with these further anatomical refinements. Since the poses requires a lot of props, you spend some time getting and putting away props as well as building your pose with the props.
One of the teachers I go to is Donna Debs who has a home studio out in the Philadelphia Suburbs on the Main Line. Her home studio is on a beautiful private street and the studio itself is clean with all of the requisite props required for an Iyengar practice such as blocks, chair, wall-straps, bolster, blankets and eye pillows. I’m not sure how old she is but I suspect she is about my mom’s age with Jennifer Aniston’s toned, cut and sleek body. ( One thing about Iyengar teachers, they have the most defined, toned muscles which shows how much they are fully and completely engaging their body to do their practice) Donna teaches about 5 classes a week, a few in the morning and a few in the evenings but no weekend classes. Donna also cuts back on classes from the end of November and starts up again in January and there are no classes during the summer.
The other Iyengar teacher I take classes with is Robin Lowry who has a home studio in Germantown. Robin is a full-time high school teacher so only teaches about two classes a week in the evenings so it’s been tough for me to be able to attend her classes. Her studio is in an older style Philadelphia twin on the 3rd floor My only complaint about Robin is that I wish she had more classes or maybe a Saturday class .Robin only teaches classes during the regular school year and not on Mondays when there are school holidays. There is no AC in the studio which is why there are no classes from the end of May to the end of September.
