uw logo

student practice yoga

Yoga Studio Owner and Yoga Instructor

Yoga is a great way to keep fit, relax, and get in shape. However, many dangers are associated with practicing yoga, including injuries, falling, and even death. Most yoga teachers have insurance to protect them from potential law suite.

Get quote now.

Best Approach To Growing Yoga Studio

What is the best way for a business to grow? Through word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied customers! But how can a new studio avoid getting lost in the shuffle and becoming a victim of the big retail franchise? The answer is simple: Use these tried-and-true tactics that have been proven to work by other small businesses and learn from them repeatedly. You know how to combat these challenges effectively!

1. Find your "sweet spot" in running a yoga studio.

As you consider opening a new studio, it's not easy to know where to start. You need first to identify the "sweet spot" for your business. Do you have an idea about who will want to visit your studio? Do you know what customers are looking for? The next thing to consider is what you will offer at your studio. What makes your studio different from other studios? Once you have identified what is unique about your studio, then it is time to promote your services and products.1. Know your numbers and how much it costs to run your business and start your classes.2. Be patient and not discouraged when things aren't perfect the first time.3. Create an honest and balanced vision for your studio and practice it with authenticity.4. Give yourself grace and time for mistakes.5. Get in the habit of doing at least two yoga sessions every week, even if you don't feel like it.6. Take care of yourself and do what you need to keep yourself thriving.

2. Position yourself as the solution, not the problem

It's not unusual for a new yoga studio to open up in a particular town, only to find it isn't a hot commodity. Many people don't even know there is a place for yoga practice in the city! So what can you do? First, understand why other studios are still successful. They're usually focused on solving the problem of how to get people interested in yoga. That means their websites, scheduling their classes, marketing, and social media posts are geared toward getting visitors to take action (registering for beginners and advanced classes or purchasing a book) and telling their stories.

It is an important concept for small business owners. Yoga studios, like any business, are looking to increase memberships for monthly workshops, classes and hence, profits. But to successfully grow profit, they have to position themselves as the solution, not the problem. People don't come to your business to complain about their backs. They want to enjoy an hour of stretching, breathing and ultimately, the teaching of living a holistic lifestyle to finding inner peace. The more the customer sees you as the solution, the more likely they will buy from you.

.

3. Don't copy other yoga studios. Instead, become one.

Many business owners fall into trying to emulate what their competition is doing. It will be a huge mistake usually fails, but it can also lead to dangerous competition. The competition is great, but copying your competitor and hoping to "beat" him is foolish and counter-productive. On the contrary, if you want to rise above the rest, you must constantly look at what successful businesses are doing and find a way to do it better.

4. Treat each yoga studio class like it's the first-ever taught.

Don't assume your students are seasoned veterans. They're not. You'll have to "school" them just as they'll school you. Remember: It's not just what you say; it's how you say it. Say it to make sense to your students in your classes. Make it real to them, record a video for distribution, and share some basic moves on your web library for free. Don't drone on and on about how important this lesson is.

5. Be creative with your marketing (and don't be afraid of failure)

Sometimes, when we're stuck, it's helpful to be open-minded enough to try something new. That doesn't mean you abandon your tried and true tactics and strategies. It just means you keep an open mind to other possibilities. Consider a few alternative approaches to your marketing challenges. One idea that often works very well is

  • Create a sense of urgency by giving a discount to entice people to buy now.
  • Give people the opportunity to win something if they buy now.
  • Craft a sales pitch by telling a story about how one of your customers is currently dealing with the same problem and how your product or service can help.
  • Offer accessories like pilates mat or suite with logo
6. Leverage social proof

It is a great example of how social proof can generate a sense of urgency for yoga classes. A social proof message could read something like, "If you're interested in taking a yoga class, consider joining our community to see what others are saying about it." It's a subtle way to show that other people are considering attending this particular class and that this might be a good time to sign up

Find your Niche

There are various types of yoga. Following are the common practice and the risk it poses to yoga studios and instructors.

Chair Yoga

This exercise is an easy way to get a great workout while sitting at your desk. And, there are no equipment costs, no gym membership required, and you don't even have to leave the house to do it. If you choose to do it at home, you can do it virtually anywhere, even on an airplane (as long as you have a chair to do it in). The movement was created by a marketing professor who realized that everyone in her classes was spending an enormous amount of time sitting at their desks. So, she came up with having people do some seated exercise every sitting hour. And then, after four hours of chair yoga, they got up, stretched, did a few pushups, and then continued working for the next four hours. It will get eight hours each day or 32 hours each week of sitting down. More exercise than most people who go to the gym gets in a year!

The exercise is less intense than a regular movement. It allows a larger age group to participate in the exercise, especially seniors, easily. This diversity of age groups creates a unique environment where people of all ages do yoga together with ease and comfort. Unfortunately, despite its ease, risks always exist.

Chair yoga's vast age group increases the risk of injury due to the difficulty of catering to all age groups at once. Some instructions may be too difficult for clients, and as an instructor, you will be liable for any injuries.

lady leaning next to chair practicing chair yoga

Bikram Yoga

The style was developed in the 1970s by Bikram Choudhury. The idea was to create a consistent, safe, and effective yoga practice. He did this by using higher temperatures than most others used and providing students with uniform practice times. It is still practiced today and has become very popular worldwide. The primary benefits of the style are that it is relaxing, and it can be performed anywhere.

The room is heated to 41 degrees celsius, has 40% humidity, and consists of 26 poses. The session lasts around 90 mins. But with all this intense heat and relatively long sessions, sweating, exhaustion, and risk come along with it.

Long hours in a heated room could cause heat exhaustion or heat stroke. With all the sweat, slipping during their poses is a higher possibility, and someone could get injured. Since there are a set of 26 postures, it might be too difficult for some people, and they may get hurt.

 

Teaching Embodiment of Yoga

The word "embodiment" comes from the word "embody." When you embody something, you become a part of it. According to the philosophy, the whole body is the teacher. If your body isn't relaxed, open, and ready for what you're trying to teach, you'll be preparing yourself. The goal is to embody the idea of the pose and the posture. As with any pose, the body needs to be balanced and healthy. It shouldn't be too tight or too loose. It should be able to maintain the integrity of the pose without straining or becoming unstable.

However, the style takes the word embodied seriously. This unique approach is not just physically but also psychologically. It embodies your mental state while teaching you practical skills such as martial arts, body therapy, etc. The style is more social and playful compared to others, it follows a set of principles instead of a fixed routine. It teaches you to be self-aware during exercise while using the skills you learn in day-to-day life. It rejects the idea that yoga should be a purely physical activity to try and improve physique. It's a lot more than that. Your body isn't only your physical body. Your psychological being needs just as much attention, if not more. It defines who you are and what actions you take within your life. Improving your life and wellbeing is a primary goal. As you embody your phycological and physical self, you may see a new perspective on how to take care of yourself and your wellbeing.

lady practicing yoga seeking inner peace at lake

Acrobatic Yoga

When we talk about Acrobatic, we often use "flexibility." There are a few other advantages of this style. It is particularly good for people who have a lot of stress and need to relax. This exercise also helps with your balance and resembles cardio classes. They make you stretch your muscles as they are good for your flexibility. This style is also good for you if you want to get a workout while relaxing.

Helping others feel that same emotion is a great way to build connections. Still, despite all the benefits, it might be a bit of a stretch to say that everyone is safe.

As an instructor, you are liable for your client's safety. The style involves a lot of stretches and poses that involve two or more people hence elevating the risk compared to the regular style. It is a high risk because it poses beyond what our bodies can do. For an inexperienced person, it can bring much stress. Some injuries that could happen are broken bones, torn tendons and even more serious injuries. Some would even assume you aren't a professional with accidents like these, and it can ruin the reputation of your business. Serious injuries could lead to lawsuits requesting large sums of money for compensation.

Antigravity yoga

The style combines traditional postures with gravity-defying poses like standing backflips and handstands. The goal is to use the body's weight to assist the body's movement, allowing you to practice in more extreme positions without adding any extra weight. The concept of weightlessness is the core tenet of this style. It aims to provide its practitioners with the strength, flexibility, and balance needed to perform.

It uses hammocks specially designed that allows users to suspend themselves in the air while performing unique yoga poses. It help improves their strength and stretch their muscles. It's significantly harder and more intense than the regular style. Your muscles grow tired considerably quicker, and the poses are harder to pull off. Its intensity and the higher risk increases the chances of something going wrong.

 

Fun and fitness

Yoga is the fastest growing health and fitness trend in North America. As it continues to gain popularity, more and more people seek ways to make the practice fun and a healthy part of their lifestyle. To meet these needs, many studios offer a wide variety of styles of classes. Some of these classes are designed to get you physically fit by strengthening your core, while others are more about stretching and flexibility. When selecting a yoga class, look for one that offers a balance of strength training and flexibility. It will help you achieve the overall goal of a healthy and happy body and mind. woman practicing yoga

Paddleboard Yoga

Paddleboarding can be a challenging physical activity. But if you're used to a regular workout routine, paddleboarding will be a breeze. It isn't a sport to be taken lightly. If you are a beginner or someone who hasn't worked out in a while, check with your doctor first. Beginners should never do anything that could damage their health. Stop the practice immediately if you feel pain, dizziness, or nausea.

Paddleboard exercise is the only form that combines the stability and movement of the water-based exercise and the benefits of being in a boat. The paddleboard exercise was created by Jeff Hargrove, a former professional surfer. After he experienced a major injury, he developed the technique and realized he could no longer paddle in the ocean.

Paddleboarding is one of the most unique and fun ways to explore the outdoors. But if you are new to the sport, you may wonder how paddleboarding compares to other yoga exercises. With paddleboarding, your core muscles, shoulders, back, and arms all get a workout as you keep your balance on the board. On the other hand, other poses can work for the same muscle groups while relaxing and calming

Water Yoga

The exercise is usually done in warm water between 30 and 32 celsius. It's a fun and healthy exercise for most people. People with joint pain will feel a lot more comfortable in water than in regular due to the water lifting most of the weight of the joints. This low-impact activity has risks, however, most notable drowning.

While there is no guarantee that this will make everyone feel better after practicing the routine, it is an easy alternative to get you started. Water-based exercise has been practiced for healing and relaxation since ancient times but recently became popular as physical activity in the fitness market. The key difference between the two types of yoga is flowing water in the latter

Yoga for breast cancer recovery

Do you know yoga can help improve your breast cancer recovery? Research has shown that yoga can help breast cancer patients recover faster, increase their energy levels, decrease stress, and reduce pain. Women who have just finished breast cancer treatment can regain strength and balance. It can be a safe and effective alternative to conventional treatments after chemotherapy and radiation.

Some instructors specialize in yoga practice for people with breast cancer recovery

Yoga Bellis

Yogabellies live on the core belief that every woman, no matter their stage in life, should be supported through yoga. It is for those who believe they need it for every event in their life, such as pregnancy and menopause.

The practice is a form of exercise and stress relief for some women, which may be a huge priority for those who do it routinely. In some cases, Yogabellies help those with pregnancy and post-partum and menopause because no matter the age, for some women, they believe it is a lifestyle. It is for health, and some, it's a habit or routine. These are critical stages in a woman's life, and they deserve to be supported by those who provide Yogabellies

Aerial Yoga with Swing

These classes are much more energetic than your average exercise. The focus isn't on working out the muscles as much as on moving the body in ways that challenge it. Other forms of yoga (like Ashtanga) are very different. By swinging, you will learn to jump your feet up into the air, touch your toes, jump up and down, and generally engage in a much more high-energy activity.

Swings during your practice help create a fun and more intense exercise than regular yoga. Its highly acrobatic nature and upside-down poses help move seem more appealing yet intimidating. That intimidation is understandable due to the increased factors and risk of the exercise.

Injuries are a very real possibility on swings for yoga.

 

Ashtanga Yoga

Yoga is all about stretching. The Ashtanga practice focuses on certain poses that enable him to stretch and strengthen specific muscle groups in his body. It's a very specific type of stretching. Other types focus more on the general category of stretching. It is known as "restorative yoga," and it's designed to relax and rejuvenate the body after a long day of work or exercise. girl stretching legs practicing yoga next to a lake

Lila Yoga

It is traditional Hatha yoga combined with spiritual and self-help gurus' wisdom. What makes the practice different from other hatha yoga is focusing on the spiritual union of body, soul and the wisdom imparted by the gurus. Most other types of Hatha exercise concentrate more on physical fitness.

.

How much does a yoga instructor charge per hour

The average hourly rate of a yoga instructor is $20/hour. However, most yoga instructors provide 45-, 60-, 90-, and 120-minute individual yoga courses. Since most sessions span an hour, instructors often charge an hourly fee. Expect to spend between $30 and $75 for a 90-minute session.

 

Playing It Safe


How to protect yoga studio owner or instructor?

As an instructor, your job is to help your clients reduce stress and alleviate tension in their muscles. Yoga instructors seemingly don t have any exposure to risks on the surface. However, they are prone to many chances along with most other occupations. To protect yourself and your business from malpractice lawsuits, you should invest in insurance. Various types of insurance can prevent your business from losing money. We highly recommend insurances like sexual harassment, professional liability 🙋 and general liability for your business. Sexual harassment coverage is required for any physical profession. You may need to be up close and physical with clients to ensure that they correctly do the exercises. Any physical contact with your clients will make you susceptible to sexual harassment allegations. Most of the coverage is built into employment practice liability or added in part of general liability. It covers your legal expenses and any other expenses that come from this. Professional liability protects you from your practices. For instance, you tell clients you will help reduce stress and alleviate tension in their muscles in the heat of the moment, but you cannot help after months. They may now decide to take legal action against you for negligence. However, you have professional liability insurance that takes care of all legal fees and any other expenses that may result in the trial's outcome. General liability is something any business needs, and it protects your business from third-party injuries.

For example, a customer falls and knocks over a pallet of your products worth thousands. Instead of being out thousands of dollars, you have general liability, which covers these accidents. These insurances will save you and your business from suffering from extensive financial loss.UW Insure Brokers are specialized in coverage for studios and instructors. Let us design a package that you and your business should invest in. Learn more about insurance for yoga by consulting with us. Namaste.

Why does a yoga studio owner need to have general liability insurance?

The answer is simple: If someone gets injured while doing yoga at your studio. Even though studios are generally very safe, things can go wrong.

11 out of 100,000 North Americans who go to fitness class suffer injuries that require medical attention. That's why it's important to have proper liability insurance. The law requires your business to carry a certain amount of liability insurance, no matter how small your business is. The idea is to protect you and your employees from lawsuits if something bad happens to one of your customers.

Why does a yoga instructor need professional liability insurance?

When you're teaching others how to do something new, there's always the chance you might accidentally hurt someone. That's why most teachers (especially yoga teachers) carry "teacher's liability" insurance. But what if you don't have student-specific coverage? Then you should get it. Should you teach a beginner's level class and demonstrate the proper way to do a pose, let your class do it themselves without any corrective feedback. A student might end up doing the pose incorrectly and seriously injure themselves. In this case, the teacher would claim they were acting in good faith and following established instructions. The school or studio you're teaching would then be on the hook for any resulting injuries. So, the first thing you should do is make sure you have professional liability covering your teaching activities.

What is the difference between general liability and professional liability insurance? Do you need both?

For many Yoga Instructor Insurance, General Liability Insurance is often confused with Professional Liability Insurance. However, there are subtle differences between the two, and it is important to know the difference. Most people believe that Professional Liability Insurance is a type of General Liability Insurance. But it is not. The insurance types are completely different. General Liability Insurance protects business owners from lawsuits arising out of negligence or damage to third-party property, in this case, the yoga studio owner. Professional Liability Insurance is for those who provide professional services. Professionals such as doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers, architects, or yoga instructors.

How much is Yoga teacher insurance

You’ve got a few options when it comes to yoga insurance. Some companies will cover only accidents during class, while others will cover any accident that occurs while teaching a class. You may be able to find a yoga insurance policy with a $1,000 deductible for around 400 to a thousand a year. Price varies depending on the number of students, your yearly receipts, the classes you run and more.

Yoga Studio Insurance

When it comes to yoga insurance, there are many types of insurance policies that you can purchase. Unfortunately, not all of them are suitable for your yoga business. Some policies are more expensive, but the coverage you need will vary depending on whether you teach classes or lead retreats. It would be best if you decided which types of insurance coverages are right for your business. Let us help you navigate through the complex process.

Do I need insurance to teach Yoga

As a yoga teacher, having both general and professional liability insurance is very important. General liability insurance protects you against bodily injury or property damage that occurs to others while running your business, including falling objects or skips and falls. Professional liability insurance protects you against lawsuits brought by your students. These policies cover you from claims that arise from injuries sustained by your students during a class or damages suffered by your students due to negligence.

Do I need insurance to teach Yoga online

However, not all teachers have the same insurance coverage. Some teachers will have a general liability policy that covers them for injuries on the job. Others may have a personal injury policy that protects them from personal injury claims. However, some do not has any insurance at all. Yoga teachers need to be aware of these risks and take precautions to avoid them. They should be careful about how and what they teach and the environment in which they teach. Doing online teaching is no exception to this. You will still be liable for your action.

Best yoga instructor insurance 

Yoga has become a big business. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry with an ever-growing number of practitioners. However, the downside is that running yoga classes can be quite competitive. Many people are willing to spend money promoting their yoga classes but are not prepared to pay for insurance. Always remember this, a yoga class can be a risky business without proper insurance. If you do not have any insurance and injure someone during a class, you could be on the hook for huge medical bills.

Yoga insurance varies from company to company, depending on the coverage and limits of your specific policy. Most companies offer yoga liability insurance, but coverage varies from one company to the next. 

There are many reasons an individual or business would need insurance, so let us help you find the best yoga instructor insurance.

Get quote now.