It is not about money

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

I have a lot of respect for all of you and I need your advise. It might seem like a joke question, but for some reason it is very important for me, it hurts my feelings.

I was taking classes at one place for year. I was paying less monthly fees since I was able to attend it only few times a month. Now I’m receiving following message from the teacher, whom I respect a lot:

“Please realize that my focus does not revolve around money, but I can?t with good conscience charge one price to one student and charge a different price to a different student. I have to be fair to everyone, so everyone must pay the same. Make no mistake, I like having you as a student, but this is about principle.”

I still have a lot of respect for teacher, and I DO NOT want to quit, but for many reasons [U]it hurts my ego[/U](yes, I was special), [U]it hurts my feelings[/U](he says no student will be kicked out because of financila reason) , [U]it hurts my budget(I do not have a gob, and can not have one).

What do you think?

What would you do?

#2

If the studio where I practice makes a business decision that they feel helps them to be financially solvent then I have a choice when they announce that change to the membership.

I can either go along, thereby helping them in their mission or I can go elsewhere thereby helping me in mine. In some cases helping their mission is also helping my mission and that moves me to not only stay but help in other ways.

You had a special deal and that was nice and you enjoyed it. Now it’s time to grow and change and move along. Today is a new day.

As to how the teacher presented the decision, that is not for me to say. I would have a slightly different approach toward the same end.

#3

do they charge a per class rate as well?

#4

No, they do not charge per class… I wish they do!

#5

[QUOTE=InnerAthlete;31443]

You had a special deal and that was nice and you enjoyed it. Now it’s time to grow and change and move along. Today is a new day.

[/QUOTE]

you right, I probably just a greedy girl:)

#6

Hi,

some studios sometimes charge

-a drop-in (or where applicable)
-a block must be booked

  • a monthly or weekly pass,(which i think can be a good option,both ways beneficial,the student and the studio/teacher.)

now some of those options maybe reflect a balance between capitalism and safety particularly option 2 .A structured sequence of lessons are sold as such.

As Gordon Gecko said ‘Greed is Good’.

Of cousre i’m kidding on here…lol

P.S : In the uk here they can charge about ?10 because it’s like a round number.I think that’s about fair. It comes out the pocket more easily and you don’t need change ( the seller) but quite often folk charge about ?6. With the blocks you tend to just get one class free per cost. The passes can reaaly make financial sense if that person is a frequent user and savings.I don’t think the studios necessarily lose out;indeed the opposite i would have thought. If you don’t need to carry cash to a class because it is paid in adavnce then i think that simplfies things all round.Also having manypayment options is a good idea;that applies to any kind of business… Some businesses are’nt as profitable or successful as they could be simply because there are not enough straightforward or easy payment options for the customer.

#7

[QUOTE=CityMonk;31447]No, they do not charge per class… I wish they do![/QUOTE]

You could ask them if that is an option

#8

Why can’t you get a job?

#9

hummm…I can’t help but think this is partially about money.

If you are unable to work you obviously can’t afford to pay the same rate as everyone else. And it seems like your teacher is motivated by money (or something else other than principle) as one can always offer flexible rates on occasion, and I’d hope other students would not be offended by this.

You have however pointed out some interesting reasons why your feelings have been hurt, and I think you could perhaps explore these further. Some questions you may ask yourself: Could I practise yoga at home or at a different yoga studio? Why do I need to feel special? Do I need my yoga teacher (and why do I need him)? How can I focus my yoga practise to relieve my ego? Why is my ego feeling weak? etc.

Good luck, and I hope you can use this situation as an opportunity to learn more about you…

#10

[QUOTE=omamana;31458] And it seems like your teacher is motivated by money (or something else other than principle) as one can always offer flexible rates on occasion, and I’d hope other students would not be offended by this.

[/QUOTE]

Thank you for your post. I diffidently have leaned a lot about myself from the situation.
The problem is that I was just in exactly same situation before. So, I started to think maybe I wrong and I just have to pay as everyone else or give up this activity. ( This is not yoga studio, but similar)

Well, he might be motivated by principle and by desire treating all students equal. But this is a “money question” for me.

I teach yoga at another place, proceeds go to school, since I’m NOT permitted by US law to accept any job or money. If one approaches me with money issue, I let them pay less or not to pay at all. I’d rather have people practice yoga and not pay, than not practice it at all. ONE GIRL is a student from Latin america and she said that she cant pay but want to come to class. I let her just drop-in nominal amount something like $5 a week. Later she mentioned, that she works full time job(!), and moreover she enrolled to the local gym ( and they would not make any exception -you MUST PAY $$). THIS IS something that really hurts my feelings.

I hate those monetary kind of issues…[U]Maybe thats why I ran in it all the time:[/U]))

#11

I don’t understand…why does having to pay the same amount as everyone else hurt your ego? Why did you consider yourself special enough for a reduced rate?

Is there an opportunity for you to do some sort of “energy” exchange where you volunteer at the studio (Reception, cleaning, etc.) in exchange for classes? This arrangement seems popular at the yoga studios I’ve attended.

#12

Perhaps the time will come will you feel confident enough to have your ‘own practice’ and can visit classes a little less often. If you give yourself the chance, I bet you already know more than you think. Ultimately it’s a journey inside yourself…

Peace,
J

#13

I assume you’re correct that you’re not permitted by US law to earn money here. But some stupid laws are meant to be broken in my opinion. Get creative and earn some money under the table from people you trust. Even better, get a Paypal account and earn money via the internet.

#14

Thanks for all your posts! It helps. But is seems that some of you do not read thread and related posts at all:)

#15

I let her just drop-in nominal amount something like $5 a week. Later she mentioned, that she works full time job(!), and moreover she enrolled to the local gym ( and they would not make any exception -you MUST PAY $$). THIS IS something that really hurts my feelings.

Quite a parallel here! You offered a reduced price to someone, yet they used you and lied. You were given a reduced amount, but how is this woman to know that you are being truthful? You have been shown that someone you trusted was not truthful. You were put in a similar position. Can you get yourself out of your own way, detach from the emotion, and see how these situations can be teaching situations for you? This directly relates to the woman at yoru studio changing her policy with you.

You stated that it hurts your feelings - this is a very personal reaction. Do you think she really was just trying to take advantage of YOU because of who you are, or do you think that she is just the kind of person who will take advantage where she can? In that case, it was not personal, and you should not be taking it personally. Myself, I would not have hurt feelings, I would be angry. Then I would have to look at myself and ask how can I avoid this in the future? That will take some real thinking and sorting out. You want to help others, but don’t want them to take advantage. Or, conversely, you want to help them but release yourself from the attachment of whether they are being true or not. But also, protect yourself. Be wary, but do not assume the worst of others. It is a delicate balance, and you do have to decide where you will stand in the case of being used by another. Sometimes we will knowingly allow a person to use us. We decide, do I want to allow this? And sometimes the answer is “no, I cannot abide it” but other times the answer is “yes, it is ok, it is causing no harm.”

I got the idea that she no longer goes to your classes but has joined a gym. If I am wrong, and she is still attending your classes, I would think that you should confront her in a friendly yet straightforward manner and inquire about her full time work, and then perhaps inform her that she must pay full price, as the special rate is no longer in effect. Or something like that.
You would have to think of the best way to say it. Plan ahead :slight_smile:

Edit: I have to apologize, I didn’t answer much of your first post, I did get distracted with the situation with the girl who lied to you, but I did see the parallel and felt that the two are more connected than you may think. :slight_smile:

#16

[QUOTE=CityMonk;31465]
ONE GIRL is a student from Latin america and she said that she cant pay but want to come to class. I let her just drop-in nominal amount something like $5 a week. Later she mentioned, that she works full time job(!), and moreover she enrolled to the local gym ( and they would not make any exception -you MUST PAY $$). THIS IS something that really hurts my feelings.

[/QUOTE]

But without knowing how much money she makes and what her expenses are, how would you know that she definately has money left over to afford to go to yoga class? Also, how do you know for sure that she didn’t pay a reduced rate at the gym? Maybe someone paid for her membership? Maybe she won it in a contest? Why bother spending so much effort assuming the worst only to have it bother you? You could ask her about her situation but its not really your business to know her financial details. If you feel you are bieng taken advantage of, then just tell her that a reduced rate arrangement is no longer possible. If she chooses not to attend class anymore, that’s her decision.

#17

We started to deviate a lot here. Please relate your post to the original thread.

[U]The problem is[/U] that I have to pay the full rate, but I can go to class only three or four times a month. People who pay full rate are there three times a week. WHERE ARE NO DROP_IN PER CLASS. If I will attempt to attend more classes it will cause a lot of additional inconvenience for me. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE IN THE AREA.

Well, I will talk to him tomorrow, and what’s is what I want to say.

I desided to pay as everyone else, despite that I’m able to attend only few times a month. I think that you classes still are more valuable for me, than what you are charging.

#18

My teacher offers three (!) options. 1) per class 2) x10 punch card 3) one term.

Previosly I had the same problem with my wushu teacher. I was there only 1/3 of what the other were. I thought the term price was really cheap. But still I thought it would be quite unfair. So… we came to this compromise. I pay half term price :slight_smile:

#19

Good for you. I will skip this month, and maybe he will drop his principle next month. I still have a place to train, but I really like to continue with those classes.

Thanks you all!

#20

Have you suggested working part time, or fill in, at the studio in exchange for class time?