the Price of Yoga Classes

I have attended yoga classes at a yoga studio for nearly a year. They have various methods to pay for your classes. Basically the more classes you purchase at a time, the better discount you get. If you pay by the class, each class is ten dollars. If you pay for eight classes at a time, the charge is $64, or $8 a class. They also offer discounts for seniors and students. There are many different classes offered, beginning, intermediate, and advanced yoga, Pilates, YogaBall, Yoga meets Dance, Fit Yoga (more intense), prenatal yoga, tai chi, and chair yoga especially for seniors or those less mobile. If you pay $64 for eight classes, as I did, you can choose any of these classes, for instance one week you may go to beginning yoga, the next week pilates, and the third week tai chi, and so on. This was good to be able to try a variety of classes. This fee included obviously the classes at the yoga studio, and also use of mats, balls, and other yoga accessories at the studio. The downside to paying for eight classes at a time, is they must be consecutive classes, if you miss a week you lose that week. You can also purchase ten classes at once for $9 a class that do not have to be consecutive. If you go to a lot of classes, the best value is six months for $350, and you can attend as many classes as you want. If you only go once or twice a week, this is not a good deal, but if you go 3 or more times a week it is more economical.

Attending class at a yoga studio is usually a little pricier than joining a regular gym or health club, and many other gyms do offer yoga. However, at a yoga studio they specialize in yoga, so you know the teachers have a lot of expertise and training. There is a lot of personal attention and instruction from the teacher, which is helpful for beginners. It is also nice to have a wide variety of classes to choose from, so you don't get bored. These are some advantages to going to a yoga studio versus a regular generalized health club. The teachers will give you individual attention and correct your poses, actually approaching each student and physically moving your body in the correct position, if necessary. I have never experienced that at a yoga class at a health club. It is also a very soothing environment, with dimmed lights, candles, and soothing music. The teacher would even give you a short massage with peppermint oil during the relaxation time at the end. This kind of personal attention and special touches makes it worth a little extra money to attend a studio specializing in yoga. The teachers were very helpful, patient and understanding of any physical disabilities.

If you are interested in taking yoga classes, it is important to try out many different gyms and yoga studios. Most health clubs and yoga studios will allow you to take one class for free to try it out, or at least will let you pay a small fee, usually ten dollars or less, for one class. Yoga is a very personalized thing, and many teachers have different styles, some more intense for a good workout, and some more relaxed and focus on breathing and relaxation of your body. It is important to experience different classes and different teachers until you find a style that fits into your needs and the abilities of your own body. Also, don't be afraid to ask questions if you need help with a pose, that is what the teacher is there for. Ask about what kind of training the teacher has had, there are many intense yoga teacher training classes that greatly aid their ability to teach yoga, and it is a big benefit if your teacher has attended one of these classes. An untrained yoga teacher can be somewhat dangerous if they encourage you to go into a pose that your body cannot handle, or instruct you to hold your body the wrong way in a pose, you can easily pull or strain muscles, ligaments, and tendons.