A thriving yoga business in a poverty - stricken area?

[Monika]

Hi everyone!

This is my very first post, and I want to express my gratitude for this forum!
I have received many inspirations just by reading the postings.

I am, however, wondering if many of your suggestions just don't fit for my area.

I teach yoga for five years in a small town of around 16, 000 inhabitants in New Mexico, about half an hour away from the border to Mexico. The closest city on Craigslist is 60 miles away.

The average per capita income in the county is approximately $17, 000 a year; the median household income is a little bit over $20, 000 a year, half of the national average. During summer time, the unemployment rate is between 40% and 50%.

Most of the Anglo people here are seniors on a fixed income who have come down to this part of the country because of the weather and because the costs of living are cheap. Over 50% of the population is Hispanic. Many of them speak barely English.

There is a community education facility. I am the only one who offers classes in the "Fitness and Wellness" sector. For this semester, however, all my classes had to be canceled because registrations were not enough. As a matter of fact, only one class takes place: Spanish for Beginners.

There is also a fitness center in which another yoga teacher teaches two yoga classes and one Pilates class on Friday afternoons, for $15 per hour. They pay her only if at least three people show up. Oftentimes in the summer, she has only one or two students. She told me last week that she will quit by the first of April.

Besides at the community education facility, I teach two classes at different churches; one is in the town I live and another one in a small settlement, over an hour away. I just cannot afford to rent space, and I feel comfortable at both churches.

My classes have a six-week session format (I never again want to teach ongoing classes), and I charge $42 for six one hour classes and $55 for six one and a half hour classes. The few people who participate (between five and twelve) are mostly very committed. A caring, warm and non-competitive atmosphere is important for me.

My participants get sometimes assignments, a "diploma" after three, two and one year(s) of attending yoga, and always a nice invitation card for the next six-week session. In addition, I distribute brochures and flyers at some doctors' offices, at the pharmacy, and some stores. Most new students are referrals from two doctors.

For a while, I put a four page newsletter together, four times a year. I mailed it out as half of my students either don't have a PC or don't like a PC. I stopped doing it. I found it to be too much work.

Needless to say that I cannot support myself. If it weren't for my husband who "subsidizes" me, I had already thrown in the towel.

Is there any hope for increasing my business in such a poor area? Or is the best thing to do moving away?
I am looking very much forward to your input.

Monika

[Administrator]

Hi Monika,

thanks for posting.

We don't bite.

Well, Sara doesn't. I just don't leave marks.

Except on my 9 year old daughter.

Could you use the private message function (PM) to send me the name
of your town so I can do some research before answering your question.

I believe there are some parallels on Sara's life that may be very relevant.

Peace.

Harlan

[Monika]

Dear Harlan,

Thank you so very much for your response to my post in this week's e-zine!
I have received encouragement to give it here another serious try. Moreover, through this forum I no longer feel isolated but connected to other struggling yoga teachers. This means a lot to me!

Of course, your sentence ". . . you may be able to survive where you are" did not elude my attention. In the near future, I want to shift from "survival mode" into "living mode." This probably will mean that I have to go somewhere else. But who knows?

By the way, could this be a topic for one of your future newsletters? How to make the transition from one location to another.

Namaste,
Monika

P.S. I signed up for your paid newsletter, and I am looking forward to its arrival.