They are responsible for driving guest engagement and attendance by developing their studio’s programming schedule and supporting their teachers. The Studio Manager is a dedicated people leader that guides and manages all aspects of the studio team’s YYOGA experience with the intention of building the best team in our industry. They work closely with the Operations Manager to execute their studio’s strategic plan overseeing the day to day leadership and operations for their studio. That yoga teaching is not a huge income provider is in little doubt.Direct Reports: Guest Experience Team MembersĪn integral part of our Operations leadership team, the Studio Manager is a highly involved community leader who supports their team in delivering the YYOGA experience in their studio. It is a job people do because they love it and care about sharing that love. Nonetheless, all the love and caring in the world does not magically obliterate the need to pay bills. Neither should it negate an employer’s responsibility to treat and pay their staff fairly. However, as has recently come vividly to light, that is exactly what can happen in the business of spirituality. I’m referring to the recent CorePower Yoga case. 1,500 yoga teachers joined a class action lawsuit against the studio chain and put a spotlight on the prevalence of unethical practice in the yoga business. The plaintiffs claimed for unpaid earnings arising from the amount of work they were expected to do for the company over and above teaching the classes they were paid for (averaging an additional six hours per week) and citing a violation of fair labour. Teachers also claimed they were encouraged to “groom” their students into the company’s $3,000 teacher training using specific, scripted, pressure-selling techniques and that those teachers seen by the company as “growing the community” (aka selling trainings) saw their wages increased, while those refusing to read a sales pitch to yogis still in the glow of Savasana (a recommended technique) did not. 1,500 yoga teachers joined a class action lawsuit against CorePower Yoga and put a spotlight on the prevalence of unethical practice in the yoga business. The case was settled outside of court, not only giving credence to an argument for more ethical business conduct in the yoga industry, but inspiring a raft of stories from yoga teachers and students who felt they had been similarly taken advantage of. Initial commentary leaned towards calling out the obvious targets – the greedy corporate machinery of the “MacYoga” chains taking over the sweet and satya-infused space of yoga. With its love-n-light and vows of ahimsa (non-harming), “This would never happen in an indie studio!” came the cry. Pretty soon, however other voices joined the conversation. Teachers working at small independent studios spoke up and described similar scenarios. Those I personally spoke to corroborated a big-picture story of teachers spending hours beyond their paid teaching time answering calls, hanging retail on rails, organising stock, attending staff meetings, creating class sequences and playlists, helping design teacher training curriculums, and spending time on social media pushing the studios’ events to their networks at the request of the studio owners. Many people are incredulous that anyone could be taken advantage of in this way. They, like anyone, have autonomy over their choices. They have a mouth to complain with and two highly-exercised legs to walk away on. The CorePower yogis answer this question by alluding to a fear that they would no longer be employed if they voiced their complaints. When I asked my own contacts why they had not said no, a more complex picture emerged.
Yoga teachers work in a spiritual context and are often heart-centred, open, and passionate givers who sometimes have deep-seated vulnerabilities to coercion. The people-pleasing personality is well-represented among yogis, and the language of yoga often encourages this behavior. Yoga, meditation, and all energy-based modalities come under the umbrella of “spiritual practice” to various degrees. Their modus-operandus revolves around ideas of healing, personal growth, and individual transformation. When these are sold as commodities to be bought, things can get a little murky.
When teachers are employed in spaces modeled on concepts of open-hearted service and spiritual missions, the usual business management lines can blur.
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