I wrote this article mainly hoping it can motivate people who wish to start practicing yoga but have concerns paying for yoga class fee.
The yoga class fee can be overwhelming nowadays (especially in Singapore), I remember when I first got interested into Yoga and was researching on yoga schools/packages, some studios are offering at drop in fee at as high as $40/class. I was shocked and wondered how the fee might scare away some young hearts (with pure yoga enthusiasm). I am not a high-paid worker, with my regular job with regular income, I was carefully researching for affordable classes to attend. I am sure there are people like me, who may be intimidated by the need to folk out large sum of money from salary to attend yoga class.
But I do not want the money concern to be an excuse for myself to stop pursuing something I so love doing.
When there is a will, there is a way. While I was looking for affordable class, one day I accidentally saw one yoga event came out from my google search result. It was a free yoga session organized by Dr Trish (from Baptise Yoga), the location was at Lululemon store (in case you do not know about Lululemon, I think it may be the most well-known Yoga apparel brand in the world). I hesitated a little to registered for it, wondering why would there be someone offering a free class and was open for everyone, but one of my resolutions in the year was to open myself more for new things, meet new friends and to explore the world (inside out of myself better). It only took me few minutes to wonder before I registered for the class.
Before this session, I was only practicing yoga at home by my own while playing the youtube (from some yoga masters, I enjoyed video from Tim Senesi, the video which he demonstrates at outdoor is calm to watch and easy to follow along). I did not know there are plenty types of yoga.
That first session was a power yoga session of 1.5 hr long. My body was stretched and pushed to the limit, I perspired so much which I believe I perspired more than when I ran for my 21km half marathon.
But that was it, my first free class, and it was at a very comfortable environment, and each of us were given a discount voucher for healthy drink store next to Lululemon store.
It was my first when I realized there will be available free yoga classes, as long as you are eager to attend one.
Here are my 5 tips to attend to Yoga classes for free:
(1) Look out for Yoga related events
- There are plenty of sites for organisers to put/promote their events, such as eventbrite / peatix / allevents.in (I touched a little about this in my previous post here), Yoga studios (existing or new ones) will sometimes organize free yoga sessions by different reasons (anniversary or open house or charity) to promote their studios
- Many yoga studios are doing a lot of community events, which mostly are free of charge or some are by donation basis for charity organization (I think this is a good event yoga studios should be doing more to contribute back by how they earn from teaching Yoga, something passed down from long history), I attended some classes organized by Pure Yoga (their #yogaforall community classes organized quite regularly)
- Recently there many collaborations of activities/events with Yoga sessions, I attended one Run X Yoga (1 hour of each); attending a yoga session in a night club, where they provided a free beer after the yoga session. There are just many new ideas from many organizers.
(2) Watch-out for month of June
- 21st June is declared as International day of Yoga. Many events and free sessions are mostly organized by many yoga studios or organizations in this month, feel free to join them (search for these events from the websites I mentioned above, or simply google them out)
- Some big organizers may organize more than 1 event, in last June 2017, I attended 2 events, and I got a nice T-shirt and a yoga mat for free (just by attending the yoga session)
(3) Do not be intimidated by attending free trial classes from yoga studios
- Yes, giving free trial classes provided by various yoga studios are marketing strategy to attract new members to their studio, the sales may talk to you after the trial class, some may hard-sell their package
- But do not let these worry you and stop you from trying the classes, go with open heart, and try on different yoga and from different teachers. Who knows you may find a destined yoga studio, yoga teacher, or a yoga style which you will fall in love? I tried Ashtanga in my first time without studying it and I fell in love with it. I went to many free trial classes at various yoga studios and finally I found Trust Yoga is the one I want to practice more, so I signed up their package. I knew that there will be nothing to lose to try new things. So go on trying, it may be just an email away for your first free trial class
(4) Try Nikam Yoga
- So far Nikam Yoga is the only organization which I found offering free yoga sessions, the teachers who learned from Nikam Yoga, are dedicated and they are volunteers to teach the new comers
- I attended their sessions, they teach traditional Hatha yoga and many yogi lifestyles and breathing techniques, which I found very information and could not learn it from other yoga studios, which keep me attending to their classes
- Free does not mean poor quality at all, in Nikam Yoga, they are systematic, teachers are experienced and good at postures, I am always very grateful for their teaching and generosity, for committed practitioners, they have intermediate class which you have to pass a test, and they also train for future teachers
- Feel free to get more information from their website, here
(5) Sign up morning classes from ‘Health Promotion Board Sunrise in the City’
- Singapore is doing very good promotion to encourage people to exercise more, many free morning classes are offered
- Heads-up: This is by first come first serve basis, most spaces are grabbed to empty in a short time once the schedule is out. So, acting fast is the key to get your free mat space
- Check out the schedules here
In this world that has become more materialistic whereby everything are at high cost, I really wish that sharing knowledge of Yoga will never become a commercialized product/service (though it seems it has already been one from many yoga studios)… I very believe in deep self-practicing, though having a yoga teacher and build a relationship with a yoga teacher will help to improve our practice a lot, it does not mean that by self practice one will never reach the same goal, there are plenty self learn yoga masters, after all Yoga is a journey to find inner peace, keep exploring and never stop practicing, it never requires money to practice yoga by our own.
Namaste
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