What to Charge for Private Yoga Sessions: A Pricing Framework
Set a floor from every hour a session really takes, check it against what studios near you charge, then structure groups, travel, packages and cancellations — with verified US examples.
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Short answer
Set a floor from your own costs — the hourly rate you need × every hour a session really takes, plus travel — then check it against what studios near you charge. Published US studio prices for a 60-minute private session run from about $120 to $150 in the examples below (Austin, Denver, Chicago). Price small groups per extra person, charge for travel, sell packages rather than discounts, and put your cancellation policy in writing before the first session.
This guide uses US prices, where published studio pricing is easiest to verify. The method works anywhere; the numbers don’t travel. Teaching in Germany? See Was verdient ein Yogalehrer pro Stunde? (in German).
Step 1: Your floor
A private session takes far more than an hour. Count all of it:
| Session | 60 min |
|---|---|
| Travel, round trip (16 miles) | 40 min |
| Planning for this client | 20 min |
| Messages, scheduling, invoicing | 10 min |
| Total time | 2 h 10 min |
| At a target of $40 per real hour | $86.67 |
| + 16 miles × $0.76 | $12.16 |
| Floor for an in-home session | ≈ $99 |
Your target hourly rate has to carry what employment would normally cover: as a self-employed teacher you owe self-employment tax of 15.3% on net earnings on top of income tax (IRS), and there’s no paid leave. The same session at your own space, with no travel, has a floor of about $60 at that target — which is why in-home sessions are priced higher almost everywhere.
Step 2: What studios charge
Breath & Body, Austin
- 60-minute private
- $125 (1–2 people, in-home or studio)
- Other published prices
- 4-pack $500; 75 min $150; groups of 3–6 $150; Zoom 45 min $80, 60 min with recording $100
Oak + Lotus Yoga, Austin
- 60-minute private
- $120
- Other published prices
- 4-pack $110 per session; up to 3 extra people +$50 each; off-site for an extra fee
White Lotus Therapeutics, Denver
- 60-minute private
- $129
- Other published prices
- 90 min $193; +$10 per additional student
Big Shoulders Yoga, Chicago
- 60-minute private
- From $150/hour
- Other published prices
- At the client’s location or the studio
YTX, Austin (off-site events)
- 60-minute private
- $350 for 60 min off-site
- Other published prices
- +$25 beyond 15 miles; non-refundable deposit; no refunds within 5 days
Find four or five studios within your own travel radius and write down their private price, length and package terms. That’s your market. If your floor is above it, you need either lower costs (less travel, sessions at one location) or a clearer specialty.
Step 3: Structure the offer
1:1 session
- How to price it
- Your base rate
- Why
- The anchor every other price is built from
Small group (2–4)
- How to price it
- Base rate + a fixed amount per extra person
- Why
- Same hour, more value for them; the examples add $10–$50 per person
In-home
- How to price it
- Base rate + travel, or a travel fee beyond a radius
- Why
- Travel time is the biggest hidden cost
Online
- How to price it
- Below in-person, or the same with a recording
- Why
- No travel for either side
Package (4–10 sessions)
- How to price it
- Small saving (0–10%), paid upfront, with an expiry date
- Why
- Commitment and fewer cancellations; the examples range from no discount to about 8%
Corporate or event
- How to price it
- Flat fee per event, deposit to book
- Why
- Priced for setup, travel and a group — not per head
First session
- How to price it
- Full price, longer (75–90 min) with intake
- Why
- Discounting the first session anchors a low price
Specialty pricing
Additional training that a client specifically needs — prenatal, working with older adults, athletes — supports a higher rate. Be precise about what your training covers, and stay within yoga teaching: a private yoga session is not therapy unless you hold a relevant licence.
Step 4: Cancellation policy
Write it down, send it with the first booking, and apply it consistently. Common elements:
- Free cancellation up to 24 or 48 hours before; later cancellations are charged.
- Packages expire (for example after 3 or 6 months) and are non-refundable once started.
- Events and off-site bookings: a non-refundable deposit, balance due before the date (YTX uses 14 days and no refunds within 5 days).
- What happens if you cancel: reschedule or refund.
Your pricing worksheet
- Target hourly rate, including taxes and time off.
- Real hours per session: travel, planning, admin.
- Travel cost per session, or a travel radius and fee.
- Four or five local studio prices for comparison.
- Base rate, extra-person rate, online rate, package terms.
- Cancellation policy in one paragraph.
- A date to review prices — for example once a year.
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