​Envisoining more inclusive, supportive spaces for all to be themselves, to practice self-care, and to receive without burden or barriers:

We seek to remove barriers to access, and to welcome a more diverse community to receive the benefits that those with the privilege and resources to attend regular studio classes are able to receive.  We understand that populations that face inequity may have the greatest need for the benefits of this practice, but it is so often offered in a way that is out of reach for many. 

The Yoga Sutras teach us to shine light on the harm our established practices and principles cause, and to eliminate the things that cause harm, such as barriers to access; exploiting people's psychology for financial gain; or preventing access because of a person's inability to work or earn income. 

The Yoga Sutras also teach us not to cling to anything, so we are releasing the safety and security of a typical capital-driven business model, and trusting that what we put out, we will get back, without force or pressure.  We will focus on providing the best offerings possible, and believe that the rest will work out, without us needing to be in control of how much people pay for access (gatekeeping).

The Yoga Sutras teach us not to take what is not freely given, so we freely give our energy and love to the community, and only ask that you give what you are able to without burden.  

Give what you can  💜  Take what you need
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Envisioning a better workplace for teachers:

As a new instructor, RLY's visionary, Sabrina, had to pay to rent space in order to offer group classes, rather than having any guaranteed income.  The costs of space rental, marketing, and travel would often mean she was actually losing money in order to offer her teaching.  This is very common, as there are hundreds, if not thousands of yoga instructors in our area, and only ~20 places that offer employment or contracts for those teachers.  Many teachers will work for low wages and poor treatment just to have the chance to teach in one of these spaces, as it helps get their name out there.  

We seek to create a better career path that doesn't require so much privilege and self-sacrifice from instructors.  We want our teachers to be nourished and well cared for.  We want them to feel at home in our space as much as our students do, so they may show up fully, authentically, and receiving as much as they give. 

We pay our instructors a base wage, regardless of the number of attendees, and also pay a bonus based on attendance.  We take on the cost and risk of loss involved in hosting regular classes to ensure instructors have reliable income, and that they don't need to rent their own space or manage all of their own marketing.  This way, they can focus on connecting with you, while we take care of the logistics and laundry. We are only able to do this because of the generosity and commitment our community.

We contract with local instructors with big hearts and a desire to give, and so we've been able to stack our schedule to provide a variety of options to the community.  While we are filled up by this giving nature of our teachers, we're also aware of how little yoga instructors are often paid for their hours of preparation, travel, energetic grounding and releasing that is involved in leading group classes.  We pay the national average, plus a bonus for higher attendance, but we don't feel this is enough.

We are excited that in our first year of business, we were able to give our teachers a $10 per class raise, and we intend to keep raising our rate of pay every six month we continue to grow.  In the same way that we are seeking a different way of serving customers, that is more heart-centered and less sales-driven or exploitative, we are working toward providing exceptional pay and a work environment that puts our teachers lives first, because we believe no workplace should never come before your family or your own personal needs.  Unlike many studios that contractually limit their staff's ability to expand in the world outside of their studio, we intend to be a home base for our teachers to be fully supported, and to launch their own amazing offerings into the world.  We are simply honored that they choose to share their time and talents with our community, and eager to keep creating a positive space they want to come back to for years to come.  
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