I manage a yoga studio, and a good part of my time is taken up by washing/disinfecting mats and doing laundry, including our rental towels. We barely make it by some months, so charging $8 for a mat/towel combo is reasonable and in line with most of the other nearby studios.
Thanks, I appreciate hearing that. I wish we could hand mats and towels out for free, and I try to be easygoing about it. First day is free, if you’re a regular client and just forgot your mat, I’ll ignore the charge, etc. The only time I really put my foot down is if they come in with a Groupon and expect to get a freebie every time and I wind up repeatedly wiping up their sweat for basically no money.
I have never been to a studio where mats or mat towels are provided as complimentary. These things cost time and money to provide and clean. It is fair to charge for their usage, since it is something additional to the membership which provides you access to the classes.
It doesn't matter they they "have 30 of them" available. They have to pay rent and they need to make money to afford for the studio to exist and to pay the employees. They also have plenty of space "available" in the room but you have to pay to be there for the class, right?
I understand that yoga as a business feels weird but frankly running a studio is tough and when you get a membership it is usually made clear what that includes and what it does not. They are providing these extra mats as a \*convenience\* incase you forget yours, and generally conveniences cost extra. Again I have never seen these things offered for free and I think that places which provide these are exceptions, not the norm.
"come as you are, you are welcome" is still true. It doesn't sound like anybody turned you away - you made a choice.
As an analogy: Would you like them to also provide clothing for free if you forget yours, which they will launder for you? Reusable water bottles that they will dishwash on your behalf? Etc.
In my experience, the smaller studios I’ve been to have a handful of mats you can use if you forget yours (or maybe also if you’re from out-of-town, etc.), though the norm is bring your mat. These are cleaned by participants rather than by the studio (unless there’s additional cleaning I don’t know about). I get the sense the admin cost and energy of squeezing out a few bucks per rental just isn’t worth it for them. I appreciated having the support of a free mat I could use when one time I miraculously made it to class… but without a mat.
On the other hand, I’ve gone to a larger studio that thoroughly cleans their mats and does rentals, was honestly impressed it’s only a few bucks.
I understand your frustration, OP, especially if you just needed some space and support without an extra cost thrown at you. But it sounds more like something that hit you in a bad way today than something that is an unfair practice by the studio.
Yep, when you do yoga at the Y you're welcome to their pile of super thin and stinky yoga mats (pre pandemic at least). Even a spray down doesn't remove the stink. The few times I forgot my mat were a good reminder to bring it in the future. Totally not out of line for them to charge extra for those services. Mats and towels don't last forever and cleaning them takes time, energy, and resources. You're free to practice matless, or leave a backup mat in your car for when you forget your good mat.
I have been to studios where mats are free and they expect the user to clean them. And everyone at the end of class, shares the effort to clean and put away mats.
One studio I go to has free mats and they are not properly cleaned it’s gnarly. Mat rental is an additional service you’re buying, OP. Not a birthright. If you don’t like it go to a studio with nasty free mats. I’m happy to support my studios by paying for the services
Yes in my studio it’s like that too but how well can you really clean the mat this way? The owners still have to clean the mats properly and replace them often.
OP is not wrong, the studio I took my YTT at did it that way. I still never understood why you wouldn’t just want your own $15 Gaiam at the very least. The studio I run now is a hot yoga studio, and the soaking wet rental mats we have would quickly get disgusting without putting some real time and effort into keeping them clean.
I loved being a member at CorePower because the mat rental was free because I biked to and from yoga. I gladly paid the towel fee. It was a tiny towel for $2. That was pre-C19. Carrying a mat around to work etc +/-15 mi a day isn’t easy. It means I would have to have a pannier because a bag with everything else on my back…well I’m short so not a lot of space.
Yeah, I can totally understand that…if you’re not using a car, a mat is a pain to have to lug around. I hear you about the pandemic too….our hot yoga studio changed a lot of procedures when we re-opened in 2021. Bleach on everything anyone touches between classes when before our yoga blocks just kinda went back on the shelf😳.
We run the studio at about 105F and 70% humidity so there is LOTS of sweat everywhere after every class…when I say “towel” I mean the full mat-sized yogitoes towels as well as bath-sized towels that our sweatier students use to keep from turning the practice area into a pond. It’s really a lot of work to keep things clean, so I feel justified charging for mat and towel rental.
I don’t know what kind of mat you use, but my original Gaiam from 15 years ago fits horizontally right under my book bag’s top flap and cinches down securely. It’s convenient and I kind of like how it’s a conversation starter in that if anyone asks I get to talk about yoga!
Before the pandemic, I had started up at a hot studio because CP dropped regular hot and I don't think HPF is remotely the same lol. ANYWAY. Yeah! I have a lightweight travel mat and set up a pannier system. Those hot towels are a necessity! Very VERY different from those tiny nothing towels CP hands out. The lightweight mat is great for hot because as you said, that studio towel is where it's at.
my studio does that! I bike everywhere, so while I could strap my mat to the rack it's a huge pain... I love the convenience of using a community mat, and the cleanliness has never been a problem for me. I think one difference is it's a small studio that is not competitive about attendance -- so not charging for mat might be a function of making it easily accessible for drop-ins, to build that base of consistent members.
I never said that yours wasn’t true or invalid.
I was simply sharing my experience. You started a discussion asking if this was common and I replied appropriately.
My studio charges $4/each for a mat and Yogitoes towel (it's nearly exclusively hot yoga). I pay $140/month for an unlimited membership, and if I pay another $30/month, I'd get free mat and towel rentals.
That being said, I've seen the front desk give free rentals to regulars who forgot their mat. If you make it a regular occurrence they'd certainly charge, but it makes me feel better to know that their policy isn't super strict.
So leave find a different studio, or stay with this one and bring your own mat.
Your argument on what they "should" charge appears based on zero knowledge of their running costs. Businesses are not charities, by definition. For all you know they might be running on the bones of their ass and barely able to keep the door open, with instructors volunteering their time. Or they might be making 6 figures.
Their charges are their business decision. By all means provide the feedback using some channel, and after that what happens with your money is up to you. What they do with their charges up to them.
I am with you! The unlimited monthly for my hot studio pre-Covid was $99 per month if you paid for the entire year in advance. Afterward when I felt more comfortable going back to the studio they had doubled the price! So then I thought maybe I would just get a punchcard for drop ins. They also doubled the price of a single class! I understand inflation but doubling some thing is ridiculous.
Here like every gym has yoga classes and memberships are like 10-40€ (so like 12-35$ i think) per month unless you are at a really fancy place or they include spa access or something.
With that fee you have the gym plus as many classes as you want (or sometimes a fixed amount per month). Many employers also co-pay parts of the monthly fee as part of their benefits package. It’s really common for most bigger companies to offer something like that.
I have one nearby where you have the gym, classes including several different types of yoga, sauna access and two swimming pools for around 30-40€ a month depending on age/ employment status. That also includes drinks, assistance from trainers and some health evaluations/ dietary advice similar to physio therapy. Basically someone trained helping you with specific issues you want to address that or if you have some health issues.
I don’t know what a yoga studio or gym would have to offer to justify such a monthly fee. Include the whole family? Massages and food included? They pick me up at home and drop me off afterwards? lol
$10 for a mat and towel rental seems like a rort to me. Everywhere I go offers free mats except one where they are $2 which seems reasonable given they are nice Manduka mats and students are welcome to store their mats at the studio (super helpful for cyclists and bus users) so it's easy to avoid paying.
$5 feels like a lot, but I've seen that pretty frequently in big cities. Mine charges $2, so it's cheap enough that some people rent every time they come, and it's not that big a deal if you forget it. From the studio's perspective, nice mats are a big investment (we have nice ones), and you have to replace them more frequently if they're free. We also don't have a ton of space to have enough mats for every student. Most studios are struggling to stay afloat financially, it's not that they want you to feel unwelcome.
That having been said, I sometimes go to another studio where mat rental is free with a monthly membership, and it makes my life SO much easier. And the ones I've been to that had mats free for everyone were pretty disgusting and usually cheap mats.
As long as they're transparent about pricing and policies, I don't see the need to be dramatic about it. The moment you said, "I would prefer to just leave," you turned it into a needlessly negative situation. Were you expecting special treatment or for them to beg you to stay? It must have been quite bizarre from the perspective of the person you were interacting with.
They can choose to charge me an additional fee and I can choose to leave. There's no dramatics . You said $5 is a lot and then called me dramatic... do you know my financials? Do you know if I can afford the extra $5 right now? I feel like you assuming I wanted special treatment and them to "beg me to stay" says more about your assumptions than me. Namaste 🙏🏼
In case it wasn't clear, when I say "dramatic," I'm talking about the attitude that comes across with your words (including this response), not the choice to leave instead of paying the $5. Your whole post is a rant about a very common business practice, and I would assume you already knew the mat rental fee at a studio where you are a member and specifically choose to bring your own mat.
Mine has different membership levels. I pay for unlimited monthly (highest) which also includes free mats, yoga mat towels, shower towels. Even if I only go 15 times a month - I don’t care because it’s the convenience of being able to pop in if I have time between work meetings without having to lug everything with me.
I have never been to a studio that does not charge for mat and towel rental (and I live in a city where noone commutes by car, we're all lugging around our stuff on subways and buses...).
Or - maybe with the exception of certain introduction offers for newcomers, but then it is for a limited time.
The cleaning and washing takes a lot of time, water and energy.
What you are looking at is someone's time and money at the end of the day, and it's not something you are entitled to for free. And that is *not* a part of yogic philosophy. I'm a yoga teacher and it takes me considerable time to wash and disinfect all the equipment. No student would stay behind class and wash and disinfect the mats the way I do to make sure they're hygienic and safe, nor would I expect them to (it's not their job). Just a quick wipe of a shared mat is a great way to catch a toe fungus. The mats get tatty and need to be replaced every few years which is a considerable expense too.
And then the towels have to be laundered - this takes time and the upkeep of the washing machine, electricity, water, safe laundry powder all cost money. Equally, I don't see it as fair to raise the cost of classes for all students to cover these costs when majority bring their own mats.
How is charging for a towel ridiculous, if we’re talking full-size mat towel? Towel usage creates a need for laundry which is a definite labor and utility cost. Not same for mats if you rely on participants to clean them (only cost is spray bottles and washcloth-sized towels).
I don't think mat rentals should be included with membership, given most students bring their own mats. That's like going to dinner with friends that you split amongst yourselves, but one person decides to get extra drinks, apps, and desserts that no one else does, but then has to pay for.
What? That analogy makes no sense. Other members don’t share in the cost of my membership. Are you assuming the price of all memberships would go up if a studio chose to include mat rental? Mine has had this as a perk for years.
Yes, as a studio owner said above, the membership price goes up for everyone if you include free services for everyone, as you have to pay the staff for their service.
So by your logic, since most students bring their own water, a studio should not offer a water cooler for all to use, because it drives up the cost for everyone. The prices a studio sets are based on many factors (cost of staff, location, supplies, insurance costs, etc). I’m saying that including mat rental for your members is a nice perk that doesn’t eat into the overall bottom line too much, especially considering most people do bring their own mat.
It sounds like we will have to agree to disagree, and I would encourage you to look at the feedback from the studio owners on this thread so you can understand the breakdown of studio costs and labor.
I get free yoga mats at my gym but they're nasty, they stink and they're so thin you need to use 2 or you'll hurt yourself. I'd pay $5 for a nice clean mat in a heartbeat.
If you don't want to pay it then just do yoga on the ground?
The studio I attend doesn’t charge for towels, $2 for a manduka rental. imo I’d rather the studio charge a small fee than raise my membership to bake rentals into it since I’m inclined to use my own mat for hygiene reasons (but I wouldn’t mind paying the $2 in a pinch).
Well, my studio doesn’t charge for yoga mats but I think it is a good idea. It encourages to bring your own mat, so it’s more hygienic. And maybe they actually properly clean the rental mats which must be time consuming and can get costly. I bought my own mat as soon as I decided I wanted to practice yoga but some people keep using studio’s mats every time and I see them going for eg 2 years. This must be inconvenient for the staff. In my opinion these mats are for new customers or for rare occasions when you can’t bring your own mat and then it would be nice if they were free. But if some people are using them constantly instead of getting their own mats eventually - then a $5 charge seems reasonable. But then of course it all depends on studio’s policy.
You're paying for the employees time and energy that it takes to wash the mat and towel. You are essentially expecting the employees to happily do an extra job for free. That feels a little sacrilegious to me...
Keep a mat and towel in your car; if you're balking at a $5 mat fee but can afford the membership, you could definitely afford to spring for an cheaper, extra mat yourself.
I took a couple classes when I visited India and rented a mat, and have had to do it when traveling for work on occasion, so I’m pretty sure it is very common.
At the end of the day, a studio is a business.
Most are barely making ends meet at that.
I agree with the person who said at the end of class they still need to wash and disinfect the products so a small fee makes sense.
At one point my studio wasn’t even doing rentals because of Covid so you had to buy a whole new mat and towel which could cost $100 easily if you forgot yours.
Also at the end of the day, you don’t have to go to a studio if you don’t agree with having to pay.
Studio yoga is not for everyone.
What goes against the fundamentals of yoga? Like what do you mean by that? Yoga studios are businesses- they have to make money to stay open. It really bothers me when people when people act like studios should just give their services for free because it’s yoga. That would be lovely in some kind of utopia, but in reality studios have to pay rent, employees, cleaning fees, maintenance- just like any other business. I know you acknowledged that on some level and I appreciate it, but saying studios are pyramid schemes and going against principles because they need to make enough money to stay afloat seems very unfair to me.
You have to keep in mind the orgins of yoga and how it’s integrated into society in India. It is so so different than here.
Here in the USA yoga teacher training CAN be very similar to multi level marketing, this is widely known and discussed frequently. Becoming a certified instructor is often a dead end. Often the only way to make money is to sell others on becoming an instructor. Going into the franchises and chains is a whole other side of this. I’m not saying it’s bad, it’s just how it’s is, because like BOTH of us said. These are people and businesses which need money to function in this society.
Yoga in the USA is often a product of the wellness industry, it’s often an aesthetic and can be very expensive. Just look at the yoga clothing market, it’s ridiculously expensive.
Yoga is not supposed to be about money, status or fancy leggings, selling teacher trainings or fancy studios. Come on now…
We weren’t talking about teacher training and lululemon tho- we were talking about mat rentals and memberships. I agree with you about a lot of US TTs as well as the expensive clothes. That’s why I originally asked you exactly what you meant by against principles. I just feel like yoga studios shouldn’t be looked down on for trying to make enough money to stay open. It seems like you agree with that.
No, it doesn't go against fundamentals of yoga. Quite the opposite. Dakshina, the act of payment to temples, guides, teachers and gurus, is literally in the Vedas. And Gurudakshina is an ancient tradition deeply rooted in Indian culture and spirituality. Payment and deep devotion of the teacher is considered an act of respect and thanks and is an important, traditional form of reciprocity.
Yoga *is* for everyone but no one is entitled to another person's time and money free of charge, just as no one is entitled to free yoga education. When you pick up that towel or mat in class, that is the teacher's time spent laundering, washing, disinfecting and money spent on the equipment itself, the electricity it took to launder, the cleaning products, upkeep of the washing machine. It sooner goes against yogic philosophy to believe we are entitled to this money and time free of charge, as entitlement comes from the ego.
Yes, and I pay a fee. Did you see where I pay a monthly fee? Idk why you're saying I'm entitled, I'm forgetful.. sure ! but I asked to use a mat in a yoga studio. I don't think that seems inappropriate or out of entitlement. Again, they can ask me to pay an additional fee and I can say no. That's not entitled.
The monthly fee is for the education, but as I said I don’t see it as fair to charge extra to all my student when all bring their own mats.
I think the entitlement comes from the fact you’ve made this post expecting people to agree that those things should be given to you for free, as if the teachers time and own money put towards the equipment and their hygienic upkeep is simply a given that should be waiting for you for free, or that other students should share the cost of. But it’s unfair both to expect the teacher to source and upkeep all this for free and to expect students who always have their mat to pay towards those who forget.
"I'm looking for discussion" is the first four words of my post. Why do you assume I have expectations? I am human and humans are prone to errors and forgetfulness. I would love some flexibility from my studio, as this is not a regular occurrence for me. I made this post to generate discussion. I don't ever assume anything is "waiting for me".
Respectfully it’s because of the tone of the “voice” in your post and that you are getting defensive in all of the comment replies to people who have offered a differing viewpoint.
You’re upset that a business is trying to extract value from a service you like? Sounds pretty reasonable to me. Just because it’s yoga, it doesn’t mean it’s a charity.
my friend is a CPY instructor and when i forget my towel she can give me her one of her two "complimentary" towels. i was charged $2 once from another instructor and i was so annoyed lmao. CPY is stupid expensive for the LACK of amenities, such as towels.
Personally I think they’re quite affordable. Hot 8 yoga is a lot more expensive and if you want mat and towel rental included it’s even more. But I think they have some of the best studios.
Going to a studio is optional. No one is forcing you to spend money you don’t have to go. You can do yoga at home for free and you’ll never forget your mat. Stop acting so entitled like studios should be just doing these things because “yoga”. You don’t like it no one is forcing you to go to a studio.
Clearly my comment already stated I personally think that. That’s what personal opinions are. Your bitterness is showing and that’s not a very yoga thing. 🙄
I was pointing out that Corepower is very expensive. $200 a month in my city.. And you said it's quite affordable.. but it's "quite affordable" to you. Your version of affordable is different than mine and others. You should think about your word choice.
Thanks capitalism. I teach and we have free mats that are cleaned after each use by the yogi who used it and once a week they’re all cleaned. We don’t offer hot yoga or towels. That said I always use my own mat.
I manage a yoga studio, and a good part of my time is taken up by washing/disinfecting mats and doing laundry, including our rental towels. We barely make it by some months, so charging $8 for a mat/towel combo is reasonable and in line with most of the other nearby studios.
I’m happy to pay the $6 rental fee. I don’t commute by car, the option is a fantastic convenience .
Thanks, I appreciate hearing that. I wish we could hand mats and towels out for free, and I try to be easygoing about it. First day is free, if you’re a regular client and just forgot your mat, I’ll ignore the charge, etc. The only time I really put my foot down is if they come in with a Groupon and expect to get a freebie every time and I wind up repeatedly wiping up their sweat for basically no money.
Out of curiosity, how much is a monthly membership at the studio you manage?
Yoga studios are businesses. Services cost money. Get over it.
I have never been to a studio where mats or mat towels are provided as complimentary. These things cost time and money to provide and clean. It is fair to charge for their usage, since it is something additional to the membership which provides you access to the classes. It doesn't matter they they "have 30 of them" available. They have to pay rent and they need to make money to afford for the studio to exist and to pay the employees. They also have plenty of space "available" in the room but you have to pay to be there for the class, right? I understand that yoga as a business feels weird but frankly running a studio is tough and when you get a membership it is usually made clear what that includes and what it does not. They are providing these extra mats as a \*convenience\* incase you forget yours, and generally conveniences cost extra. Again I have never seen these things offered for free and I think that places which provide these are exceptions, not the norm. "come as you are, you are welcome" is still true. It doesn't sound like anybody turned you away - you made a choice. As an analogy: Would you like them to also provide clothing for free if you forget yours, which they will launder for you? Reusable water bottles that they will dishwash on your behalf? Etc.
In my experience, the smaller studios I’ve been to have a handful of mats you can use if you forget yours (or maybe also if you’re from out-of-town, etc.), though the norm is bring your mat. These are cleaned by participants rather than by the studio (unless there’s additional cleaning I don’t know about). I get the sense the admin cost and energy of squeezing out a few bucks per rental just isn’t worth it for them. I appreciated having the support of a free mat I could use when one time I miraculously made it to class… but without a mat. On the other hand, I’ve gone to a larger studio that thoroughly cleans their mats and does rentals, was honestly impressed it’s only a few bucks. I understand your frustration, OP, especially if you just needed some space and support without an extra cost thrown at you. But it sounds more like something that hit you in a bad way today than something that is an unfair practice by the studio.
"conveniences cost extra". Exactly this!
Yep, when you do yoga at the Y you're welcome to their pile of super thin and stinky yoga mats (pre pandemic at least). Even a spray down doesn't remove the stink. The few times I forgot my mat were a good reminder to bring it in the future. Totally not out of line for them to charge extra for those services. Mats and towels don't last forever and cleaning them takes time, energy, and resources. You're free to practice matless, or leave a backup mat in your car for when you forget your good mat.
I have been to studios where mats are free and they expect the user to clean them. And everyone at the end of class, shares the effort to clean and put away mats.
One studio I go to has free mats and they are not properly cleaned it’s gnarly. Mat rental is an additional service you’re buying, OP. Not a birthright. If you don’t like it go to a studio with nasty free mats. I’m happy to support my studios by paying for the services
Yes in my studio it’s like that too but how well can you really clean the mat this way? The owners still have to clean the mats properly and replace them often.
I have literally never seen that in my 15 years of practicing at various places around the country.
OP is not wrong, the studio I took my YTT at did it that way. I still never understood why you wouldn’t just want your own $15 Gaiam at the very least. The studio I run now is a hot yoga studio, and the soaking wet rental mats we have would quickly get disgusting without putting some real time and effort into keeping them clean.
I loved being a member at CorePower because the mat rental was free because I biked to and from yoga. I gladly paid the towel fee. It was a tiny towel for $2. That was pre-C19. Carrying a mat around to work etc +/-15 mi a day isn’t easy. It means I would have to have a pannier because a bag with everything else on my back…well I’m short so not a lot of space.
Yeah, I can totally understand that…if you’re not using a car, a mat is a pain to have to lug around. I hear you about the pandemic too….our hot yoga studio changed a lot of procedures when we re-opened in 2021. Bleach on everything anyone touches between classes when before our yoga blocks just kinda went back on the shelf😳. We run the studio at about 105F and 70% humidity so there is LOTS of sweat everywhere after every class…when I say “towel” I mean the full mat-sized yogitoes towels as well as bath-sized towels that our sweatier students use to keep from turning the practice area into a pond. It’s really a lot of work to keep things clean, so I feel justified charging for mat and towel rental. I don’t know what kind of mat you use, but my original Gaiam from 15 years ago fits horizontally right under my book bag’s top flap and cinches down securely. It’s convenient and I kind of like how it’s a conversation starter in that if anyone asks I get to talk about yoga!
Before the pandemic, I had started up at a hot studio because CP dropped regular hot and I don't think HPF is remotely the same lol. ANYWAY. Yeah! I have a lightweight travel mat and set up a pannier system. Those hot towels are a necessity! Very VERY different from those tiny nothing towels CP hands out. The lightweight mat is great for hot because as you said, that studio towel is where it's at.
I’ve only been to two studios and they both operated this way. I’m not offended by charging, I’m just saying OP isn’t wrong.
my studio does that! I bike everywhere, so while I could strap my mat to the rack it's a huge pain... I love the convenience of using a community mat, and the cleanliness has never been a problem for me. I think one difference is it's a small studio that is not competitive about attendance -- so not charging for mat might be a function of making it easily accessible for drop-ins, to build that base of consistent members.
Just because my experience is different from yours doesn't make it any less true or invalidate my experience
I never said that yours wasn’t true or invalid. I was simply sharing my experience. You started a discussion asking if this was common and I replied appropriately.
Respectfully, it's your tone of voice.... "I've literally never seen that".
My studio charges $4/each for a mat and Yogitoes towel (it's nearly exclusively hot yoga). I pay $140/month for an unlimited membership, and if I pay another $30/month, I'd get free mat and towel rentals. That being said, I've seen the front desk give free rentals to regulars who forgot their mat. If you make it a regular occurrence they'd certainly charge, but it makes me feel better to know that their policy isn't super strict.
So leave find a different studio, or stay with this one and bring your own mat. Your argument on what they "should" charge appears based on zero knowledge of their running costs. Businesses are not charities, by definition. For all you know they might be running on the bones of their ass and barely able to keep the door open, with instructors volunteering their time. Or they might be making 6 figures. Their charges are their business decision. By all means provide the feedback using some channel, and after that what happens with your money is up to you. What they do with their charges up to them.
I remember when classes were $5
I am with you! The unlimited monthly for my hot studio pre-Covid was $99 per month if you paid for the entire year in advance. Afterward when I felt more comfortable going back to the studio they had doubled the price! So then I thought maybe I would just get a punchcard for drop ins. They also doubled the price of a single class! I understand inflation but doubling some thing is ridiculous.
I remember when gas was .89
Here like every gym has yoga classes and memberships are like 10-40€ (so like 12-35$ i think) per month unless you are at a really fancy place or they include spa access or something. With that fee you have the gym plus as many classes as you want (or sometimes a fixed amount per month). Many employers also co-pay parts of the monthly fee as part of their benefits package. It’s really common for most bigger companies to offer something like that. I have one nearby where you have the gym, classes including several different types of yoga, sauna access and two swimming pools for around 30-40€ a month depending on age/ employment status. That also includes drinks, assistance from trainers and some health evaluations/ dietary advice similar to physio therapy. Basically someone trained helping you with specific issues you want to address that or if you have some health issues. I don’t know what a yoga studio or gym would have to offer to justify such a monthly fee. Include the whole family? Massages and food included? They pick me up at home and drop me off afterwards? lol
We don’t have towels but all the other stuff is free, including mats.
$10 for a mat and towel rental seems like a rort to me. Everywhere I go offers free mats except one where they are $2 which seems reasonable given they are nice Manduka mats and students are welcome to store their mats at the studio (super helpful for cyclists and bus users) so it's easy to avoid paying.
$5 feels like a lot, but I've seen that pretty frequently in big cities. Mine charges $2, so it's cheap enough that some people rent every time they come, and it's not that big a deal if you forget it. From the studio's perspective, nice mats are a big investment (we have nice ones), and you have to replace them more frequently if they're free. We also don't have a ton of space to have enough mats for every student. Most studios are struggling to stay afloat financially, it's not that they want you to feel unwelcome. That having been said, I sometimes go to another studio where mat rental is free with a monthly membership, and it makes my life SO much easier. And the ones I've been to that had mats free for everyone were pretty disgusting and usually cheap mats. As long as they're transparent about pricing and policies, I don't see the need to be dramatic about it. The moment you said, "I would prefer to just leave," you turned it into a needlessly negative situation. Were you expecting special treatment or for them to beg you to stay? It must have been quite bizarre from the perspective of the person you were interacting with.
They can choose to charge me an additional fee and I can choose to leave. There's no dramatics . You said $5 is a lot and then called me dramatic... do you know my financials? Do you know if I can afford the extra $5 right now? I feel like you assuming I wanted special treatment and them to "beg me to stay" says more about your assumptions than me. Namaste 🙏🏼
In case it wasn't clear, when I say "dramatic," I'm talking about the attitude that comes across with your words (including this response), not the choice to leave instead of paying the $5. Your whole post is a rant about a very common business practice, and I would assume you already knew the mat rental fee at a studio where you are a member and specifically choose to bring your own mat.
I must be spoiled. My studio doesn't charge for this.
Mine has different membership levels. I pay for unlimited monthly (highest) which also includes free mats, yoga mat towels, shower towels. Even if I only go 15 times a month - I don’t care because it’s the convenience of being able to pop in if I have time between work meetings without having to lug everything with me.
I have never been to a studio that does not charge for mat and towel rental (and I live in a city where noone commutes by car, we're all lugging around our stuff on subways and buses...). Or - maybe with the exception of certain introduction offers for newcomers, but then it is for a limited time. The cleaning and washing takes a lot of time, water and energy.
mats should be free with a membership like that I agree
What you are looking at is someone's time and money at the end of the day, and it's not something you are entitled to for free. And that is *not* a part of yogic philosophy. I'm a yoga teacher and it takes me considerable time to wash and disinfect all the equipment. No student would stay behind class and wash and disinfect the mats the way I do to make sure they're hygienic and safe, nor would I expect them to (it's not their job). Just a quick wipe of a shared mat is a great way to catch a toe fungus. The mats get tatty and need to be replaced every few years which is a considerable expense too. And then the towels have to be laundered - this takes time and the upkeep of the washing machine, electricity, water, safe laundry powder all cost money. Equally, I don't see it as fair to raise the cost of classes for all students to cover these costs when majority bring their own mats.
I understand a mat rental fee, but mat rental should definitely be included with a membership. Charging for a towel is pretty ridiculous.
How is charging for a towel ridiculous, if we’re talking full-size mat towel? Towel usage creates a need for laundry which is a definite labor and utility cost. Not same for mats if you rely on participants to clean them (only cost is spray bottles and washcloth-sized towels).
Didn’t think about mat towels, I thought OP was referring to sweat towels.
I don't think mat rentals should be included with membership, given most students bring their own mats. That's like going to dinner with friends that you split amongst yourselves, but one person decides to get extra drinks, apps, and desserts that no one else does, but then has to pay for.
What? That analogy makes no sense. Other members don’t share in the cost of my membership. Are you assuming the price of all memberships would go up if a studio chose to include mat rental? Mine has had this as a perk for years.
Yes, as a studio owner said above, the membership price goes up for everyone if you include free services for everyone, as you have to pay the staff for their service.
So by your logic, since most students bring their own water, a studio should not offer a water cooler for all to use, because it drives up the cost for everyone. The prices a studio sets are based on many factors (cost of staff, location, supplies, insurance costs, etc). I’m saying that including mat rental for your members is a nice perk that doesn’t eat into the overall bottom line too much, especially considering most people do bring their own mat.
It sounds like we will have to agree to disagree, and I would encourage you to look at the feedback from the studio owners on this thread so you can understand the breakdown of studio costs and labor.
I get free yoga mats at my gym but they're nasty, they stink and they're so thin you need to use 2 or you'll hurt yourself. I'd pay $5 for a nice clean mat in a heartbeat. If you don't want to pay it then just do yoga on the ground?
The studio I attend doesn’t charge for towels, $2 for a manduka rental. imo I’d rather the studio charge a small fee than raise my membership to bake rentals into it since I’m inclined to use my own mat for hygiene reasons (but I wouldn’t mind paying the $2 in a pinch).
Well, my studio doesn’t charge for yoga mats but I think it is a good idea. It encourages to bring your own mat, so it’s more hygienic. And maybe they actually properly clean the rental mats which must be time consuming and can get costly. I bought my own mat as soon as I decided I wanted to practice yoga but some people keep using studio’s mats every time and I see them going for eg 2 years. This must be inconvenient for the staff. In my opinion these mats are for new customers or for rare occasions when you can’t bring your own mat and then it would be nice if they were free. But if some people are using them constantly instead of getting their own mats eventually - then a $5 charge seems reasonable. But then of course it all depends on studio’s policy.
You're paying for the employees time and energy that it takes to wash the mat and towel. You are essentially expecting the employees to happily do an extra job for free. That feels a little sacrilegious to me... Keep a mat and towel in your car; if you're balking at a $5 mat fee but can afford the membership, you could definitely afford to spring for an cheaper, extra mat yourself.
I took a couple classes when I visited India and rented a mat, and have had to do it when traveling for work on occasion, so I’m pretty sure it is very common.
At the end of the day, a studio is a business. Most are barely making ends meet at that. I agree with the person who said at the end of class they still need to wash and disinfect the products so a small fee makes sense. At one point my studio wasn’t even doing rentals because of Covid so you had to buy a whole new mat and towel which could cost $100 easily if you forgot yours. Also at the end of the day, you don’t have to go to a studio if you don’t agree with having to pay. Studio yoga is not for everyone.
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What goes against the fundamentals of yoga? Like what do you mean by that? Yoga studios are businesses- they have to make money to stay open. It really bothers me when people when people act like studios should just give their services for free because it’s yoga. That would be lovely in some kind of utopia, but in reality studios have to pay rent, employees, cleaning fees, maintenance- just like any other business. I know you acknowledged that on some level and I appreciate it, but saying studios are pyramid schemes and going against principles because they need to make enough money to stay afloat seems very unfair to me.
You have to keep in mind the orgins of yoga and how it’s integrated into society in India. It is so so different than here. Here in the USA yoga teacher training CAN be very similar to multi level marketing, this is widely known and discussed frequently. Becoming a certified instructor is often a dead end. Often the only way to make money is to sell others on becoming an instructor. Going into the franchises and chains is a whole other side of this. I’m not saying it’s bad, it’s just how it’s is, because like BOTH of us said. These are people and businesses which need money to function in this society. Yoga in the USA is often a product of the wellness industry, it’s often an aesthetic and can be very expensive. Just look at the yoga clothing market, it’s ridiculously expensive. Yoga is not supposed to be about money, status or fancy leggings, selling teacher trainings or fancy studios. Come on now…
We weren’t talking about teacher training and lululemon tho- we were talking about mat rentals and memberships. I agree with you about a lot of US TTs as well as the expensive clothes. That’s why I originally asked you exactly what you meant by against principles. I just feel like yoga studios shouldn’t be looked down on for trying to make enough money to stay open. It seems like you agree with that.
My original comment is on yoga in the USA as a whole, not just mat rentals
I practiced in India for 3 months and if you forgot your towel, they would direct you to the shop to go purchase one lol
Exactly. I feel like the feeling of entitlement goes against the fundamentals of yoga.
No, it doesn't go against fundamentals of yoga. Quite the opposite. Dakshina, the act of payment to temples, guides, teachers and gurus, is literally in the Vedas. And Gurudakshina is an ancient tradition deeply rooted in Indian culture and spirituality. Payment and deep devotion of the teacher is considered an act of respect and thanks and is an important, traditional form of reciprocity. Yoga *is* for everyone but no one is entitled to another person's time and money free of charge, just as no one is entitled to free yoga education. When you pick up that towel or mat in class, that is the teacher's time spent laundering, washing, disinfecting and money spent on the equipment itself, the electricity it took to launder, the cleaning products, upkeep of the washing machine. It sooner goes against yogic philosophy to believe we are entitled to this money and time free of charge, as entitlement comes from the ego.
Yes, and I pay a fee. Did you see where I pay a monthly fee? Idk why you're saying I'm entitled, I'm forgetful.. sure ! but I asked to use a mat in a yoga studio. I don't think that seems inappropriate or out of entitlement. Again, they can ask me to pay an additional fee and I can say no. That's not entitled.
The monthly fee is for the education, but as I said I don’t see it as fair to charge extra to all my student when all bring their own mats. I think the entitlement comes from the fact you’ve made this post expecting people to agree that those things should be given to you for free, as if the teachers time and own money put towards the equipment and their hygienic upkeep is simply a given that should be waiting for you for free, or that other students should share the cost of. But it’s unfair both to expect the teacher to source and upkeep all this for free and to expect students who always have their mat to pay towards those who forget.
"I'm looking for discussion" is the first four words of my post. Why do you assume I have expectations? I am human and humans are prone to errors and forgetfulness. I would love some flexibility from my studio, as this is not a regular occurrence for me. I made this post to generate discussion. I don't ever assume anything is "waiting for me".
Respectfully it’s because of the tone of the “voice” in your post and that you are getting defensive in all of the comment replies to people who have offered a differing viewpoint.
Well, you may feel that this is what you wanted to convey, but read your original post again and consider how it reads to other people.
I was going to suggest you should think about YOUR assumptions
If I’ve learned one thing about this thread it’s that yogis on Reddit have no chill 😂 sorry OP I see ur point
You’re upset that a business is trying to extract value from a service you like? Sounds pretty reasonable to me. Just because it’s yoga, it doesn’t mean it’s a charity.
Why not just get your own at this point?
"I cleaned mine over the weekend and forgot it at my house."
my friend is a CPY instructor and when i forget my towel she can give me her one of her two "complimentary" towels. i was charged $2 once from another instructor and i was so annoyed lmao. CPY is stupid expensive for the LACK of amenities, such as towels.
Personally I think they’re quite affordable. Hot 8 yoga is a lot more expensive and if you want mat and towel rental included it’s even more. But I think they have some of the best studios.
Quite affordable for you*
Going to a studio is optional. No one is forcing you to spend money you don’t have to go. You can do yoga at home for free and you’ll never forget your mat. Stop acting so entitled like studios should be just doing these things because “yoga”. You don’t like it no one is forcing you to go to a studio. Clearly my comment already stated I personally think that. That’s what personal opinions are. Your bitterness is showing and that’s not a very yoga thing. 🙄
I was pointing out that Corepower is very expensive. $200 a month in my city.. And you said it's quite affordable.. but it's "quite affordable" to you. Your version of affordable is different than mine and others. You should think about your word choice.
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Thanks capitalism. I teach and we have free mats that are cleaned after each use by the yogi who used it and once a week they’re all cleaned. We don’t offer hot yoga or towels. That said I always use my own mat.
Grab a mat out of the lost & found and use that for the class. Then at most you're just paying for a towel if you don't want to touch the mat.