How to Do Yoga Without Going Broke
Good strategies for unrolling your mat without spending a centime (or 30) in Paris
Yoga and meditation can be affordable, inexpensive and from time to time even FREE with a little advance planning and some clever tricks. Our best tips below.
Free yoga with fitness and yoga brands
Nike, Lululemon, Yoga Searcher, Circle Sportswear and other brands occasionally offer free sessions in their showrooms, in unique locations and outdoors. It’s their way of showcasing their new gear, letting you try it out… and with any luck, turning you into a loyal fan.
FYI: meet-ups are generally announced online, on social media, via newsletter and apps (Nike Training Club, for example) and some sessions have to be reserved in advance. Plan ahead!
Free and low-cost yoga during Open Houses
Many studios organize yearly or twice yearly Portes Ouvertes (i.e. Open House) weekends during which they offer free or low-cost classes. This isn’t the moment to develop a regular practice, obviously, but an occasion to test a new style or teacher, and discover a new studio with low financial risk.
FYI: From a pragmatic angle, these Open Houses are also an opportunity to take advantage of class card discounts and membership deals.
Affordable yoga with a Community Class
In many cases, a Community class will be taught by recent teacher training graduates or new teachers who are beginning their career and looking to sharpen their skill set. As the name implies, these Community classes are open to the entire community and are therefore designed for all levels of yogis.
FYI: It isn’t because a teacher lacks experience that he/she/they are not competent! On the contrary, new teachers are often more sensitive and attentive to what’s happening in the classroom.
“Cours découverte” or “cours d’essai” (exclusively for new students)
Another way to benefit from affordable yoga: look for these types of sessions which enable you to “discover” a new studio or “try out” another. These classes are often one-per-customer style and sold in studio (not online). The jackpot, if you can find it, is a New Student Special which will bundle a few classes together for a good price.
Stage/échange d’énergie aka work-study aka work-exchange
If you have more time than money, a work-exchange situation can be a great solution to the yoga-is-too-expensive conundrum. You trade hours of work—at the desk, distributing fliers, doing chores or cleaning, community management—for hours of classes.
TWO PARIS STUDIOS THAT ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR INTERESTED YOGIS
Do you have any other advice for doing yoga without spending a fortune? Aside from YouTube channels and the occasional Instagram live, are there other resources you use to practice without going broke?