Choose the right workshop for your studio.
Ideas for yoga workshops are endless, but first the studio owner must make sure she has a good idea for her particular studio. According to Lisa Mae Osborne, co-owner of Bhaktishop, a yoga studio in Portland, Oregon, "nothing is more depressing for all involved than a workshop with two people in it, especially for the teacher." If your studio follows the teachings of one branch of yoga, a good workshop will be in line with those teachings, or provide a clear complement to them.
Therapeutic Workshops
A workshop could focus on deep backbends.
One popular idea is to design a workshop focusing on a specific area of the body. Amrita, a yoga studio in Portland, Oregon, presents many such workshops. Recent offerings included two-hour sessions on neck and upper back; hips and pelvis; and core strength/posture.
Philosophy Workshops
A workshop could introduce students to Ganesha, and other Hindu gods.
Rather than work on the physical body, some students might want to spend workshop time digging into yogic texts. Yoga Kula, a studio in Berkeley, offers a whole curriculum of yoga philosophy. Choices include "Vedanta: Seeing the Oneness of Being Beyond Illusions," and "Tantra: the Wheel of Divine Energy."
Fusion Workshops
Be sure your students know what they're getting into.
Often studios like to introduce something different to their students. It could be a less well known aspect of yoga, a fusion like yoga and Pilates or yoga dance, or anything else that would interest students. Jenny Gallagher, a yoga teacher in Portland, Oregon, stresses the importance of letting your students know what they're getting into. According to Gallagher, "participants feel a workshop is successful when they understand what to expect. Marketing should be clear on what the workshop will include, such as if it's just poses, or meditation, and the required level of experience."
Workshop Travel
Consider a yoga vacation.
Sometimes yoga studios or individual teachers sponsor yoga retreats and workshops in faraway places. Costa Rica, Bali and Hawaii are all popular yoga destinations. Places like Kalani Oceanside Retreat in Hawaii sponsor all types of workshops throughout the year.
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