Yoga Talent Agencies are Here to Stay - YAMA: Ruler of the Departed

Yama, who died first and
spied on the after life
The promotion of yoga for money is here to stay. I guess it's about time.

A little more than a year ago YAMA "Yoga Artist Management Agency" opened its doors.  Its owner, Ava Taylor: "can contact every yoga teacher of significance on the planet in about an hour"

Yama in Indian mythology is the God of Death, "ruler of the departed". The name is right on target here because there is a "departed".  


The business of yoga as we know it is totally changing.  

Within the last two decades we have seen the raise of the yoga teacher super-star. Within the last ten many high-profile-yoga-teachers  also started to Tweet, have Facebook pages and YouTube channels. They write for a variety of publications, and offer information in solid websites.

The second "A" in YAMA stands for "artist" but the agency actually strives to provide more than what an acting agency would, i.e.:  services that could very well be included in any teacher training. I have yet to hear of a YTT program that includes an effective (if at all) path for work after graduation. A way for students to teach and live from their passion.

In my own teacher training, the chapter on how to start a teaching career (how much to charge for classes, find students, develop a business) consisted mostly of a one-on-one, 5-minute conversation during a break. Between anatomy and philosophy. I loved my YTT, is just that this important piece was missing.

YAMA lists about 43 yoga teachers (artists?) as its represented yogis and includes names I promptly recognize like Duncan Wong and Sadie Nardini.

Then Leslie Kaminoff , co-author of "Yoga Anatomy", was quoted saying that:

"Even with three decades of experience as a teacher, he was not sure how to value his products and services in the current marketplace"

I relate.  Yoga is one of those passions where we all know we need money to eat but sometimes feel it is not cool to recognize it.  The being "in" the world but "not off it" might work in a cave but not in New York City. At least not at the supermarket checkout line. Come to think of it might not even work in a cave.

Many people disagree with promoting yoga, I respect different opinions but my line of thought is different.

Kurmasana
I think that Krishnamacharya (The fore father of all yogas today) doing dramatic demonstrations (like suspending his pulse, stopping his heart, turning on and off the lights of the Mysore palace with wires attached to his head -read his grandson-) is promotion.

Or Pattabhi Jois (father of Ashanga Yoga) standing on Saraswati -his daughter- while she was in kurmasana at age 10, while lecturing for an hour (check the Guruji book), is pretty much advertising.

The agent may have changed form, but that was a way to promote.

YAMA had a full article in the Sunday Times yesterday and I have a feeling they are here to stay. Yama (the God) has departed, spied on the future, and returned as a Yoga Talent Agent.

Read the full article at the New York Times


5 comments:

  1. UnknownMarch 21, 2011 at 8:41 AM

    The ins and outs of the yoga business -- taxes, rates, marketing, etc... -- seems to be an element missing from most YTT programs. The program I attended certainly lacked information in this area, which left my fellow graduates and I feeling lost and uncertain as we dispersed to try and make it as teachers.

    On the one hand, it can be difficult to know what to charge for our services, since the services we provide are not easily defined. On the other hand, I generally follow the rule to charge as little as possible while still allowing myself enough to get by.

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  2. BoodibaMarch 21, 2011 at 8:51 AM

    Some of the bios on there make me LOL, but whatever. To each their own. Just as in all aspects of popular culture, there are varying degrees of... catering to the masses. There's a top 40 in everything!

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  3. ClaudiaMarch 21, 2011 at 9:10 AM

    Megan, I see I was not the only one then, and I appreciate your comment. Your view is very balanced, charging so that the exchange of value benefits both parts is a good rule.

    Boodiba, I actually only knew the three mentioned... and you are quite right, there are various degrees of catering and making yoga reach everyone, I suppose we will see more and more of this, and it might be a good thing...

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  4. BoodibaMarch 21, 2011 at 9:23 AM

    I'm all for teachers being able to pay their rents! But of course there's a big difference between a run of the mill, 200 hour certificate and - say - ten trips to India, a long apprenticeship with a master, ten years or more teaching experience and maybe ivy league study of and fluency in different periods of Sanskrit.

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  5. ClaudiaMarch 21, 2011 at 9:28 AM

    Absolutely, there are different levels of expertise!

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