What is Yoga by Donation? Yoga and the teachings of liberation are priceless. They have been passed down from teacher to student for thousands of years without charge. In this spirit, all of the classes at the Brooklyn Yoga School are offered solely by donation. It is left to each student to decide what to give in exchange for class. This helps to keep the classes affordable for students of varying financial situations. It is also a practice in itself of re-evaluating our relationship to the economic system: with no mandatory fee it is at the students discretion to assign value to the programs and take it on themselves to decide what is "their money's worth".

How does BYS keep it's doors open? YOU. We rely exclusively on the generosity of the community to support the operational expenses of the center and its teachers. There are no financial backers, no investors. This means that every dollar you donate (or don't donate, as the case may be) significantly impacts our ability to stay open and offer our services. "Yoga by Donation" does not mean free -- without your support, our door cannot stay open.

What is the average donation per class? There is a huge range of what students donate per class. We receive anywhere from $1 to $20, sometimes more, sometimes less. There is a minimum of $5 per class, but this is only enforced by the honor system. Right now we barely make enough money each month to cover our expenses. Sadly, this is because many students do not honor the $5 minimum per class, or only donate the minimum amount out of habit. We ask that when you attend class at BYS, that you not only honor the minimum donation, but honestly consider how much beyond that you can donate. An average yoga class in NYC costs roughly $20. Even to donate half of that amount is a phenomenal deal, and more than enough money to sustain BYS in an ongoing way! "By being generous -- not only with material things but also with your time, your energy, your forgiveness, your willingness to be fair and just with other people -- you create a good world in which to live." - Thanissaro Bhikkhu

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