when love and light become a way to silence the truth

A few days ago, I anonymously wrote a post in the Pilates and yoga forums about my experience working at a yoga studio in QC and how I felt that its compensation for teachers was inadequate. I opened the discussion in the hopes of learning about the experiences of other co-teachers and instructors and whether they feel they are being adequately compensated by the studios they work at.

To me, this was a simple exercise of free speech (which all of us have the right to) and, of course, an opportunity to advocate for those who feel they are not well compensated and maybe create a list of studio compensation practices so that prospective instructors can make a sound choice about where they teach, and perhaps even weed out seemingly predatory studios. I did not wish to criticize or “cancel” any studios, as one commenter put it, and frankly, I don’t care if some might interpret the motivation behind the post as such. My concern was never with individual studio owners but with compensation practices that deserve greater scrutiny.

I was glad that many yoga and Pilates instructors were brave enough to come forward and share their experiences. Some reported receiving only a measly ~P300 (priced at P1k per head) in compensation for a class of 1–5 students. Some even went so far as to report that they were given only around P150 for a group class (priced at P1,000 per head) and P300 for a private class worth P2,000. Now, a good journalist would go as far as confirming the stories of these teachers. While I am not a journalist, I recognize the importance of verifying these accounts. Some instructors shared payment records supporting the amounts they reported, although these individual accounts should not be mistaken for a comprehensive picture of the industry.

Thankfully, I received most of the replies through private messages, as I am sure they would have sparked more controversy among anonymous commenters whose recurring question was: “Why did you accept the offer in the first place?”

I think there are obvious answers to this question, no? The first is that some of these teachers who came forward are new to the industry. In other words, they may prioritize the hands-on experience of working with clients over compensation, especially when they are just starting out. Second, well, in my case, I wanted to help out the studio I worked at since it was new (and apparently thriving as another commenter put it) and, at that time, seemed promising. I did bring up to management that I found their compensation lacking. I waited six months to see whether they would improve their system (they do charge P600–P1,000 per head, so I felt confident that my negotiated compensation was doable and fair to both the studio and the instructor). When they failed to deliver on my negotiated rate, I resigned. 

But the more important question is this: does accepting a compensation arrangement mean we lose the right to question its fairness later? Surely not. Agreements can be entered into voluntarily and still deserve reconsideration, particularly when the people involved have different levels of experience and bargaining power. Having taught abroad, I have encountered studios with clearer compensation structures, including established base rates that account for an instructor's experience. In the Philippines, however, I have found it difficult to identify a comparable, widely recognized standard, so instructors may have limited benchmarks against which to evaluate an offer. The point is, if you are hiring freelance teachers at your studio and charging clients P600–P1,000 per head, instructors should be able to ask how their compensation is determined, what factors influence it, and whether the arrangement fairly reflects their expertise and responsibilities. Transparency benefits both teachers and studios because it establishes clearer expectations from the beginning.

The most disappointing part about some commenters (whom I assume are also yoga/Pilates instructors) is that, instead of engaging in a more dignified, objective discourse on the matter, they shifted the discussion away from compensation and toward my supposed failure to embody the values expected of a yoga teacher. Heartbreakingly, some even went so far as to twist yogic philosophy, such as ahimsa, or non-violence, seemingly implying, “How dare you speak out about this? You should know better and practice non-violence,” as though raising concerns about compensation were somehow incompatible with being a yoga teacher.

I find these arguments misplaced. Non-violence does not mean remaining silent in the face of practices we believe are unfair, nor does it mean avoiding uncomfortable conversations. If anything, yoga also teaches satya, or truthfulness, which encourages us to confront uncomfortable realities with honesty. Of course, truthfulness should be practiced with care, and criticism should not become an excuse to humiliate or harm others. But neither should non-violence become an excuse to discourage legitimate questions about working conditions. Likewise, advocating for transparency is not the same as participating in cancel culture. I deliberately chose not to name the studio because my intention was never to publicly shame or punish anyone. I simply wanted to understand whether other instructors shared similar experiences and to encourage a broader discussion about fair compensation practices. Reducing this discussion to questions of kindness, positivity, and non-violence is, to me, a form of gross tone policing when those appeals are used to dismiss the substance of the concern. It shifts attention away from the actual issue and toward whether the person raising it is behaving in a way others consider sufficiently compassionate. Surely, we can advocate for fair compensation without being accused of abandoning the principles of yoga, right?

To my fellow teachers and my students, I encourage you not to be afraid to speak your truth (even when it makes others uncomfortable) and to be discerning about matters like this when called for. And to the studios, I think it's high time we worked toward clearer, more consistent base rates for instructors, with fair compensation structures that benefit both teachers and businesses.

P.S. For those asking, a 60/40 compensation split is feasible for many studios that advocate for fair pay. Alternatively, an P800 base rate with a maximum of P1k–P1.5k is also reasonable. For context, the studio I taught at offered mat-based classes only, charged P600–P1,000 per student, and had no lockers or shower rooms. The AC was not used during most classes, and I believe students paid extra to rent mats.