Business Essentials for Yoga Entrepreneurs

Becoming an effective yoga teacher requires more than knowledge of poses and philosophy. As a contractor, you are your own business, and thus to thrive as a teacher in the modern world requires knowledge of business and entrepreneurship.

This 2-day Business Essentials intensive focuses on the development of business skills while staying connected to the principles of yoga. Through the lens of authentic service, we explore the practical challenges of building a sustainable teaching career: moving beyond the traditional studio model, diversifying offerings, and building community in ways that honor yoga’s depth.

Led by Ava Taylor—industry pioneer, talent manager, and founder of YAMA Talent—this intensive blends Yoga Alliance’s Business Essentials requirements with her Master the Big Four framework: Marketing, Operations, Financial Management, and Strategy. With clear guidance and practical exercises, you’ll gain confidence in navigating contracts, pricing, and promotion while staying rooted in ethics and inclusivity.

This training is part of Embodied Philosophy’s 200-Hour YTT and also open to all yoga teachers and wellness professionals who want to one-off purchase Day 1, Day 2, or both.

Ava Taylor is an avid yogi and a tenacious, creative entrepreneur. As the founder of YAMA Talent, Ava optimizes yoga businesses through her ability to strategically discern the strengths and opportunities of her clients and through her understanding of each business owner's unique position in the market. She is the go-to strategist for yoga business owners looking to get their businesses to the next level. Known for clarifying both purpose and direction for her clients and for instilling the confidence needed to get there.

Her personal mission is to bring the tools of yoga and wellness to communities of all kinds. Throughout her career Taylor has collaborated with over 1,000 yoga teachers, studio owners, and brands around the globe. She has transformed what was previously a mom-and-pop industry with a professional infrastructure she pioneered for booking, artist management, and consultation. This earned her a remarkable reputation for helping yoga business owners expand and succeed.

Taylor is a sought-out contributor in the media, known for having unparalleled market knowledge, access to key players, and the inside track on the latest in data and trends. She holds a degree in intercultural communication from Pepperdine University. She has held senior roles in marketing, operations, and sales as well as running her own business for well over a decade.

She has been featured in the New York Times and has sat on the board of advisors for the Z Living television network and the Lineage Project. As a Yoga Alliance CEU provider, Ava conducted crisis management during the COVID-19 pandemic and was the lead contributor for the EKA Business Support Services initiative with the Yoga Alliance Foundation. Taylor co-produced the annual yoga garden at the White House during the Obama administration and both of the yoga classes in Central Park with over 10,000 attendees.

Based in New York City, she travels the world doing yoga with her clients and community as often as she can.