7 Trends Clients Are Looking for at Your Yoga Studio

The boutique fitness industry has significantly evolved since the COVID-19 pandemic. From prioritizing mental wellness to utilizing technology to achieve goals, client behavior continues to shift regarding fitness behavior and expectations. 

In the yoga space, studios continue to adapt to evolve to meet their community's changing demands, interests, and needs while maintaining traditional principles and practices of yoga. So what are the current trends in yoga, and how can you build them into your business model?

Virtual Yoga

With the prioritization of technology, more and more yoga studios have been able to offer virtual classes. This trend has been accelerated by the pandemic, which has made it necessary for many yoga studios to adapt their classes and experiences to an online, livestream format, making flexibility and convenience two key factors for their clients. 

• ‍Convenience: One of the most significant benefits of virtual yoga is convenience. Clients can practice from the comfort of their homes, saving time and money and making it easier to fit yoga into a busy schedule.‍
• Variety: With virtual yoga, your clients have access to a wide variety of classes and teachers via your online studio library, empowering them to try different styles of yoga and find the classes and instructors that work best for them.‍
• Privacy: Some people may feel self-conscious practicing yoga in a group setting. Virtual yoga allows participants to practice in the privacy of their homes, making it easier for them to focus on their flow without feeling self-conscious.‍
• Accessibility: Virtual yoga can be a great option for people with mobility issues—and enables your studio to reach a new client demographic of students who live in areas without yoga studios.
  

Hybrid Classes

Some yoga studios offer hybrid classes combining in-person and virtual instruction and experiences, allowing clients to attend classes in the studio or online. Hybrid classes are popular because they provide flexibility and the best of both worlds. Plus, Walla’s hybrid functionality lets you price and sell hybrid plans easily with credits!

Flexibility: Hybrid classes offer the flexibility to attend in-person classes when possible while still having the option to participate virtually when needed. And with the ability to price classes with credits on Walla, you can allow clients to maintain a consistent practice, even when their schedule, budget, or circumstances change. 

Safety and variety: Hybrid classes can provide a safer option for clients who may be hesitant to attend in-person classes due to concerns about COVID-19 or other health issues allowing them to decide where and how they want to practice—and with what instructor!

Yoga Therapy

Yoga therapy is an emerging trend in the yoga industry. Yoga therapy involves using yoga practices and principles to help manage or alleviate various physical and mental health conditions. Some yoga studios now offer yoga therapy sessions with trained therapists, becoming more popular as people recognize the benefits of yoga beyond their physical practice.

Holistic approach: Yoga therapy takes a holistic approach to health and wellness, focusing on the integration of the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of the individual, encouraging a more comprehensive and practical approach to healing.

Stress reduction: Yoga therapy can have a positive impact on mental health by reducing symptoms of stress, improving mood, and promoting relaxation, influencing overall health and well-being.

Increased self-awareness: Through yoga therapy, individuals can better understand themselves and their bodies. This can lead to greater self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-care.

Wellness Services

Yoga studios can address every element of wellness in-house by providing a range of wellness services. Many yoga studios now offer wellness services such as massage, acupuncture, and nutrition coaching. These services help participants recover faster and prevent injury. 

A comprehensive approach to health: By offering various wellness services such as yoga, meditation, massage, and nutrition counseling, you can provide a comprehensive approach to health and wellbeing. This can help clients address different aspects of their health and achieve their goals more effectively.

Improved mental health: Many wellness services, such as meditation and yoga, have been shown to improve mental health by reducing stress and anxiety, promoting relaxation, and helping clients feel better emotionally, mentally, and physically.

1:1 experiences and attention: Wellness services at your studio, like nutritional counseling and private yoga sessions, offer personalized attention to clients enabling them to achieve their goals more effectively.

Community Outreach

Yoga studios are taking a more active role in their community by offering free or discounted classes, partnering with local organizations to provide yoga as a form of therapy, and hosting volunteer-based events. This trend is becoming more popular as people recognize the benefits of yoga for mental health and well-being and how they can help give back and have a positive, local impact through their studio.

Building relationships: Community outreach allows clients to build relationships with local organizations, businesses, and individuals, leading to greater support and engagement with your studio, as well as opportunities for collaboration and growth.

Creating a sense of belonging: Outreach can instigate a sense of community among your students and staff, as well as with other local organizations and individuals, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment, which is beneficial for overall health and well-being.

Promoting social responsibility: By engaging in community outreach, you demonstrate your commitment to social responsibility and contribute to the greater good. This can attract socially conscious students and staff, enhancing your studio's community reputation.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness practices, such as meditation and pranayama (breathing exercises), are becoming more popular as people recognize the importance of mental health and stress reduction in overall wellness. Yoga studios are incorporating mindfulness practices into their classes to help participants reduce stress and anxiety and to promote overall wellness.

Enhances focus and concentration: Practicing mindfulness can help to improve clients' focus and concentration, both on and off the mat, allowing them to stay present and focused during their yoga practice and in life. 

Promotes emotional well-being: Mindfulness practices can help clients to regulate their emotions and respond more skillfully to difficult situations. Clients can cultivate greater emotional well-being and resilience by learning to observe their thoughts and feelings without judgment.

Personalized Experiences

Many boutique fitness studios offer personalized training and appointments, such as one-on-one sessions or small-group training. Not only does this allow your clients to receive personalized attention and guidance to help achieve their goals, but it also allows your studio to tap into a new revenue-generating, retention-benefiting source that can impact your sales and marketing strategies. 

Individualized attention: In a personalized appointment, clients receive one-on-one attention from a qualified yoga teacher, allowing them to receive customized guidance and support, deepening their practice and progressing at their own pace.

Tailored to specific needs: Appointments can be tailored to client's specific needs, whether they are recovering from an injury, looking to improve flexibility, or seeking stress relief. 

Enhances overall practice: Personalized appointments at your studio can enhance clients' overall yoga practice by helping them develop a deeper understanding of yoga and how it can benefit them personally. This can lead to greater confidence, motivation, and commitment to their practice.

Overall, yoga studios continue to evolve and adapt to meet their client's changing needs and interests while maintaining the traditional principles and practices of yoga. Yoga studios can provide a more holistic approach to health and well-being by offering a range of services and classes.