December can quietly make or break the year ahead for a yoga teacher. Most teachers drift through the month, tell themselves “January will be huge”, then arrive in the first week of the new year feeling tired, underprepared and anxious about money and class numbers.
You do not need a frantic December to fix that.
You need intentional December actions that line your business up for a steadier, more easeful year.
This workshop walks you through practical December actions for yoga teachers that will help you protect your energy, stabilise your income, welcome new students wisely and set your 2026 offers up to thrive.
Use what fits. Leave what does not. The whole point is that your yoga business feels aligned with you.
Begin with the most important question: what do you need?
Before you touch your calendar, ask yourself two simple questions:
- How do I want December to feel in my body and in my home?
- How do I want to feel in January when I come back to teaching properly?
If you need deep rest, your December actions will be all about ringfencing time off and using a few smart offers to replace lost income.
If you are craving structure and clarity, you may feel excited to use December for planning, tidying your numbers and pre-scheduling your marketing.
There is no single “right” way for yoga teachers to use December. The only unhelpful path is copying what other teachers seem to be doing and ignoring your own needs.
Anchor your business planning in how you want to feel. Everything else is strategy.
Step 1: Decide your time off and replace income intelligently
You already know certain in person classes will not run. Community classes on Christmas Day are unlikely. Christmas Eve is usually quiet. Many venues close. Class numbers drop across late December and early January as people travel, go to parties and get sick.
Instead of feeling resentful or panicked, treat this as data.
- Look back over the last couple of years.
- What did you actually earn in the last two weeks of December and first two weeks of January?
- What was the average weekly income from regular classes in that period?
- What did you actually earn in the last two weeks of December and first two weeks of January?
- Decide what time off you genuinely want.
- Is it one week, two weeks, three weeks, four weeks?
- Choose the rhythm that suits your energy, not what you “should” do.
- Is it one week, two weeks, three weeks, four weeks?
- Calculate the income you would lose.
- Use real numbers, not imagined disaster.
- Often those weeks are already lower than normal.
- Use real numbers, not imagined disaster.
Once you know the approximate shortfall, you can decide how to replace it with fewer, higher value offerings.
Pop up events that can replace several weeks of classes
Here are some options that work well for yoga businesses in December:
1. A festive “party class” or special workshop
For example:
- A 90 minute or two hour Christmas themed class
- Playful sequencing, maybe poetry or storytelling
- Mince pies or hot drinks afterwards
- Priced as a special event, not a regular class
One well priced event in a decent sized venue can sometimes replace one or two weeks of normal class income. It also feels like a celebration rather than a grind.
2. A winter solstice or pre Christmas day retreat
If you have the student base and venue:
- Half day or full day
- Strong rest, reflection and ritual focus
- Nourishing food, journalling or nidrā style practices
- Higher price point, so one day can cover several weeks of missed classes
This works well if you prefer to take a longer break over Christmas and New Year.
3. Twixmas offerings between Christmas and New Year
If you do not feel a strong need to take that whole week off, this period can be gold:
- People are tired of sitting around
- They crave movement, nature and different company
- They are often still off work
Ideas:
- A 90 minute class followed by a guided group walk
- A “Reset before the New Year” restorative workshop
- Gentle morning yoga with tea and quiet time
Even one or two of these can cover a chunk of lost class income while giving people exactly what they are craving in that strange in between week.
Step 2: Create gift vouchers and actual gift packages
December is also the month where partners, friends and family are trying to buy presents for your students. A plain “yoga gift voucher” works, but it rarely feels special.
Instead of only offering a generic voucher, create a few curated packages that are easy to understand and genuinely desirable.
For example:
- Deep Rest Session
One to one restorative or sound based session, herbal tea, raw chocolate and a short guided meditation. - Reset for the Overwhelmed One
A stronger, more dynamic one to one session plus a short breathwork practice to take home. - New Year Intention Session
A one to one focused on intention setting, simple meditation and journalling, including a journal and eye pillow the student takes home.
You can still back these with your normal gift voucher system, but you are presenting them as thoughtful, specific experiences. This helps people feel they have chosen something personal rather than a last minute voucher.
You can then also offer a simple “not sure what they would like” voucher as a backup.
Step 3: Clean up your financials and complete your tax return early
December is a powerful month to clear the mental clutter around money and tax.
Instead of dragging your self assessment into late January when classes are busy and your energy is low, choose an earlier deadline:
- Decide now which week in early or mid December you will complete your tax return.
- Put it in your diary as a non negotiable appointment.
- Promise yourself a specific reward when it is submitted.
Doing it earlier gives you time to:
- Gather any missing receipts or invoices
- Review training costs you may have forgotten
- Check mileage or travel that should be classed as business expense
- Ask your accountant clear questions without panic
Starting the new year knowing your tax return is done and your numbers are clear gives you a very different energetic foundation for your yoga business.
Step 4: Map your 2026 calendar and secure key venues
One of the most impactful December actions for yoga teachers is to zoom out and plan your bigger offers for the coming year.
You might map:
- Day retreats
- Weekend retreats
- Workshops
- Seasonal or celestial events
- Special themed classes
Look across the calendar for:
- Solstices and equinoxes
- Wheel of the Year points
- Full and new moons, if that is part of your work
- Valentines, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day
- Local school holidays
Then ask:
- Which of these do I want to hold space for?
- Which ones land on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays when I like to run events?
- Which venues do I need to secure now before someone else books them?
Once you have rough dates:
- Confirm your venues for 2026 as far ahead as possible.
- Create the event pages on your website even if you will not actively market them for a while.
- Allow “trickle in bookings” from your keenest students.
A simple lead time guide:
- Workshops or pop up classes: start active marketing about 6 weeks prior
- Day retreats: about 3 months prior
- Weekend retreats: about 6 months prior
- Retreats abroad: 9 to 12 months prior
If the events are already on your site, you can quietly receive bookings while you get on with your life.
Step 5: Review your prices and decide on any January increase
January is a very natural time to implement a price increase for yoga classes, workshops or retreats. The mistake many teachers make is postponing the decision, worrying about it through December, then talking themselves out of it.
Instead:
- Decide now whether you will increase any prices in January.
- Run the numbers calmly while you are not rushed.
- Update your website and booking systems ahead of time.
- Let students know clearly and simply that prices will change in January.
You do not need to over justify normal price rises. Costs increase for everyone. A concise message such as “From January, class prices will be X” is enough.
If you prefer to raise prices less often but by a slightly larger amount, that is also valid. The key December action is to decide and implement, rather than ruminate.
Step 6: Pre schedule key marketing for 2026
This is where your future self will genuinely want to hug you.
Once you have:
- Your main 2026 events mapped
- Venues secured
- Webpages created
You can use December to schedule a significant amount of marketing in advance, especially for recurring offerings.
For example, if you know you will run the same style of restorative workshop or kīrtana several times a year, your structure might be identical each time:
- An email announcement 6 weeks before
- A reminder email 1 to 2 weeks before
- A couple of social media posts around the same time
You can:
- Duplicate previous emails
- Update dates, times and links
- Schedule everything in your email platform and social scheduler
In a focused week in December, you can line up a full year of foundational marketing for your core offers. When you reach those months, you are no longer scrambling. You can add spontaneous posts or stories around what is already in place.
This is one of the most powerful December actions to reduce decision fatigue in your yoga business.
Step 7: Design how you will welcome and retain January beginners
January does tend to bring an influx of curious students. The difference between a constantly rebuilding business and a steadily growing one is how you handle that influx.
Rather than simply opening the doors and hoping they stick, design a clear path.
Options include:
1. A January beginners course
- Start in week three of January, not week one
- Give people time to have the “I should start yoga” thought
- Then see your marketing, book, arrange childcare or transport and show up
- Run it as a short, clear container that feeds into your ongoing classes
2. A beginners or returners workshop
Not everyone can commit to a course. A one off workshop can:
- Reintroduce lapsed students who feel nervous about returning
- Offer a confidence building space before they join mixed level classes
3. A first class offer followed by a three class new student bundle
The goal is not just a full first class, it is consistency.
You might:
- Offer a free or discounted first class if you have space
- Follow up with a special three class bundle valid for three consecutive weeks
- Use simple, warm messages before and after that first class to encourage attendance
By the time a student has attended four sessions, they have usually felt enough change to stay. Design your January pathway with that in mind.
Step 8: Protect your energy with conscious boundaries
December actions are not only about doing more. They are also about deciding what you will not do.
Healthy December boundaries for yoga teachers might include:
- Saying no to last minute collaborations that do not fit your focus
- Refusing to work every evening in exchange for minimal income
- Limiting social media time while your pre scheduled content goes out
- Holding clear rest blocks in your diary that you treat as sacred
Your business is here to support your life and your teaching, not to consume both.
When you use December to honour your own needs, clean your numbers, map your year and create smarter offers rather than more hustle, you begin January with energy, clarity and a realistic plan.
RELATED: Get Back on Track – 5 Top Tips to Reinvigorate Your Yoga Business
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Conclusion: December is not a slow month. It is a leverage month.
How you spend this one month can set the tone for your entire year as a yoga teacher.
Choose rest where you need it. Choose strategy where it serves you. Choose to treat your work with the same loving attention you offer to your students’ practice.
Move well now and January rises to meet you.
