Pricing on a Sliding Scale

We are committed to lowering the financial barrier to wellness by providing a sliding scale membership, pay-what-you-can drop in rates and packages that do not expire for a whole year.

Sliding Scale

“Sliding Scale fees are variable prices for products, services, or taxes based on a customer's ability to pay”

We quite like this definition from Wikipedia because whether a sliding scale approach is new to you, or if you’re familiar with the community-based concept, let’s dig a little deeper into it together.

Sliding Scale pricing was a concept introduced to me by my website designer, Raudhah Rahman, who learned from her mentor, Michelle C. Johnson. The incredible branding strategist we worked with, Emmy Singer, also uses a sliding scale for her work.

It was through these experiences that I realized how impactful and helpful this structure was for me, even being so closely proximate to power, and how beneficial this structure could be for a yoga studio. 

Through more dialogue, research and financial scenario running, I realized this was more than, “oh, this would be so cool if we could…”. This was simply the way forward. So, if you are like me and being introduced to a sliding scale approach for the first time, welcome. I’m really excited you’re here.

For example, depending upon your generational wealth, you could be sending money to family, eating up some of that expendable income that would traditionally be saved for yourself. You could also have quite a lot of student loan debt, taking thousands out of your what-could-be expendable income each month, all while bringing in a 6-figure salary that looks better on paper than it feels. Maybe you are single handedly supporting a family on your own salary, so family’s needs will always come before your own.

These are not uncommon scenarios, but they are unfortunately scenarios that keep individuals from taking care of themselves.

So let’s take a tour of our pricing.

Our unlimited memberships are structured on a sliding scale. Choose the tier that works for you and know you are never stuck.

  • The Community Price is $95 for an unlimited monthly membership. This tier is for folks who don’t have an abundance of expendable income. Generational wealth is not your experience but supporting a family on your own single salary is.

    Perhaps you support a family on your single salary. Or, your job pays you a lot of money, but you paid way more to go to school for said job.

    If paying any more than $95/month for a membership would be detrimental to your monthly financial health, this is where you belong, and we’re happy you’re here.

    If you would have to forego necessities like groceries, loan payments or familial support, look no further than this tier.

  • The Sustainer Price is $125 for an unlimited monthly membership. This middle ground is perfect if you do not feel fully represented in either the Community Price or the Supporter Price.

    Using Worts & Cunning’s price description, this price is perfect for you if you have access to steady income and are not spending most of your time thinking about meeting basic needs like food, shelter, medical care, child care, etc. It does not mean that you aren’t actively working toward conquering debt or building savings, but consistent income is your lived experience.

    This tier can also mean that you may have access to generational wealth or the ability to ask family or a partner for financial support, and we would greatly appreciate you using those resources before using the scale, as it can limit the opportunity for others to do so.

  • The Supporter Price is $155 for an unlimited monthly membership. This is the true value of the membership.

    In the absence of a sliding scale, this would be the cost for access to some of the most incredible teachers in the city, thoughtful and intentional amenities and a supportive community.

    If your income is stable, your anxieties rarely, if ever, revolve around financial security and can pay for “wants” on a consistent basis, this price is for you.

    This price reflects the fact that you not only understand your proximity to power and your economic privilege in society, but it also reflects your understanding of the importance of paying this price. This price allows the other prices to exist, and that will never be taken for granted by me.

Our class packages do not expire for an entire year. Flexibility for your schedule & your wallet.

  • We will always remind you when your package runs out, and we will always communicate honestly with you if a membership makes more financial sense based on your attendance.

  • We are here to offer you the best option for you, not the best option for us. Because the best option for us is whatever allows us to share space with you.

  • Class packs that don’t expire leaves you time and flexibility to take classes as your schedule allows.

Our drop-in rate allows you to pay what you can while still supporting the teachers financially. 

& a gift card offers flexibility when decisions just cannot be made.

  • If a monthly membership does not serve you, we have drop-in options as well as class packages. Our drop-in rate is a sliding scale from $11 to $27, allowing you to pay what you can while still supporting the teacher financially.

There is a financial barrier to wellness that we are committed to lowering, as much as we can while still compensating teachers, paying rent and maintaining a space fit enough for all of you to share.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • A helpful way to look at this scale is through a lens used by Little Red Bird Botanicals. Their website states that for a sliding scale to be implemented effectively, everyone pays a similar percentage of their income for the same products or services.

    If you’ve found yourself asking, “How is this fair if I pay more but receive the same?”, that is the answer.

    Because in theory, you are all paying the same compared to what you can afford, and taking into account what everyone can afford sparks greater, more necessary conversations about accessibility.

  • A blog post from 2015 (which tells us that this idea is not new) by Alexis J. Cunningfolk of Worts & Cunning Apothecary states that “for a sliding scale to work, it relies on the principles of truthfulness, respect for complexity, and accountability.

    The Coterie does not ask for income verification. I trust my students and clients to be honest. Community thrives when accountability is a central value, because that is where trust grows and depth work can be done.

    Teachers deserve to get paid and students deserve classes, which recognize the multiple realities of economic access and privilege that exist.”There was no way that I could have written that any better myself.

    The Coterie trusts you to be honest, with both us and with yourself. This studio is built and named after the idea of community, and at the core of community, there is trust.

    The balance of the blog post is incredibly insightful and offers amazing tools to understand where you fall within the sliding scale price structure.

  • After reading through each price, know that this is not a forever decision. Like one of our teachers and a mentor of mine, Kiesha Battles says, “you are never stuck”. That applies here as well.

    You are financially stable, for now. You have debt, for now. Your life ebbs and flows, and we understand that.

    Never feel stuck or uncomfortable speaking with me if and when things change.

    Jillian Longsworth, the owner of Noda Yoga, once wrote that the studio is not accessible unless the owner is. That has stuck with me for a very long time, and I couldn't agree more.

    As the studio owner, I am accessible at any time to discuss any thing. Please know that I am a resource without judgment or expectation.

    The Coterie is simply honored that you are here, willing and open to be flexible with you so that you can be here.