16
Jan
2026
Yogipreneurship, Service, and the Future of Yoga Education
In a recent episode of the Yoga Inspiration Podcast, Kino MacGregor sat down with Andrew Tanner of The American Yoga Council to explore a topic many yoga teachers are quietly grappling with: how to build a sustainable life in yoga without losing integrity, depth, or connection to the practice itself.
Andrew describes himself as a yogipreneur, a term that often brings mixed reactions in the yoga world. For some, business and yoga feel inherently at odds. Yet, as Andrew explains, the root of any meaningful yoga-based livelihood is not hustle or branding, but service. The most enduring yoga offerings exist because they meet a real need, support people in tangible ways, and help practitioners find their way onto the mat.
In the conversation, Kino and Andrew unpack why so many teachers feel stretched right now. Since around 2017, the growth of yoga has slowed, and familiar business models no longer function the way they once did. Teaching more classes, opening more studios, or relying on traditional certification pathways has not necessarily led to sustainability. Instead, teachers are being asked to think more clearly about how they serve their communities and what problems their offerings genuinely help solve.
This naturally leads to a deeper conversation about education, standards, and trust. Andrew shares how his years of experience as a teacher, studio owner, and educator revealed fundamental flaws in one-size-fits-all accreditation systems. Measuring training by hours alone does little to communicate what a teacher actually knows, how they teach, or what lineage they represent.
Out of this realization, the American Yoga Council was born. Rather than imposing uniform standards, the American Yoga Council is built around competency-based evaluation, lineage transparency, and mentorship. Schools define what they teach, graduates are assessed on real skills and knowledge, and teachers are held accountable to ethical standards that reflect their training and tradition.
For Kino, this approach resonates deeply with the way yoga has been transmitted for generations: through relationship, apprenticeship, and lived practice over time. Both agree that trust is the most valuable currency in yoga education. Trust between teacher and student, trust in lineage, and trust in the systems that support the profession. Without trust, yoga risks becoming diluted. With it, the practice can continue to evolve with integrity.
The conversation ultimately returns to a shared understanding that yoga is not meant to be rushed. Teaching, learning, and leadership in yoga require patience, humility, and long-term commitment. When yogipreneurship is rooted in service and supported by thoughtful structures, it becomes a way to sustain both the teacher and the tradition.
If these reflections resonate with you, listen to the full conversation on the Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor and Andrew Tanner, where these ideas are explored in greater depth.
