Yoga and Accountability: How Paying for Yoga may actually make you do it.

How many times have you signed up for a free online yoga program and then never thought about it again?

Have you been wanting to cultivate a regular everyday yoga practice but are finding it near impossible to hold yourself accountable and actually do it?

Do you want to cultivate a regular yoga practice but are struggling with accountability? Paying for yoga might be the answer- there’s even evidence to back it up.

When there is an infinite number of free online resources you *could * use to cultivate a regular yoga practice, there's no accountability or urgency. What’s the drive when you could practice any time and there is no consequence when you don’t?

It is a proven fact that individuals feel compelled to use products they’ve paid for to avoid feeling that they’ve wasted their money. This is known as the sunk-cost effect. (J. T. Gourville, 2022, Harvard Business Review) While this may sound like consumerist fuelled rhetoric, there is a flip side. We can actually use this psychological phenomenon to our advantage in achieving our goals, whether it be in yoga or in life. 

By investing in something financially, whether it be big or small, we actually increase our likelihood of benefiting from it. Whether it be a therapist, a coach, a personal trainer, or yoga, by funding our goals we are actually more likely to achieve them. 

So- have you been holding yourself back by opting out of paid services that could help you excel in your goals? If so, it may be worth reconsidering.