How does one make a living teaching spirituality and meditation?

February 14, 2008 2:01 PM

How does one make a living teaching spirituality and meditation?

Hello hive mind. I have a question for you.

After a recent bout of soul searching, I realized that what I really want to do in life is share my spiritual out look with the world. I would also like to earn a living at doing this. I live and work in New York City and there are a plethora of spiritual centers, but from what I can tell I have one problem. Most if not all of the teachers are well established and have at least one book under there belt. I have not written a book, nor do I want to write a book. I feel that what I have to teach is important and can do a lot of good. What I would like to know, is how a new spiritual/meditation teacher can get there foot in the door and do some good in the world (and make a living at it)…all without having to write a book.

I thank you for your insight.

posted by Stagecraft to work & money (14 comments total)

Assuming your outlook involves compassion and/or helping others, could you combine it with a profession such as counselling, or working as a creative practioner in art/drama therapy, or working in the voluntary sector helping the disenfranchised? It seems to me sharing your understandings doesn't necessarily entail the traditional set up a dojo-style 'base' of operations and charge people to attend, although eventually you might move towards such a set up. Perhaps you'll be able to reach a lot more people and do a lot more good in the world by putting yourself in a position where you'll be in contact with lots of folks who wouldn't necessarily attend a spiritual centre under their own initiative if you do combine your teaching with something else.
posted by RokkitNite at 2:09 PM on February 14

How do you plan to teach? In premises, in groups, one-to-one, in Central Park?

You're going to have to advertise somehow - craigslist - and in order to advertise you have to be able to make a claim; figure out what that claim in, then place your ad. Tape your first few sessions, then have the results transcribed, and you're well on the way to an easy book.

Just the first thoughts off the top of my head. If this works, can I be John the Baptist or something? Or at least get a cushy place in the circle of Purgatory reserved for virtuous pagans, that'd be sweet.
posted by WPW at 2:14 PM on February 14

There should have been a question mark after the word craigslist in my post.
posted by WPW at 2:15 PM on February 14

Well, it depends on what you want to "share," i.e., make money by doing.

What makes you special that someone can't get it from Dr. Dyer, some random rinpoche, or a Brad Goodman? I think this is the essential first step. What do you want to share? A meditation technique? Your own spiritual path? What makes you the person to share it? Have you reached peace, etc. And after you have that figured out, you move on to sharing.

As for sharing, I would suggest getting a website, a good one. Your competition here won't be too rough because many religious, spiritual websites are just plain awful. The website you set up, if you spend a little money, can set you above the rest. Then, you start podcasts on the subject you want to share, or direct downloads from your site. Market the podcasts for free. Then, write some real kickass articles, post them on your site, and make some really awesome looking pdfs out of them and spread them around. Set up a forum where you answer questions and interact with people. Hold classes once or twice a month for suggested donation in the city. In short, give as much stuff away as you can on your awesome new website. Keep updating every day or few days for ~6 months to a year. Market and network like hell.

Then, after you have a little following, this is when you decide how to branch out and cash in. Could you lead smaller workshops? Could you release mp3s or guided CDs for sale? You'll know because you will know your audience and you'll know what you like to share better. This is the best advice I could give not knowing what exactly you are hoping to "share."
posted by milarepa at 2:16 PM on February 14 [2 favorites]

L Ron Hubbard and Joseph Smith did ok sharing their spiritual outlook, so it's certainly possible.
posted by electroboy at 2:41 PM on February 14 [1 favorite]

You should go to seminary, and there are many in the NYC area, even for general spirituality in and out of the Christian context. I recommend General Theological Seminary and Union Theological Seminary, but there are literally dozens and you can really have your pick. I say you should because a lot of people look to formal pastoral counseling training as a guidepost unless you have the money to start your own retreat. But, I wouldn't just call someone whose ad I saw in Sentient Times.
posted by parmanparman at 2:49 PM on February 14

How does one make a living teaching spirituality and meditation?

Ultimately, the reason people pay money for something is that it solves a problem. What problem does the knowledge you share solve for your students?
posted by winston at 3:07 PM on February 14

In spirituality and meditation there's very little new under the sun: most of the basics were invented in India several thousand years ago. Start by reading some of the classic texts and see what's already known and how the ideas have been presented.

You have to also have to learn and practise first. If someone is trying to capitalize on a special spiritual insight, people will want to know who his teachers were, where he got the ideas, and how long he's been practising meditation himself.
posted by zadcat at 3:25 PM on February 14

In my personal opinion, it is close to impossible to get your foot in the door AND make a living from it at the same time. First you do the hard work of getting your foot in the door and then you gradually make a living from it (if you are both lucky and skilled).
posted by metahawk at 6:50 PM on February 14

How does one make a living teaching spirituality and meditation?

Are you asking primarily because you think this would be a nifty way to make a living? If so, my answer is: Pease don't.

After a recent bout of soul searching, I realized that what I really want to do in life is share my spiritual out look with the world.

I think most people would like to do that. I also think most people don't make that the organizing principle of their lives. People who are truly of spiritual service tend to be so as a secondary concern, as a byproduct of leading exemplary lives. Often they do this while working joe jobs for years, doing their spiritual or artistic work for its own sake until it reaches some sort of critical mass where it, as winston said, is applicable to enough problems for enough people that it becomes marketable.

Great teachers, therapists, and activists engage in reciprocal relationships, being in it for the importance of the work, and their own education as much as that of those they work with. And with would be the operative movement, as opposed to "upon," or whatever. If not, again: please don't. The world doesn't need more gurus. If this is about you, stop now.

Is social service not appealing? Then I second Rokkitnite: consider something more prosaic - pyschotherapy, naturopathy, arts therapy. You'd have to study for these things, but at the end you'd be able to offer something practical which can also be spiritually enriching, and, of course, gratifying and edifying. Note that these more lucrative endeavours involve helping people - and yourself - understand and apply or adapt to established truths and processes, rather than simply hitting them with your mental lightning.

But maybe you do have some real esoteric guidance to offer beyond the normal claptrap, and it's not something I could get by reading Krishnamurti, Chodron, Hesse, or the Tao Te Ching, or by just heading down to my local Shambhala Centre. In this case I assume you've been meditating for a number of years, sit for at least an hour every day, are skilled in various techniques, have an intimate familiarity with a basic canon of texts, practitioners and philosophers, and - maybe, maybe not - engage in intentional physical practice - yoga, or a martial art. You are also willing to eat rice, beans and ramen noodles for five years. If not, once again: please don't.

…all without having to write a book.

No matter what this will involve a number of years' work. I'm going to further assume that you're active in some sort of practical spiritual community, maybe an intellectual one as well, which meet(s) at a relevant interval to further relevant communal goals. What's your relationship with your fellow students? Do you have discussion groups? Classes? Is there an applicable newsletter or email listserv? Do you participate in any of these? This, plus setting up a blog, seems like the best way to figure out what you might have to offer that people find interesting and useful, to find people who might be fellow teachers, and, as you know, also the best way to further your own education.

I know of only one person who did this sort of thing in any sort of genuine way (the alternative, of course, is to be that sort of "teacher" who prattles on in high-falutin', psuedo-scientific language to rich folks about how they can be enlightened without even changing their shopping lists (please don't)). He achieved (last I knew, which was years ago) sustainability for a collectively-run space, but it being a collective endeavour was key. Also, he wasn't getting rich. That wasn't the reason he was doing it. He just wanted to be able to commit his time to that space and his spiritual (and political - as if there's a separation) work without having to worry about grocery bills. If that's your goal as well, lovely. I wish you luck.

There are also a number of yoga teachers who make a living doing what they're doing, so there is a model. But they offer something seen as more practical.

The alternative would seem to be to write a book. But that's a whole other slog and a whole other AskMe.

On preview: What metahawk said.
posted by regicide is good for you at 7:27 PM on February 14 [2 favorites]

Do you practice and/or have an interest in yoga? Perhaps you get certified to teach with a focus on more restorative yoga (breathing, relaxation), and seek out the more spiritual yoga centers.
posted by delladlux at 8:05 PM on February 14

You've at least two conflicting desires expressed here:

I have not written a book, nor do I want to write a book.

and

I feel that what I have to teach is important and can do a lot of good.

So basically what you have to teach is important, but it's not important enough to write a book about?

I've thumbed through enough self help books and books on spirituality to know that none of them are that original or complex. You could probably write one in your sleep if you tried hard enough. Hell, there is a homeless guy who hangs out over in Michigan Avenue who has his own self help book - he prints them at Kinkos.

Further, if you want to be really lazy about it there are a lot of kooky 19th and early 20th century spirituality books out there for which the copyrights have expired. They are in the public domain so there is no reason why you couldn't "rediscover" or "update" some spiritual "truth" from the past. Judging by half the shit Haikem Bey writes people do this all the time to make a buck.

The point is I don't think coming up with a book of your own is the obstacle you make it out to be. And if it helps you establish your business...
posted by wfrgms at 9:15 PM on February 14

Joseph Campbell 's advice would be "Follow your bliss".
Zen says, "Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water."

Get a job that makes you happy. Be yourself.
posted by pointilist at 10:00 PM on February 14

Perhaps you could start off by offering the spiritual guidance and meditation as part of some other commercial service: open a spa, an athletic center, or a martial arts school. How about this - a tutoring and test prep service that incorporates meditation. It seems to me that the best strategy would be to choose an existing business model and “rebrand” it with meditation and spirituality.

Another tack is to take one of the traditional routes to guruhood in all societies: devote yourself to charity or some other way of helping people and begin by communicating your beliefs and values through that work. This would probably require a more substantial initial investment on your part and it might be a while longer before you could make a living at it.

Once you're established and have the income and the street cred you can start to pull away and focus on teaching the spirituality and meditation specifically.

Just one note, though: entrepreneurship and making a living on your own usually requires a great deal of hard work even if the “business” is being a guru or ascetic. If the reason that you don't want to write a book is because you think it would be too much work, that may be a sign that in general this is not the path for you.
posted by XMLicious at 1:14 AM on February 15