The Economics of Yoga

The Economics of Yoga: What’s In It for Us?

Every time I hear a siren screaming and the emergency vehicle speeding by, some facts run through my mind.

In 2017, the cost of an ambulance starts at $1,000 a trip, plus mileage. Wow, that’s the most expensive car rental I know!

The national average of a hospital stay is $18,700 a day. Average. When I said this in a public class recently, a woman’s voice piped up: “I was at Cedar Sinai last month, and it was $25,000 a day!”

The same $25,000 buys you over three years’ worth of weekly private lessons with an excellent teacher. And poof! it’s down the drain in a matter of a day.

In addition, the average annual cost of healthcare is around $5500 for an individual under age 50. Above 55, that number doubles. An elderly friend of mine said: “I take so many pills that by the time I’m done, I’m so full I don’t want to eat lunch!”

With a self-care regimen that includes a consistent yoga practice, these costs go down by 43%. The longer and more consistent we practice, the less we pay for health care.

And, unlike pills, that goes down easily with my lunch.

Given the cost is the same—three years of yoga or being stuck in a hospital, which would you prefer to do?

What would you do with the money you save? Go on a vacation? Buy gifts for loved ones? Invest in real estate?

Inspirations? Comments? Enter them below. I’d love to hear from you!