To Charge or Not to Charge?

An exchange between Terry Jennings (Oahu) and Hannah Hedrick (Hawaii’s Big Island)

Terry Jennings: I used to charge for classes and did a paid presentation for the Easter Seal staff last year. Before COVID-19, I was volunteer teaching at the Kaneohe Senior Center on Oahu. I feel T’ai Chi Chih is priceless and I have mixed feelings about just giving it away. Do you charge for your classes at the park or other places? Can you share your thoughts with me on this subject of whether to charge or not to charge?

Hannah Hedrick: I have never charged for any of my yoga or TCC classes for people with cancer, HIV AIDS, polio survivors or diabetics. I did get paid when I taught at health clubs, YMCA or other facilities that charged fees. When I have been part of larger events for community organizations like the arthritis foundation, I’ve gifted the donation back to the organization. When an event was supported by corporate sponsors, I kept the fee myself.

But I have always had a steady income because I worked a regular job and I now have social security. Otherwise, I would have made a sincere effort to derive adequate income from my classes. For some reason, except when I was teaching in the East Bank Club and other fancy facilities in Chicago, my classes attracted very low-income people or people with health problems or caretakers for others.

Just because TCC feels like a blessing to us does not mean we should not be charging for it. Justin repeatedly said the servant is worthy of his hire.

Please trust your own inner guidance. I encourage you to reach out and participate in events where they pay teachers and leaders a reasonable amount. I wish I had time to explore funding for a program that would pay for you, like the veteran’s program. You appear to be in an exploratory, intuitive state and I believe you will receive guidance on how to manifest cosmic consciousness through TCC so that it has the greatest possible impact.

Editor’s Note: What are your thoughts and experiences with this?