The going rate for private sessions in the Boston area is $125/hour if you go to their home, and $100/hour if they come to you. I'm sure this amount varies in other areas of the country, but I'm not familiar with rates outside of Boston. Some teachers offer package discounts if you buy multiple classes up-front.

Clients come mostly via word-of-mouth. Sometimes through friends, sometimes through other teachers, sometimes people in the group classes you teach will want private sessions.

I was recently at a therapeutic yoga workshop where we talked about this. Most of us were from small towns in the Pacific Northwest, rates for yoga classes are lower in these towns than in the cities. Group classes generally range from $10 to $15/class. The cost of privates among this group ranged from $40 to $85. The person who charged the lowest was trying to do this full time and she justified her low rates as bringing in more clients. She doesn't teach any group classes. I personally charge on the high end and I am not looking to take many private clients.

My private clients have found me on the web, through word of mouth, or occasionally someone comes from a group class. Usually people from the group classes are looking for just a one or two private sessions to address a particular issue. My regular private clients have physical or personal reasons that they want to work alone. For example, one is a paraplegic and she really needs help to get her body into the poses. I see her once a week.

Hope that helps.

When I first started teaching privates, I called around and found out what other people charge for private lessons/sessions: massage therapists, music teachers, coaches, personal trainers etc. When I began I put my rates lower in the range to reflect that I wasn't very experienced. I have gradually raised them over the last 4 years.