Erica Merrill is where she is today because of a donation-only yoga studio in LA. “I had just moved to LA and I was broke, looking for a job and stressed out,” says Merrill, now a well-loved instructor at Yogaview and Lincoln Park Athletic Club.

She was watching Brian Kest yoga videos at home when she noticed in the end credits that his studio was 10 minutes away. She went to check it out and got hooked.

“When you fall in love with something, you want to do it as much as possible,” she says. “I wouldn’t have been able to take class more than once a week, but because the studio was donation-based, I could get to four or five classes a week.”

While the concept is appealing in theory, a donation-only business plan can seem counter-intuitive at first. Quinn Kearney and Tom Quinn opened Yogaview in 2002, and when they were signing the lease for the second studio space, fellow instructor Claire Mark brought up the idea of opening it as a donation-only studio.

At first, Kearney wasn’t so sure. “The idea grew on me. I mentioned it to Tom, thinking there is no way we could pull this off, but he got behind it right away. So we started thinking about how to make it work,” he says. They began by going to the instructors.

When they approached Merrill, she was brought back to that first day at Brian Kest’s studio. “I told Quinn that the opportunity in LA changed my life; that I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the donation-only studio. I think it’s so important to open yoga up to everybody,” she says.

Despite inherent financial risks, all of the teachers—many of whom are full-time instructors—were on board. “Everyone is in this together and, given the present economic situation, we thought it was the right time to take the risk. It is the year of ‘Yes we can!’” says Kearney. And, it turns out they could. Yogaview Division opened in late May at 1745 W. Division, offering 28 classes a week.

The reaction from Chicago’s yoga community has been overwhelmingly positive. “Making yoga more accessible for all people, regardless of the economic climate, is a huge service, not only to the practice but to the community,” says A.J. Durand, a yoga instructor at David Barton Gym, Crunch, Cheetah, ID Gym and the Peninsula.

Kearney and Quinn realize that this isn’t the way most small businesses grow, but they are okay with that. “We are looking at this as an experiment. It’s an alternative business model, but we’re in for the long haul and we believe it can work. This is an opportunity for all of us trust each other and work together to make yoga available to more people,” Kearney says. 

Annie Coleman, owner of LivingRoom Realty and longtime Yogaview student, believes the donation approach embodies yoga’s innate spirit of giving. “This new model lowers the barrier and opens yoga to everyone—and when people who have more contribute more, it will really work. Just look at the recent trend of artists successfully selling music by donation online,” she says.

While all students are encouraged to pay what they can, there is a suggested donation of $15. Kearney and Quinn are counting on people who are interested in yoga appreciating its value.

While it’s too soon to measure the financial success of Yogaview’s new venture, the number of students who are already practicing in and donating to the studio is encouraging.

For Merrill, who teaches on Division twice a week, the opportunity to be part of Yogaview’s donation-only experiment is her chance to give back in thanks for what yoga has given her—and she’s confident that the great experiment will be a success. “We’re trying to do something so good and everybody’s heart is in the right place, so I think it will work. The universe will step in and make it work.”

For more information and a schedule of classes, visit yogaview.com. And because there isn’t change available at the Division studio, students should bring the amount of cash they want to donate, a check or a class pass from Yogaview’s Elston location.