A private yoga instructor cancellation policy needs to cover two session formats (studio sessions and in-home sessions) because the travel investment in in-home instruction changes both the deposit amount and the cancellation window. The template below provides language for both, plus session package terms and a new client clause.
Template: studio sessions
Short version (booking page):
"A deposit of $[amount] holds your session and is applied toward your fee. Free cancellation with 24 hours notice. Cancellations within 24 hours or no-shows forfeit the deposit. To cancel: [contact method]."
Full version:
"Private yoga session policy , [Your name]
Deposit: A deposit of $[amount] is required at booking. It is applied toward your session fee, there is no additional charge when you attend.
Cancellation with adequate notice: Sessions cancelled at least 24 hours before the scheduled time will receive a full deposit refund or a transfer to a rescheduled session.
Late cancellation or no-show: Sessions cancelled within 24 hours or missed without notice will result in the deposit being retained.
New client sessions: First sessions include an assessment of your current practice and goals. Due to the preparation involved, first sessions are prepaid in full at the time of booking. The full amount is applied toward the session.
Instructor cancellation: If I must cancel a session, you will receive a full refund or the option to reschedule at no additional deposit."
Template: in-home sessions
"In-home private yoga session policy , [Your name]
In-home sessions include travel time to your location. A deposit of $[amount] is required at booking and is applied toward your session fee.
Cancellation notice: In-home sessions require at least 48 hours notice to cancel or reschedule without the deposit being retained. This extended window reflects the travel commitment involved.
Late cancellation or no-show: Cancellations within 48 hours or no-shows will result in the deposit being retained.
If I have already departed for your location at the time of cancellation: the full session fee applies, not only the deposit. Please contact me as early as possible if you need to cancel."
Session package terms
"Session package policy: Packages of [5/10] sessions are available at $[amount] per session, valid for [60/90] days from purchase. Sessions are booked individually within the package period. No-shows and same-day cancellations draw from the package count without credit. Cancellations with adequate notice (24 hours for studio sessions, 48 hours for in-home sessions) do not draw from the package count. Unused sessions after the expiration date are forfeited. Packages are non-refundable after the first session."
Where to use each version
Use the short version on your booking page, where the client reads it immediately before entering payment details. Use the full version in a simple client agreement (a one-page document or a digital form) that new clients receive and acknowledge before their first session. For ongoing clients, include the one-line reminder in every appointment confirmation: "Reminder: free cancellation until [24/48 hours before], after that, the deposit is retained per my cancellation policy."
The three-point exposure model, booking page before payment, intake agreement before first session (reminder before each session) creates a consistently documented agreement. If a policy application is ever questioned, you can point to all three touchpoints and the client's documented acknowledgment at each one.
Delivering the no-show message
When a client misses a session: "Hi [name] , I had today set aside for your practice and didn't hear from you. I hope you're okay. Per my cancellation policy, the session deposit has been retained. I'd love to continue working with you, reach out when you're ready to schedule your next session."
Warm, brief, forward-looking. This tone is right for the yoga practitioner-client relationship, it doesn't escalate, doesn't lecture, and leaves the door open for the client to return to practice. Most clients who receive this message will feel the appropriate accountability and respond by rebooking. The ones who don't return were unlikely to continue long-term regardless.
Handling rescheduling requests within your policy
A client who contacts you before the cancellation window to reschedule is doing exactly what the policy is designed to encourage. Make rescheduling as easy as possible for these clients, the goal is to keep the session, not to penalize people who communicate. A booking system that lets clients reschedule directly through a link in their confirmation message handles this without you needing to manually coordinate every change.
For in-home sessions, rescheduling requests within 48 hours deserve brief acknowledgment of the reason before applying the policy. A client who texts at 47 hours to say they need to move the session is technically within your free-cancellation window, respond promptly and get them rescheduled. A client who texts at 23 hours is outside the in-home session window, the deposit is retained, rescheduling is still possible, but the financial consequence applies.
When injury or illness strikes the client
Clients who practice yoga regularly will occasionally injure themselves, get sick, or experience acute flare-ups of chronic conditions that prevent them from attending. These situations warrant human judgment over strict policy application. A client who calls to say they've strained their hamstring and can't practice is not the same as a client who decided the session wasn't worth getting off the couch for.
Most yoga instructors handle documented injury or illness with a deposit transfer to the next session rather than retention. This is reasonable and preserves the therapeutic relationship. The policy exists for habitual cancellers and low-commitment clients, not for clients who are genuinely dealing with their bodies. The distinction is usually obvious, and the one-time grace call for an injury rarely opens the door to abuse.
Building the policy into new client onboarding
The cleanest way to introduce the policy is as part of the new client intake process, not as a separate conversation, but as one item in the standard client agreement that all new clients receive before their first session. A simple one-page document covering session expectations, the cancellation policy, and any physical considerations (injuries to disclose, limitations to discuss) positions the policy as standard professional practice rather than an afterthought. New clients who sign the agreement before their first session have clearly agreed to the terms, which makes the policy easy to apply and difficult to dispute.
GrabMySlot is free to start. You pay 3% plus Stripe's standard payment processing fee only when you collect a deposit. Set up your booking page in under five minutes at grabmyslot.com.
