Yoga Journal Contributor Guidelines

We’d love to collaborate with you on content. Read on to see what columns and stories we commission on a freelance basis. Please note: the following guidelines are to get you thinking about ideas to pitch to us for consideration. Submission of an idea does not guarantee an assignment. Please do not send completed pieces in unless you have an approved assignment from the editorial staff. Thank you.

About us: Yoga Journal has served the yoga community for 45 years by providing inspiration and instruction. We reflect the conversations shaping yoga today and help readers navigate the path toward mind-body health and wellness, using the tools of yoga and meditation. We’re looking for reported stories, essays, and practices that help our audience along that path. Nearly 50 percent of our readers say they practice daily, while the rest practice at least once a week. Fifty-five percent of our audience identify as yoga teachers.

Contributor Guidelines

Please keep in mind that we are a small staff and it may take us a while to get back to you.

COLUMNS

SEVA: Do you know of someone or an organization that is making a difference that people need to know about? From disruptors to service orgs, we want to tell the stories of the people who are out there doing great work.

• Word count/structure: 500 words
• Rate: $250
• Contact: Lindsay Tucker, ltucker@pocketoutdoormedia.com

SPACES: Tell us the story behind a gorgeous and inspiring space—a hotel, studio, retreat, etc.—along with service-driven tips and/or products that you can use to incorporate the design elements into your own home or space. You’ll interview the owners and/or designers to find out the motivation behind the space and its design and how readers can recreate it at home.

• Word count/structure: 250 words. Introduction + several tips
• Examples: Tour this Zen-Inspired Pasadena Cabana; You Have to See This Amazing Yoga Studio Space in Minneapolis
• Rate: $125
• Contact: Lindsay Tucker, ltucker@pocketoutdoormedia.com

TREAT YOURSELF: Is there a new or newsworthy wellness space, hotel, retreat center, or studio you’re dying to visit and you think we should highlight? You’ll interview practitioners on their staff to identify 3 self-care rituals or experiences they offer that readers can recreate at home.

• Word count/structure: 250 words. Introduction + several tips
• Examples: You NEED These Life Hacks from Hospitality Brand Eaton Workshop; Tune In and Sleep Better This Winter
• Rate: $125
• Contact: Lindsay Tucker, ltucker@pocketoutdoormedia.com

YJ TRIED IT: Try out a zeitgeisty trend and give us your first-person take on the experience. Bonus points if you can get it on video.

• Word count/structure: 800- to 1,000-word essay
• Examples: YJ Tried It: Ecstatic Dance; YJ Tried It: 30 Days of Guided Sleep Meditation
• Rate: $400
• Contact: Lindsay Tucker, ltucker@pocketoutdoormedia.com

HOME PRACTICE: Yoga teachers, this one’s for you. We aim to offer sequences that inspire students to get on the mat and teachers to try new styles and methods. Each sequence should be tied to a specific theme or benefit (e.g. unwind text neck, boost energy, invite creativity, etc.)

• Word count/structure: 500-word introduction to the benefit, methodology, and any props or breath instruction; possible sidebar opportunity for other complementary eating, lifestyle tips. 8-10 poses with 50- to 100-word captions
• Examples: 12 Poses for Keeping Your Cool This Summer; A Sequence for Feeling Empowered
• Rate: $200
• Contact: Bria Tavakoli, btavakoli@pocketoutdoormedia.com

MEDITATION/MINDFULNESS: Even just a few minutes a day sitting in stillness can make a world of difference in feeling healthy and whole. In this column, we offer meditation and mindfulness practices + the science and theory behind how and why they work. Each installment starts with summing up new research or a distinct style or method of meditation or mindfulness training, explaining the benefits and practical applications (some will be on the cushion, others you can call on in traffic or in heated conversations, where you just need a moment of awareness).

• Word count/structure: 500
• Rate: $200
• Contact: Bria Tavakoli, btavakoli@pocketoutdoormedia.com

MEDITATION VIDEOS: Another teacher moment. If you want to share video meditations with us, we want to feature your teaching. Videos should have a brief intro to explain the benefits of the practice, then dive right in so folks can practice along. Please pitch in advance of making your video: Practice style, theme, and length.

• Word count/structure: video (mp4 files), anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes
• Rate: $150
• Contact: Bria Tavakoli, btavakoli@pocketoutdoormedia.com

FEATURES

Our features range from service-oriented packages to research-backed science and health stories, all with a Yoga Journal lens. Stories should be timely and relevant to our audience of health-and-wellness-minded yogis. Cover profiles are generally covered in-house, but if you have access to an amazing yogi whose story you think needs to be heard, please let us know!

• Word count: 1,500—4,000 words
• Examples: The Good Fight: How Yoga is Being Used Within the Military; Would You Consider Trying Psychedelics to Take Your Practice to Another Level?; Meet the Next Generation of Yoga Changemakers
• Rate: $1/word
• Contact: Lindsay Tucker, ltucker@pocketoutdoormedia.com

NEWS

If have a lead on an upcoming innovative yoga endeavor, new product, or new study, we’d love to hear from you.

• Word count: 400-800 words
• Examples: 3 Antiracism Meditations to Help You Unlearn Bias, Unpack Privilege, and Stand Up for What’s Right; Do Politics Belong in Yoga?; CorePower Yoga Teachers Make Another Attempt to Unionize; Attention Migraine Sufferers: New Study Finds Yoga an Effective Form of Treatment
• Rate: $200-$250 for reported stories
• Contact: Jennifer Davis-Flynn, jdflynn@pocketoutdoormedia.com