Setu FAQ

What is Setu?
Setu is an inclusive community-driven directory of yoga teachers that encourages diversity and positive relationships. It aims to represent yoga teachers of all races, ethnicities, orientations, body types and geographical locations. Its goal is to unite the yoga community and recognize each teacher who contributes to it.
When will Setu’s full site launch?
We plan to launch the full site in late 2017.
What will Setu’s full site look like?
You can get a sense of the style and feel of Setu by visiting our sign up page. We’ll be using the same design aesthetic for our full site.
The homepage of our full site will feature a photo of each teacher in our directory. Below their photos will be their name, style of yoga and race/ethnicity. There will be search filters and a text box where you can type in who or the criteria you are looking for. The filters are intended to guide you to teachers who share your interests and background.
From the homepage you can click on a specific teacher and you’ll be taken their own personal page. There you can read their bio and check out an enlarged version of their photo as well as wander off to their website or Instagram pages.
Where did the idea for Setu come from?
We created Setu to address three things.
- Elevate diversity
- Provide new opportunities for yoga teachers
- Unite the yoga community
Each year the need to address inclusivity in the the yoga community grows stronger. There are articles from Yoga Journal, The Atlantic, Bustle, Yoga International, Yoga Alliance and more that raise this issue loud and clear. Until recently, brands and publications have highlighted one type of yoga practitioner, which makes the mindfulness practice less accessible to others. Setu was created to bring all yoga teachers to the forefront.
Setu gives all yoga teachers exposure in a way they didn’t have before — not just the ones who match a western body ideal or have the largest social following. Through a well designed site with smooth navigation, easy search tools and simple page layout, visitors can browse the Setu directory of teachers. When visitors find a teacher who appeals to them, they can visit their personal page on Setu. On teachers’ personal pages visitors can easily learn about them through their bio, photo and social media links. On a regular basis we will switch up who is featured at the top of the homepage. This will give many teachers the opportunity to be seen first when visitors come to the site. Setu’s goal is to connect teachers with new opportunities and collaborations. We know it’s a lot of work being a yoga teacher and we want to make it a little easier for you.
Setu creates connectivity among yoga practitioners. Until now there hasn’t been a simple go to website to find yoga teachers. Setu carves this space out and gives teachers the spotlight. By bringing all these yoga teachers together, there is the potential for new opportunities to arise within the yoga community. We’re excited to see what comes.
I’m a teacher, how can I be featured on Setu?
To be part of Setu you must meet only one requirement: completion of at least 200 teacher training hours. You don’t have to be an active teacher but a trained one.
Once you’re ready to join, you can fill out our form on joinsetu.com.
In the form, we ask for:
- Name (required)
- Location (required)
- A yoga portrait (required)
- Your bio (required)
- The style of yoga you teach (required)
- How you identify by race/ethnicity (optional)
- Further identification with orientation (optional)
- Your website (optional)
- Your Instagram handle (optional)
Setu is focused on promoting diversity and creating a space for groups that often don’t receive enough recognition. The site was created after noticing how mainstream conversations around yoga often highlight the same groups and demographics. For this reason, we took another site’s lead and are supporting underrepresented groups. You do not have to state your identity but by doing so you will help us highlight diversity in the yoga community.
If I’m not a yoga teacher why would I visit Setu?
Today when you look for yoga teachers, you likely go to a studio website, magazine, or run an online search. But let’s be honest, how often do you look for teachers instead of studios? You might even look for a type of class, like Vinyasa or Yin Yoga instead of a studio. But a large part of our yoga experience is how well we connect with the teacher. Setu helps you learn more about the teachers behind your classes and studios. If you’re a person who wants private sessions or is hiring a teacher for a special class, Setu will make it much easier for you. With Setu we’ve made it simple to find teachers based on a criteria you care about. You can search by style of yoga, race/ethnicity, orientation, and geographical location. You can read teachers’ bios and check out their website or Instagram feed to learn more about them.
Does it cost anything to be feature on Setu?
Nope. Setu is a free open directory for yoga teachers.