A few weeks back, I had an offer come in from Square Cash, a really convenient app that lets you send money for free. You simply download it from the App Store, and you're ready to send or receive money from anyone! During our brainstorm meeting, I mentioned it to Lauren, YBC's Marketing and Events Director, who exclaimed, "Oh I use that app all the time! I literally just used it to pay my hairstylist!" So it truly is a seamless, easy way to send and receive money for free.

One of the most frequent questions I'm asked is how yoga teachers can earn a sustainable living, and so I figured teaming up with Square Cash would be a perfect fit! I put together five ways yoga teachers can creatively earn a bit more money and then you can easily be paid through Square Cash! All you have to do is download the app from iTunes or Google Play and you're ready to rock and roll.

Before we jump into this, I want to start by acknowledging that yoga isn't about making money. Obviously. But unless you're paying the bills on good karma, yoga teachers need a way to earn a sustainable living. Here are five simple ways yoga teachers can earn more:

1. Develop a signature workshop

A signature workshop like the Namaslay workshops I did while I was on my book tour, are a way for serious yoga students and teachers alike to dive in a bit deeper. Essentially, you want to offer something they won't be able to find anywhere else. Think about your abilities and areas of expertise and then design a workshop around your strengths. Then, market them to your local community and hold a workshop. If it's successful, you could do a mini tour of your signature workshop within your local area.

2. Create merchandise

Your loyal following is appreciative of your work and they want to support you. Design merchandise like my Namaslay collection and it will do a couple things: A) it'll help spread the word about you as a teacher, and B) If you choose to do something like ensuring all items are made in the USA or if you donate a percentage of earnings to a good cause, people will feel even better about purchasing your products.

3. Host a local retreat

Who says you have to fly to Kenya for an amazing experience?! Source a beautiful facility in your local community and host a one or two day weekend retreat for people who need a little staycation!

4. Sell your sequences to other teachers

When I first started teaching yoga, it would take me ages to plan a yoga class. I lacked experience because I was so green, and I definitely would've loved the opportunity to peek at other teachers' sequences and purchase them for my own use. You could put together a mini booklet of sequences and offer them for sale to new yoga teachers.

5. Be a mentor

New yoga teachers often come out of training feeling nervous, insecure and unprepared, despite their rigorous training. If you're an experienced yoga teacher, you could offer your mentoring services to help new yoga teachers get off their feet and deliver classes with confidence.

I'd love to hear your thoughts! What other ways could yoga techers earn a bit more to pay the ol' bills?!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Square, Inc. The opinions and text are all mine.