by guest author Cailen Ascher As busy yoga teachers, we wear many hats: instructor, marketer, parent, entrepreneur, personal assistant, manager, friend, spouse, confidante, errand gofer and more! With the fast-paced nature of our daily schedules, it can seem that it’s nearly impossible to maintain any sense of balance in our lives. And even though we yogis are better equipped than many to handle the multitude of challenges and stressors that get heaped on our plates, sometimes the … [Read more...]
Want To Pack Your Yoga Classes? Get In A Relationship
By guest author Keeley Mitchell, Zi Living On October 14, 2013, my aunt passed away. Out of the four sisters my mom had, I was closest to my Aunt Betty. She was also my beloved godmother who doted upon me as well as my children. When the holidays hit, her presence was truly missed and caused me to retreat into solitude. One of the things I reflected heavily on was the outpouring of love and support I received from so many people. In particular, there was one group of people that … [Read more...]
Five Steps to Celebrate 2013 and Create Success for 2014, using Yoga, of course!
By guest author Keeley Mitchell, Zi Living For better or for worse, the holiday season is here. The verdict is still out for me on whether it is for better or for worse. Like most, when the holiday season comes, I often start to feel stressed and overwhelmed. It is like I am on the verge of an anxiety attack at any minute because I am trying to do everything and still create the perfect holiday experience for my family. This year I tried to cancel Christmas with the proclamation that … [Read more...]
Have You Stated Your Intentions? The Importance of Writing a Yoga Business Plan
By Keeley Mitchell, Zi Living Recently I had the pleasure of having someone inquire about my services and in our discourse she asked two questions. 1. How much experience should she have before opening her yoga studio? 2. How much money does it cost to open a yoga studio? While I could not give her a definitive answer to her questions, I felt our discussion was still a positive one. You see, I gave my inquirer kudos for doing her research well in advance so she could plan … [Read more...]
I do: What it Really Means to Commit to Your Yoga Business
By guest author Keeley Mitchell, Zi Living Welcome back for another discussion from The Business Side of the Mat. In this article I wanted to delve a little deeper into the idea of committing to your business. When I speak of commitment, I am not referring to your commitment to your clients and students. I know that you are committed where that is concerned. I am referring to your commitment to running your business and growing it. It's about truly making the commitment that you will treat … [Read more...]
Are You Sabotaging Your Yoga Business? Five Common Pitfalls to Avoid
By guest author Keeley Mitchell, Zi Living Welcome to The Business Side of the Mat! Where yogic principles are aligned with good business sense. I know. I know. I bet you are thinking what I just said is contradictory. However, I stand before you - in warrior pose actually – to say, 'Au contraire my yogis' Running a successful, profitable yoga business need not conflict with your principles. And in this series on The Business Side of the Yoga Mat, I plan to give you tips on how to align … [Read more...]
It’s time to hand the baton on – MYOGA & Powa Centre: Your opportunity?
by columnist Melissa Billington, Ear2Earth Early on in my running ‘career’ I was pulled out of running hurdles to make up the needed numbers on our team for the mid and long distance races. I never considered myself a long distance runner, even when I was one! I preferred the immediate victory of seeing (or not) a clear flight over hurdle after hurdle, laid down in my path. I felt more capable managing the spurts of running required before, after and in between hurdles, than I did the … [Read more...]
The meanings we give to work
By guest author Brook McCarthy, 30 Steps I was your typical baby hippie. I grew my armpit hair, ate lentils, chanted Hari Krisna, and choose my university subjects by how I perceive they’d help with the old “meaning of life” conundrum. My late teens and early 20s were spent meditating, chanting, teaching yoga and travelling. I became a tour leader because I didn’t like having to return home in between travels to make more money to travel again. For two years, I took small groups … [Read more...]
How to deliver consistent care as a covering yoga teacher
by regular columnist Elissa Jordan, Adventures in Teaching I was covering a class last week for a very popular Wellington based teacher. She had given me a set sequence to follow and wished me luck. Turns out I would need a small smattering of that luck. I sat myself behind the desk, ready to check clients in as they arrived. All was going well until a very flustered lady came rushing in. She stopped short: ‘Where’s Nicole*?’ I explained that she was away on holiday. Whose going to be … [Read more...]
Thinking of Quitting Your Job to Teach Yoga? 10 Questions to Ask First
by guest author Louise Thompson, Positive Balance Are you working in corporate but dreaming of jacking it all in to be a yoga teacher? Do you fantasize of days wafting about from class to class, no rush, and no hurry? It seems like nirvana as you struggle to focus on yet another board presentation. But, (as you can see from Kara-Leah’s excitement over her new job), is it? Is teaching yoga all leisurely days and packed classes and a blissed out existence? Having escaped corporate life … [Read more...]