by Cara Butler As both a yoga student and teacher, I have practiced and studied with the intention that I am not seeking the ‘fruits’ of my practice. Being a very competitive girl by nature with a strong Pitta constitution this has definately been a challenge at times .... however I do strongly believe the value really is in the journey, not in the destination. I can say more authentically now as I move into my 40s that I practice and also teach yoga, not for any rewards it might offer but as … [Read more...]
The Nuances of Teaching Yoga For Free, For Charity and For Profit
By Brook McCarthy, Hustle & Heart Brook is launching the next round of her popular Hustle & Heart 9 Week On-Line Course on September 28. Sign up by September 20 to receive the early bird price.* There’s a time for working for free, a place for charitable yoga teaching and a role for working for profit. As a yoga teacher, knowing the difference between these will help you avoid heartache and thrive as a professional, while helping to lift the entire yoga sector. Whether you’re a … [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...]
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...]
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...]
The Yoga of Business: Goals, Clarity, Values & Commitment, Part 4
by guest author Jenifer Parker, business owner of Healium, Wellington Consistency Makes It Happen Once you have all of these elements coming together -- a specific, defined goal; clarity around the values on which the business is formed; and a commitment to that goal as a business -- then the only thing that prevents a person from becoming successful is a lack of consistency. I have a friend who set up a yoga studio, hiring other teachers and running a beautiful little business. Things … [Read more...]
The Yoga of Business: Goals, Clarity, Values & Commitment, Part 3
by guest author Jenifer Parker, business owner of Healium, Wellington Committing to Your Goal Of course, a lot of people have goals, even specific ones with well-laid plans and a great deal of clarity around their purpose, that still don't succeed. Why is this? A lot of people look at goals as rather personal endeavors that are easy-come, easy-go -- like New Year's resolutions. They don't affect anyone but you, right? So, you don't get the goal, it doesn't really matter. You can … [Read more...]
The Yoga of Business: Goals, Clarity, Values & Commitment, Part 2
by guest author Jenifer Parker, business owner of Healium, Wellington Clarity Drives the Process As we have all experienced, sometimes goals do not come to fruition even when they are specific. They can be ridiculously detailed and give a clear way to success, but still fail spectacularly. And sometimes -- as many of us have experienced in the yoga world -- these businesses succeed financially, while undermining the very values that we claim to hold and espouse as yoga … [Read more...]
The Yoga of Business: Goals, Clarity, Values & Commitment, Part 1
by guest author Jenifer Parker, business owner of Healium, Wellington In recent weeks, numerous blogs around the web have brought up issues around yoga and business. For many, the common perspective is that yoga and business don't mix, and that going into business with yoga not only denigrates yoga but makes it impossible to be a "true" teacher of yoga. My perspective, however, is that by running any yoga teaching as a business, you better embody the principles of yoga in practice, or … [Read more...]
Economically, yoga doesn’t make any sense at all
We've all heard about those wonderful yoga studios delivering fantastic yoga to the community, but struggling to pay their overheads, let alone make any profits. On the flipside of the coin are the corporate yoga studios and centres paying yoga teachers as little as possible in order to maximise profits for the business owners. Somewhere in the middle are the yoga teachers that schlep themselves all over town teaching in community halls, gyms, offices and other studios, with low overheads … [Read more...]