ジンベイザメとファッションが手を組んでフカヒレ採取撤廃に挑戦

私のパートナーのタローが最近フィリピンから帰りました。アーティストのクリスチャン・シュミットとカメラマンで海洋環境保護者のショーン・ハインリックスと共に、アート、ファッション、環境保護意識向上の３つの要素を合わせるという革新的な冒険撮影をして来たのです。被写体は、プロのモデル/人魚のハンナ・フレーザーさん、エクストリーム・スポーツ選手で近接飛行ベース・ジャンパーとして世界のトップの座にいるロバータ・マンチーノさん、そしてもちろん雄大で優しいジンベイザメたちです．彼らの背中は夜空がプリントされているかのように美しいのです。

サメは殺すより生きてる方が貴重であることをより多くの人が知れば知るほど、 海洋環境や私たちの吸う空気を守るチャンスも高まりす。

ほんの１年前までこの地域のジンベイザメはヒレを獲るために殺されていました。海底撮影とフカヒレ採取の害を暴露する意識向上活動のおかげで、この村では今やサメを見学するエコ・ツアーを開催しています。それだけでも嬉しいことなのに、今こうしてサメがアートの一部となりました！

上：ロバータ・マンチーノ。イタリア人スカイダイバー、ベース・ジャンパー、ウィングスーツ・フライヤー、国際モデル。7000回のスカイダイビングの経験を持つ。

フカヒレ採取は良くないことです。

毎年８８００万から１億匹のサメがヒレ採取のために殺されています。すべて中華料理のフカヒレスープのためです。ヒレ採取は残酷なばかりでなく、まったく無意味なことです。サメのヒレは無味で、栄養価値も医療価値もありません。単に富の象徴として価値があるだけです。中国の経済力が高まるに連れ、フカヒレスープの需要も増加しています。

漁師はふつうサメをいったん船に揚げ、ヒレを切り落としてから海に投げ返します。ヒレをとられたサメは３週間くらいかかって窒息死します。でも、問題はこの残酷な行為以上に大きいのです。

上： サメとポーズをとるハンナ・フレーザー。プロの人魚、海洋環境保護活動家、パフォーマンス・アーティスト、モデル。海底でもプロです！

サメがいなくなったら困ります。

なぜなら、サメは食物連鎖系の頂点に位置し、捕食者がほとんどいないので、獲られ過ぎて数が減ってもそれを補充するには大変な時間がかかります。今のような状況が続くと、 １０〜２０年後にはサメは絶滅してしまうでしょう。頂点にいる捕食者として、サメは食物連鎖系のバランスを保つのに大きく貢献しています。病気や怪我などで弱っているものを食べ、他の魚介、水産動物の数をちょうど良く保つことにより、全体として魚介人口が強く健康でいるために、サメの存在は欠かせないのです。サメがいなくなったら海洋食物連鎖系は崩れてしまうでしょう。魚が増え過ぎて海草を食べ尽してしまったら、水面の酸素生産量はグンと減ってしまいます。これも気候変動につながるのです。

私たちに出来ること：

• フカヒレスープを出すレストランを避けましょう。友人や家族にも訴えてください。サメを救うために優れた活動をしているWildAid などの団体に寄付をしてください。
• 2013年の夏、私とタローとショーン・ハインリックスと一緒に一生一度の Seva （サンスクリット語で奉仕、つながり、という意味）旅行に行きませんか？メキシコのムヘレス島でジンベイザメと泳ぎ、WildAid  団体の資金集めのお手伝いをします。この旅行に関する e-メール情報はこちらから。

上：左側、スクーバスーツ姿がタロー。ハンナ・フレーザーは人魚のように泳ぎたいという子供の時からの夢をキャリアとして実現しました。びっくりするほど長い間息を止めていられます！

上：クリスチャン・シュミットとモデルのロバータ・マンチーノ。陸や海底でモデルをしていない時は飛行機から飛び降りてモデルをしています！

上：ハンナ・フレーザー。後ろでこの一瞬をキャッチしようとしているのはクリスチャン・シュミット。

以下のビデオで海洋環境保護の第一人者であるショーン・ハインリックスによる調査を見て下さい。フカヒレ採取の真相を明かすために、ショーンとタローはアジア中をドキュメントして廻りました。

Holiday Raw Food Salad Platter (Warning: Kale Food Porn!)

This raw massaged kale and pomegranate salad platter on butter leaf lettuce cups has been a huge hit at my holiday parties.  The vibrant green mixed with the bright red of the pomegranate seeds make this totally festive. For those friends who shutter when thinking of eating raw kale, the shredded texture of the kale chiffonade, the creamy avocado and the sweetness of the pomegranate make this salad much more palatable!

I get very artistic arranging all the ingredients and always enjoy putting it together, so if you have children in the house, be sure to ask them to help out - they'll have a blast.

Ingredients (Makes 3 large servings)

Salad:

1 bunch red butter leaf lettuce

1 bunch curly kale

Seeds from ½ pomegranate

½ large avocado or 1 small avocado

A handful of chopped raw almonds

Dressing:

3 tablespoons Olive oil

Juice from a lemon

Himalayan sea salt to taste

Instructions:

Whisk dressing ingredients in small bowl and set aside. On a serving dish, place 3 large butter lettuce leaves in a circular formation face up.  Then place 3 smaller leaves inside the large ones.  These will be “lettuce cups”.

Remove stems from the kale and chiffonade the leaves. (Google how to chiffonade and watch a how-to video - it's worth it!)

Place chiffonaded (is that a word?) kale in a medium sized bowl and pour dressing on top.  Wash your hands well and massage dressing into kale until the leaves are tender. The dressing will "cook" the kale much like ceviche.

Spoon the kale mixture into each of the butter lettuce “cups”.  Spoon pomegranate seeds and almonds on top of the kale mixture (or you could also mix them into the kale after massaging and then spoon into the cups). Drizzle the whole platter with balsamic vinegar (optional).

You should be able to lift each large leaf cup (with its contents) right off the platter to serve on a someone's lucky plate.  Enjoy!

ヨガティーチャーのストレス疲労？ こんな兆候には要注意！

ヨガティーチャーの疲労は馬鹿にできません。事実、私はヨガを始めた頃、先生が私の隣にいた生徒にいきなりかっとなった言い方をしたのにびっくりして、そのクラスに行くのを止めたことがあります。

それは、ストレス疲労は正しくマネージしたら単なる変化（発達）の１段階にすぎないということを身をもって知る前のことでした。初期の兆候を自分で認識出来たら、生活や指導のキー・エリアにおいて的確なアクションを起こすことで、ストレス疲労を阻止することが出来ます。

私たちは皆、ヨガのプラクティスが本当に好きになって先生になります。ヨガは満足感を持たらし、周りの人と貴重な経験を共有することを可能とし、人生の救いとなることすらあります。ヨガを教えること自体が自分のヨガに対する愛情の延長となるのです。

けれども、多くのヨガティーチャーが、指導に疲れたり、飽きてしまったりすることを経験しています。

ヨガティーチャーはそれだけでは生活が出来ず、他の仕事も掛け持ちでやっているケースがほとんどで、自分自身のプラクティスの時間は作れないというのが現実であることもしばしばです。

ロボットのように毎日を切り抜け、別のキャリアを見つけた方がいいのではないかと悩んでいます。

そうなったら、授業の準備に身を入れ、心から指導し、生徒と繋がり合うことがどれだけすばらしいかを忘れてしまうのです。

ヨガティーチャーのストレス疲労の兆候：

• ハンズオンのアジャストをほとんどしない。
• 指示が理解されないとかっとする。
• プレゼンテーションが異例に厳しく、冷たく、思いやりがなくなる。
• 教室で誰よりも不健康で最もストレスが溜まっている人であるかのよう．．．ヨガティーチャーなのに。
• もうヨガを教えるだけで実践しない。
• 美しいけれども空虚にしか聞こえない言葉の羅列に頼る。
• アジャストをして自分が腰を痛めたり、故障が頻発になる（自分のプラクティスをしていないから）。
• 子供や旦那様などにあたる。
• 自分が教えられないときに代理の先生を手配するのを「忘れた」り、全クラスを代理に任せるようになる。
• 愚痴っぽい。とげとげしい。機嫌が悪い。怒りっぽい。いらだっている。意地悪になる。威張り散らす。

私も経験あるのです。ティーチャー仲間にもその兆候を目撃しています。完璧な人はいないのです。

 もちろん、大変なとき（身近な人の死、病気、離婚、など）でも頑張って教えなければならない時のことを言っているのではありませんー人生の中には皆それぞれ辛い時があります。私が言いたいのは、バランスのとれたライフスタイルを実践するお手本となり、自分を大切にするために知っている限りのツールを上手に使うことで、ヨガティーチャーとしての責任を果たすということです。

幸いなことに、このような兆候はティーチャーとして駄目だということではありません。ストレス疲労は目覚めの機会であり、チャンスと成り得るのです。

ヨガティーチャーのストレス疲労を即回復するアクションステップ： 

• 近くの他の先生のクラスに行ってみる

毎週少なくとも２回、仲間やお気に入りの先生の教えるクラスに行くことで、元気や刺激をもらうことができます。

• 関わりの場を持つ

たまには生徒さんたちと教室外でも関わりの場を持っていると自然に彼らの生活にもより密接なつながりが生まれ、それが教える意欲にもつながります。

• 休止時間をスケジュールに入れる

家でプラクティスしたり、マッサージに行ったり、散歩に行ったりということを、時間が出来るまで待つことはやめましょう。仕事と同様にスケジュールに入れて実行するのがポイントです。

• 指導スケジュールの最適化

６ヶ月間どうがんばってもクラスが一杯にならなかったら、時間帯を変えた方がいいのかも知れません。通勤、駐車、家族への迷惑など、ストレスの原因になっている他の要素も考えてみましょう。

• 基本を見直し、再度勉強する

ヨガ哲学や人体、ハタヨガなどに対する理解を深めることで指導者としての意欲も高まります。１日１０分でもいいので、もっと強くなりたい分野の勉強をするだけでも強壮剤として即効果があります。

ヨガティーチャーとしての自己プロモーション：下品？それとも自分の能力を共有する手段？

 

ヨガを教えるのは大好きだけれど、自分を売り込むことに抵抗を感じたことはありますか？

最近その質問を何度か受けました。私の返答をこのブログに載せます。

ヨガティーチャー：美しいポーズの自分の写真をフェースブックに載せたり、ブランドを創ったり、ウェブサイトを立ち上げたりすることはヨガ的に見てどうなのでしょう？

エイミー：最近よく受ける質問です。

ヨガを教えているということは、多分こんなことをして来たというです：

• 何百時間ものティーチャートレーニングを経てきた
• 更に多大なる時間を継続教育にかけてきた
• 学ぶために遠地まで足を運んできた
• 多額の投資をしてきた
• ヨガを教えるために生きている
• 生徒に最大限に尽くしてきた

それにもかかわらず、多くのヨガティーチャーが、 プロらしくない、いい加減と言われたり、自分を売り込むことで軽蔑されたりします。

自分の技術を磨き、価値あるものを提供するために頑張って来た人たちにとってはとてもくやしいことです。 教えることが本物で、熟達していて、意味がある内容とするために惜しみない努力を続けて来たのです．

他の職業と違い、ヨガティーチャーには常に何がヨガ的で何がメディアの言うところの「ヨガの商業化」であるかという難問がつきまといます。

メディアや、自己プロモーションと精神的プラクティスは油に水のような関係にあり、ヨガのマーケティングは下品で不適当と思う人たちからのしっぺ返しがあるかもしれません。

ヨガティーチャーも、他の専門職（医師、マッサージセラピスト、コンピューターコンサルタントなどのような）の人たち同様、自分たちの提供するサービスを声を大にして伝えたいのです。

けれどもヨガティーチャーに対するこのような態度は不幸にも、売り込みやソーシャルメディアを利用した宣伝をヨガティーチャーが恐れてしまう結果となっています。

精神性と自己プロモーションが実際にそんなに相反するものであるのか、哲学的に議論することもできます。歴史的に、禁欲生活と放棄の精神を讃える伝統もありますが、お金や取引がヨギとして上手に生きて行くために非可決とする、物理的世界をサポートする伝統（会話の中ではずっと静かな声ですが）もあります。指導者には意味のある教えをする責任があり、生徒は自分に最も指導者を選ぶ責任があります。

このトピックに関する議論の続きは学者達に任せることにして、ヨガが持たらす様々なメリットを考えてみましょう。

• ヘルス／ウェルネスを改善する
• ストレスを低減する（ほとんどの病気の原因）
• 精神性を高める
• 命を救う
• 医療費を低減させる
• 他、沢山．．．

このように誰もが必要とする知識に豊かなヨガティーチャーたちが、マーケティングと精神性とは正反対にあるという見方のために、自分をプロモートすることが出来ずにいるというのは残念なことです。

ヨガティーチャーたちがヨガのメリットを教え、自分たちが能力あるティーチャーとして何を提供出来るかを皆に知らしめなかったら誰がそうするのでしょう？

もちろん、安っぽいマーケティング戦略の犠牲となり、プロモーションが逆効果になることもあります。ヨガの世界におけるプロモーションに対する特殊な感受性を考慮に入れた上で、どうしたらセンスのいい、優れた宣伝法を取り入れられるのでしょう？

ヘルシーな自己プロモーションをするための３つのステップ：

1．ヨガティーチャーとしての自分の能力と目的を明確にする。

１対１で教えるのが得意ですか？または１０人以下のグループの方が好ましいですか？子供たちが好きですか？女性？男性？または大きなグループを前にした方が最高の能力を発揮出来ますか？プロモーションのメッセージには誰を対象としているのかをはっきりとうたい、そのターゲットに向けて発信しましょう。

２．発信するメッセージは独自の、感受性の高いものであること。

自分の能力や目的がはっきりしたら、それをもっとも自分らしいメッセージとして品よく創りあげる方法を考えてください。自分を正直に見せ、何が提供できるのかを誠意を込めて伝えたら失敗することはありません。

品よくプロモートするということは、 ヨガの世界で何がネガティブな反応を招くのかを知るということでもあります。自分をあまりに派手に強調したら安っぽくなってしまいます。かわりに、生徒さん達があなたから何を期待出来るのかにフォーカスしましょう。

メッセージが出来上がったら、公開する前に、親しい友人や生徒さん達に見せてフィードバックを得てください。

３．自信を持って発信しましょう！

自分のオファー出来ることを多くの人たちと共有できることに自信と情熱を持ちましょう。あなたは人に奉仕しているのです。人の人生に大きなポジティブな変化を持たらすことができるのです。

謝ったり弁明したりする必要はありません。自分の持っている「贈り物」をフェースブックやメールで発信しましょう。好意的に受け入れる人も、受け入れない人もいます。でも出してみなければわかりません。もしかしたらあなたのおかげで人生が変わってしまう人もいるかもしれないのです。

Yoga Students Making a Difference During Hard Times

Yoga teaches us to take whatever circumstances or challenges we face in life, and create something beautiful.  With the recovery process from “Superstorm Sandy” here in the USA well upon us, I was inspired to share my experience of how yoga students in the Tsunami areas have been coping with loss and making a difference in their communities, so torn apart by what occurred not so long ago. While teaching yoga in Iwate prefecture in Japan, I had the chance to connect with yoga students who lived in areas like Sendai which were utterly devasted by the 2011 Tsunami.

So many people were affected by the tragedy last year.  An attendee from the workshop came up to us at the end of class with a picture book on the tsunami. She showed us a picture of her town in the book before the tsunami and pointed out her house in the picture. She turned the page and there was a picture the same land, utterly in rubble.  She showed us the empty hole and debris that was once her home.

She explained how she was safe inland, but when the tsunami came her mother and grandmother were at the house and got separated in the maelstrom. Rescuers found her grandmother barely breathing and she died outside of a hospital that was too full to accept her. They have yet to find her mother.  She is using yoga to help make sense of what has occurred.

Since the tsunami, countless people who have lost their homes have been living in sterile, pre-fab housing that resembles storage units set in concrete parking lots, without trees, grass, flowers, devoid of nature or aesthetics.  These people not only lost property, but they lost family members, friends, and any sense of normalcy.  Needless to say, incidence of clinical depression in these housing units is high.

A small percentage of the homes lost were traditional Japanese structures that were loved and passed through generations for over 400 years.  These were more than just houses; they were treasured landmarks that represented the history and tradition of an entire culture.

What made these homes even more distinct were the thatched roofs that grew wild grasses and flowers.  Not only were they beautiful, these roofs held the significance of architecture that co-existed with nature through hundreds of years (its origin could trace back even thousands of years), and were deeply revered by their owners, as well as all of Japan.

During the workshop we met a yoga student named Ayako Shida who, inspired by her archival research on these 400 year old “living” homes, had started purchasing potted flowers from disaster area nurseries to help stimulate the local economy. Since the Tsunami she has been organizing volunteer crews to plant these flowers easonally at the temporary housing units for people who lost their homes.  She calls it the Hanasaki Project, literally meaning “the Flower Blooming Project”.

She wanted to do something to improve the living conditions, to brighten the mood, and to help the residents with emotional healing by letting them know that people cared.  A few of the yoga teachers we work with in Tokyo have organized fundraiser classes as well to keep this work alive, as there is no telling when they will be able to settle into to real homes again. We were so moved by her cause that we pledged the workshop proceeds to the project.

Sometimes all it takes to rekindle hope is to know that someone out there cares and to spread a little beauty.

If you are looking for a way to help the recovery efforts from Hurricane Sandy here are just a few of the organizations and businesses who my New Jersey and New York friends have recommended as making the most out of donations and volunteer efforts.  Please donate!

Occupy Sandy

Help the Cinnamon Snail Food Truck Serve Vegan Meals For Sandy Relief

HONY & Tumblr Hurricane Sandy Fundraiser

Whale Sharks and Fashion Join Forces To Help Put An End to Shark Finning

My partner, Taro just returned from an adventure filming and assisting artist Kristian Schmidt and photographer/marine conservationist, Shawn Heinrichs on an innovative photo shoot in the Philippines combining art, fashion and conservation awareness.  The subjects? Professional model and mermaid Hannah Fraser, extreme athlete and the world's top female proximity-flying base jumper, Roberta Mancino, and of course the majestic, gentle Whale Sharks that have the night sky imprinted on their bodies. The hope is that if more people understand that sharks are more valuable alive than dead, the better chance we have of preserving our oceans and the oxygen we breathe.

Imagine only one year ago the Whale Sharks in this area were getting finned.  Thanks to photography and awareness exposing the harms of shark finning, the village now runs eco-tours to view the sharks.  As if that wasn't heart-warming enough, now these sharks are part of art!

Above: Roberta Mancino an Italian skydiver, BASE jumper, wingsuit flyer and international model. She has participated in more than 7,000 skydives.

Shark Finning is Bad Business

88 million to 100 million sharks die every year for finning  - all for a Chinese delicacy called Shark Fin Soup. 1/3 of open-ocean sharks are threatened with extinction. Shark finning is not only cruel it is totally unnecessary. Shark fins add no flavor, nutritional, nor medicinal value to the soup yet the soup is considered a symbol of prestige in China. The stronger the Chinese economy becomes, the more demand for the soup increases.

Besides how ruthless finning is (fishermen typically haul sharks out of the water, cut off their fins and toss them back to make more room on their boats where they then suffer up to 3 weeks before suffocating to death), there are much broader issues at stake.

Hannah Fraser, professional Mermaid, ocean environmentalist, performance artist and model, posing with the sharks. She is an underwater pro!

If Sharks Die, It Won't Be Pretty

Because sharks are at the top of the food chain and have few predators, their numbers are slow to replenish when a population is overfished. At the rate things are going, we're set to extinguish sharks entirely in only 10-20 years.  Being apex predators, sharks keep the populations of everything else in the food chain in balance. Sharks are critical to the ocean because they keep the numbers of other fish and mammal species in check and weed out the sick, injured and dying so that populations of fish stay strong and healthy. Without sharks the balance of the ocean's food chain is severely threatened. With an excess of fish eating all the algae, oxygen production on the water's surface decreases.  Climate change anyone?

What you can do:

• Do not patronize a restaurant if you see Shark Fin Soup on their menu. Tell friends and family to do the same. Organizations like WildAid are doing great work to advocate for sharks. Make a donation!
• Join me next summer along with Taro and Shawn Heinrichs on the Seva Trip of a lifetime!  We'll be swimming with Whale Sharks in Isla Mujeres, Mexico and raising money for WildAid.  Subscribe to get the latest updates on the trip.

Above:  Taro is the one the left in the scuba suit pictured with Hannah Fraser. Hannah made her childhood dream of swimming like a mermaid into a career. She can hold her breath forever!

Above: Roberta Mancino with Kristian Schmidt. When she is not modeling underwater or on land, she does it while jumping out of airplanes!

Above: Great one of Hannah Fraser with Kristian Schmidt in the background catching the shot.

This video captures the undercover investigation conducted by our friend Shawn Heinrichs who has been a champion for marine conservation. He and Taro have schlepped all over Asia documenting shark finning.

Self-Promotion as Yoga Teachers: Is it Tasteless or Simply a Method to Share Your Gifts?

Do you love teaching yoga but sense a disdainful undertone toward yoga teachers who promote themselves?  In recent weeks I've been asked about this frequently and thought I'd post a reply on my blog.

Yoga Teacher: If I put myself on Facebook in beautiful yoga poses, create a brand, and a website, doesn't that go against yoga's values?

Amy:  This question is a hot one right now.

If you teach yoga it is likely you have:

• Put hundreds of hours of teacher training under your belt
• Done copious amounts of continuing education
• Traveled long distances to learn
• Invested greatly in your education
• Live and breathe teaching
• Served students to the fullest

Despite this many yoga teachers are poo poo’ed as unprofessional, flakey, scattered and/or held in contempt for promoting themselves.

This can be infuriating when you've invested so much time building your skill set and creating something of value to offer.  You’ve worked hard on making your offering authentic, proficient and meaningful.

Unlike other professionals, the yoga teacher finds themselves in a conundrum between what is considered “yogic” and what many in the media have been calling “the commercialization of yoga”.

Yoga teachers may get "push back" from the media and others who feel that self-promotion and spiritual practice is like mixing oil and water, and that marketing is at best, tacky and inappropriate.

Yoga teachers, much like any other professional (such as healers, doctors, massage therapists, computer consultants etc), want to get the word out about their services.

Unfortunately the result of this push back toward yoga teachers is that they are petrified to get the word out or to use social media for their cause.

We could debate the philosophical arguments on whether spirituality and self-promotion are in fact so diametrically opposed. Historically there are some traditions that argue for asceticism and renunciation, but there are also those traditions (way less prominent voices in the conversation) which invite us into the physical world where engaging in money and transaction are actually considered part of living a skillful life as a yogi.  The teacher has a responsibility to provide meaningful teachings and the student is also responsible for choosing which teacher suits them best.

We’ll leave that topic for the scholars to more fully flush out.

That said, if we look at what yoga does for people, the benefits and virtues are notable:

• Improves health & wellness
• Cuts back on stress (the cause of most disease)
• Connects people to spirit
• Saves lives
• Decreases health care costs
• And on and on…

It’s a shame that this conundrum around marketing and spirituality has made yoga teachers gun-shy about promoting themselves when they are skilled at offering the very things that help people gain access to these benefits.

If yoga teachers don’t inform people about the merits of yoga and what they can offer as a competent teacher, then how do people find the path to those benefits?

Of course, not all yoga teachers have escaped cheesy marketing strategies and their promotions can come across as a bit tawdry.  Given the sensitivity and "push back" in the yoga world, how can a yoga teacher get the word out with sophistication and finesse?

3 Steps to Healthy Self-Promotion as a Yoga Teacher

1. Define your gifts & goals as a yoga teacher. Do you excel teaching one-on-one? Or do you prefer to teach groups of 10 or less students? Do you work best with children? Women? Men? Or can you more effectively work with a larger reach? Make it clear who you work with in your promotional materials and reach out to that kind of student.

2. Craft Your Distinct Message with Sensitivity Once you are clear on your assets and goals find a way to craft your message that is authentic, totally you, and make it classy.  You can't go wrong if your message shares who you are and what you have to offer with sincerity.

Part of tasteful yoga promotion is recognizing that there is indeed touchiness in the yoga world around promotion; therefore, cheesy marketing that overly glamorizes or emphasizes you is not going to cut it.  Instead focus on what the student will receive by working with you.

Show your promotional material to close friends and students who know you well to get feedback before making it public.

3. Confidently Send Out Your Offering! Be confident and enthusiastic in sharing what you have to provide with others, knowing that you are in service and that what you do makes a difference in the lives of your students.

Be unapologetic about your offering.  Spread your gifts on a website, professional Facebook page and by email. Some will like it, some will not.  You never know, there may be a student out there that has a tremendous shift in their world, because of you!

Learn more about our professional education programs for yoga teachers here.

Is Your Yoga Teacher Burned Out? Learn These Warning Signs

Yoga Teacher Burnout is serious. In fact I stopped studying with one of my early yoga teachers when he snapped at a student next to me. That was before I learned from experience that Yoga Teacher Burnout can be just a phase if handled right away.  If a teacher can learn to recognize the early warning signs, they can nip Yoga Teacher Burnout in the bud by taking action on some key areas of their life and teaching.

People become yoga teachers because they fall in love with the practice.  Yoga helps us feel complete, able to share meaningful experiences with others and can save our lives. Teaching yoga, for many, becomes an extension of that love affair.

Despite all that yoga goodness, most yoga teachers will not argue that their teaching can become stale and even boring sometimes.

Yoga teachers often are barely making ends meet, or working so many jobs that they don’t have time for their own practice.

Many are on autopilot, running ragged, and wondering if they need to change professions.

They have lost their love of prepping classes, teaching from their heart, and connecting with their students — these are just a few of the signs that they are going through a “Yoga Teacher Burnout” phase.

Warning signs of Yoga Teacher Burnout:

• Gives little or no hands-on adjustments in class.
• Snaps at students when they don’t understand instructions.
• Presentation has become uncharacteristically stern, austere and unsympathetic.
• Seems to be the unhealthiest and most stressed out one in the room, um…even though they are the yoga teacher.
• They don’t practice yoga any more, they just teach it.
• Overly uses sound bites and cosmic flowery language that seems like they pulled it out of thin air (or their butt).
• Gives an adjustment and throws out their back or gets hurt way too easily (because they don’t practice anymore).
• Mis-directs anger and frustration onto innocent bystanders like their kids and/or significant other.
• “Forgets” to get a sub for their classes or subs all of their classes out.
• Grouchy. Snappy. Cranky. Irritable. Crabby. Cantankerous. Prickly. Huffy.

I've been there, and I've seen it in my colleagues. No yoga teacher is perfect.

To be clear, I'm not talking about those difficult days when we must teach through tough times (loss, divorce, illness, etc...) - everyone must go through that at one time or another.  I'm talking about holding up our end of the bargain to model a balanced lifestyle, and use the tools we have at our disposal to get the TLC we need.

The good news is that these warning signs in no way suggest that a teacher is doomed.  Being burned out can be wake up call and an opportunity.

These action steps can quickly make Yoga Teacher Burnout disappear:

• Going to local classes taught by other teachers Looking at the calendar and finding at least 2 classes a week to attend, taught by peers or a favorite teacher, can be just the ticket to feeling nurtured and inspired again.
• Social Gatherings Teachers who hang out with their students every now and then are naturally more connected to their student's lives and will not surprisingly get more stoked to teach.
• Scheduling in down time as though it is a paying gig Teachers should not wait to see if they have any extra time to do a home practice, get a massage or hike in nature. Scheduling in down time as if it were a gig is the only way to make it happen.
• Optimizing teaching schedule If a teacher has given a class a good 6 months to fill and nothing seems to help, it may be time to find a better time slot. Consider other factors that can cause burn out such as commute, parking, inconvenience to family, etc…
• Revisiting basic texts and being studious again Improving an understanding of yoga philosophy, anatomy or hatha yoga keeps a teacher fresh. Spending 10 minutes day reading up on the subjects that need strengthening is an instant shot in the arm for weary teachers.

With a little focused care, any teacher can re-kindle the enthusiasm of sharing yoga with others and be the best they can be for their students.

Have you noticed any of these warning signs of Yoga Teacher Burnout in your yoga teacher? Got any additional remedies to add that have worked for you? Or do you teach yoga and relate?  Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear.

日本のローフード

 

私のようなローフードファンの皆様に嬉しいニュース：欧米では既に このヘルシーで生き生きしたライフスタイルの実践者が数多くいますが、そのローライフスタイルが今、日本でも定着しつつあります！

最近、桜の花とハローキティーの国、日本を訪問した際、盛岡のミュクレ・ローフード・スクールにご招待されました．お寿司の他にこんなに美味しいローフードに日本でありつけるとは夢にも思っていませんでした。丸一週間白米を食べ過ぎた後でしたので、ここで頂いたローフードはまるで天国でお食事した気分でした。

私たちのホステスは優しくて若くて輝くようなお二人で、私は時差ボケもあってかなり疲れていましたが、たちまち元気を補給しました。

日本はもちろん優れた料理文化で知られていますが、日本独特のアプローチをローフード料理に取り入れています。ミュクレのお料理は一品一品シェフの照井みゆきさんと宮あやこさんが心を込めてつくる芸術作品です。（花のようなデザインのお寿司、ギャラリーに置きたいような飾りつけなど。）

結果はピュアなフレーバー、カラフルなプレゼンテーション、そしてハッピーなお客様です！

このスクールのオーナーのみゆきさんは、ご主人の実家が農家で、毎年、お米や野菜、豆類など豊富に採れるというとても恵まれた環境です。始めてローフードに巡り会ったとき、息子さん共々アレルギー体質が消えていくような 衝撃を受けました。食生活の改善は長年続けているヨガの実践とともにみゆきさんが元気いっぱいの充実生活をエンジョイする原動力となっています。

みゆきさんはローフードマイスターです。私たちがご馳走になったメニューを紹介しますと、

ほうれん草とマンゴーのツートーン（２色）スムーシー

ほっぺたが落ちそうなアボカド、赤黄のピーマン、人参の海苔巻き

生カシュークリームのチーズケーキ。アーモンドとナツメヤシのクラストにラズベリーソース。ココナッツ／ナツメヤシ／胡麻のトリフ、、、言葉にできない美味しさ。

ローフードは美味しいばかりではなく、本当に身体にいいのです。こんな効果があります。

酵素

生きた酵素は消化を助け、エネルギーを蓄え、抗炎症効果があり、いろいろな病気と闘います。調理は食材の多くの自然酵素を破壊してしまうので、生の野菜、スプラウト（野菜の若芽）や種類、ナッツなどをたっぷり食べましょう！

ビタミン

ビタミンは体内の細胞の機能を助け、新陳代謝を促し、皮膚や骨を作るのに必要です。でも加熱により、多くのビタミンはその効果を失ってしまうのです。

ミネラル

ミネラルはビタミンとのシナージーにより効力を発揮します。ビタミンはミネラルの助けなしには体内に吸収されないことが多いのです。そこで力を発揮するのがローフード！生の状態の食材のほとんどが、ちょうどいいバランスのビタミンとミネラルを身体に供給してくれるからです。

植物栄養素

果物や野菜の色素を作っているのが植物栄養素です。生の自然の状態が一番身体を守り、病気と闘うのに効力を発揮します。ラッキーなことに、その状態が一番おいしいんです！

私たちが皆、ヘルシーなライフスタイルを追求するグローバル・コミュニティーの一員となり、自分たちの身体ばかりでなく、地球と すべて生物のためのチョイスをして行くことは本当にエキサイティングなことです。この冒険の仲間入りしてくださっている皆さま、ありがとう。皆でローフードをあちこちで広めて行きましょう！

自信満々で飲めるミルクセーキ。グリーンココナッツがアルカリ性にする秘訣！

グリーンのドリンクが最高！ この夏、キッチンでいろいろ実験しました。その結果、最高に美味しい（そして最高に減るジーな）グリーンドリンクを発見！

アルカリ性の身体を作るグリーンココナッツのミルクセーキなんです。たっぷりのタンパク質、良質の脂肪分、ミネラル、リッチでクリーミーな、それはそれは美味しい味と香りー満足感たっぷりな上、洗浄効果のある朝ご飯です！

もうひとつ嬉しいことには、まだフルーツ（糖分）無しではグリーンジュースが飲めない人にもぴったりなこと。甘いクリーミーな食感があるからです。本当に美味しくて、私はデザート気分で飲んでいます。

材料：

フルーツなしのピュアなフレッシュ・グリーンジュース（こちらを参照）１.５カップ

生ナッツ・ミルク（アーモンド、ブラジルナッツ、パインナッツ、マカデミアナッツ、またはこれらのミックス）ナッツ・ミルクの作り方は 上記同ページのビでオを参照。

オルガニックの麻の実大さじ２杯

オルガニックほうれん草ひと掴み

ココナツマンナ／ココナツバター大さじすりきり１杯

シナモン小さじ一杯、味付けと飾りに

ヒマラヤ岩塩小さじ半分

角氷６〜８個（または製氷皿にココナツウォーターまたはココナツミルクを入れて凍らせると、クリーミーな舌触りと甘みが加わります）

生のグリーンステビアパウダー少々

全材料をバイタミックスやブレンドテック等のブレンダーに入れてミックス。普通のブレンダーでも大丈夫です。ため息が出るほど美味しいミルクセーキが出来ること、請け合いです！

A Milk Shake You Can Be Proud Of — My Alkalizing Green Coconut Libation

Green Drinks RULE! While playing around in the kitchen this summer I discovered what might be the yummiest (and healthiest) green drink I have made yet!

It’s a heavenly alkalizing green coconut milk shake.  Full of protein, good fats, minerals and delicious, rich, creamy, icy flavor  — this is a filling yet cleansing breakfast treat in the summer!

And best yet, for those not ready for pure green juice without the fruit (which can be sugary), this is a great way to get your greens while still satisfying the craving for a sweet and creamy indulgence.  I would have this for dessert it’s so delicious!

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cup Pure Fresh Green Juice with no fruit.  Check out the first part of this blog entry to get ideas.

1 1/2 Cup Raw Nut Milk (can be almond, brazil nut, pine nut, macadamia or a combo!) Check out the second part of this blog to learn how to make nut milk. Until you get a nut milk bag for straining, a panty hose knee sock will do the trick!

2 Tbsp organic hemp seeds (Nutiva is a great brand)

1 handful of organic spinach

1 heaping Tbsp Coconut Manna/coconut butter

1 tsp cinnamon to taste and for garnish

½ tsp himalayan sea salt (Real Salt is a great brand)

6-8 ice cubes (or freeze coconut water or coconut milk into ice cube trays for an even creamier/sweeter taste and tecture)

Dash of raw green stevia powder

Blend everything in a Vitamix or Blendtec for best results, however a regular blender may work fine too.  I promise, you’ll sigh a satisfied, “ahh” after every succulent slushy slurp!

9 Reasons Why Competition is Good For Yoga Teachers

“Winning isn't everything, but wanting to is.” ~ Vince Lombardi

Have you ever thought that filling your yoga classes would be so much easier if you had the whole market to yourself with no competition from other yoga teachers?  Do you ever get riled up when other instructors teach at the same time of day?

Come on, admit it, you know you’ve gone there.

As natural as this feeling is, let’s take a good look at “turfi-ness”(which ultimately makes you feel unworthy and like crap) vs. good old-fashioned healthy competition(which is meant to be light-hearted and promote personal excellence).

When a teacher is "turfy," she’s focused on herself rather than the students. While it is important to look out for yourself, it is also important to do so tactfully and in ways that everyone wins.

Here’s the thing: students don’t want to see their yoga teachers getting petty.  They deserve to choose whichever teacher they like and to have teachers who are self-confident enough to handle multiple colleagues in the marketplace.

The way I see it, a little competition is not only a good thing, it is a GREAT thing for yoga teachers and students alike.

Here are 9 reasons why:

Reason #1: It helps grow the yoga market and generate increased demand A key purpose in my life and work as a yoga teacher is to get more people on the mat. More people on the mat is a good thing, since yoga is such a powerful tool for happiness.

When there are more yoga class choices available in a given location, market awareness of yoga increases in greater proportion than the number of available options.

A variety of class offerings shows potential students that yoga is a health option worth their consideration. Also, variety shows that a community is serious about yoga and, therefore,the potential student should be too.

With increased market awareness, would-be yoga students are more likely to take a class.  Think about it: would a town be considered a foodie haven if it only had one restaurant?

Therefore worrying about whether your yoga class at 6pm on Monday is going to conflict with your colleague’s class at the same time is not a good use of your time.

Staggering yoga classes so as not to “compete” with each other keeps market awareness of yoga very low and does not give students options.

Reason #2: It’s natural

Animals do it; children do it; it’s the way the world works. Yogis try so hard not to be competitive, and cringe when they are.

Instead, why not acknowledge that we have inherited this healthy drive over millions of years and be OK with it?  Once you accept competition as a natural instinct, it is a lot easier to embrace the opportunity competition gives us.

Reason #3: It helps all ships rise on the same tide Rather than feeling threatened by your peers, collaborate! Co-teach a workshop, brag about each other on Facebook, attend each other’s classes, and honor the other’s presence in your class by announcing it.

Be friendly and trust that there are enough opportunities for you and your colleagues. A number of teachers rising up and practicing with each other will bring out the best yogi within each of them.

Reason #4: Being OK with competition makes you look like a hero Turfi-ness often slips out in the form of possessiveness (of students or timing of events) with an unappealing sprinkle of entitlement on top. And guess what, this kind of behavior only makes you look bad.

And besides, it’s SO unflattering, believe me.

Examples:

Sometimes yoga teachers can get overly controlling of their students and even ‘dis’ newer, up-and-coming teachers.  Unattractive!

A yoga director at a big studio recently told me that she purposely did not invite a particular instructor to teach a training there because she was so turned off by her possessive behavior. Yikes!

Another colleague told me she was asked to give up her classes at a studio when the owner decided she had had enough of the “combative politics” in my colleague’s style of yoga and did not want that energy in her studio.  Ouch.

Yoga teachers, listen up: if this sounds like you, it is time to let go of being protective of your turf. Otherwise you end up alienating yourself from strategic opportunities and looking like a jerk.

If instead you “roll with it” and trust that there is enough for everyone, you’ll be offered the best gigs, touted for your willingness to share, and praised for thinking about the student first. You’ll become a role model, and not only will your following grow, but other teachers will rally to support you, too!

Reason #5: We live in a big free world.

I’m going to get a little feisty now: Yoga teachers can teach when/where they want and sometimes it will conflict with another teacher’s classes! This is OK!

Yoga teachers that get upset at the overlap need a little dose of reality.  If all professions applied the same tenet that they can’t do the same job at the same time as another, the whole planet would be unemployed.

The premise that another yoga teacher can control the time or place that you teach is kind of silly.  Does that mean that dentist A can’t fill a cavity at the same time as dentist B on the other side of town or even a block away from each other?

I used to get seriously uppity about conflicting events diluting each other. When I lightened up and let go, everything worked out for the best long term, and the market actually grew (See Reason #1).

Reason #6: Provides an alternative for students who are not a good fit for your classes Students are free to experience multiple styles and having more than one teacher helps them index their yoga preferences.  For example, one yoga teacher might not want to teach the 20-something uber-bendy yogis but can better serve the 50+ crowd.

If her colleague prefers the 20-something demographic, then it is a win-win for both teachers. Now they can help cross-refer clients to each other. And the students will be happy to find the right teacher for their needs as well.

Reason #7: It forces you to be creative

Many yoga teachers fall into the dogma that they must set strict standards or hold onto ancient teachings to the point of becoming rigid and even elitist.

Rather than trying to be the best at the same-old, same-old, be creative, innovative and experimental with your offering, and then be the best at your own special version of your yoga.

You’ll stand out from the crowd not by being better, but by simply offering something different that does not necessarily take away from any other yoga teachers.

Reason #8: Variety is the spice of life. Some teachers are so protective of ‘their’ students that they inadvertently hold these students back from developing as yogis.  Getting exposure to a variety of teachers helps students gain insights and tidbits to help their practice move forward.  Insular groups tend to stunt their own growth, lose motivation, and plateau.

I encourage my students to try other methods, try on different teachers, and study. Ultimately their gratitude for my openness makes them quite loyal.

A community of yoga teachers can better serve a yoga student than one territorial-“dissing-other-teachers”-yoga teacher!

Reason #9: Ultimately, it helps you get better. Throughout history, the fiercest competitors have spurred each other on to greatness. If you have no competition, you can become complacent and at best be mediocre.  Someone’s got to raise the bar! So welcome the challenge and be excellent.

Now before you leave that comment…of course not all competition is good — and at some point too much competition just clutters the marketplace and confuses clients. That being said, instead of immediately getting protective and jealous, see how things change for your teaching when you start welcoming and encouraging competition in the yoga world.

You down?

In the comments below, I’d love to hear if you’ve ever had some of these territorial feelings and how you handled competition between yourself and your peers.

Why I Can't Go a Day With Out Juicing

It was a honor to pose as “Miss December” for Jade Yoga’s 2012 wall calendar and print ad in the picture here.  They asked me to do something in the picture that reflected my interests.  The bike thing had already been done, so since I’m totally a green juice fiend, we shot the ad in my kitchen! Spring is right around the corner and the urge to cleanse tends to arise as soon as the weather gets warmer and the light lasts longer in the day, but as the title of this blog suggests, any time is a good time to be juicing!

Actually I can go a day with out juicing, but I'm definitely not as happy, I won't be as energized, and my digestion pales in comparison.  (Insert a finger wagging: "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!")

Juicing has recently become a popular trend, and for good reason.  I’ve been juicing my whole life since my mom whipped one out in the 70’s.  The juicer was collecting dust for the longest time, but in the last five years, juicing has become one of my daily rituals. It is so energizing and cleansing, that I find it hard to live with out.

Apparently 98% of the nutrients in veggies and fruits are trapped inside the fiber capsules of the plant, and our teeth barely access those nutrients when we try to masticate the fiber, giving us access to only 1% of the nutrients or something silly low.

So when you juice, the fiber capsule is blown wide open giving you access to a much larger mega hit of nutrition.  And if you saw the huge bowl of produce I slam through my juicer every morning – it would take you several hours to chew, yet you're getting the nutrition on a much bigger volume of food, thus the mondo blast.

And yes, I still recommend that you eat other veggies during the day to get your daily fiber intake.  Juicing is not a meal substitute – it is like taking your supplements, only so much more fun, appealing and delicious.

People ask me often how to get started and what to juice, so here is the first of many posts with tips, tricks and recipes to help you get on the road to mega nutrition and vibrancy.

What Kind of Juicer To Use

Hands down, the Breville Elite 800 gives the silkiest, most quality juice and is a long lasting easy to clean machine!

Don't skimp and get the model down from the 800! (It is totally not worth the price difference  - the motor is not as hardy and the juice does not come out as smooth).

What kind of Produce to Use

Buy (or preferably grow) produce as fresh and crisp as possible (no soft spots or sogginess!). And definitely buy organic produce since the juicer concentrates everything including pesticides!

Useful Tips

• Always drink the juice with in minutes of making.  The juice begins to lose nutritional value quite soon.  If you have to take it with you, fill up a jar all the way to the top so that the lid touches the juice when you close it – sealing it in with as little oxygen above the juice as possible.
• Worried about your teeth turning a little green? Sip your juice with a straw.
• The Breville 800 is easy to clean.  The only part that can take a wee more time is the mesh filter. I found that a dish brush (the Good Grips kind) actually works better and faster than the one the juicer comes with.
• If you use lemon, put it in last - it works as an astringent to pre-clean the juicer!
• Avoid juicing carrots, beets or other sweet fruit since anything juiced becomes concentrated and these foods are high in sugar to begin with.  Generally I like to drink only green, but in the beginning if you need fruit to make the juice palatable, the following fruits are considered low-sugar:  Granny Smith apples, grapefruit and pear.

Green Turmeric Lemonade

This is a refreshingly tart, liver-cleansing cocktail – great anytime of day, and is especially wonderful first thing in the morning.  The turmeric, if you can get it fresh from Hawaii, is a natural anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-microbial root that looks like ginger only orange! Turmeric is also amazing for smooth glowing skin.

2 small cucumbers or 1 large 3 handfuls of baby spinach 3 stalks of celery 1 head of Romaine Lettuce (optional) 1 small lemon or half a large lemon 1 green apple or pear 1 inch of fresh turmeric (optional if you can’t find it – best when it looks plump and orange.  Looks like ginger, only a bit smaller. From Hawaii is best.)

Put the celery in first and plunge.  Put a cucumber in with out plunging and fill the space around it with the baby spinach, then plunge.  This way the spinach gets juiced rather than spun through the juicer. Do the same thing with the turmeric to help maximize it. Then juice the Romaine and apple.  Voila!

Top 5 Tips for Marketing A Beginner Yoga Series

As you may know, I recently launched a new online course: Build Your Following: How to Launch a Beginner's Yoga Series. And the success stories have been pouring in! Teachers are rocking it out with SOLD OUT Beginner's Yoga Series and waitlists. This means that even more people are getting on the mat and we are spreading the yoga love! Freaking awesome. Building a successful Beginner's Yoga Series from scratch isn't always easy which is why I created the course as a turn-key solution.

Whether you took the course or not, you still need to prepare and apply ninja marketing skills to spread the word, since new students could be anywhere and are not always easy to find if you are new to an area or live in a rural part of the world.

If you're planning a Beginner's Yoga Series and are struggling to find people out of thin air, here are my top 5 tips for marketing your series with success:

1.  Let your people know! Word of Mouth.

Announce the new series in classes (your own and other teachers). Email your current students, friends, family and everyone you know. Ask everyone to spread the word to their friends and family who are new to yoga - tell them all about the benefits of yoga and why your series will help them. Your current students are your best advocates for your teaching, but if you are new to an area, you'll have to start from scratch and do good old fashioned "networking".  Even if it means starting random conversations with the mail man!

2. Rock your social media skills!

Post regularly on your Facebook and Twitter accounts about your Beginner's Series. Don't be shy about posting every day! Remember: you might be seeing every one of your posts, but chances are, most people are only seeing a fraction of your posts. Also - be sure to reach out to other online communities in your area. Make a CTA (call to action) that specifically asks people to share, retweet and post about your series.

3.  Feature the series on your website.

Put your Beginner's Yoga Series info in a prominent place on your website, the studio's website, your Facebook Page and any other online outlet available.  And link to it, link to it, link to it!

4.  Link to your series in your email signature.

Even if you aren't emailing a prospective yogi, include a link in your email signature that promotes the course. You never know who might be your next student!

5.  Start marketing early and don't get discouraged!

Keeping a positive attitude and visualizing a yoga room filled to capacity with new beginners can make a huge impact on your outcome. Get creative, stay inspired and don't give up!

Get advice from someone who's been there!

The teachers who've taken Build Your Following: How to Launch a Beginner's Yoga Series have some great marketing tips to share, too.  Read on to hear their advice.

I hope that these ideas help you build an amazing beginner yoga series, and, ultimately, introduce more people to the benefits of yoga. The world needs you!

Here's more advice from fellow teachers like you!

KM:  Add a question to your the feedback form, what would it take to keep you coming back? Or a discount or freebie for their first punch card? Do the beginners return for another beginner series? Inquiring minds want to know!

YS:  Tried discounts but will try again (i.e. 10% if you sign up during the week following end of intro) and yes... quite a few take the intro again. This year offering 2 kinds of intros, one 4 week (4 classes), another 4 week (12+ classes :-)... hope one leads to the other.

Taro Smith:  Social interaction is the number one reason for coming back to classes yet it is the most underrated. Remembering names, having forums so students can chat with each other, asking questions of students, having them add value in some way to the class. You can also take it off the mat by having students connect with a FB professional page where you can keep dialog running.

KO:  Guerrilla marketing all the way -- I get 75% of my students by personally inviting them. Put a bunch of postcards/flyers in your purse and hand them out to everyone -- I invited the beer stock-er at my local co-op and he's now a devoted student -- loves it for remedying his back pain. Invite people to come --anyone (friend/acquaintance) who has ever expressed an interest in yoga -- send them a postcard with a handwritten note like -- I hope you will join me! Really, I grow my classes by appealing to everyone I know and it works. And, they love the personal invite. And keep inviting people -- I just perceive myself as a yoga class hostess and it is really working. My 4 classes are solidly at 10-12 people enrolled for 12 week sessions -- and growing. I am all about personal attention and people love it! I live in rural Wisconsin -- so its challenging yoga terrain. This approach is working great and 90 Minutes has helped me a lot.

KH:  How about leaving some flyers with your hairdresser? They see and speak to lots of people every day and can help spread the word....

NR:  Thanks! Hairdressers, chiropractors, acupuncturist, flower shops, colonics place, health food shops, ups store what have I missed? :-))

JI:  How about gyms (that don't offer yoga)? Dry cleaners? Local health-conscious restaurants?

LS:  Have you seen the bulletin boards in almost every STARBUCKS? There's a spot for us on those boards!

PS:  One simple way I market to teens is I list my age requirement for my adult classes as 14+ years old. I also teach Teen and Tween Yoga classes, which I market in their PTA newsletters and participate in any school-sponsored fitness event (for free with flyers in hand) to get the word out, like Family Fitness Night and I even did yoga for school volunteers before they had a planting day. I have sent constant contact emails to the athletic coaches and PE teachers at the middle and high schools in my area, and I hang flyers on any community bulletin board I can find. The most effective marketing though is through my best ambassadors... my own teenage daughters!

... And here are a few more ideas I found online:

Try a referral program, like “refer a friend” or “bring a friend to yoga class” with your current students – for Beginner Series, you could offer existing students a free class if they refer someone to your beginner series, and their friend could get a discount.

Some great ideas from http://www.ivillage.com/how-can-i-market-my-new-yoga-business/7-n-221241  include: - Volunteer to write a community newspaper column or do a local radio show - offer free workshops or talks at schools, college athletic centers, libraries, health fairs, sports expos, health food stores - Visit the athletic departments of schools and universities and let coaches know about your services.

A few more good ideas here: http://www.wikihow.com/Advertise-a-Yoga-Class such as: -Write a press release about the benefits of yoga, then send it to local television and print reporters. Follow up by calling to invite reporters to attend your class at no charge.

Have other tips to share?  Leave a comment below!

Build Your Following: How to Launch a Beginner's Yoga Series

Get Started NOW!

Plus, read about the breakthrough results yoga teachers and studio owners have been getting by applying what they learned in this mini-course!

“Fantastic webinar! I would encourage everyone to use Amy's tools as a core model and expand the application as your practice grows. Love this community! Namaste.” - Anna Watson

“I set up my series for Jan. 21st for four weeks! Thank you, Amy for the tools to actually make it happen! I am so excited and inspired! I seriously cannot thank you enough! xo” - Amanda Meehan

“Our Beginner Series enrollment number was up to 17 and our original cap was 15, we thought ‘oh, whats 2 more’. Now the studio owner just sent a text to see if 20 would be OK!” - Nan Hartsell Vuncannon

“Amy, Thanks for the webinar! I am really excited to get into the studio on Monday and schedule my first beginner's series.” - Darcy Elman

“Awesome Webinar Amy! Thank you for presenting from both the perspectives of the studio and the individual teacher. Great balance!” - Vicki Tarrant

“I'm so JAZZED to be a part of this launch with all of you!!! Beginning my 6 week series mid-Jan.!! Studio space secured, website up and running, postcards are out, potential students are getting excited, one student registered already, and still 4 weeks before start date! (I did all of this in two weeks!???) THANK YOU Amy for the motivation and INSPIRATION! Your webinar has ROCKED my world - I'm actually doing the work that I LOVE! xo” - Vila Maya King

“Awesome webinar - learned so much! I feel much better prepared for opening day...” - Maria Delgado Richardson

“So helpful... thank you so much. All of the courses have been extremely helpful and inspiring (and stress relieving ;)” - Janelle Fleur Kroon

“Thursday evening session is now FULL!!!! I have started a wait list...YAY!” -Kimberly Bragg Werner

“I am on a yoga high! I just had my first class of my six-week beginner series and the place was packed! We ran out of mats! Only four people had officially registered, so I wasn't expecting very many, but they just kept coming! I was so nervous because I am a relatively new teacher and have never done a beginner series. And I'm new to the area and don't know the community yet. But it went really well and people seemed excited about next week. I couldn't have been able to do this without Amy and this program. Thank you everyone for being an inspiration!”  - Randi Kay Martin

“It's happening! My series starts next Wednesday. Class is full and I have started a waiting list for the next 6 week series! I asked my students to fill out questionnaires online so that I can review them before classes begin... good thing because it's giving me time to research health issues I am not familiar with. It's not only allowing me to connect with my students before I meet them, it's reinforcing my belief that our responsibility as yoga teachers is to share this gift with EVERYONE we can get our hands on! There are people in serious NEED of yoga out there. Again - thanks Amy, you're brilliant for recognizing this need, creating an easy to follow format to inspire teachers and beginners, and for the huge support of the Facebook group to help all of us make it happen!” - Vila Maya King

“Thank you so, so much, Amy. My first Beginner Course is starting on the 18th and it booked out completely, so I put on a second course to accommodate a few people who didn't get into the first one. It turns out that the second course booked out as well. I cannot believe it, 30 new students who want to give yoga a shot, it's so exciting. Couldn't have done it without you Amy and all the great ideas and tips from everyone in this group.” - Sibylle Dallmann

“My Elements of Yoga series began tonight. Our small space can hold ten tight but I opted to only allow six. I had three beautiful new yoginis show up to the mat. I almost cried with joy. It was my very first class in my new space. What a treat! Thank you so much, Amy, for your workshop. I was a nervous wreck until 6pm and now I'm floating on a yoga cloud. And celebrating with a glass of red. Being a part of this group also gave me ideas that made planning much easier. Namaste y'all!” - Amanda Powell-Wooten

"Oh. My. Goddess! So....I sold out my class! It starts on February 4th so I thought 'Hey Sandi, why not offer a second session on those same days in February and see what happens?' So, I opened the next class up on my site this morning...and people are already booking it! This tells me people are hungry for yoga, but we have obviously sent out a message that not every one is 'yoga material.' Amy's script for marketing this class is pure inspiration...and maybe a little genius mixed in thar too...Smooch! - Sandi Burden

New Year's Love Letter

I'm writing this from 9800 feet during a gusty blizzard, contemplating the numerological significance of the year 2012. (I'm a nerd!) When you add 2 + 0 + 1 + 2 you get 5, known as the "wild card" number. This means anything can happen!

It turns out the number 12 itself represents tribes, and the need for people to come together to look after and help one another.

Twelve divides down to 3, and the number 3 symbolizes nurturing, creativity, and solution-oriented thinking.

Lord knows we need a "can do" spirit to respond consciously to the intense circumstances in the world, and these numbers suggest that we must do this through our collective intelligence. Truly we can solve any issue if we band together!

Part of this revolution involves including our youth in this conversation. As we enter the Aquarian Age, listening to their words and insights will be a vital. This year I learned so much from teachers younger than me!

2011 was the year to pump up our own volume. 2012? We take on the WORLD. It is more than time to give a damn. In 2012, we will come together, through the wild uncertainty before us, and...be the light that gives others permission to shine.

And that's the new name of my 2012 Tour: Be the Light

There is so much to look forward to, so much good we can do together. More than ever I can't wait to do these things with you.

THANK YOU, my amazing readers. You have made 2011 beyond tremendous and you have made such leaps and bounds on your journey. Here's to more!

As always, please leave a comment below and tell me what you plan to do in 2012 to shine your light with others.

Big love and gratitude,

Amy

(Picture above taken in Gubbio, Italy with Taro!)

Learn These 4 Steps To Leading Like a Bad-Ass

I recently watched the movie "Bobby" and was sobered to be reminded of how the same issues we are dealing with today were alive and well in 1968. (Think deteriorating ozone layer, climate change, violence, and species extinction to name just a few.) While we have made a ton of progress, in some ways we still have barely made a dent, 40 years later.  And of course many of these issues have quadrupled in impact.

What gives? It is so time to step up the progress on this badly needed revolution of consciousness, and it starts with our selves and how we relate to each other.

Those who are stepping up to become who they know they can be will be the ones to bring about transformation on the planet.

This is the difference between ordinary leadership and "transformational leadership".

4 Evolutionary Relationship Strategies To Bring On the Revolution

Step 1. Take Responsibility For How You Are Showing Up (Physically, Mentally and Emotionally) I heard someone say that they had a sign up in their office that reads: “Please take ownership for the energy you bring to this space.” and how about this Oprah quote:

"Nobody is responsible for your life but you. You are responsible for the energy you bring to yourself and to others."

Owning your state of being is critical because you actually participate in how you show up, versus allowing un-examined energy to run-a-muck.

For example, if you get enough sleep, eat nourishing organic meals through out the day, and exercise regularly, chances are you’ll feel and perform at your highest physically.  On the other hand, when you get out of physical balance, you show up sub-par.

If you regularly examine the way you talk to yourself and you are a disciplined “gatekeeper” of your own mind and speech, chances are your mental state will be more positive and focused.

Are you letting yourself drown in one negative thought after the next or do you consciously choose your thoughts and speech?

More importantly, do you examine the beliefs that you have behind those thoughts, such as, “I’ve always had an issue with my shoulder”, “The problem is that my XYZ keeps me from being able to do this or that,” or “No one wants to date me since I am divorced with two kids”?

Or do you reframe your speech and say instead, “Up until now I’ve had shoulder issues,” “I am confident that I’ll be able to do this or that”, or “There are plenty of people who want to share life with me and my kids.”

When you feel things, do you tend to overly identify with the feeling saying something like “I am angry” instead of “I feel angry”?

Can you articulate how emotions feel in your body so it is easier to verbalize and then let those feelings move on?  Or do you suppress, stifle or ignore them?  After all, emotions should move (thus the word “motion” in emotion!).

Step 2: Bring More of Your Self to Others

Everyone rocks at something, yourself included.  Are you truly offering your best to the people around you?  Are your God-given gifts getting the full expression they deserve so that you can benefit others?

When you are in relationship do you focus on what you could get vs. what you could give?

Ask anyone in a relationship how it’s going, and they will tend to talk all about what their partner does or does not do for them.  How many would answer that question with an account of everything they do or don’t do for their partner?  Of course we want both give and take, but where is the emphasis?

We live in community. There is value in looking at the big picture first - that what is best for the whole can also be best for the individual.

When you think of how your choices or actions might benefit the community versus thinking of just your own needs, you are often rewarded 10 fold in the long run.

Step 3. Be Reliable, Accountable and Consistent

Consistency creates grooves.  Grooves create focus.  Focus creates transformation.  When you are reliable, people can count on you to keep your promises, and when you are steadfast, you build trust and belief.

And I’ve learned that when people believe…wow, anything is possible.

Moreover, when you are reliable, accountable and consistent for YOU, you’ll believe in yourself more, your self-esteem will skyrocket, and you will move mountains.

I’ve found that the best way to stay accountable for the promises I make to myself is to keep track of the times I do, and to celebrate them.

There’s nothing like positive reinforcement to shake up samsaric (repetitive, habitual) behavior.

Step 4. Design and Craft your Relationships Consciously

It is vital to design the kind of relationships you want to be in.

One summer, I made a vow that I would say yes to hanging out with a certain group of people that I admired.

I admired them for their positive attitudes, their creativity, their evolution thus far in life, and their successes.  When I was with them, I felt inspired; I felt on track with my goals, and supported in being as badass as I could be, in all areas of my life.

I consciously sought their good company and then made choices to be around them, even taking more time off of my teaching schedule. As a result, I think I have helped more people this year than any other, thanks in large part to the great company I’ve kept.

Make a list of new connections you can invite into your circle and raise the bar on the quality of your life and your own evolution!

You Can Do This

Show up as the powerful being that you know you are.  Keep on shifting and waking up, because every single one of you is here to love people, lift them up and serve the planet.

Love and Lessons from Umbria, Italy

Every time I'm on our retreat in Italy, I receive continuous reminders about how gorgeous nature and the world can be. Astonishing really. We've had a perfect recipe for inspiration and greatness this year with Douglas Brooks sharing on the "ferocity of love" and the wonderful company we've shared.

Someone at the retreat turned to me the other day and said, "Thank you for reminding me why I am here."

Douglas said it best when he shared:

"Because life is such a strange, wonderful gift, there is really nothing wrong with us. Treasure that Gift."

Gratitude is pouring.

Here I am pondering beauty and abundance after picking pomegranates, pears, figs and more from the gardens in the Umbrian countryside. Treasuring every moment...

THE SEQUEL: Discover These Remedies For Uncomfortable Meditation

Back in June I posted a blog called: "If You're in Pain After Only 5-10 Minutes of Meditation, You're Probably Making these Common Alignment Mistakes." We received such an overwhelming response from meditators and yogis commenting and asking more questions about how to enhance their seated posture, that I decided to film......the sequel!

If you have not yet watched the original, you can find it over at my blog.

Here are some of the most common questions we got, which I address in the video:

1. What do I do if my legs are still falling asleep?  What do I do if my legs are tingling? 2. What do I do if I still have knee pain? 3. What do I do if I still have ankle pain?

Ultimately it is not necessarily all about getting completely free in your body during meditation.  I prefer to focus on what a total victory it is if you can last even 2 minutes longer with out discomfort!

Your body will get stronger the more you meditate in good alignment and you can keep adding those minutes on over time.

And as you know, the more people who meditate for longer periods of time, the more world peace we're gonna get!

As always, please leave a comment at the bottom of the blog. I would love, love, love to hear how much more mileage you get on your cushion after watching this!

Want to read more on the topic of meditation and yoga? See my article written for Elephant Journal at the Press Page.

Meditate on!

Love, Pasta, and the Seemingly Impossible

On the evening of September 10th, 2001, two birds hit the sliding glass doors of a studio where I was attending an afternoon class on retreat in Southern Utah. My friend Sianna and I silently left the room to go outside.

One bird was down, the other, its mate, was circling nervously. We gave the bird our love and reiki, to no avail.

Later that evening we performed a burial ceremony in the woods for the bird who passed. We wept unexplainably.

The next morning I woke up to a phone call in my yurt - the Twin Towers had been struck by two planes.

After the shock, the tears, the group collective prayers and meditations, the reality of our new world began to sink in via emails and phone calls of concern.

One such call was from Jane Fryer, founder of Inward Bound, a retreat and travel company that was hosting our retreat at Locanda Del Gallo, in only three weeks. "The travel industry is toast, my business is doomed, do we go to Italy?"

Half of the 28 participants had already asked for their money back.

My response? We go! I was determined not to let misaligned terrorists stop us from enjoying life, nor squelch our freedom.

I got on the plane to Rome ready to take down any bad guy. I even got my fellow passengers to agree to help if we saw anyone sketchy. The plane was empty - I had four whole seats to myself.

A courageous group of 14 yogis arrived at Locanda Del Gallo the next day, a little depressed, a bit nervous, but ready to have a transformation.

Every class was filled with a depth and paradox of feelings: Grief and despair mixed with an undying sense of hope and unity. The pain of loss blended with a sense of humor. Together we learned to hold these opposing emotions in the space of Locanda's piercing silence. Together we showed up with love. Our hearts lead the way.

We chanted, we prayed for the world, we shopped at the Prada outlet, we took silly yoga pictures with our new accessories for comic relief, we ate a lot of pasta, we cried, we loved and we danced.

That's me and Jane ten years ago, hamming it up for some much needed comic relief, decked out in Prada and Miu Miu.

On the final evening we gathered in colorful clothes at the tip of Locanda's precipice and created a mandala made of objects we found in nature, infusing each with our love and prayers for peace and harmony on the planet.

It was clear, that yoga travel would not end. This was just the beginning.

And sure enough, this was the first of 9 more closing mandala ceremonies that have since occurred on that very precipice.

Inward Bound went on to thrive and is still alive and well today. We are so grateful to Jane Fryer for gracing our lives with this magical slice of heaven on Earth, a place where dreams are born, hearts are mended, peace is found and PASTA reigns true!

We are thrilled to be going back, for our 10th year, this October 1-8th! This time joined by Douglas Brooks for a juicy topic all about love, baby. Check him out flashing the 12 Kali Mudras in this video about this year's retreat:

Watch more videos and read all about our next trip to Italy this fall!

And as always, please leave a comment below. :)