by Amanda Kingsmith | Nov 10, 2017 | Blog, Lifestyle
I just finished Marie Kondo’s book, Spark Joy. Kondo is a Japanese tidying expert, most famous and most revolutionary for her simple (yet difficult) task to only keep those things that spark joy for you. If something brings you joy, choose to keep it. If it no longer brings you joy, thank it and say goodbye.
I picked up her book as a contribution to my 2016 intention of being essential.
While the KonMari approach to tidying deals with physical items, I was continuously struck by how they apply to every aspect of our lives, including our own teaching.
I started teaching yoga because sharing yoga and being for others brings me joy. My guess is that your motivation to become a teacher was similar. Yet, I’ve still found myself teaching in many situations that did not bring me joy, including:
- Teaching at studios that did not treat me fairly
- Teaching at studios where the other teachers didn’t interact with the students before or after class
- Taking on time-slots that were inconvenient for me
- Teaching in clothes that made me self-conscious
I’m starting to wise-up to the fact that I’m deserving of teaching in a way that brings me joy. Teaching yoga is not martyrdom, and a joyous teacher is able to give more to their students than a tired, self-conscious one.
“Remember that you are not choosing what to discard but rather what to keep. Keep only those things that bring you joy. And when you discard anything that doesn’t, don’t forget to thank it before saying good-bye. By letting go of the things that have been in your life with a feeling of gratitude, you foster appreciation for, and a desire to take better care of, the things in your life.”
Marie Kondo, Spark Joy
How to Spark Joy In Your Teaching:
Get clear on when teaching brings you joy. Do you find joy teaching at particular studios? Teaching a specific demographic? Teaching your favourite style of yoga? Bringing yoga to parks or corporate spaces? Choose those opportunities. Make room for them, and seek them out. Appreciate the teaching opportunities that once served you but no longer do, and allow yourself to say goodbye.
Get clear on which yoga clothes spark joy. I’m aware of how superficial this sounds, but hear me out: We teach at our bests when we feel confident, and have our attention directed outward instead of on ourselves. Do you have any clothes that no longer fit you, or that never really fit you to begin with? Or, a pair of pants that have a hole in the crotch? If your clothes no longer spark joy for you, find a way to give them to someone who can actually cherish them (or perhaps they are ready to be recycled into something new, or thrown out).
Be essential with what you keep. Many companies will accept old mats and props that can be recycled. If you no longer derive joy from the things you once used in your practice, give them a new purpose by donating or recycling them.
Continue to find ways to bring joy into the room with you. I wear a mala bracelet from my dad when I teach. I also like to read quotes from the books I am currently reading. Maybe you have music you are happy to share, that complement the classes you teach. I have a friend who brings lavender oils to the classes she teaches outside of our studio, because it brings her joy to give the students something special in savasana.
When does teaching spark joy for you? Where can you afford to say goodbye to ways of teaching that no longer serve you?
Laura Fraser is a yoga teacher, digital media specialist & hand-lettering artist. You can learn more about Laura here.
by Amanda Kingsmith | Nov 9, 2017 | Blog, Business
It doesn’t matter how revolutionary your business is, nor does it matter how affordable it is or how amazing the customer service you offer is if you can’t get anyone to notice at it. The biggest problem facing businesses right now, including businesses in the yoga industry, is generating interest.
One of the best ways to generate interest is via the internet because most people will Google the thing they’re looking for in order to buy it. That means, if you want to get your business out there, you need to get good at generating more traffic online. Here are a few effective ways you can do that:
Talk to Your Target Audience
In the social media age, it has never been easier to reach out and talk to the people you think might be interested in using your business. So, sign up for local Yoga groups and forums and start making friends. Some of them might just turn into customers.
A note about doing this: if you want it to succeed, your efforts should be genuine. You should join as much for the conversation as the promotion, and you should avoid simply spamming links to your website.If you do that, you won’t generate any new leads, but you will generate a whole lot of hostility.
Create Your Own White Paper
A white paper is basically an in-depth article or report into a specific thing. They can be very effective at drawing more people to your business website because they tend to (or at least they should) contain the kind of information people are looking for. You can find out more about using white papers to generate leads by reading White Paper Marketing: How To Create Quality Leads Online Consistently. However, all you really need to do to get started is to write a report on a burning issue in Yoga or a guide to mastering a certain pose and put it out there that it can be downloaded from your website. Your traffic will soon increase.
Try Guest Blogging
If you want to get more eyes on your website, one simple, but very effective thing you can do is write guest posts for other influential bloggers in your niche, include a bio or link to your website, and you should generate lots of traffic.
Create Great Content
Of course, the bulk of your time spent writing should be on creating great content for yourself. If you write informative, engaging posts about the topic, and you include some relevant keywords, Google will find you and ranking highly there will generate more traffic than you could imagine.
Leverage Your Network
You have friends right? So, why not use them to generate traffic for you. Let them know what you’re doing and what you’re trying to build, and if they have friends or acquaintances they think could use your services, they’ll tell them, and since people tend to trust word of mouth recommendations from friends and acquaintances highly, that could mean a whole lot more clients for you.
Implement these simple ideas, and you’ll be a lean, mean lead generating machine in no time!
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by Amanda Kingsmith | Nov 8, 2017 | Blog
If you have just recently become a yoga teacher and want to open your own practice, you will need to start thinking about building your brand. As a company or individual, it is crucial to build up a brand and following to become noticed and successful in your career.
Here are some great tips for building up your brand from the ground up and making yourself stand out from the crowd: (more…)
by Amanda Kingsmith | Nov 6, 2017 | Advanced Yoga Teacher, Show Notes, Teaching Online
Download the Episode or Subscribe on iTunes!
On this episode of the podcast, I am joined by Or Shahar, who is joining me all the way from Germany. Or shares how she came to yoga from a place of depression and found that yoga was very healing for her. She decided to take her first teacher training in India, and then proceeded to take another training in Germany.
Or shares how her teaching journey led her to teaching and living in Berlin, Germany and what the yoga landscape is like in Germany. She also shares how she has taught yoga to individuals with special needs and how she has expanded her business online through trainings and videos. We discuss the importance of being patient with yourself and your business, stepping outside of the traditional idea of what a yogi and a yoga class should look like, saying “yes” to as many opportunities as you can when you’re a new yoga teacher, and so much more!
Enjoy!
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by Amanda Kingsmith | Nov 4, 2017 | Blog, Business
If you’ve just set up your very own business in an attempt to convert the masses in your local area to the benefits of yoga, you may need to hire fellow yogis as your startup idea turns into a reality.
So, what should you look for in your staff team? No longer are you looking for the suited and booted corporate type, but a whole new breed of professional. Here are 3 ways to source the ideal team of yogis for your business.
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