Do You Worry About a Bus Crashing Through Your Yoga Studio?

A number of years ago, a story appeared in the Los Angeles times. It seems a man was sitting in his living room one Sunday afternoon, feet propped up, watching TV, eating chips and drinking a soda. Totally relaxed, thoroughly enjoying his day. Not a care in the world. Suddenly, without warning, the wall of his living room explodes into pieces as a Los Angeles city bus crashes into his home before coming to an abrupt stop. The man is unharmed, still sitting there with his feet up and a corn chip in hand. But now with a look of utter disbelief on his face as he stares into the tall glass windshield of the bus which is now facing him from where his TV used to be.

Some of us are prepared for such occurrences we anticipate they will happen and we are sure to build walls that not even a bus can penetrate. That's ridiculous. What is he talking about?, you ask. You see, many of us spend hours of our days (not only while awake, but also in dreams), worrying about anything and everything that can possibly go wrong. Okay, so maybe planning to deal with a city bus crashing into your studio is a bit much, but think about all the things that you worry about which may not be as extreme, but still hurt your business. (More on the bus story in a minute) I know studio owners who say things like:

I won't hire anyone new because they might not work out and then I'd need to fire them. (I'll stick with the mediocre staff I have at least I know their weaknesses)
I don't want to implement an auto-renew program because someone might not like it and tell all their friends that they didn't know they were on an auto-renew program and then no one will come to my studio anymore.
I don't want to sell merchandise (even what we use in class), because then I'd need to figure out what to do if someone didn't like what they bought and returned it. If this happened a lot, I could lose money. I'd better not sell anything.
I don't want to put out an email newsletter because if I write about a student and make a mistake they could complain and even sue me.

My question to you is this: Where in your own life (business or personal) do you spend time and energy worrying about things that might possibly go wrong? How much emotional energy does this take each week? How much time?

When we focus on what might go wrong, we defeat ourselves. First, we use up time and emotional energy. Next, if you follow the law of attraction, we attract into our lives exactly what we don't want. Also, if you devoted all this time and emotional energy to achieving something that you do want as a part of your studio (or of your life), imagine what could you achieve? There is a big difference between playing at life to not lose and playing to win. Virtually anyone in history who make any kind of a difference in the world played to win. Think of Gandhi, Mother Theresa, The Dalai Lama, or whomever you personally admire. Henry Ford once said Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eye off the goal.

So, how do we choose what to devote time and energy to? I often recommend a simple model, called the Circle of Influence. Imagine there is a circle around you. Inside the circle is everything in your life that concerns you AND which you have a reasonable degree of influence over. Things like the friends you have, what you eat for lunch, what you spend your money on, what type of work you've chosen, etc. Outside of this circle are all those things that you care about maybe very deeply but which you have very little or no influence over. This might be national or world politics, the weather, what choices most other people make in their lives, etc.

Now you get to make a choice. Once you've made this distinction, you may choose to focus nearly all of your time, energy and resources on those things within your circle. Sure, you care deeply about those things outside of your circle, but spending time worrying about them won't improve them. On the contrary, often when we focus on things inside our circle, it expands. Soon we find that we have more influence in the world than we did before. What things in your studio and in your life fall inside your circle of influence, and what falls outside of it?

The bottom line is this. Spend nearly all your time, energy and focus on the goal you want to reach. Only deal with those potential obstacles that clearly lie ahead in your path. As far as the guy with the bus in his living room goes, it turns out that the bus was stolen. In fact because it was stolen, the city refused to take responsibility for the damage. In the end, you can't prepare for everything. You can waste a lot of time trying, but there will always be the chance that a bus drives though your living room. Deal with what you need to and trust the rest will work out. If I might make a request: What is one area of your studio that you stress about, but which you could realistically let go of and be willing to just let go of worrying about? Okay, now do it I know if feels like a giant leap sometimes, but remember, many great souls have already proven this path for you. Go in peace.

Namast,
Al Lipper
Coach Al Lipper

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If you found this newsletter insightful, pass on the good fortune to others right now. Thank you!

Coach Al Lipper

Business Coach for Yoga Studios
Destiny: Success
Website: http://www.CenteredBusiness.com
Email: fcoach@centeredbusiness.com
Telephone: (805) 544-3938

Coach Al Lipper of 'Destiny: Success' helps Yoga studio business owners smoothly run and expand their yoga studio business. He helps stressed and overwhelmed yoga studio business owners who spend most their time wrapped up in daily business tasks, who can't handle any more clients, or who can't make any more money out of the yoga studio.

Coach Al helps clients find new yoga business strategies which result in generating more clients, increased profits, and more free time for the business owner. The amount invested was small compared to the results. Contact him today to discuss your yoga studio challenges at (805) 544-3938 or visit http://www.CenteredBusiness.com

Kundalini Yoga Dvd Video

Yoga Basics For Beginners

Humans are powerful. have you ever kept yourself awake at night worrying about someone or something? Most of us make ourselves miserable simply by remembering a difficult moment! When we're exhausted from negative thinking, it's difficult for us to see the beauty that is always here and never leaves us. Here's an effective exercise that when practiced regularly will create inner peace. When you observe yourself thinking in a way that is not kind and loving, try the following and I guarantee that your quality of life will improve:

1.Change what youre looking at look at something beautiful like a flower, mountain, tree, picture of a baby or anything else that makes you smile.
2.Change your breath breathe consciously and then deeply into your belly.
3.Change your posture lengthen your spine and then create space between your ribcage and your pelvis. Make sure that your shoulders dont creep up to your ears!

The majority of us were educated in math, English and science; not in how to create balance in our lives. Yoga teaches us to soften, breathe and relax no matter what twisted pose we get into. When taken off the mat and into everyday life, we learn to relax and breathe instead of tense up when life gets a little bumpy. For example, you can learn to release your jaw and breathe deeply instead of tense up and gag when youre at the dentist.

Yoga trains us to see the world from a different vantage point. After enough practice, frustrations like a broken down car can become opportunities to slow down and appreciate what is working. When you surrender into the moment, life feels a little bit better. Moment by moment you create balance.

Yoga simply means yoke or union. Most of the yoga currently taught in the West is a physical form called Hatha. Translated literally from 5000 year old Sanskrit, this means sun and moon. There are probably as many forms of yoga in the US as there are different ethnic cuisines. The various forms of yoga address a wide spectrum of constantly changing needs. Some forms of yoga have the heat up over 100 degrees and others are under 70 degrees. Each instructor has a different interpretation of the form she or he teaches. Some western teachers fuse different forms of yoga to create their own, such as Anusara and Forrest. There is a form of yoga for everyone. Finding the proper class is the first step in using yoga to create the life you dream about.

A dedicated yoga practice will transform your life because it will create unifying bonds between your body, mind and spirit. As we become whole within ourselves we are able to be unified and healthfully connected to the people, animals and environment that surround us. Our society teaches us to look for gratification outside of ourselves. Yoga helps us to connect with the limitless bliss that really does live within each of us. As you become aware of the connection between your body, mind and spirit you can create the life you have only fantasized about.

Here are some tips for finding the right Hatha yoga class and being happy once youre there:
1.Do your research: read about the class and instructor prior to attending.
Is the class an appropriate level for you? Most teachers dont advise beginners to attend advanced classes. Even if youre in great shape, its important to start yoga at the beginning.unless youre a reincarnated yogi with a super great memory.
Ask the instructor or employees at the studio any questions that will help you feel more comfortable.
2.Do not eat for about 2 hours prior to practiceunless youre pregnant.
3.Arrive to class free from perfumes and colognes.
4.Tell the teacher about any physical issues or limitations before class.
5.Rest any time. Its actually cool to rest in yoga. Listen to your body and allow the breath to guide your movement.
6.Do not compare yourself to others in the class.
7.HAVE FUN. Some people take yoga so seriously that they forget to smile, laugh and play. If you fall out of a pose or do something that seems a little clutzy observe your reaction. laughing with yourself is a great tool!

Anne Laderman Swartz is a mom and certified yoga instructor in Olympia, Washington. She has taught yoga in California, Arizona and New Zealand. Anne has studied with many master teachers and is especially grateful for her time with Ana Forrest, Saul David Raye and Gurmukh. Her classes are a blend of that experience, combining Vinyasa flow, Anusara, and Forrest Yoga to create a well balanced, heart opening, ecstatic practice. Annes knowledge of Thai yoga massage therapy is frequently used throughout the class to guide students into complete relaxation. Anne is a teacher committed to yoga as a way of life. She unselfishly gives, sharing her boundless energy with all who meet her. For a schedule of classes or more information, email Anne at yogianne@yahoo.com

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