Weekly Newsletter

Let's Learn And Grow Together

Hello everyone. Namaste. It's Sara and this week, our focus is a joint project. We're going to look at what Harlan is doing in yoga and get your suggestions. I'll also show you one of my Restoraflow poses that I developed to help him overcome a limitation.

One of the amazing possibilities this site has is our ability to learn and grow from each other. I do hope you'll join in and share your thoughts.

When I returned from India, I was surprised to discover how tight Harlan had become. When I asked him to move into poses which came easily to him before. In this case I had asked him to move from a modified Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana to Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana to a modified Natarajasana. This was a sequence he had been able to do. But he had injured the tendons on his right knee and was guarding it protectively which was hampering his flexibility.

So I backed down and asked him to start performing smaller chunks. Take a look at what was causing him difficulty.

Now take a look at the pose I designed for him (which we did on both sides - we only photographed it on this side):

Can you understand the logic of what the props are doing for him here? I'd like to hear your thoughts than I'll share mine.

Please Share Your Thoughts Here!

If you need to register for our forum, please go here to learn how!

Special Email Coming Tomorrow!

We are putting the finishing touches on a very special email that is coming tomorrow. And we are very excited because everyone who has seen it has wanted in on this opportunity.

It's about Sara's upcoming retreat in Costa Rica. Please look for the email because space is extremely limited and what is being offered is so unique.

We're going to send out this email around noon east coast time tomorrow so you might want to look out for it. You'll understand why when you see it.

Yoga and Hamburger Stands

Hello everyone, it's Harlan back from San Francisco and my own private yoga retreat. Today's marketing topic is Yoga and Hamburger stands. Now, most yoga teachers I know lean toward a vegetarian lifestyle so bear with me as I explain the hamburger connection. I think you may learn something from it.

I returned to find a challenging post on the forum. I'll quote it here:

Hi everyone!

This is my very first post, and I want to express my gratitude for this forum!
I have received many inspirations just by reading the postings.

I am, however, wondering if many of your suggestions just don't fit for my area.

I teach yoga for five years in a small town of around 16, 000 inhabitants in New Mexico, about half an hour away from the border to Mexico. The closest city on Craigslist is 60 miles away.

The average per capita income in the county is approximately $17, 000 a year; the median household income is a little bit over $20, 000 a year, half of the national average. During summer time, the unemployment rate is between 40% and 50%.

Most of the Anglo people here are seniors on a fixed income who have come down to this part of the country because of the weather and because the costs of living are cheap. Over 50% of the population is Hispanic. Many of them speak barely English.

There is a community education facility. I am the only one who offers classes in the "Fitness and Wellness" sector. For this semester, however, all my classes had to be canceled because registrations were not enough. As a matter of fact, only one class takes place: Spanish for Beginners.

There is also a fitness center in which another yoga teacher teaches two yoga classes and one Pilates class on Friday afternoons, for $15 per hour. They pay her only if at least three people show up. Oftentimes in the summer, she has only one or two students. She told me last week that she will quit by the first of April.

Besides at the community education facility, I teach two classes at different churches; one is in the town I live and another one in a small settlement, over an hour away. I just cannot afford to rent space, and I feel comfortable at both churches.

My classes have a six-week session format (I never again want to teach ongoing classes), and I charge $42 for six one hour classes and $55 for six one and a half hour classes. The few people who participate (between five and twelve) are mostly very committed. A caring, warm and non-competitive atmosphere is important for me.

My participants get sometimes assignments, a "diploma" after three, two and one year(s) of attending yoga, and always a nice invitation card for the next six-week session. In addition, I distribute brochures and flyers at some doctors' offices, at the pharmacy, and some stores. Most new students are referrals from two doctors.

For a while, I put a four page newsletter together, four times a year. I mailed it out as half of my students either don't have a PC or don't like a PC. I stopped doing it. I found it to be too much work.

Needless to say that I cannot support myself. If it weren't for my husband who "subsidizes" me, I had already thrown in the towel.

Is there any hope for increasing my business in such a poor area? Or is the best thing to do moving away?
I am looking very much forward to your input.

Monika

I'm going to share with you a lesson from my teacher, Gary Halbert who passed away last year. The following section in blue is in Gary's words.

"If you and I both owned a hamburger stand and we were in a contest to see who could sell the most hamburgers, what advantages would you most like to have on your side to help you win?"

The answers vary. Some of the students say they would like to have the advantage of having superior meat from which to make their burgers. Others say they want sesame seed buns. Others mention location. Someone usually wants to be able to offer the lowest prices.

And so on.

Whatever. In any case, after my students are finished telling me what advantages they would most like to have, I usually say to them something like this: "O.K., I'll give you every single advantage you have asked for. I, myself, only want one advantage and, if you will give it to me, I will (when it comes to selling burgers) whip the pants off all of you!"

"What advantage do you want?" they ask.

"The only advantage I want," I reply...

"Is...A Starving Crowd!"

Think about it. When it comes to direct marketing, the most profitable habit you can cultivate is the habit of constantly being on the lookout for groups of people (markets) who have demonstrated that they are starving (or, at least hungry) for some particular product or service."

You can not create a starving crowd for yoga. You have to tap into one of the more basic desires people have: health, weight loss, longevity, or anti-aging.

The fact that doctors are referring clients to you is a good sign. You must regularly update the physicians regarding their clients' progress. When their clients make progress, you can be sure that more referrals will follow.

You should set up similar referral associations with other professionals including doctors and physical therapists.

A long time ago I learned never to try and guess what is in other peoples' wallets or pocketbooks. Over the years, I've been astounded by what people will spend money on.

I've seen people who I assumed were barely making it come up with thousands of dollars for weight loss programs. I've also seen wealthy people say they can't afford yoga lessons when they can afford to have ten privates a day.

It's no secret that Sara and I believe Restorative Yoga is the wave of the future. And you might be surprised at what peoples' priorities are when their health is on the line.

If your goal is to "teach yoga" you may have a problem. If your goal is to utilize your yoga teaching skills to assist people with their health problems, you may be able to survive where you are.

If your goal is to learn a "power vinyassa flow class" you may just be out of luck. However, if you goal is to use yoga to help people gain more flexibility, there will always be a market.

There are obvious advantages and disadvantages to different geographic locations. Sara lived for a while in Ashville, North Carolina and struggled to make a living as a yoga teacher. But at the same time, she didn't know as much about marketing back then.

I believe the various techniques we are teaching apply everywhere. If not in private lessons, than restorative yoga classes are needed everywhere - without exception.

Sara and I thank you for posting your deeply thought out question on our forum and bless you and your family with light and prosperity.

To find out how to post and use the forum go to:

http://www.buildyouryogabusiness.com/register.html