What Are Your Yoga Goals For 2008

[DouglasRThompson]

When my mother died in 1980, I wrote a song and sang it at her funeral. In it, I promised that I would reach out to each human being that needed me. Little did I know that in 1996, I would come to yoga and realize that this is how I would do it. Starting in 1997, after completing my training at the Himalayan Institute in Honesdale Pennsylvania, I began teaching, and now own a studio.

My goal for 2008 is to increase business at Yoga Space by following all the good suggestions I get from this site; not only because I want to be able to afford to leave my day job, but because through bigger classes, I can better honor my promise to my mother.

If anyone is interested, the song is included below this message.

Be @ Peace,
Douglas

You showed the world around you how to love,
You showed us with your words and with your deeds.
It was the greatest gift you had to give,
And in the act of giving you received,
The gift of love.

And now your spirit lives within my heart.
Your soul has gone to where your soul must go.
Your body shares a place with Mother Earth.
The seeds of love you planted now must grow.
The seeds of love.
The gift of love.

So when my tears of sorrow have receded,
I will carry on as you would want me to.
I shall reach out to each human being that needs me,
Remembering your smile each time I do.
The smile of love.
The seeds of love.
The gift of love.

[eganvay]

No goals per-se' but to continue to live and learn, to continue to share what I'm living and learning. aum lokah samastha sukino bhavantu.

Interesting Harlan that you chose that video for the newsletter. It's very good for Yogi's to educate themselves about Global Warming, and even more important to see the missing piece of the Gore video. Diet is the overwhelmingly #1 cause of global warming.... and this is according to the UN.

check out Another Inconvenient Truth: Factory Farming leads to Global Warming

a vegan driving a hummer has less impact than a meat eater driving a prius.

get smart, make a difference. Thanks for this venue Harlan.

Namaste

-eganvay

[Administrator]

You guys have some beautiful goals.

For those who are reading but not posting,
please share.

To learn how to post go to:

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

Peace.

[Nadine]

Today is my wedding day. It seems appropriate to post my goals here today because not only is it a new year for me, but also the beginning of a new life as I deepen my commitment to my new husband and his two children.

A few years ago I began working on what I call my "Age 50 Escape Plan," which would allow me to create a career involving both yoga and writing. Last year I began working on my plan, teaching yoga at my workplace and reducing my "day job" schedule to part-time. I'm 49 now, so my 2008 goals involve training people at my day job so I can leave it this year.

On January 14 I begin teaching two more classes per week at a local studio (a nice arrangement where I pay a small per-class rental fee & keep the rest). After my honeymoon in February, I will begin to build the private/semiprivate classes.

I also intend to complete and promote a book I've been writing about yoga and anxiety, which is about 90% done. This is my second book; the work I've done on my first, When a Grandchild Dies: What to Do, What to Say, How to Cope, has been deeply rewarding. I'm also working on a book of meditations and would love to complete at least a few drafts of it in 2008.

I've also been playing with media. I made some CDs for my students for when I was out of town and have been able to sell a few of them. Making these recordings has improved my teaching skills, and I would like to do a lot more of this, including creating videos.

This year I will begin my 500-hour teacher training at Kripalu. I'm also working on getting stronger physically...I took a workshop with Ana Forrest in late 2006 that had a real impact on my practice, and although my own teaching style is gentler, I intend to learn more from this dynamic teacher.

Harlan and Sara, I've spent a lot of months "lurking" on this site, but I have learned a great deal. Now that the wedding planning is done, and I have made some other adjustments in my personal life to prepare, I am ready to rock 'n' roll in 2008. I appreciate all that I have learned from you so far and look forward to letting you know how much my business is growing! THANKS!

[Nancy Ignatin]

Nadine--

Congrats, Happy New Year, and Namaste!

It sounds as though you are planning a very satisfying, eventful year.

Just don't forget to "just be" with your new family.

It makes all the other wonderful stuff even better, including your teaching.



Nancy

[Nancy Ignatin]

I received a copy of of Judith Lasater's A year of Living Your Yoga-Daily Practices to Shape your Life as a Holiday gift from some of my students.

One of Judith's yoga students had compiled all the aphorisims Judith had used in her classes over a 28 -year period, and gave them to her teacher. Judith published them, one for every day of the year, along with a practical, short exercise to practice for that day related to the day's aphorism.

My goal is to live my yoga by reading each daily aphorism, and by performing the daily practice. I also plan to use some of them in my classes.

Happy New Year, Yogis and Yoginis.


Nancy

[yogalicia]

Hi Everyone,
I've only posted a couple of times so it looks like being more active in the forum will be one of my goals for 2008! Others include deepening my knowledge - always an ongoing gift! I plan to attend a Prenatal workshop in April. Something I am very excited about since pregnant women seem to always seek me out. Not to mention I have 5 kids myself and find pregnancy to be a time of magic in a woman's life. Practicing Yoga makes it even more so. I am also beginning to study with a wonderful Anusara teacher here in Vegas! I love the Anusara style and am so excited to be able to integrate it into my life and teaching. Living from an open, more compassionate place is on my list as well. 2008 is a wonderful year for my family as my oldest son FINALLY gets to come home from Iraq next month and will be discharged from the Army in June. Four years is a long time to hold your breath. So let me add "breathe fully once more" to the above mentioned list.
Namaste and Blessings to you all for the New Year.

[Administrator]

It's been both touching and moving to read these posts.

Imagine! Posting on this forum on your wedding day.

And we weren't invited?

Congrats on your special day.

And please keep sharing these beautiful goals.

See what your fellow teachers are doing and share your goals.

Don't be shy!

Jump in.

We don't bite.

(Alright. Sara doesn't but I do on occasion. But I promise to be on
my best behavior. )

Peace.

Harlan

[Tracey]

I want to finish up working in England, then go home (to Australia) via India where I hope to do my Teacher Training... Then see what I can do with it in Oz!

Tracey x

[yogini~G]

Hello all!

Although this post is a bit late, I felt compelled to add my yoga goals for this year as well. I received my teaching certification at YogaWorks in L.A. (Center for Yoga) in 2005 and, truth be told, have been a bit intimidated to teach public classes ever since. I now feel that it's time to forge ahead and put myself out there and just TEACH! That said, my yoga goals this year are:

1) To be teaching a regular (on-going) public class by February 2008
2) To start a class at my local community center by March 2008
3) To attend workshops and classes to keep my teaching fresh and fun
4) Lastly, as YogiPam said so well, to LIVE my yoga, with more consciousness in all areas of my life

Much love, light and laughter to each of you!
yogini~G