I have decided to Leave Anusara yoga.

It’s been a wonderful ride and one that has deeply influenced my life in infinite ways; however, I have found myself no longer in alignment with the direction of the organization.

Some of you will be upset with this decision, others will be elated, but one thing I can assure you is that I am not going anywhere. I am still Amy, and will continue in my mission to expand the horizons of yoga, and to teach from my ongoing practice as creatively as I know how, and in doing so, I will not compromise my personal values or commitment.

My calling is to help yoga teachers and practitioners of all styles.

Over the past several years I have developed professional programs for yoga teachers that are helping to bring more students to the mat. I am proud that these programs have helped equip thousands of our prized yoga teachers around the world with the tools to serve students better.

My move from Anusara Yoga will allow me to best serve students and teachers from all schools, and I am committed to doing so with the integrity they deserve.

I know that the world will be a better place with more yoga practitioners, and my dedication to this goal will always continue.

Thank you so much for being a part of my life and for your presence in yoga.

I can’t wait for what the future will bring, and to practice with you in this New Year!

Be the light,
Amy

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!

Click here to download a PDF with all the course details!

HOOK ME UP!

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

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!)

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 see this in communities, too.  John Friend, the founder of Ansuara yoga, taught me the value of 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, freakin’ 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.

Last 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 touring 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 inner 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.

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…

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!

Are you looking for something, anything to do with those zucchinis in the garden that turn into baseball bats?

And how about the bushels of tomatoes and basil?

Even if you don’t have a garden, you will want to go out and buy the ingredients for this recipe, or take the edge off a friend’s overflowing garden by inviting yourself over to harvest!

My student, Therese, brought me one of those mega zucchinis to Tigress practice and I have to admit, I saw the size and all I could think of was loaves and loaves of zucchini bread taking over my kitchen.

Until I remembered my Spiral Slicer that was gathering dust in the kitchen. And then the wild Italian in me began to come alive…

Equipment Needed: Spiral Slicer Garnishing Machine – by Joyce Chen  (run, don’t walk to go order one of these online – best gadget ever!). Some food processors may also have an attachment that can make zucchini into spaghetti.

Ingredienti (best if organic):

2-3 cups of spiralized raw zucchini
1/2 small avocado, diced
Organic extra virgin olive oil
Phlavor salt spray (my favorite new salt water seasoning available at www.phmiracleliving.com), Real Salt or sea salt to taste
5 yellow and/or red cherry tomatoes, sliced
Handful pine nuts
3 leaves of fresh basil from garden
Squeeze of Lemon juice

Cut 1/4^th of a mega zucchini or a whole normal sized zucchini and process in the Spiral Slicer until you have about 2-3 cups of “pasta” and place in a bowl.

Add the avocado, cherry tomatoes and pine nuts to the zucchini.

Use a scissor to cut up the basil into the pasta, drizzle a good amount of olive oil over the mixture and squeeze on a small amount of lemon juice to taste. 

Spray 6 or 7 times with Phlavor or use sea salt, preferably “Real Salt” to taste.

Serves one.

Toss well, and enjoy!

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.