Day 14: Heaven and Hell in a Yoga Business

As I write today’s post, I am lounging on my hammock in the front yard. I’m dressed for success in my sporty gray sweatpants and fluffy blue slippers.

The frogs are hopping into our little pond, and I’m thankful today that my son Jon is over at a friend’s house instead of catching them with his net. Turkey Fred is coming over to check me out with his goose-bumpy red neck, while our yellow lab Pearl rests on the porch, too lazy to lift her head off her paws.

Right now, the demands of life feel more than manageable. Life feels downright dreamy. Come on, how tough can it be to lie here and listen to the wind flutter the leaves of the aspen tree?

It is this freedom from the constricting corporate cubicle and the joy of self-directed creativity that draws me to the profession of yoga teaching. At its best, a well-run yoga business is the epitome of a balanced life.

Yesterday, though, was another story. I was suffocating under the weight of wanting to move a mountain of work and get it all done – which, of course, is never going to happen. At times, I labor under the mistaken impression that it’s possible to get it all done. But no, the truth is I’ll go to the grave with a long list of “to dos”.

That, of course, is also the truth of running a yoga business – it’s all fun and games until someone gets poked in the eye with stress.

If a yoga business at its best creates a balanced life, a yoga business at its worst is the epitome of craziness. After all, there are easier ways of earning a buck.

So there must be some reason why we do what we do – besides the fact we are just a crazy bunch of yoga-lovin’ groupies. There must be a reason why we choose to experience the stress and the bliss of bringing yoga into the world.

To be more specific, when we picked a goal for this 21-day Challenge, what was the underlying reason? Why that goal and not another? We are not running a business just for the sake of “busyness”.

When I look at why I chose the goal of filling the Training the Trainer virtual program, I realize it was because I have a deep passion for showing people how they can make their dream job of teaching yoga financially viable.

We want to love our work and have a healthy retirement account. We want a vacation without having to worry about the pay we’ll lose from not having any classes. We want so many things – not just for ourselves but also for the people we care about.

I believe the Training the Trainer course is one way yoga teachers can gain financial security. It is this belief that roots my actions, including the goal for this 21-day Challenge.

Look again at your 21-day goal – and at your business, for that matter. And share with us your underlying belief or assumption that makes it possible for you to stick with your commitment day in and day out.

Take the Challenge:

• 21-Day Yoga Marketing Challenge (overview)
• Day 13: Begin with the End in Mind
• Day 14: Heaven and Hell in a Yoga Business
• Day 15: The Danger of Manifesting

[tags]Megan McDonough, training the trainer program, yoga business, business marketing consultant, 21-day yoga marketing challenge[/tags]