Talking Turkey

Farmer Randy didn’t know there was a wild turkey nest in the field he was mowing. When he ran it over, the eggs and mother hen survived, but would not make it through the night. They were sitting ducks (well, sitting turkeys) for the coyotes. That’s when my husband Joe got the call. Would he take the eggs and hatch the chicks? Less than a month later, we were the foster family for a gaggle of little turkey chicks. Two of the six survived into adolescence. We call them Fred and Ed, the Backyard Boys. They follow us around, play with the kids, and keep us laughing as they peck at their reflection on the truck bumper. I thought they were cute--until they started getting aggressive. I was teaching my new puppy Pearl to retrieve when Fred and Ed came gobbling around. I thought they were jealous of the attention I was giving Pearl. No, I decided, this behavior was just downright rude. And when a bird gets as big as a small dog and as ugly as a wild turkey (yes, they are ugly) it's intimidating. Fred and Ed started to chase me. They gobbled and created a raucous. I tried to stand my ground, but I lost it. I ran like a chicken (pun intended) into the garage for safety. Running into the house, I frantically asked Joe why he didn’t come to my rescue when I screamed for help because the turkeys were attacking. My night in shining armor let me get pecked by Fred and Ed. I had yelled at Fred and Ed, telling them I would eat them for Thanksgiving dinner if they didn’t behave. Joe smiled and said, “Megan, turkeys don’t speak English.” Thanks, wise guy. Apparently, turkeys talk turkey. Joe interpreted turkey language for me. Fred and Ed were exploring flock boundaries, challenging others for power. My running away was a clear sign of weakness. In the wild, turkeys spar for 20 minutes at a time with a dance of assertiveness. I didn’t like this language at all. Joe presented me with two large fans about three feet wide made from turkey feathers. I was to use them to talk turkey. Back outside I went, with Joe behind me to give me encouragement. As Fred and Ed came to do their turkey dance, I spread the wings wide, looking like some weird, overgrown, sad-excuse of a turkey. I did my best to yelp, jump and pump the wings, clearly showing my dominance. I hope the neighbors weren’t looking. It worked. Fred and Ed backed off. I was talking turkey and they got the message. How many times do we use the wrong language when communicating our yoga work to potential students? If we’re using words like “transformational, self- realization, higher self, inner wisdom, or true nature” to promote a workshop to stay-at-home Mom’s, we may be speaking Greek to the Chinese. Match the language to the audience. In the case of stay-at-home Mom’s, consider: - Stay cool when your toddler melts down
- Give yourself a “time-out” from mothering
- Leave the laundry and lighten up in a mom & baby yoga class.

Marketing is just communicating. Forget using words that mean something to you (your language). Use words that mean something to the people you are trying to reach (their language).

Why does your partner, friend or foe misunderstand you? Many times that communication gap is simply because we are unaware of our own behavioral tendencies, and how those clash or differ from another's way of seeing the world. It's like talking English to a turkey. One tool that many yoga teachers find helpful is to take an online assessment called DiSC. This assessment was done by studio owners at the Kripalu Yoga Teachers Conference to rave reviews. In the words of one participant, "I have a gretaer appreciation of myself, the way I work and how I work with others." This assessment helps you:
-understand your own behavior
-learn how and when to adapt your behavior
-improve communication
-promote appreciation of differences
-reduce conflict

I wanted to make sure you knew about an inspiring day of yoga happening in Porter Square, Cambridge, MA on Sunday, Dec. 11. Proceeds support the MA Yoga seva program--bringing yoga to those who cannot afford the cost of instruction.

I'll be teaching a class in marketing your yoga business. Also included is a 2 hr workshop and talk by Rolf Gates, author of "Meditations from the Mat", classes on Kundalini Yoga, TriYoga, Pranayama and Mudra, Mantra, Iyengar, Meridian Yoga and Thai Yoga Massage and Ayurveda.