| Cherish Your Body |
The human body, at peace with itself,
Is more precious than the rarest gem.
Cherish your body, it is yours this one time only. The human form is won with great difficulty, it is easy to lose. All worldly things are brief, like lighthening in the sky;
This life you must know as the tiny splash of a raindrop
A thing of beauty that disappears even as it comes into being.
Therefore set your goal,
Make use of everyday and night to achieve it.
-Tsongkapa
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| Mindful Marketing
Tools for building a successful yoga business. |
September 2005 |
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In this balanced spot between seasons, may you lightly and easily balance the weight of your work.
Megan McDonough, Business Yogini |
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 Weighty consideration
Potential students look to yoga for weight loss
Because we feel naturally inclined to change during this month, September is a perfect time to attract new students to yoga classes. A recent study at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center connected yoga and weight loss. According to findings published in the July/August issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, regular yoga practice may help prevent middle-age spread in normal-weight people and may promote weight loss in those who are overweight. Kim, a busy mother of three who also works outside the home, describes herself as an intense person. “When I worked out, I did the StairMaster,” she says. “I would burn 900 calories in 35 minutes, and it was very efficient. I am not a yoga person, and I was appalled at the thought of paying money to sit around and move my body at the rate of one inch a minute.” But when she heard about the study, she considered yoga in a new light. “Because of that little news snippet, I am really giving it a second look,” Kim says. “I will probably, by this winter, be in a yoga class with a much more open mind to the benefits of yoga.” The study involved 15,5000 healthy, middle-aged men and women who completed a written survey recalling their physical activity and weight history between the ages of 45 and 55. In that 10-year period, those who were overweight and practiced yoga lost about 5 pounds, while those who did not practice yoga gained about 14 pounds. Additionally, men and women of normal weight gained about three fewer pounds during the 10-year period than those who didn’t practice yoga. The study suggests that being healthy isn’t necessarily about calorie burn or efficiency. As yoga teachers know, simply being aware of one’s body can aid in efforts toward weight loss or maintenance. So this month, capitalize on this time of natural change to bring new students to yoga. Mention the study in your promotional materials or sample classes. It could be just the thing to motivate potential students—even those who don’t think yoga is for them—to give your class a try.
Learn more about the study here ... |
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 The Weight of Responsibility
A Women’s Leadership Retreat
A woman with a sultry smile and a wrinkle-free business suit swings a pearl necklace and sings, “I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, and never, ever make you forget you’re a man. ‘Cause I’m a woman...” She looks happy, but I bet it’s just because she’s getting paid to advertise that baloney on TV. I’m a woman trying to do it all, and I can tell you I’m not swinging any pearls and pleasing my man. More likely I’m dressed in sweats and telling him I’m too pooped to pop. Playing superwoman is exhausting. We take responsibility for: - Doing the laundry, feeding everyone and scrubbing the toilet.
- Getting the job done at work and at home, no matter what the cost personally.
- Raising happy, well-adjusted (perfect) children.
- Being nice to people even if they drive us crazy.
- Fixing the problem so that everyone will be satisfied (mission impossible).
- Keeping a complicated master schedule of obligations, knowing where everyone is going.
- Responding to the needs of others— including bosses, coworkers, clients, peers and our family. We are leaders in our family, at work and in our community. Leadership is a responsibility. A responsibility that at times can feel overwhelming. Join me in a half-day, pampering retreat Friday, October 7th from 12-6 at Listening’sYoga Studio in Barre, MA where like-minded women explore responsible leadership (also known as “how to stay sane without running away”). I know what you’re thinking. You’re too busy. But here’s the truth: all your stuff will be waiting for you when you get back. The major difference is that you’ll be in a better place mentally and physically to handle it. What’s one afternoon off from your pressing obligations? Let’s get quiet. Get clear. And get happy. Here’s what our day will look like: 12-1 Lunch at Relish Restaurant at Listening (fantastic food!)
1-2 Group gathering
2-3 Silent reflections (moving between massage, labyrinth walk and journaling).
3-4 Group gathering
4-5:30 Yoga
5:30-6 Close The cost is $95 And if you’re in no hurry to run back home to all those obligations, stay. Eat dinner at Relish and join the chanting that’s scheduled at 7 in the Yoga Studio (additional charges apply). Or you could go home and fry up the bacon—never, ever letting him forget he’s a man...
Email me at megan@urinfinityinabox.com to register. |
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