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The Harsh Truth of Running Your Own Yoga Business

The harsh truth for anyone, but especially someone self-employed, is that the last thing you want is to do is spend most of a month in a hospital ward. Welcome to my August.

Three days before graduation at Kids Yoga Teacher Summer Certification in Burlington, my father got admitted to Ajax General Hospital. As it happens, our new trainer Marcia was teaching the next morning. So began the first of numerous trips to see my dad that month. Fortunately potent antibiotics zapped his infection, and my dad was released feeling better than he had in months.

graduates of the best kids yoga teacher certification in Ontario
Way to Go Graduates of the Burlington Summer Certification! What a wonderful, compassionate group, so caring and kind towards me as I managed the news of my father in the hospital.

Afterwards I squeezed a week of holidays into 4 nights then got back to my folks, follow-up appointments, doing laundry, moving my niece into residence, and finally home.

When I decided to treat myself to some vegan coconut brownies it did not end up being the delight I was longing for. Within an hour I had excruciating stomach pains. I’ve had stomach aches before that always went away, but after a fitful night without much sleep, the pain persisted and I called my doctor who told me to go straight to the Emergency Room.

You know you’re in trouble when the nurse says, “It’s really good that you came in. I’ve been working in Emerg for eight years and I’ve never seen test results that far off normal.”

yoga teacher Aruna in the hospital and thinking about how to plan for emergencies in her yoga business
Hanging out in the lounge just to get some sunlight!

All the tests confirmed I had gall stones. “Once the infection goes down, we recommend removal of the gallbladder,” the doctors suggested. Without much time to think, I agreed and was eventually wheeled to a room with 3 other suffering souls dealing with their own health events, waiting for healing.

Waiting is difficult at the best of times, but waiting with other injured people, in a dark curtained room, was for me, a test of my spiritual practice.

I immediately leaned on my skills, especially the Mindfulness practice I had been immersed in while preparing to do my video for Mindfulness Month (October 2017).

May the moaning woman find peace.

May the man who leaves his TV on 24 hours find happiness.

May I find my own health and happiness.

By day three I was off painkillers. My saline IV dripped, and I fasted every day waiting, lowest on the priority scale, for surgery.

On the fifth morning I began considering checking myself out. My new neighbor was an aggressive young man who bossed the nurses around and yelled at his girlfriend.

My silent mantra was changing to:

May the new guy find peace and love, in another room.

May I kindly get the heck out of here!

I missed home, my uplifting community, being able to focus on what I cared about. So I think the whole floor heard me and my visitors cheer when we were told I would have surgery at 6 pm and probably be home by 10 pm that night.

It’s been three weeks since the surgery and recovery is going well, I’m about 80% back to normal, 100% back to work, being conscious not to go 150% back to work.

For everyone, unplanned time away due to medical emergencies or family responsibilities is difficult, they shine a light on the harsh realities of running your own business.

Here’s some of the things I started to think more deeply about after the hospital:

Harsh Reality – Cover Yourself as Part of Business

I am grateful for the free health coverage in Canada (OHIP), the total cost for my gallbladder removal was $17 for a prescription after I was released. Such an event could seriously ruin the financial well-being of a yoga teacher who has no medical coverage. Five days in the ward room and so much time off did get me thinking, what if I had something more serious and I couldn’t work for months instead of weeks? I’m now considering various plans for extra health coverage.

Harsh Reality – Sometimes Yoga Teachers Neglect their Own Health

On the one hand yoga teachers have a wonderful practice to get them through tough times like being in the hospital for 5 days. But I’m not the first, and won’t be the last yoga teacher who has neglected checking their own health thinking they can eat, breathe, think, or stretch their way out of the problem.

Few people like going to the doctor, but if I had listened to the advice I give my students and used all resources, including western medicine, I would have got the stomach pains checked out before they became an emergency. I’d have seen fewer doctors in the process too.

Is there anything you should get checked out by a Doctor? May this be your nudge to do it.

Harsh Reality for Business – You Can’t Do it Alone

The timing of these events was such that I didn’t have to cancel any courses. This was the first time this type of thing has happened to me in my 20 years of business. However my harsh month of August leaves me wanting to have my business set up so I can care for my parents, elders, and myself when needed.

So now, more than ever before, I will be on the lookout for new trainers and new admin support to create a team. Most of my successful collaborations have been with grads who are teaching kids’ yoga and making an effort to stay in touch. I’ve a new appreciation for our current trainers in the USA and Ontario.

Any grads who are teaching kids’ yoga and considering getting into training, now is a good time to connect with me to let me know!

This also means me learning the skills to lead a business instead of doing it all myself, something I’m very curious about.

Harsh Reality – Life is Fragile

Gallbladder surgery is fairly common these days, yet if left unchecked it could have caused serious problems. I am so very grateful for the nurses, doctors, and hospital equipment that brought me back to health and of course for the support of my husband, family, and friends.

Seeing all the suffering so many people are experiencing around the world and my own experience of going under the knife, I’m reminded of the fragility of life. No one is going to live forever and I’m glad I have more time to follow my dreams because one never knows when their time will run out.

I plan to use my time wisely.

Upcoming Events: Young Yoga Masters.com

Link here for Kids Yoga Teacher Training courses in Toronto Ontario Canada new orleans USA

Mindfulness Month with Young Yoga Masters Oct 7
Mindfulness Month: Yoga for Kids and Families

Inclusive Yoga – 3 Ways to Create an Inclusive Lesson Plan

At Young Yoga Masters, we’re heading into the Inclusive Yoga Kids Yoga Teacher training and preparing interesting supplies like ribbons, stickers and foam noodles. Whenever I see these fun props gathered in front of me, I’m reminded of the many ways to engage children with wise planning of activities and lesson plans.

a class picture of graduates from the kids yoga teacher training in Toronto Canada
Class Picture of Kids Yoga Teacher Training

In the Inclusive Yoga training you’ll learn to create Lesson Plan Case Studies to include children with special needs that may come to your classes. Here are three tips from our training that could make your classes a little more inclusive so everyone gets to play at yoga!

If you’d like to get formal training – please follow the link here and check out our early bird savings for the upcoming courses in Toronto and Burlington (Canada).

Not Disability – Different Abilities

Here’s what we did in our practicum Training when a girl with Cerebral Palsy attended.  She used a walker/seat to support her and standing up and sitting down took her longer, was tiring and made it hard for her to keep up with the rest of the children.

As often happens we didn’t know she was going to be there until we got to the class.  But we had 5 more classes to go so we did a case study of her needs and our lesson plans for future classes so she could participate fully. Here’s one example.

We typically play a mindfulness listening game using a variety of bells with the kids sitting on the floor, closing their eyes and listening to identify which bell is being rung.  For this activity our first thought was to put out a chair so our friend could sit in a chair while we played.

But as we thought it through we could see how she would still feel separated from the group this way – she would be the only one sitting in the chair. There was no reason this activity had to take place on the yoga mats.

So we changed our plan to move the whole activity to a table and had everyone sitting in chairs.

The activity was set up before everyone arrived and ran smoothly, not one child ever thought that a special allowance had been made because of the chairs.  They all just noticed how much fun they had.

This is just one way that you can plan your lesson for a particular child with a walker or chair, and keep it fun by moving everyone into chairs.

You can see how activities are equally fun no matter how you play them in this video:

 

Routines within the Yoga Class

Routines:  Helpful for All, Essential for Some

When I talk about setting up routines in a yoga class, I liken it to TV show credits.  As a kid, I remember watching the Brady Bunch till the very last note of the closing song was sung.  Those opening and closing songs helped me emotionally process that my favourite show was starting, then finishing. The routine helped!

Routines within a class are helpful for all and essential for some.  They reduce stress because they provide predictability and reassurance throughout your yoga time. Adding routines can help your classes run smoother.  Here are a few place routines can be used:

  • an opening song (see the Hello Song I use in my preschool classes below)
  • routinely doing 3 yoga breaths during or after a pose
  • a routine to celebrate completing a pose or activity
  • a closing transition or song

Don’t forget that for routines to work they should be the same every class!

What routines do you follow without fail in every class?  If you don’t have any, it may help to get some.

Representative Yoga – Use Props that Are Inclusive

a yoga superhero doing yoga cobra pose to help boys like yoga using images they enjoy
Yoga Man – the Yoga Super Hero

I created Yoga Man vs. The Stressor in 2009 because it was hard to find yoga materials that appealed to the older boys I taught.  There were plenty of images of animals, fairies, and happy endings.  But where were the action heroes that many of my students wanted to see?

When I developed the Frog Yoga Alphabet, I chose frogs to do the poses rather than children so that everyone could relate to the images.

And the strategic use of props can get more children engaged, like the way bubbles help everyone figure out yoga breathing.

Fortunately there are more inclusive resources available now. I would like to update the Yoga for Boys video I made to include more boys, not just my nephews.  I’d like to include images of children wearing a head coverings or using walkers doing yoga!

Out of convenience groups can get overlooked and you can feel like you don’t exist when you never see yourself represented.  So teachers need to think about whether everyone is represented in the images they use in yoga class too.

Here’s our yoga for boys video that needs an update, the boys in this video are young men now so we are ready for new kids to fill our video:

Yoga Man does the sun salutation on colouring pages that kids can colour in the way they like.

If you find that your boys are not engaged in your yoga classes, I recommend learning more about Boy Culture from this article.

What are Your Favourite Strategies to Create an Inclusive Yoga Lesson Plan?

These are just a few of the many ways you can create an Inclusive Yoga Lesson plan. To go over them all we would need a whole weekend and that takes place in the Inclusive Yoga Kids Yoga Teacher Certification.

 

6 Strategies to Protect Children From Troubling Times

Toddler holding American flag

Protect Children Through Troubling Times

Children are like sponges, absorbing the energy around them. Once they’ve internalized their environment they begin to reflect it back outward. They may not know why they feel afraid or even that what they are feeling is fear. It’s up to us adults to protect kids by creating a healthy emotional environment for them.

In times of emotional distress, how can we make ourselves and the children around us feel safe and grounded? The key is to give ourselves some perspective and a few messages of hope. Here are 6 strategies for feeling grounded again:

  1. Practice mindfulness – take a few slow, relaxing breaths and bring yourself into the present moment. Remind yourself, in this moment, in your own home, you are safe. This will help you release fear of catastrophes that are formulating in your mind. Follow up with yoga and meditation to refocus your mind in a healthy way.
  2. Acknowledge life is not always easy – There may be very difficult times ahead and the only way to get through them is to keep grounded, strong and healthy to do the important work ahead. I moved through my pain and disbelief by talking it through with friends. These like-minded people helped to remind me that life may not be easy but having the support of others makes getting through the hard times easier. No matter our distress, finding positive minded individuals can get us through it.Silhouette of woman holding up baby
  3. Focus on personal or family goals – Our path doesn’t always move forward in a straight line. Sometimes things drift too far left and other times too far right. They may even seem to be going backward at times. It’s our job to ensure we keep moving towards our goals and well-being regardless of the detour the world throws at us. The world will come around to join us eventually.
  4. Focus on personal values – Ask yourself “What’s important for me and my family? What do I hold dear?” Don’t let your values go out the window when times are tough. Hold on to them because they will be your guide and anchor during the hard times. Those with strong values guide others who are feeling lost. It’s during troubling times more than ever that it’s important to have leaders who remain focused on their true values.
  5. Conserve your mental energy – Limit the amount of time you read or watch news. A continual barrage of bad news or dismal forecasts can be mentally exhausting. Just like the student in the story of the empty cup, once your mind is full of unhealthy ideas there is no room left for healthy ideas. Save your energy to tend to your well-being. Don’t spend it on fear and worry.
  6. Take action – Sometimes the only thing that helps is doing something concrete. Honor your feelings. Sometimes even anger and fear can spark positive action. Focus on clear and easy things you can do. Donate to a cause. Volunteer to help a group in need. Bring yoga and meditation to those in distress. Teach children why you hold your values so dearly. Or choose to not add to the doom and gloom, especially when children are around.

Circle of hand holding of various skin shadesAccepting Disagreement

Yogi Bhajan had a saying, “If you don’t see God in all, you don’t see God at all.” This is a reminder that everyone is different and they have their own lived experience. Yes, there are terrible people in the world and we should not give terrible people a free pass to do terrible things. But not everyone we disagree with is a terrible person.

We can use the tools of mindfulness, awareness and yoga to continue to work together to make the world better for each other and for all our children, even in troubling times.

Now Your Turn… Share Your Strategies

Have you found strategies for keeping centered during times of stress? Do you need suggestions?

You can share your ideas in the comments. Let’s come back to these when we need them!

Other News

Link here for Kids Yoga Teacher Training courses in Toronto Ontario Canada new orleans USA If you’d like to fill your cup with more yoga and meditation tools and resources visit the Upcoming Kids Yoga Teacher Training Courses page.

Information Interviews: A Helpful Tool for Kids Yoga Teachers To Get New Classes

Creative Commons Interview Photo

Want to teach kids yoga classes but not sure where to start? Every country, state, city and neighborhood is unique, so a great way to find out what will work where you live is through information interviews.

What are Information Interviews?

“Information interviews” or “informational interviews” are conversations in which an entrepreneur or aspiring employee contact an expert in the field they intend to enter to ask questions and gain valuable insight into their potential career path. While this type of interview is conducted without the intention of securing a job, it is an excellent networking tool and a great excuse to make contacts.

We’ve gone through these informative posts on the topic and updated them to help you get started with the information interview process. They’re tailored specifically to those interested in expanding their children’s yoga businesses in places like daycare and preschools, however, they offer helpful suggestions for anyone looking to get started with their own information interviews.

Writing Your Information Interview SAurvey

1. Writing Your Information Interview Survey

Not sure where to get started? Preparing for the information interview is the best way to ensure your success. Aruna has outlined helpful suggestions for how to get started based on her own experiences conducting market research. Read the full article here.

Information Interviews Questions to Ask

2. Information Interviews: Questions to Ask

Still not sure what to say during the interview? Here Aruna has outlined some useful questions to ask when interviewing experts. Read full article here.

Scheduling Information Interviews

3. When to Schedule Information Interviews

The timing of your information interviews can play a crucial role in the response you get. Unsure of when the best time to make a call is? Read the full article to help you plan what time is best for you.

Have you ever conducted information interviews? Comment below with any questions or helpful tips!

Upcoming Events

Thinking of a Full or Part-time Career as a Kids Yoga Teacher?

Give yourself a solid foundation in Kids Yoga and the Certification and Practical Experience employers are looking for.

How to Meet the Needs of Kids in Yoga

My suitcase is at the front door and I’m heading out for a Kids Yoga Teacher Certification in New Orleans tomorrow. Though it is the 7th time I’ve taught this 95 hour program, I’m as excited as the first time.  I’ve been learning some new training techniques and I can’t wait to try them.

One that’s on the forefront for this course is putting the needs of the participants before the needs of the activity.

put the requirements of the particpants before the requirements of the activity in kids yoga

As a trainer, this concept is realized by changing some of the typical rules of training, for instance, we don’t always cover every square inch of the manuals.  Rather, we make sure learners thoroughly grasp each idea and concept and stay engaged.  If I see anyone’s eyes glaze over, I’m not doing my job, even if I am covering the manuals!

The same is true of kids yoga.

kids activities must meet the needs of the kids not the needs of the activity

Using a lower net makes the game fun!

Some of the rules of yoga go out the window. Imagine a five year old playing basketball.  The rules of basketball state the basketball net is supposed to be 10 feet high.  Now if rules were rules, that five year old would think basketball was the worst game ever because they could never get the ball in.

So we lower the net so a five year old can have fun playing.  We break the rules.

Why? Because we put the needs of the participant ahead of the needs of the activity.

One problem many adult yoga teachers come across when they teach kids yoga is that alignment takes a back seat to engagement. For a yoga teacher from a strict alignment background (think Iyengar or Bikram), this feels like torture.

Alignment is important but does not always meet the needs of the learner. To meet the needs of kids:

  • we may choose a pose, like a standing forward bend, simply because someone mentioned an Elephant in our story.  The standing forward bend may not normally go next in a sequencing protocol, but any pose works in a play based kids yoga class
  • we may play Yoga tag and not check alignment because they’re not “It” anymore
  • we may make noise in a yoga pose, when we are supposed to be breathing deeply.

We put the needs of the participant ahead of the needs of the activity.

This is one method of an effective kids yoga teacher.  It’s also a mark of a good training too.  So for all those joining me on Friday in New Orleans be ready for lots of interactive activities that make learning fun.

For those of you teaching kids yoga, in what ways do you put the needs of kids before the needs of yoga?

Upcoming Events

Kids Yoga Teacher Summer Certification

Complete your 95 Hour Certificate with Young Yoga Master’s Yoga Alliance Registered Children’s Yoga School training.  Check out our upcoming schedule here:

Kids Yoga Teacher Training Yoga Alliance Registered Childrens Yoga School
Click this image for prices and more details of the Summer Certification

Adult Yoga Retreat

Looking for a great Yoga Get Away to deepen your own practice of Adult yoga?

I’ll be teaching at this yoga retreat for adults with a host of other wonderful teachers and musicians.  Come give yourself a weekend that will deepen your personal practice. See my upcoming adult yoga schedule here.

Yours truly,

Aruna

YoungYogaMasters.com

 

Fantastic 15 Minute Bedtime Routine for Children or Adults

A chlld resting at the end of yoga class and yoga bedtime tips to help children relax and sleep.

 

Let’s face it, no matter what your age, there are times when it’s hard to fall asleep.

Anxiety can cause disruption to our sleep patterns, like worry about the first day of school for instance. For students, parents, or teachers having an effective bedtime routine can  can make the difference between a bright and chipper morning or feeling like cranky old so-and-so.  So what do the yogis recommend for a serene slumber?

First of all, it is always helpful to do a few yoga poses before beds and you can check out my favorite pose for sleep here.

But if you want a quick routine try incorporating these yogic tidbits that shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes to get you relaxed and ready to doze off.

Bedtime Routine for Children or Adults

  • Wash Your Feet in Cold Water (5 minutes): Stand in the tub, turn on the cold water and stick one foot under the water and then the other.  Do this at least 3 times per foot. Better yet, sit on the side of the tub and rub both feet under the frigid flow.  Let the worries of the day wash away and bring your attention to the present moment – namely your feet.  When the cold cascade is finished, rub your feet vigorously with a towel to stimulate all the 72,000 nerve endings in your tootsies.  It should feel like a wonderful foot massage.  If you’re helping someone else have a good night sleep, giving them a foot massage while they lie in bed is a sure fire way to show how much you care AND get them ready for sleep.
Yoga bedtime routine for children
Don’t Forget Your Feet for a Good Night’s Sleep!
  • Vision the Perfect Day (5 minutes):  One of the purposes of learning yoga is to help you think about what you want to think about, instead of thinking about what you don’t want to think about.  Once you are in bed and feeling relaxed from your foot massage, spend some time thinking about what kind of day you WANT to have. Vision that you wake up feeling refreshed, put on your favorite clothes (laying your clothes out in advance can also save time), have a great breakfast.  Imagine all the details you can in a positive way, like getting up a few minutes early (often doing this will help you wake up a couple minutes before your alarm goes off).  See yourself getting to school smoothly, a few minutes early so you are not rushed and frazzled.  Imagine greeting people you see with a smile.  If a worry crops up, then transform the worry into a wish of what you want and how you can handle problems that arise.  Many yogis find that when your vision of the future is clear, it is easier to achieve.
    The Yogis Suggest you Breathe through your Left Nostril to Relax

     

  • Turn on Your Right Side and Breathe (Left Nostril Breathing – 5 minutes):  Now you’re ready to fall to sleep.  Lie on your stomach and turn your head to the right so that your right cheek and nostril are smushed into the pillow.  Closing your right nostril will mean you are breathing through your left nostril, you can even put your hand under your cheek and use a finger to block the right nostril completely. Breathing through the left nostril is the cooling, relaxing, calming side.  See if you can slow your breath down so it is nice and slow. Try to reach 4 or less breaths per minute. This also helps the mind slow down and get into a relaxed state. Continue this long deep breathing listening to your breath or silently saying a mantra as you breathe in an out, like inhaling “Sat” (truth) , exhaling “Nam” (name/identity) or inhaling “Calm” and exhaling “Happy” or simply inhale and think “inhaling” and exhale and think “exhaling.”

These yogic steps can help you get really sleepy and when you are about to drift off you are welcome to change positions and fall asleep as you wish.

A little yogic wisdom can go a long way especially when it comes to a good night sleep.

Wishing you all a great night’s sleep and a great day ahead!  You’re invited to leave your Sleep Stories in the comments.

 

Upcoming Events:

Back to School means time for learning and development both professionally and personally.   Consider the upcoming training events with out Registered Children’s Yoga School (Yoga Alliance approved training) for your own back to school experience.

 

Upcoming Kids Yoga Teacher Training Courses and Dates in Toronto at this link

Share Yoga with Children and Uplift Yourself at the Same Time
You’ll be glad you did!