The Inside Scoop On Yoga Retreats

I spend a lot of time on retreats. Whether I’m hosting one of my own or I’m helping other Yogis plan their retreats, it is something that takes up a good amount of space in my brain.

I’ve spent over 10 years perfecting the formula for creating an amazing retreat that will not only benefit the one who’s hosting it, but also the Yogis that are going to attend it.

This blog isn’t about me today. I’m sharing an objective article from a writer that I don’t personally know that’s giving you the inside scoop on Yoga retreats.

Check it out:

The following is an unbiased article by Lisa Sands

I never thought I would be the “type of person” who would go on a yoga retreat. I thought that sort of thing was for people with way too much time on their hands, people with lots of money to spare, or lots of problems to run from.

But, there I was in the tropical heat of Bali with 20 other women, getting up at 6 a.m. for sunrise yoga, tapping into my goddess nature, wearing sarongs, going without makeup. Thinking. Not thinking. Praying. Listening. Questioning. Thanking. Hating myself. Loving myself. Loving myself some more like it was my job.

How I arrived at the decision to go is not nearly as interesting or important as the experience itself, or the way it changed me afterward. What I did not realize when I put down my deposit, almost a full year before, is how much I would need it when the time came, and how it would fill a void in my life I could not have predicted.

Twenty people, mostly strangers, meeting halfway around the world to practice yoga…is fantastic and special and, yeah, a little uncertain and uncomfortable. And you are the perfect person to go, just as you are, complete with your baggage, sadness, questions and fears.

Everyone is there for a different reason—most come for spiritual growth, reflection, or healing.  Some come to deepen their physical practice. Me? I was there for the adventure—I craved a life shake up.

I was feeling aimless and unsettled. I wanted to be somewhere that looked and felt so different than home. I wanted to see if I missed my life and the people I loved. I wanted to get to know me again.  For reasons I can’t really explain, I sensed that I needed to be far away from the familiar so that I could stake a claim for my future self.

I came back home with eyes wide open to the beauty of other another culture. I was more confident, at ease, and tolerant of myself and of others. I looked fear in the eye and left it in the dust.  I bonded with other strong, capable women and learned that they, like me, had their own unique, painful, and beautiful journeys and things to confront and reconcile.

I learned from them and they are part of me.

So if a little voice is whispering to you and you have an unexplained stirring for something you can’t name, you may be wondering what it is you really need.

If you need to break free from expectations, to shout out and wildly proclaim your truth, or if you need to get really quiet and inside yourself, and let a big ugly cry happen, then yeah, a yoga retreat is for you.

Don’t wait. Do it. You’re worth it.

 

Original Article here

What did you think of this? Feel free to reach out to me at hello@bizzyyogi.com and let me know.

 

Want to learn how I completely doubled my income without teaching more Yoga classes, having a large following on Social Media, or needing to know anything about marketing? Meet me at www.BizzyYogi.com/YogiMasterclass for the Masterclass that teaches you exactly how I did it and how you can do it, too.

25 Benefits of Going on a Yoga Retreat

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I’d like to share with you guys a little information I found when I was doing research for the Your Yogi Life Costa Rica Retreat.

I was looking up some stats for retreats vs planning your own vacations and came across this AWESOME article from the WeTravel blog.

BECAUSE it was so useful and full of information, I want to share it with you! Check it out.

 

25 Benefits Of Going On A Yoga Retreat

 

By Sonja Bolger

Wondering why yoga retreats are so popular? Because of all the amazing benefits that come from going on a retreat of course!

We love yoga retreats here at WeTravel. Actually, we love any type of retreat and wellness trip! If you’ve noticed the signs that it’s time for a yoga retreat but you’re not sure if it’s really for you, or what the benefits of going on retreat are then here’s 25 reasons why you need to make it happen.

 

1. CONNECT WITH NATURE

Many yoga retreats take place in beautiful natural locations around the world. What better way to get out of the hustle and bustle of city living than to go on a yoga retreat! You’ll be able to connect with nature on a deeper level, immersing yourself in your surroundings and taking advantage of them in a way you might not otherwise do.

2. DISCONNECT FROM TECHNOLOGY

Not every retreat is a digital detox, but you can make it that way if you want to. Going on a retreat vacation is a perfect excuse to disconnect from technology and get back to basics. So many jobs now require us to be on call and connected 24/7. Even if they don’t we can end up spending a large amount of our free time on social media and glued to screens. Be in the moment and away from digital distractions by going on a yoga retreat!

3. EVALUATE YOUR CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES

If you find yourself stressed by your current circumstance then attending a yoga retreat can help you to take a step back and evaluate where you’re at from a distance. Sometimes it’s difficult to make decisions when we’re too close to the situation. Going on retreat can give you the benefit of distance and help you to reevaluate.

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4. A TASTE OF LIVING LIFE WITH A PURPOSE
When you’re on retreat each day has an element of purpose. You’re concentrating on your practice, and relaxing or taking advantage of optional activities in between. Your health and well-being are placed front and center. Each day you can achieve what you set out to do, and have a taste of living your life with an element of purpose.

5. SPEND MORE TIME WITH INSTRUCTORS
One of the best benefits of a yoga retreat is having access to inspirational yoga teachers for more than just a class. You can take advantage of any one-on-one time they offer to help you with your practice, and speak to them throughout the retreat about yoga and wellness in general.

6. STOP OVERTHINKING
If you find it impossible to silence your mind and you’re always thinking of the next thing you need to do then a yoga retreat gives you a great opportunity to stop overthinking it all. Use a yoga retreat to turn off all the noise of your own voice and open yourself to a more positive way of thinking. Meditation is often part of a retreat program, and you can speak to your instructor about helping you to harness your thoughts!

7. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE ENERGY
One of the best benefits of going on a yoga retreat is taking a vacation full of positive energy! On retreat, you’ll surround yourself with positive thoughts and feelings. No need to worry about any vacation stress, just embrace the positives vibes coming your way.

8. FIND HEALING
A yoga retreat can be healing for your mental and physical health. Going on retreat can change your life, and help you to deal with any emotional and mental issues you may be having. It can also be healing for your body if you’ve experienced injury.

9. EMBRACE FEAR
We often have fears about the things we care about the most, but the best thing we can do is to harness that fear for positive energy and remove it from our lives. A Yoga retreat is a safe place to be guided through your fears, and face them head-on.

10. DEEPEN YOGA PRACTICE
If you struggle to find time to practice yoga in your everyday life then the benefit of going on a yoga retreat is being able to practice every day without distraction. Even the most seasoned yoga practitioner can deepen their practice on retreat and aim to reach the next level.

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11. AN INTRODUCTION TO WELLNESS TRAVEL
Wellness travel is all about you and your health. A yoga retreat can give you a great introduction into a wellness vacation. In future, you might be able to create your own wellness trip or incorporate an element of health and wellbeing into whatever travel you do.

12. COMMIT TO HEALTHY EATING
The food you eat on retreat is chosen with care for your health and wellbeing. Going on retreat is an opportunity to eat well without having to worry about it yourself, and it’s a wellness habit you can take home with you.

13. DISCOVER A NEW PERSPECTIVE
Attending a yoga retreat can give you a new perspective, whether it’s about your own life or through learning about a new culture. You never know what you can learn from others that can affect your future choices, or make you see your own circumstances in a different light.

14. REALLY RELAX
A reason to go on a yoga retreat is to give yourself an opportunity to truly relax. Planning a vacation can be hard work, and sometimes it’s difficult to disconnect and really restore your angry reserves. On a yoga retreat, you can really escape and have nothing to do but concentrate on the retreat.

15. MEET NEW PEOPLE
Yoga retreats attract like-minded people, and a benefit of attending a retreat is being able to make new connections and friendships with people who will add positivity to your life.

16. TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF
We give so much of ourselves in our daily lives that it can be difficult to really take a moment just for ourselves. While you can meet some amazing people on retreat, you can also use it as an opportunity to be alone. Wellness travel is all about taking that time for yourself, and is a top reason to go on a retreat!

17. TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
Travel can sometimes seem like a venture in box-ticking, where we’re trying to complete a never-ending bucket list. But why exactly? Going on a yoga retreat gives you a reason to travel with a purpose. Some yoga retreats are about giving back to the community as much as they are a time for personal growth, which is a fantastic added benefit.

18. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PHILOSOPHY OF YOGA
Yoga is more than just poses, and going on retreat can teach you more about the philosophy behind yoga. You’ll be given a chance to connect more deeply with yourself through yoga practice and understand more about this ancient art.

19. IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH
A yoga retreat has the benefit of being a vacation that improves your health. You should go away from a retreat having exercised your body and relaxed your mind, and feeling healthier in both.

20. LEARN TO MEDITATE
The traditional benefit of yoga was instilling the mind, and going on retreat will allow you to focus on this more deeply. Instead of emerging relaxed from a class back into your busy home life you can carry that calmness with you throughout the rest of the day, and the retreat in general. A yoga retreat will give you a space to meditate fully, without any distractions.

21. RETURN REFRESHED
Have you been on a vacation and come home feeling like you need another one? A yoga retreat might have you booking your next vacation as soon as you’re back, but it’ll only be because you’re so relaxed and refreshed that you’ll just want to do it again!

22. YOU DESERVE IT
Treat yourself to an experience you really deserve, by going on a yoga retreat. This is a vacation all about YOU, and with the stresses of daily life, you deserve it.

23. PRACTICE MINDFULNESS
A big reason to go on a yoga retreat is to finally be conscious of the moment you’re in and increase mindfulness. We can often find ourselves living in the future as we plan ahead, and in the past as we feel with what has happened throughout our lives. On a yoga retreat, you can finally just BE.

24. SEE BEAUTIFUL DESTINATIONS
Let’s face it, yoga retreats usually take place in beautiful places around the world, whether it’s the beaches of Mexico and California, the rainforest of Costa Rica, or the mountains of Montana. A yoga retreat is like getting two for the price of one, with a vacation in a beautiful place combined with an experience that benefits you on a deeper level.

25. HAVE A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE
Every retreat is different, even if you return to the same place. The other people and your frame of mind at the time will never be the same again. Booking a yoga retreat will always result in a unique experience, and each retreat will be different as you continue to grow within yourself.

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Read the original article here.

 

 

NOW that you’ve read ALL 25 benefits of a Yoga retreat, what are you waiting for?!

To learn more about the awesome retreat to Pura Vida Costa Rica that I’ve been planning for all of the Yogis that want to reset, relax, and refocus their energy, click here >>> www.UniqueYogaRetreat.com/CostaRica[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Check out my other article on The 7 Reasons To Consider Yoga Retreats Instead Of Planning A Vacation[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”55px”][vc_column_text]

Have questions? Get them answered!

If you have any questions that you’d like answered about all things Yoga practice or Yoga biz… Just ask! I will answer via email in my weekly email OR I will post it on my Social Media. If you want to remain anonymous, that’s cool… Just type *anonymous* after your question and I won’t give you a shoutout!

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7 Reasons You Should Consider Retreats Over Regular Vacations

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Today I came across this AWESOME article that talks about WHY you should take Yoga retreats instead of planning vacations. If you didn’t already know WHY Yoga retreats are so much more effective than a vacation, check this out.

I found it interesting and I hope that you do, too!

 

7 Reasons You Should Consider Yoga Retreats Over Regular Vacations


By Audrey Throne

Each year, millions of people across the globe withdraw from their frenetic lifestyles for a week or two in an attempt to rest, rejuvenate, and recoup. These getaways range from family holidays to adventure trips to secluded exotic retreats.

However, after a year’s hard work when the time comes to pick the perfect holiday option, we often find people bolting off to their favorite travel destinations without realizing that they will probably still be on 24/7 holiday management duty during this time off.

Such vacations undermine the fundamental purpose of a holiday—to relax and recharge. However, as opposed to a vacation, which is quite simply a time off from everyday routine, retreats are purposeful getaways that are aimed at rescuing you from an undesired or unpleasant situation and whisking you off to an exotic location to heal in that particular respect.

Yoga Retreats offer everything including spiritual healing, fitness through meditation or yoga, family or marriage counseling, and much more. Outlined below are seven reasons for you to opt for a retreat over a regular vacation.

1. Yoga Retreats Have Long-Term Benefits

In addition to offering you an escape from a tiresome routine, retreats set themselves apart from mere vacations due to the specific intent behind them. This intent can be an issue that you wish to focus on but don’t get time for, a recent experience that you want to reflect on or talk about with people who understand what you’re going through, the quest for some distance from your current situation to think clearly and bring things into perspective, or simply quality time with yourself and nature so you can rejuvenate.

To quote the words of Jiddu Krishnamurti, a famous spiritual leader, “I think it is essential sometimes to go into retreat, to stop everything that you have been doing, to stop your beliefs and experiences completely and look at them anew, not keep on repeating like machines whether you believe or don’t believe. You would let fresh air into your minds.”

Moreover, all aspects of retreats—including location, accommodation, food, facilities, professional consultation, and activities/exercises—are all in line with what you are seeking to achieve; hence, the benefits of retreats are much more impactful and long-lasting as opposed to vacations where you are more apt to binge, gossip, and probably still spend time finishing work.

According to a research study published in Translational Psychiatry (Nature), simple vacations only bring about short-term improvements in well-being; however, a week’s meditation can improve metabolism for the long-run.

Moreover, yoga retreats are known to provide relief to patients of respiratory problems, anxiety, bone thinning, high blood pressure, arthritis, incontinence, and rheumatism, along with several other ailments.

2. Yoga Retreats Provide Peace Away from Your Daily Routine

Retreats are aimed at providing you the solitude you need. This can be complete solitude as with individual and silent retreats, with your spouse or partner as with marriage retreats, or in the form of groups as with yoga and Ayurvedic retreats.

Wellness retreats are usually situated in secluded and serene locations that present the perfect platform for you to forget about the hustle and bustle of life and let your nerves relax. However, regular vacations can be taken anywhere that need not necessarily be in a quiet and calm locality. Moreover, retreats also offer a plethora of other activities that quench your thirst for adventure and exploring new cultures.

Yoga Retreats, Yogi Retreat, Yogi Vacation, Relaxation, Yoga, Yoga Business, Business of Yoga

3. Nature Let’s You Unwind

One of the biggest advantages of going on a retreat is that it offers you proximity to nature and its healing touch, which can’t be matched by a simple vacation. Being close to nature has shown to reduce the production of cortisol—our primary stress hormone. Moreover, clean air, calm surroundings, and plants allow you to unwind and be thoroughly rejuvenated so that you can have a fresh start to your life upon return.

4. You’re Surrounded by Like-Minded Company

Retreats attract people with similar concerns or interests and, hence, offer you the opportunity to spend memorable moments with like-minded people who are looking to achieve the same goals as you. These people act as your support system as you work toward your goal and also act as a mirror to help you identify issues that you couldn’t have on your own. Most importantly, they let you realize that you are not alone.

Retreats also provide you the opportunity to make friends that you can remain in touch with even after you return home. This gathering of similar people is not characteristic to regular vacations.

5. You Have Access to Professional Guidance

Retreats include training, exercise, or ccounseling sessions by experts who allow you to see your own shortcomings and help you improve your spiritual, mental, and physical well-being. These sessions are in accordance with your needs and enable you to not only improve your well-being while at the retreat, but also equip you with information and techniques that you can use to remain in shape even after the retreat is over.

Yoga Retreats, Yogi Retreat, Yogi Vacation, Relaxation, Yoga, Yoga Business, Business of Yoga

6. You Don’t Have to Worry About Planning

One thing that skyrockets the efficacy of retreats in facilitating rest and relaxation as compared to ordinary vacations is that your service provider manages them. This means you don’t have to worry about things like scheduling, reservations, commutes, waiting in lines, finding locations, etc. Even though you may handle such mundane tasks in your daily life, these tasks become particularly stressful when you are in a new and unfamiliar location. Retreats allow you to focus solely on your own well-being and truly offer you a stress free time-off.

7. Yoga Retreats Can Be More Economical

Retreats can be both expensive as well as economical. However, they are much more economical and cost-effective as opposed to regular vacations. The reason for this is that during regular vacations you make your own spending decisions, which may not be the most cost-effective and can at times result in money leakage. However, retreats are pre-planned and include exclusive features like professional consultation and trainings in addition to all the facilities of a simple vacation—thus, making them more financially feasible and reliable.

So, for your next holiday, pick a retreat that will let you unwind and resolve any pending concerns empowering you to regain control and enjoy your life.

Yoga Retreats, Yogi Retreat, Yogi Vacation, Relaxation, Yoga, Yoga Business, Business of Yoga

 

Read the original article here.

 

There you have it! I’m sure you didn’t need any more reasons to come hang out with me in Costa Rica for a Yoga Retreat you won’t forget… But if you did, I hope that helped!

For all the sweet details on this summer’s amazing retreat that I have lined up for Yogis that need some time to reset, relax, and refocus their energy, click here >>> Your Yogi Life Costa Rica Retreat

I hope to see you there![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]UPDATE: Check out this post 25 Benefits Of Going On A Yoga Retreat[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_column_text]

Have questions? I’m here to answer them!

If you have any questions that you’d like answered about all things Yoga practice or Yoga biz… Just ask! I will answer via email in my weekly email OR I will post it on my Social Media. If you want to remain anonymous, that’s cool… Just type *anonymous* after your question and I won’t give you a shoutout!

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Is Yoga Business Different? Integrity and Ethics

Integrity and Business

I’m jumping on here to talk and ask- what’s the deal with business and yoga? In light of recent articles in Elephant Journal (check it out here) regarding Kino, Cody, Alo and all one word named businesses I want to have a dialogue about WHY when it comes to yoga business tends to shift into irregular practices.

15 years. I’ve been in this business first of all as a student, then a teacher and now a mentor and leader. I own a HUGE yoga festival called The Yoga Expo, run an international business consulting company and well delve into all things yoga industry related. In the past weeks, I have seen the beautiful and ugly head of yoga and business rear its head.

“I think you trying to make money off a sacred science is appalling and if you truly understood the teachings the last thing you would be doing is sending out a dumb ass email commercializing a sacred science that was meant to be passed down teacher to students…you need Togo back to school”
I posted this as a copy paste to also highlight his grammar… you all know I am a stickler for spelling. Anyways, that got in my inbox a few days ago. But also this:

“I was on a journey of spirit to unearth those of authentic purpose whose actions spark the divine when I discovered your meaningful Essence. You are doing work you should be very proud of. You are having a profoundly positive effect on people.”

Yoga business is the same as all other businesses by the way, the only difference is who’s behind the business that makes the world of difference.

What’s going on?

Opinions will always create a ripple effect. The opinions in the article referenced above are really interesting because I am a businesswoman. Cody and Alo are businesses. Kino is also a savvy businesswoman. When values and integrity are so deeply ingrained in how you operate your business it’s an interesting play on how kind you are and how much of a stickler for contracts and rules as well. Why do I say this… because I have seen it first hand.

Several times when I operated my business from a place of generosity and kindness, whether it was offering discounts, extra flexible payment plans, I have gotten burnt. People never paid, didn’t show up or decided that it wasn’t in their best interest to continue paying.

What happens here is the ripple effect. And the same thing Cody’s co-founder speaks of. For a customer it is very easy to say I no longer wish to pay. What about the people on the other side? The employees of Cody are affected by 1 decision. My family is affected by 1 decision. Yoga business practices are truly the BEST in the world. As long as us, the leaders continue to make an effort to hold highest levels of integrity – on both sides of the coin.

The Yoga business isn’t different than other businesses. If you develop and establish your value, your non-negotiables from the beginning, guess what… you don’t get burned. I take every client that stops paying, that wants to change agreements to what works for them as a lesson. It makes me more organized, it makes my contracts tighter and payment plans also more on point.

The main point behind this post.

I want to shed light on many sides of the coin. Our society is so easy to point a finger. We take the moral high ground on issues that we really don’t even know anything about. When I read Kino’s first article I was totally like “WTF!” how dare these large companies do whatever they want! Shortly after I caught myself and said, wait, my business is growing and I would like to avoid these types of situations. And then today I read the reply and I also attest to several things he mentioned.

How do I prepare my business so from the beginning there are non-negotiable value systems in place of trust, honor, commitment, fun, exceptional quality and passion?

Is yoga business the anti-business?

Learn about foundations of your business. Set yourself up to always see things as a learning experience will help avoid massive issues in the future. It’s how you operate, how you treat others that will always leave a good mark on your side. I wrote this article on analysis paralysis a few months ago that reminded me of how it was like setting up my business – but guess what – nothing is perfect and things will always come up that make you re-work and re-do and re-word. Nothing is perfect and as long as you are open to the flow, your business will improve daily.

Leave me a note as I’m interested to hear your side and how you operate your yoga business. 

Split personality (brand) syndorme?

Do you have this too?

I don’t have a split personality really, I have (had) a split brand problem. Let me tell you the story…

It was one of those days, on a warm winter day (I’m based in Miami) where I had a massive realization. I had been living a double life, with 2 brands (really 3 but will get into that).

I noticed not a lot was moving forward and I was working my ass of. It was really frustrating and at the end of the day, counterproductive. I had this ideal of who I was and how I could serve. So of course, being the creative yogini that I am, created 2 brands, 2 websites, 2 newsletters, 2 business cards (and the list goes on). If you want to read more about me, check this page.

Now, was this serving me? NO! It was driving me crazy, but since I had a belief that why would any of my business students want to hear me talk about ROI and email marketing and why would any of my business clients and audience hear about my events and classes. Mind you, these are all perceptions, not truths.

So how can this serve you? It goes back to energy and where you are putting it. Are you living a double life in any aspects. Maybe have 2 jobs very disconnected from each other? I have friends that are bartenders at night and yoga teachers by day. Some client who take care of their bodies at the gym and yoga class, yet, have really negative feelings about themselves and their bodies.

Where is there the limiting belief that is stopping you from being successful, productive and happy? Where is the opportunity to expand your reach into what would serve you best? As you know, by serving yourself in the highest way you can serve and be the most amazing person for others.

brand union

Split Personality Syndrome IS OVER!

So here is the big question? What are you gonna do about it?

I’m re-launching my brand and I hope you keep loving what I send and the messages I share. But most of all, I want to know what you want to connect and feel whole with. What are your issues, disconnects that prevent you from your greatness.

Manifesting your inner magic is one decision away.

Namaste!

AriOm, The Bizzy Yogi.

Yoga Retreat Mania!

Yoga Retreat Mania!

Yoga retreat mania has hit the yoga scene like an avalanche! And let me tell you why I think this is a great thing… but a double-edged sword.

First of all, I love yoga retreats. I have led them for close to a decade and they never cease to impress me with the quality of amazing people who come together. Retreats are a way for you, the teacher, to affect your students in a much bigger way and in usually gorgeous locations. They also provide a bigger income but before setting anything up please take the time to assess where you are in your practice as a teacher and leader. I suggest you do some soul searching as I don’t want you to set up a retreat and it not meet your expectations.

Yoga retreats gone wrong…

Not only is taking people on an adventure a huge responsibility but the planning process, if not done correctly, can leave gaps in your retreat that could possibly make your life challenging.

I not only have heard of disasters when planning the retreat but also during. This leaves a really bad taste in your participant’s minds and can sour your reputation, to say the least.

Let’s go through a laundry list of things you will need before you even get there:

  1. Where & When
  2. Retreat title & theme (purpose)
  3. Style of retreat (training or fun)
  4. Who do you want to have on the retreat?
  5. How many participants do you want?
  6. Solo or co-taught?
  7. Why would people come (benefits & outcomes)
  8. Landing page
  9. Pricing
  10. Sales strategy
  11. Location (securing the venue)
  12. Marketing

I go into it much deeper in THIS ARTICLE

The Bright Side

Don’t worry! I know that seems like a LOT but the payoff is so sweet. This is why having a plan and a guide is so important as it will allow you to get to your destination happy. Here is one super important tip you want to always be conscious of- don’t book out an entire center without having some for sure YES clients first. This means you had conversations with people, you did your legwork, you even took deposits. YES you took deposits even before sending deposits to the center. I have done this in my last 2 retreats and worked amazingly. Have the right conversations with possible locations and ask them to hold the dates for you at no charge or maybe a small fee while you get your people.

Apart from this, your mental capacity for planning should be in for the big vision. Let’s say you project a $3500 profit from having 7 people attend the retreat for 5 days. Is this what you would make normally in 5 days doing your classes and possible side gig? If it isn’t, then, create time to plan and get all your ducks in a row. Having this foresight to larger income will put things into perspective nicely.

Is leading a yoga retreat right for me?

Here is where I can’t tell you yes or no, but I can definitely give you more insight into qualities of a leader. If you connect to some of these, then most likely you are on your way. Another thing is having enough material to offer during your retreat (and remember it’s not enough to just teach a couple classes a day… this is mediocre). Lead people to an experience. Help them uncover or re-discover something (your specialty). Have the boldness of stepping into your leadership and guiding from the heart with the full knowledge that you are there to serve on many levels.

Qualities of a leader:

  1. Honest
  2. Vulnerable
  3. Authentic
  4. Flexible
  5. Resourceful
  6. Deep listening
  7. Creative
  8. Supportive
  9. Intelligent
  10. Ability to delegate
  11. Big vision
  12. Caring
  13. Kind
  14. Fun
  15. Speaks the unspoken

End result

Not only will you feel happy you planned correctly and took the right steps, but your retreat will be smooth sailing. I really can’t stress enough people who are leading retreats want to offer the best experience with quality teaching, special attention to details, good communication and extreme awareness to your students needs (the spoken and unspoken). The more retreats there are, the bigger reason why you should be the BEST and most special one. Doing that will help you rise above, cut through the clutter and feel authentic that you are giving the best of you.

 

Wisdom vs Advice

Wisdom vs advice?

I had never thought about this before honestly. I always thought to offer good suggestions was good enough until my mentor offered me the distinction. Good advice is telling people what they should do or need to do, and what you think is best. This usually means projecting your opinions and ways of doing things onto them. This works sometimes, and other times, well not so much.

As a coach, mentor, guide, for soul-centered entrepreneurs, I love this distinction. In yoga, wisdom, knowledge or understanding is buddhi.

“A loving heart is the truest wisdom.” Charles Dickens

Advice sometimes falls into the place of not listening enough and thinking you know what is correct for that person. Wisdom, on the other hand, comes from a place of kindness and deep listening to what the person really needs and reflecting back on them. Wisdom appeals to the heart and comes from a quiet mind thus appeals to a more emotional connection.

Like I mentioned earlier, I’m a guide. I’m one who can easily tell people what to do and how to do it. Efficiency is my middle name. Improvement and remodeling to make better are what I love to do. This so easily falls into advice and WOW I can tell the difference so much in the results my clients get. Not only that, I feel it too!

advice or wisdom

Wise advice

Wait, wait, wait. Didn’t you just say to step more into wisdom? LOL.

Did you read at my strengths up there? Of course, I had to find a middle ground- wise advice! This is the hybrid and honestly, sits so close to home.

Sometimes that deep listening and being a mirror needs a little bit of a mental shake. This is where wise advice comes from and can hit the target. Wisdom is introspective and really comes from a place of wanting the most good for your friend or client. Advice sometimes comes from a place of ego where you know best. Wise advice blends this and says “Hey, I know something about this and after listening to you I invite you to consider this option instead”.

The minute I began to work that into my life there was a sense of feeling light and abundant! It was magic to see the transformations vs seeing walls of defense when the advice didn’t sit well. In this blog post I wrote I mention being allowed to shine… so stand up and shine with your knowledge in a generous way, a kind way, and a smart way!

Now it’s your turn!

Take a look at where in your life you can shift this in. Is it in your classes? Your coaching practice? Or maybe personal relationships with friends, partners or family.

It’s never too late to shift ourselves and create some better vibes that lift everyone up together!

Namaste!

PS: Remember if you want some wise advice on something you are going through, join my FREE Facebook Group where you can share and be part of a community where we all grow!

My newsletter and open rates… why do I need to know?

Newsletter hell.

Have you asked yourself this question before? Are you stuck trying to see what cool stuff you send in your newsletter? I know. I have been there. I have been naughty and not sent my newsletter because I had no idea what to send! You know I had a studio for a long time and we had to send weekly newsletters with all the cool stuff going on – arm balance class, workshop, teacher training. BUY! BUY! BUY!

All we wanted to do was sell events and get people interested. Guess what, at some point the newsletter consisted of the same shit every week because we either didn’t have that many events or they were in advance so we needed to send something right?

So annoying.

Yes, this is exactly what it turned into. An annoying task with absolutely no excitement other than maybe making a cool little artwork for the newsletter event. Woohoo. What started happening is that our open rates were low. People weren’t clicking or signing up. People would come to the events, yes of course, but because of the of the interaction at the studio or at the front desk. So few would pre-register making it even more stressful and honestly annoying.

What changed???

I had a vague idea of email marketing a few years back. I knew we needed to collect emails and then send newsletters. That was about it. NOT what I know now. Have you ever said to yourself “If I knew then what I know now…” Well let’s focus on what I know now, vs, what I knew then since it wasn’t that useful.

After taking many courses on marketing and rubbing elbows with some pretty intelligent and successful people, I realized everything I was doing was moving people away from clicking open. Because they were constantly getting yelled at with sign up, events, retreat and nothing else, they had no motivation. No bait as some say.

They were bored of not getting value.

I use this word value like the elephant in the room. It’s huge, it’s sitting there, but we ignore it. Poor elephant. I was scared of giving people FREE information in my newsletters! I just wanted to them sign up for the arm balance workshop, so why would giving them a video about arm balance be beneficial.

The hook.

That arm balance video was my free teaser. Was my lure to get them hooked. VALUE. I offered a video tip on how to get into crow but I didn’t give them a 2 hour long workshop in the email. What it did was spark the interest of the reader to want to learn more, easier and more efficient ways to do arm balances. Do you get it? Yup. This was the magic touch. Tease them with valuable info that they can take with them on their journey. Maybe you are really excited about offering a tantra workshop- well write a really cool article with awesome information about tantra. You aren’t giving away the whole pie. You are only giving them valuable tips to show you are a credible source to make them say, “WOW, that was amazing and I learned so much I want more!!!”

You get it?

Well, this is your time to turn around these email campaigns and get some interaction! Instead of little opens, I get replies from people saying thanks so much, that was exactly what I needed and more! It feels so good to know I can help via one video, audio or blog post.

Try it out!

On your next newsletter try it out and see what happens. Get some catchy titles, get creative, add your voice in the writing so it feels authentic and powerful. And guess what? You don’t always need to sell something!!! So cool right? Give and you might receive, but give anyways. As a yogi hearted business minded human you know it feels right to give from the heart… and even better your clients will feel it too.

Namaste!

 

Growing your business. Let’s play a disappearing act said no one but me.

Growing your business. What does it mean?

This is where we all what to be… in the growing your business mode. I feel like I am there constantly and this is a great thing but sometimes it doesn’t go the way we envision it. Remember one of my last posts Analysis Paralysis?  You would think I am a freaking activating, mind moving, business savvy business mentor and I don’t fall prey to that kind of stuff. Well, HELLO to my disappearing act because that exact thing I wrote about happened to me. I’m in growing my business mode, so why did I disappear?

For the last few weeks, all that I have been doing is discerning what I want to tackle and not. Looking at the bigger picture, listening to what I want and do not want. I’ve been meditating, connecting with my desires, listening to webinars… and… and… wait where are my clients? Where are my webinars I had scheduled? Where are the Facebook ads I had started?

What really happened…

Ok so here is the truth. I took on more than I could handle. My business actually grew by a MASSIVE leap when I said YES to becoming the new owner of The Yoga Expo. The Bizzy Yogi just got bizzier. First of all, let me be super grateful about this new venture and to the opportunity, I am now presented with. I am so incredibly freaking proud of myself for taking on such a huge venture that totally has changed my life. So this is me reconnecting to my initial intention to create a tribe of amazing yogi hearted, business savvy entrepreneurs who want to change the world one OM at a time. The disconnection actually allowed my business to not just grow, but to bloom.

Because of the time I took to stop, breathe, manifest, I allowed this massive opportunity to enter my life, and yours also. What’s so cool is that now I will share what it’s like to put on a 3000 person event. This is also an opportunity for you to grow your business also by stepping up into areas unknown and having the support to just do it.

Growing your business painsSometimes in order to grow your business, you have to disappear

What are the bigger lessons here? There are several:

  1. Taking on a new responsibility doesn’t mean letting go of everything else
  2. Having a mentor to grow your business helps (will talk about this more)
  3. It’s OK to disappear as long as you do it for a bigger reason and not because of fear
  4. Seeing opportunities in life as your teachers and making you step out of your comfort zone only come once in a while
  5. Be proud of yourself no matter what!!!

The result

Now that I am fully in the flow and see my business in momentum, I am here for you once again! I know everything happens for a reason and I want to tell you how growing a business can be some strange happenings that sometimes we think are not good for us, then low and behold, they are!

How does this impact you? Let’s find out!! Schedule a call with me and see how you can see your business grow. I love hearing about why you do what you do, where you are in the process, where you are in your vision and what the plan is to get there. It’s about being in flow and listening and processing. All part of this beautiful journey.

Get Your FREE Discovery Session Here >>> http://bit.ly/BizzyYogi

Namaste!

Arianne

The Real Reason I Quit Being A Yoga Teacher

What a decade being a yoga teacher taught me:


“I am a yoga teacher. I am just a yoga teacher.”

 

My identity was all around being a yoga teacher, and you know what was happening? I wasn’t enjoying teaching yoga!

Imagine the identity crisis when all I did was teach classes and teach people how to be yoga teachers. It didn’t feel good.

There was a total misalignment to who I was because if you asked me my answer was understated: “I’m a yoga teacher”. What happened is that because of my misalignment my yoga teaching started to become almost boring and robotic.

WHAT CHANGED?

First of all, let’s get something clear. Teaching yoga was not the problem. Realizing my purpose was the inside issue which caused the external symptoms. Sounds like science huh?

Well, it totally IS a science, just like yoga. I realized I was not in alignment to my inner strengths which are creative, action oriented, and all about motivation, so teaching asana-based classes 5 times a week, was not fulfilling my purpose cup anymore.

By harnessing my strengths I allowed my inner motivation and excitement to return! It was such an exhilarating moment because I was eager to be and create and eventually inspire.

The power of feeling aligned with what you’re doing is so crucial to staying motivated and a bored or sad yoga teacher is no fun for anyone.

So, now I bring this to you. Not that you are going through the same identity crisis of should I teach or not, it’s more about using your strengths to fulfill your passions. Being in alignment with your values and desires.

Being a yoga teacher is the greatest gift I ever had and knowing things change is the beauty of the practice.

SHIT HIT THE FAN

Yup, and boy did it! I went into a slight depression and it sucked because I had never gone through that. I am one bubbly, energetic, and happy person, yet it was hard for me to do anything. Did you read above my main strengths are activator and motivator??

So, this yoga teacher, muddled in “I don’t know what to do with myself” (I did have Bizzy Yogi already, but still!), having the cojones to let go of something so ingrained in me was so hard!!! What’s even crazier is that all this abundant energy was going to sulking and feeling bad about myself. Pity party for Ari in my own house, with no one else but me… at it

WOW. That was even hard for me to write. So in my depression, everything else started to get affected. My new business which I Love, my relationships with my friends, and my relationship with myself.

SNAP OUT OF IT!

This is the happy dance. I had 2 conversations that made so much sense in my logically efficient brain. 1. With my friend Jen. 2. With my coach Michelle.

What happened is that they mirrored me and my soul. They asked me the questions that I wanted to ask myself but didn’t have the strength for. They showed me how life is a transition and sometimes we let go of things to activate and accentuate others.

All I needed was also some validation that making this decision was probably the smartest thing for me. Once I saw that and allowed myself to release, that resistance to let go vanished.

So there it is, from one decision… A roller coaster of emotions. I felt like I broke up with my boyfriend and became the cat lady. What’s super cool is that now when I do teach, it’s with an air of freshness stemming from desire vs. having to. I LOVE TEACHING YOGA, just… once in a while.

I’m really looking forward to being more present and awake to my new adventures with the Yoga Expo, with Bizzy Yogi and YOU!

Talk To Us!

I would love to hear from you… Where you are in your journey, where do you feel stuck?! If you need help with anything at ALL, just reach out for help. You can book a FREE discovery session with me at http://bit.ly/BizzyYogi. I would be glad to give you the best advice possible.

 

Namaste!!!

Love,
Arianne

 

P.S. Like this post? Share it with other like-minded Yogis! Whether you’re a Yoga Teacher, Studio Owner, or interested in getting your certifcation, read this first >>>  This ONE THING Holds More Yogis Back From Greatness Than Any Other

 

Have specific questions and want to get them answered, but remain anonymous? Let Ari, the Bizzy Yogi answer them! Ask your question below and I will answer it in my weekly email OR in a FB Live webshow. Make sure you type *anonymous* at the end of your question so we don’t give you a shoutout!

 

 

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