12 Ways to Find Joy

12 Ways to Find Joy

I had the pleasure of writing for Better Homes and Gardens about how to find joy along some amazing contributors (like one of my wellness heroes Dr Josh Axe – wow!).

We shared some great tips on maintaining joy and creating it where you might not think of. To read more CLICK HERE but I will post my excerpt for you as well.

better homes and gardens

4. Write to a Loved One

You don’t have to be Shakespeare to pen a pretty poem. And you don’t have to be in a relationship to scribble a love letter. Arianne Traverso, a holistic lifestyle and business coach, says the act of writing to someone you care about—partner, friend, or family member—helps you to slow down and focus on the here and now. What do you admire about them? What have they brought to your life? Why are you so thrilled to have met them? Think of someone you were friends with or still are but don’t get to see or speak to often. She says this creates a deeper connection as you know when that person opens the letter they will feel joy, which in turn, brings you joy, too.

There are so many ways to smile, appreciate at love life more that we often forget about because we get so busy. I would love to be a source of happiness and inspiration so please reach out or join some of my local and online events.

Joy, wellness and happiness is one om, one meditation and one healthy decision away. 

I’m always here to support and guide so check out some of my free meditation resources HERE.

See you soon~

xo,

Arianne

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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.

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!

 

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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Why You Shouldn’t Open A Yoga Studio

You read it right, you shouldn’t open a yoga studio… Unless you do this FIRST!

I don’t want to start this post off with anything negative, but having an award-winning yoga studio doesn’t come easy (trust me, I know!). With the right strategy, it can be easier and a heck of a lot less stressful!

When I decided to open my studio I had ZERO business knowledge. I mean, I was SO green I had no idea what revenue meant… net, gross, what IS that?! I got a huge business from one day to the next with employees, massive overhead and major expenses.

I was drowning in work; projects, payroll, classes, UGH! I had never done payroll in my life. Thankfully I had admin jobs in the past, but nothing like this. It was literally 17 hats all day, everyday. Dealing with water and plumbing issues while having to promote an event, then teaching my class. It was madness.

DID I MENTION AWARD WINNING?

With all that mess one thing we did right was quality and branding. Why does that matter? First of all, when you have a good product people recognize it instantly. People start spreading the word, creating a marketing campaign for you. Our branding was on point as well, meaning everything matched our guidelines, was easily recognizable and looked fresh. Opening a yoga studio is no easy feat, but it changed my life.

That still didn’t clean up the mess we had no idea how to handle, but because of hustle and resourcefulness I was able to figure it out with my partner. We asked the questions we didn’t know, we created magic out of thin air with elbow grease and good intentions.

This still left me drained and well… unmotivated. I had no idea how to increase our revenue or attendance. It was always up and down with classes and income. Have you ever felt this way?

Keep reading and I’ll tell you how we turned it all around.

HOW IT ALL SHIFTED

When I realized I could no longer do what I was doing the way I was doing it, I decided to look to see who could empower me with the right knowledge. VIDYA. I know a ton about yoga, asana, meditation… because since I was 23 all my attention was focused there.

You see, I had to realize that my attention had to shift elsewhere to make not just my yoga studio, but my entire life, be more successful. That meant having more time, more space, less worry, less stress, more abundance.

I sought help. I asked the right questions. I enrolled in a mastermind program and got my business pants on (on top of my yoga pants that is) and get my other side of my life get busy. What happened? Our income grew because of 2 or 3 little changes. We had a system, an organized system. I hired the right people and I gave myself days off. I also created other revenue streams to sustain my lifestyle. I wanted better.

I know you’ve heart not to put all your eggs in one basket, instead have many baskets with some eggs. My advice to you who want to open a yoga studio is to break the model. Create a business that is innovative, fresh, exciting and makes you feel good.

ALTERNATIVES

Also know there are other ways to create an awesome yoga business besides having a full blown yoga studio. Having high overhead is the number one quickest way to go into debt and possibly fail. I am here to answer your questions and be your guide.

If you are thinking of opening a studio, let me know as I have some nice tips for you – we need more yoga in the world, but less broke yogis. Just schedule a free call at http://bit.ly/BizzyYogi.

If you’ve already opened a Yoga Studio and you’re stuck in a rut or stressed from all the work, just read this post >>> Analysis Paralysis: The ONE THING That Holds More Yogis Back From Greatness Than Any Other

 

Namaste!

– Arianne

 

P.S. In the meantime, why don’t you take my fun quiz and learn what your Yogi Archetype is if you haven’t already!!

 

Have specific questions? Let Ari, the Bizzy Yogi answer them! Ask your question below and we will answer it in our weekly email OR in a FB Live webshow – we’ll even give you a shoutout! Just type *anonymous* after your question to remain anonymous.

 

 

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This ONE THING Holds More Yogis Back From Greatness Than Any Other

Are you stuck in a rut? Not sure how to get where you need to be in your Yoga business and have NO IDEA where to start? Analysis Paralysis might be your problem!

Has this dreaded issue called analysis paralysis happened to you? At home, we use this phrase a lot because it highlights the inactivity of our checklists due to over analyzing. That’s right, me the Bizzy Yogi also suffers from it. My main Gallup Strength is ACTIVATOR!!!

(***SIDE NOTE*** I’ve even used this as a basis for creating my fun Yoga Artchetype quiz for Yogis to connect with their business counterparts. If you haven’t done it yet, you’ve been missing out!)

Now we make fun of it [Activator!!!] because it has turned into a little creature we tell to bugger off when we can’t seem to finish a project. I say “we” because my husband and I both suffer from its hypnotic overtake.

Analytical thinking is awesome! It helps us see things clearly, all the steps, think of the goods, the bads and the uglies… But staying in that swamp too long will do nothing but freeze you.

Like The Princess Bride

Do you remember Princess Bride? The fire swamp? The sand pits? Analysis paralysis is exactly that. It’s having to know where the flames jump out and bite you so you have to be extra observant and careful and it’s also getting sucked into the sand pits because you waited too long to cross. This is the dreaded symptom of most entrepreneurs.

Reflections & Movement

Recently, vision and desire was the topic, well what happens with that if you are a paralyzed robot that can’t make any decisions? YUP I am talking to you. You know who you are!

Afraid that one small step will lead to doom, that everything has to be perfect before we get a client. My website isn’t finished so why start marketing, yet?!

I am also talking to you who is bold and daring, ready to step up and make a shift happen. I am talking to you who doesn’t let anything or anyone stand in your way.

Think About It:

Think back 50 years ago… Maybe you were alive, maybe not. Websites? NO. Facebook Lives? NO. We have it so easy! You can literally build a site in 10 minutes if you really wanted to. Not a 20 page site, but a home page. Get a logo, $20 on Fiverr.com. Done!

Analysis is what allows you to observe and make sure you aren’t moving so fast that you miss something massive or obvious. Analysis paralysis will prevent you from taking the next step to go from planning to action and you need to know how to get out of it!

Combination of working on your business and Analysis Paralysis could be a daily stress factor. If that’s the case, you’re in luck! Read this post on Stress & Yoga to see HOW you could use your Yoga skills to reduce your stress and help others get relief daily.

How To Get Out Of Analysis Paralysis:

  • Change your state. This is so Tony Robbins. If you are frozen and aren’t taking the action you need to get the results you want, do something different.
    • Example: My husband met me at my old yoga studio at an AcroYoga class. He had been wanting to date for months but just wasn’t getting the results by doing the same old thing. He decided to try AcroYoga and who’s the first person he saw at the front desk? ME! Thus asked me out and now we are in paradise. Do something different and don’t be afraid!
  • Talk to someone. This is where a mentor comes in. Maybe a colleague who will cut through your shit and make you see for real. Or maybe it’s a friend who will snap you out of it. Maybe it’s me. I’m good about shaking things up and helping you see what’s really going on and what you really should be focused on.
    • If you’re reading this far, you need some help! I’m willing to do a free discovery call if you want it. Just schedule it here: http://bit.ly/BizzyYogi
  • Create a vision board. I use this as an answer often, but they really do work! Vision boards make you reconnect to your original idea and reason, to your big why! Have a fun night with some wine or kombucha and imagine away so that whatever is preventing you from moving forward seems less important.
  • Give up. Yes, you read that right: give up. Maybe then you will realize you are throwing away your dreams and you will snap out of it and take a step towards not sabotaging your happiness. It’s TRUE!
  • Create a list. Write a list of top 10 things that would happen if you succeed and if you fail. Please make one of those save the earth because you will be immensely influential. Just saying… I want you (and me) to have this kind of effect on the world with your amazing company and brand.
    • If you are not stuck in the mud, call me… seriously! If you are not sure what to do and ideas are just a flurry… call me. If you want to have a dance party and are in Miami… please call me. They are an awesome way to change your state. I vote for Shakira. She’s awesome.

Can you imagine what it would feel like without the fear and the blocks? It’s called ebbing into ease and flow. As a yogi, that’s ALL I try to do and what I want to see you do as well.

So, yes, analysis paralysis can ruin your chances for an ideal, soul-driven life, and it can also ruin your chances to make an impact on everyone around you. Don’t let this sickness rule you, DO something about it.

Join my Facebook group and gain a whole tribe of people that are going through or have gone through some of the same challenges you’re facing! PLUS, I’ll give you some daily cheerleading love… After all, I am an acrobatics coach… I can make you work it to get the results you need!

 

Hope to see you there soon!

 

Love you in movement and more,
– Arianne

 

P.S. In case you didn’t click on the link earlier in this post for a FREE discovery call with me, here it is again >>> http://bit.ly/BizzyYogi

 

If you have questions, I want to answer them! I want to help as many people as I can and to do that I need YOUR help. There may be OTHER Yogis out there struggling with the same things, asking your questions doesn’t just benefit you, but helps them along their path, too!!

Enter your question below and I’ll answer them in my weekly email OR on a FB Live. We’ll even give you a shoutout! Want to remain anonymous? Just write *anonymous* at the end of your question.

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How To Create Your Dream Retreat In 7 Steps

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The mythical retreat. We see them everywhere! Someone we know is going to Bali, another person a magical Greece retreat, Machu Picchu, Costa Rica just to name a few.

Your dream retreat is not very far away just to let you know. We will visit these 7 steps and get really clear on why, what and how the process is done from beginning to end.

For the last 10 years I have been putting together and selling out yoga retreats to some wonderful destinations worldwide. There are tons of beautiful centers that will cater exactly to what your needs are whether it be an adventure filled retreat or perhaps a more meditative quiet experience. Whichever you choose make sure to follow these steps for a successful and pleasant retreat for your guests and yourself.

Location… It’s SO Important!

Choose a location that inspires you and that makes sense for your audience. Do you want to do it locally, perhaps in another state, or perhaps in a beautiful faraway location. Logistics will always be one of the main tasks in your retreat choosing as the further away you get the more involved you need to be with the students and issues like: travel visas, currency exchange, jetlag etc. To avoid the headache you can always ask for help with Yoga Trail.

Theme

This is one of the most important things that will really attract your crowd. The more specific that you can target your audience the better results you will have. Which also brings the question what is your specialty?

Length of Retreat Time

How long do you want your retreat to be? If you were taking your students and clients to a faraway place and I suggest anything from 5 to 7 days but if it’s close and easily accessible then maybe a weekend retreat will suffice. It also depends the amount of material that you would like to cover so make sure that you plan accordingly to your offerings.

Flying Solo?

Sometimes running a retreat by yourself might be a daunting experience. There are many details, a lot of logistics and you have to be not only the teacher but also take care of the students making sure they’re happy and satisfied. Plan accordingly so that you are well taken care of and not overworked.

Who’s Coming?

How many and what kind of people would you want to take on this trip? Your demographic is probably one of the most important aspects so that your marketing and invites  you have a clear picture of who and how you will be catering to them. Can it be a woman’s rgathering? Or perhaps a family retreat? Always the more clarity you have from the beginning the better. Niches are key to create ease in this process so that you can save money and time.

Logistics

There is a lot of hidden back end work that no one really realizes when putting together a retreat. First of all the agreements with the retreat center need to be clarified from the beginning to see what services they offer, what is and is not included. Are you offering food is part of the package? How many meals are you responsible for supplying? Are you doing any adventures or activities outside the retreat center with your students? If so who will be providing the transportation?

Taking the Bizzy Yogi Quiz might be a great idea to get you clear on your strengths!

Sales

After you have your content logistics, your demographic all set up, you need to sell your offering. This is often missed part of the process. Make sure your marketing and collateral are congruent, you have your pricing set up, method of payment, as well as a clear and concise sales pitch.

Retreats are life-changing experience for many people, so make sure that you follow your check list and know that I am available for consulting or even putting the retreat together for you!

Enjoy your travels and bon voyage!

Receive my tips on making smarter business choices and having retreats that sell out!

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

 

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