Interested in winning FREE yoga classes for a year?
How about 3 private sessions, or a personalized yoga video practice just for you?
As we transition into 2021, I hope everyone has a chance to reflect on the year that brought many challenges, but also opportunities for making productive change, better awareness about health, personal choices, family dynamics and what is important to each and every one of us.
For many, this past year has been a struggle to say the least. Learning to adapt and change with grace is not something that comes easily to many, especially when you are asked to change so quickly and with very little preparation. For whatever reason, I seem to thrive in environments where just enough pressure is around to squeeze out some diamonds.
2021 will mark my 9th year of teaching yoga. In that time I have had the honour, pleasure and privilege to be part of so many people’s yoga journey, whether it be for a short period of time, or for much of that 9 years. I truly believe it is my path to learn and then share that learning with others. There has been much growth, opportunity for change, and continued learning in that time frame and I hope that never ceases to continue in my teaching career.
This year, I took the plunge to become a full time teacher and for the first time, it was a bit of a pushed entry, which is new for me. Up until about 10 year ago I was more of a “jump in and figure out how to swim later” kind of gal, but; yoga has taught me countless things over the years and for me, moving more slowly and less intensely is helpful for this pitta gal. The first lockdown of the pandemic, catapulted me into full-time self employment with very little warning, about 8 years of part-time preparation & intense self awareness. At least I already know how to swim, so I have these things going for me.
When I was let go from my job (part time/casual position of 10 years), it came with no warning, so needless to say, shock kind of set in. I had guessed I would be one of the first let go (being a casual employee), if ever the proverbial “shit were to hit the fan”, but part of me wondered, if it would ever actually happen, or if it was just a thought bubbling to the surface time and time again. Needless to say, I had to shift gears very quickly, learn to adapt, or sink. Thankfully for all my years of treading water, I become a ridiculously strong swimmer!
That said, my reserves, my own personal well & anything I had built up, this year got challenged to the max. I stayed the course, and kept riding the waves. This round of lockdown however, has now pushed beyond the reserve and there is little left, if any.
I continue to practice, full well knowing that the well is only just preserving my own, with little to non to offer to others. How do I teach, when I don’t have a filled reserve? This is a new experience, a new time and a challenge unlike any other I have faced.
As a rule of thumb, I generally do not ask for help. This is a fault, I know. I do not accept help easily. I have struggled with this my entire life. On a scale of 1 to 10 for independence, I am a 12….well, maybe I’m an 11, but that’s only after over 4 decades of practice… I’m a slow learner in some areas. Crazy eh?!?
So, with all that said, I am now asking for help.
In exchange, I hope that the people that have come to me for yoga, will, in return, offer yoga. There is strength in community and “union” which IS Yoga. It’s literally the translations of the word. So I must embrace it, even it is means I am uncomfortable with some of it.
Over the holidays and now through January, while in lockdown, I expect to be operating at about 10% of my income, which is horrifying. I have heard about many karma yogi’s who live off of nothing and many a time I have come close in my life, but my life is a bit different now, my overhead is larger, I have more riding on my decisions than ever before. I also have a larger customer base than I have ever experienced before. I feel blessed and yet, I am in a tough position and almost scared of what is ahead.
I am hoping to offer an opportunity for my yoga community to make an exchange to help me and in turn help students.
I’m asking for donations to the studio in exchange for a change to win 1 of 2 possible prizes.
1) A Year’s worth of FREE yoga studio classes (up to a max of 75 classes) or for those not comfortable with studio classes – an exchange can be made for 5 Private yoga sessions with me.
2) 3 Private health or yoga sessions with me (3 hrs of your choice: yoga, nutrition, live cell, aromatherapy, personalized video creation or combination)
Each $20 donation will earn you one chance to enter into the draw to win 1 of the 2 prizes above. $100 donation will earn you an extra chance (6 entries instead of 5).
Draw entries will be completed by February 6th. This will give folks just over a month to read, consider and decide if they would like to participate.
Draw will take place on Sunday, February 7th. I’ll video record the random draw and post it out for students to see.
Donations can be made by cash, e-transfer, credit card or debit.
You can also help me out by stopping by the yoga video section of the website and making download purchases. Every little bit helps.
I hope your holidays were filled with life, love, laughter & maybe some yoga.
Yours in health & happiness,
Jo