Yoga for Beginners 

Yoga is a fantastic way to improve flexibility, strength, and mental well-being. If you're new to yoga, here are some tips and a simple routine to get you started:

1. Choose a Comfortable Space:
   - Find a quiet, clean, and comfortable place to practice yoga.
   - Use a yoga mat or a non-slip surface to prevent slipping.

2. Wear Comfortable Clothing:
   - Wear loose, comfortable clothing that allows for easy movement.
   - Yoga is typically practiced barefoot.

3. Start with Basic Poses:
   - Begin with fundamental yoga poses like Mountain Pose, Downward-Facing Dog, and Child's Pose.
   - These poses help you understand proper alignment and breathing.

4. Focus on Breathing:
   - Pay attention to your breath. Breathe deeply and evenly throughout your practice.
   - Breathing is a vital component of yoga, helping you stay centered and calm.

5. Gentle Warm-Up:
   - Start with a gentle warm-up to prepare your body. Simple stretches and neck rolls work well.

6. Sun Salutations:
   - Sun Salutations are a series of flowing movements that help build strength and flexibility.
   - They are a great way to start your yoga practice.

7. Listen to Your Body:
   - Respect your body's limits. Don't force yourself into positions that cause pain.
   - Yoga is about gradual progress, so be patient with yourself.

8. Relaxation:
   - Finish your practice with a relaxation pose like Savasana (Corpse Pose) to rest and calm your mind.

9. Online Resources:
   - There are many online resources, videos, and apps for beginner yoga routines.
   - These can provide guidance and structure to your practice.

10. Consistency:
    - Establish a regular practice routine, even if it's just a few minutes a day.
    - Consistency is more important than the duration of your sessions.

11. Seek a Class or Instructor:
    - Consider taking a beginner's yoga class or seeking guidance from a qualified instructor.
    - They can provide personalized feedback and ensure you're practicing safely.

Remember that yoga is not a competitive activity. It's a personal journey that helps improve physical and mental health. As a beginner, focus on the basics, and as you become more comfortable, you can explore different styles and more advanced poses. Enjoy the process, and don't be discouraged by initial challenges. Yoga is about self-discovery and self-care.

In this course you will learn the fundamentals of Reiki and how to give it to family and friends. After completion you will be trained in both the Japanese and Western lineages of Reiki.

In this course you will learn the fundamentals of Reiki and how to give it to family and friends. After completion you will be trained in both the Japanese and Western lineages of Reiki.

The Business of Yoga

The Business of Yoga is becoming more complicated and competitive. Especially subsequent to Covid, the business model has shifted and so have the expecatitions of your students. 

What you learn in your Yoga Teacher training courses prepares you to become a competent Yoga teacher. However it doesn’t always prepare you for the business of Yoga.

Like it or not, making money is an important and equally essential part of a Yoga teachers journey.

The majority of revenue is generated from Yoga classes. With around 14% coming from Yoga merchandise and another 15% from Teacher training accreditation courses.

How to make this seem less overwhelming and how to best position yourself in the business of Yoga?

1. What is your vision?

What does success look like to you? Is it owning your own studio or making a difference to people's lives? By answering these seemingly simple questions, it becomes easier to funnel and streamline the steps you will need to take.

What is your end goal? If success is owning your own studio, what is your end goal? Do you want to still be teaching six classes a day or managing more of the admin and operational side of things?

How do you want to ‘position’ yourself? Do you want to create a niche offering? Do you want to rotate between different studios or only offer private classes?

In line with that, what can you offer? What is your preferred teaching style and what additional styles are you able to teach? Are you willing to work weekends? Early mornings? Many teachers have to start with subbing before getting regular time slots.

2. Do you have a unique message?

In Yoga we see more and more that teachers share their own narrative. How Yoga changed their life, be it depression, anxiety, PTSD. Or perhaps a more unexpected journey. People gravitate to authenticity. This doesn’t mean you have to share your wounds, or the opposite that if you had a wonderful childhood you can’t teach Yoga. What it means to me, is basically cut the crap. Be yourself, be humble, be unique and as transparent as possible.

3. Managing your income streams can be tricky.

There is a lot to consider. Invoicing systems, indemnity forms, provisional Tax, managing multiple income streams. Never mind how to determine your hourly rate. Avoid negating travel time, prep time for classes, hours spent building workshop content etc.

Learn to accept that your income will be erratic. Be upfront with students about your cancellation policy.

Always do your sums! Know what your monthly expenses are and how much time you need to sell to cover them.

In your budget don’t forget to include your own continued learning as an anticipated expense.

4. Start Up costs will be different depending on your vision and mission.

They will be considerably less if you choose to stay a freelance teacher vs studio start up costs.

Both will require developing the art of negotiating. Whether it is lease agreements, sub letting options, the hourly rate you are willing to work for or compensation. Negotiating is a huge part of any business.

If you are unsure, use accountants, lawyers and marketing experts to help you get started. It will be money well spent.

5. When it comes to business with friends, keep things professional.

Always have a contract in writing. It’s a tricky business managing expectations and different work ethics. To avoid things going sour and to maintain clarity, put it in writing from the start!

6. Create lasting relationships with suppliers.

The industry is small and you are only as reliable as your reputation. Don’t be that Yogi that pays suppliers late.

7. Build an online offering 

Selling time quickly reaches a ceiling. There are only so many hours in a day you can work. Physically we all have different limits. Building an online hub, be it merchandise, skype/zoom sessions, email series, in my opinion, is your best long-term option for a passive income stream.

8. My biggest lessons in the Business of Yoga

• You come first

• Self Practice will help manage your energy levels and keep you free from injuries

• Build a community and a ‘following’

• Don’t try to be good at everything

• Networking is essential

• “Burn out” is real

• Email lists are more important than ‘likes’

• Develop a Higher priced offering

• Learn to ask for help

• Passive income streams are essential

• Keep learning

• Support & Engage with fellow Yoga teachers

The benefits of signing up with Yisani 

• Save the expense and capital outlay of building your own website 

• Join an existing community of like minded practitioners 

• Free up time for yourself practice or continued learning by not having to self manage your bookings 

• Offer competitive rates and loyalty incentives 

• Give your students easy accessibility and user friendly options for bookings 

• Submit your own content to be published online 

What is Yoga Nidra and what are the benefits of Yoga Nidra

I always recommend the practice of Yoga Nidra to my clients.

But what is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga nidra or Yogic sleep is a sleep state of consciousness. The space between falling into a deep sleep and deep relaxation is where Yoga nidra works. It is a complete physical, metal and emotional relaxation.

Yoga Nidra is a state in which the body is totally relaxed. The practitioner becomes systematically and increasingly aware of their inner world by following a set of verbal instructions which combine breath awareness, rotation of consicousness and visualisation techniques. 

Meditation typically requires concentration on a single focus. Which can be very challenging, particularly for beginners. In yoga nidra the practitioner remains in a state of light withdrawal of the 5 senses (pratyahara). Four of his or her senses are internalised and it is only the sense of hearing that remains connected.

Both Yoga nidra and meditation intend to encourage deep relaxation and a state of heightened intuition.

Our modern day lifestyles are highly demanding, stressful and competitive. Yoga Nidra is an accessible tool to alleviate the symptoms we experience as a result of stress and tension.

If we can learn to relax and harmonise our own body and mind, we can improve our overall quality of life.

It is even better than a power nap!

Benefits include:

• Reduced anxiety and tension

• Improved sleep patterns

• Improved concentration

• A preparatory tool for meditation

• A complimentary Yoga practice to the physical practice of Asana’s

The Yoga nidra you listen to should encourage you to set an intention, resolve or Sankulpa. 

You can expect a visualisation in the last stage to induce complete mental relaxation. The practice should end with the same intention you set at the beginning of the practice. The resolve should be clear and positive.

You should be guided gradually from your psychic sleep back to the waking state.

Give this short practice a try