Reflecting on our journey. To move into our future.

In the short 59 days of 2018,  our world has been filled with confrontation, as if all theories, all solutions, all ends have worn out.  No longer are we tied to this community- whether it is your community in which you live, America as a whole or your personal doctrine; of do what we say, because even there, our voices are divided.  There doesn’t seem to be one right answer to fix our problems.

 

As much as it sounds as if doom and gloom are upon us, it might be the other way around.  One of those “when you’re at rock bottom, it can only go up” situations? There are no more official “at the end ofs,” or “when this happens” then we can act scenarios available for us to rely upon.  

 

We don’t have time for non-action.   

 

The only answer is accountability from within our own selves.  

 

I am going to do this, not because someone else is telling me too, not because it is “the right thing to do”, not because I have to to meet the standards or requirements, but rather I HAVE TO for survival.  

 

Personal accountability will not only help us survive; it will make us THRIVE.

 

The big question is, “Ok, so now what do we do?”

We get started. Here at YI, we are getting started.

 

Make a list; a list of your values.

Here is the list for Yoga Innovations:

1. Authenticity.
2. Integrity.
3. Tidiness.
4. Timeliness.
5. Follow through.

 

The full list is longer, but it boils down to these Five Core Values.  Yoga Innovations seeks  to embody all of these values totally and completely.

 

How will we approach this journey of personal and professional accountability?

1. Make a list of what is important.
2. Cultivate rituals and routines to highlight those important values.
3. Identify behaviors and desired feelings while participating in these rituals or routines.
4. Put that badass plan into action.

 

How will you experience our values at Yoga Innovations?

• 5 minutes of quiet time before class begins.
• New electronic sign that says “quiet” class is in session for the entryway.
• Longer timelines for special event promotions.
• More workshops, events and community involvement.
• Credentialing our school, programs and learning tracks.

 

As the owner of YI, authenticity has always been critical to me as a value for the studio, as a value for me personally, and as a value of our community. Authenticity is demonstrated by  our staff, our teaching, the voice of our brand.  Yoga Innovations is not like any other yoga studio, and we wouldn’t want to be like anyone else. The experiences we all have in this YI community are real. They are visceral. And they belong to all of us because we are a family.  Over these last eight years we have grown into who we were meant to become with you beside us.

 

Integrity in our staff, our message, our theories, principles and strategies.  We vow to continue learning, growing and expanding our knowledge as teachers and yoga students.  We honor the truth, and the alignment of what we think, feel and say.  From teaching how to move your body on the mat to dealing with a management monetary computer error, integrity sets the stage for all actions we take.

 

Furthermore, the integrity of our yoga practices.  We all find our way to the mat for different reasons, and come back for other reasons, but what happens on our mats is often similar.  It might only be for a second, or a few minutes or the unicorn-like days when it’s the entire class! We find this quiet, beautiful, calm space in our minds.  This calm center becomes the garden for all growth.

 

The singing bowl at the beginning of each class, five minutes before each class, is to help cultivate and establish that calm quiet space in our minds so we can find our own truths and begin each practice with integrity.     

 

Tidiness and organization. These values aren’t new things, but almost rather an authentic and resounding declaration of our truths!  Yoga Innovations’ teachers work their butts off to keep the space clean and organized (meaning, too, if you ever see anything out of sorts please report it to us immediately!)

 

Tidiness refers to our methods of communication, our events displayed and organized in an accessible fashion, our social media posts and a general approach of intention.  Free of nonsense and clutter, we move through the moment with ease.

 

Timeliness. We seek to honor ourselves and others through timeliness.

 

Follow through.  By setting realistic expectations, we can be successful in this endeavor.  Yoga Innovations is working hard on not taking on too much at once. This refers to me, the owner, making sure I don’t have too many irons in the fire at one time. It refers to our teachers being  honest with their always evolving and growing lives and commitment to leading classes.  

 

Follow through at YI will be demonstrated by our team completing ideas, events, and programs and giving ample enough time for everyone to participate who wants to (this falls under tidiness and organization). It is easy to have big dreams, it is even easier to get stuck in your head dreaming.  Follow through will help us put these big glorious dreams into reality one at a time.      

 

As we work to grasp our own worlds, we’re not ignoring this giant world of people and actions beyond our reach, we are simply seeking to bring order and kindness to ourselves, our practices and the people with whom we interact. YI’s plan to thrive will take some work and hopefully beautifully impact the lives of our team and our communities.

 

Keep your eyes open for the extra things that you’ll see pop up around our space.  These big dreams take time, but with this amazing staff and supportive, wonderful community of yogis surrounding us, we have time on our side. The sky is the limit and we might not stop there.

The beginning of YI, the short version (Post 2)!

A big thank you is in order to our staff. Thank you for all that you do (post 3)!