The Ashram

The Bag Issue

2011-12-22T08:38:00.002Z

On Monday night a few of the Mukti volunteers attended the launch of The
Bag Issue in London hosted by Trudie and Sting. It is a new venture of
John Bird, founder of The Big Issue to give people eco bags. Our patron,
Trudie Styler, persuaded John to use bags made by the children of Karm
Marg through their Jugaad label.

There has been a fabulous press coverage of the event and Mukti has now
even made it to the dizzy heights of being on the home page of Sting's
official website. Check it out:

Click here or go to http://www.sting.com/

Lots of love, Swami A

Variety show for Mukti

2011-11-10T13:28:00.003Z

Children have been raising money for children and the grand evening of entertainment is nearly here so please book your ticket! Click on poster to enlarge.

For tickets contact:
Hema Patel :0118 9624741
Nita Bhadresa: 07717157074
Uddhava Samman: 0118 9581817

Recovering yogi

2011-10-15T15:46:00.000+01:00

Dear Yoginis and Yogins,

Found this article by a Yogin and found it to be excellent : thought
provoking and stimulating. Enjoy!

Recovering Yogi

In peace, Swami Ambikananda

Building Courage

2011-10-11T16:53:00.001+01:00

The Building Confidence Workshop was a truly wonderful and useful experience. I’ll be the first to admit that I allowed myself to enjoy the yoga sessions for me and did not have my ‘remembering-moves-head’ on! If anyone wants to get together for a cup of tea/ biscuit and to help each other remember the moves we learned, so that we can pass the moves on, you are very welcome to come to Dee’s house one day 11-2. Just let me know which day is convenient.

Kind regards

Dee Johnson
0753 2268877

Brain exercise

2011-10-11T16:45:00.003+01:00

Michelle shared this article she found online about staying mentally fit. Enjoy.

Staying fit mentally is as important as maintaining our physical health. It is vital to exercise our brain regularly just like we exercise the rest of our body.

According to studies, physical activity and brain exercise programs help reduce anxiety and depression in individuals. Moreover, such programs also play a key role in enhancing the plasticity of the brain which is its ability to continue to develop and change throughout your life....

...read more.

Picnic in the garden

2011-07-21T22:39:00.002+01:00

Margaret Manning has very kindly invited members of the TYA to her home for a picnic on Sunday 4th September from 2.00 - 6.00 pm. We shall be able to enjoy Margaret's beautiful garden and you are very welcome to bring your children and partner if you wish.

Margaret's address is available from Uddhava. Margaret is going to organise some drinks for us and would be grateful if you could bring a plate of food to share for the picnic.

Please could you let Uddhava know whether you are able to make the picnic or not.

Building courage - FULLY BOOKED!

2011-07-02T16:30:00.010+01:00

The Yoga Teachers 'Building Courage' Workshop is now booked out - there were 35 places and all have gone. There was a huge response to this 1-day workshop and we will now only be able to accept people on a waiting list in case anyone drops out.

THE Traditional Yoga Association and Garuda Yoga are running a special one-day yoga teachers workshop on the subject of Building Courage.

Taking place on Sunday 25th September 2011 from 10am to 5pm the workshop will be informative as well as having a strong practical element with four presenters in all.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that by 2012 depression will be the most prevalent disease in the world! We live in an a world of increasingly rapid change in which it is easy to feel alienated and out of touch ~ yet Yoga calls us to a deep connection.

Keeping connected takes courage as solitude can turn into isolation, strength into rigidity, and loss and change into depression.

As Yoga teachers and practitioners we will encounter depression over the next decade in those we teach.~ or maybe even meet it in ourselves.

Therefore this 1 - Day Workshop will focus on what Yoga can offer to help us remain open and connected and to build and sustain courage through its mental, physical and spiritual practices.

PRESENTERS:

James D’Silva, Founder Garuda Yoga

James came to England from Goa to pursue his career as a professional dancer and choreographer ~ working successfully in Europe and America. After sustaining an injury James changed the focus of his work and increased his commitment to Yoga. From his personal practice and his work with people suffering from all the ills of modern life, Garuda Yoga was born. It conforms to the traditional principles of Yoga by bringing body, mind and spirit into alignment in order to make ourselves available for transformation.

In 2000 James opened his own studio in London and his reputation quickly spread. Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, and our own Mukti patron Trudie Styler, all became his students. James now teaches throughout the world, developing Garuda Yoga with people of different levels of physical and mental fitness.

On the Building Courage Workshop James will guide us through bodywork ~ beginning with working from a chair and gentle movement, through to deep and challenging Garuda Yoga ~ making strengthening of the body and vitality available to all, whatever one’s level of fitness and ability.

Swami Ambikananda will talk about the ancient perspective of the mind and its field, the brain and meditation. Her sessions will be informative and practical as she guides us through meditations that awaken us to the beauty of the inner landscape, inviting us to bring all dimensions of our being into contemplative awareness.

Dr. Mrigank Mishra is a Consultant Psychiatrist in the NHS with a specialist interest in the holistic treatment of mental illnesses.Dr. Mishra is a keen advocate of Yoga’s perspective and will talk to us about the different forms of depression and anxiety disorders and what medical science currently offers in their treatment. Later in the day he will also introduce us to the Music of Meditation and its many benefits.

Anisha Tailor has just completed her MSc in Health Psychology and has carried out research investigating the mental, emotional and physical effects of mindfulness practice. She is particularly interested in how yoga and meditation can benefit those experiencing depression as a result of a serious health condition. Anisha will give us a presentation on the most recent research studies of depression, yoga and meditation.

COST OF 1 DAY WORKSHOP:
TYA/Garuda Yoga Members: £70
Non TYA Members: £85

(Earn 4REPS CPD Points)

TO BOOK ON THE WORKSHOP TO BE HELD IN READING PLEASE CONTACT

UDDHAVA ON 01189 581817 OR
Uddhava@TraditionalYoga.org

TYA Summer School

2011-06-23T18:18:00.002+01:00

It's that time of year again. Help raise money for the TYA and sample yoga with some of the best TYA instructors. (Click on the image to make it bigger)

Yoga teacher legal requirements

2011-06-23T18:00:00.006+01:00

Do you belong?

Swami Ambikananda has asked that information from the Independent Yoga Network be published on this site.

It refers to that often debated question about whether you, as a yoga teacher, need to belong to certain organisations in order to teach yoga legally.

The short answer is you don't, but others will have you believe otherwise...

This hot topic will be discussed in more detail at the Traditional Yoga Association AGM on July 3rd but in the meantime here is the Independent Yoga Network's version of events. (You'll notice a link at the bottom of the statement which takes you to a more detailed article)

Independent Yoga Network: YOGA TEACHING - THE REAL TRUTH!
"There are no legal requirements for Yoga teachers and there is no statutory legislation governing the teaching of Yoga in the UK other than common law. Despite this fact the press and the rumour mill are full of misinformation on the matter of who can teach Yoga and what viable and authentic teacher training is."

Independent Yoga Network: "YOGA Regulation - What you need to know! REPs, Governing Body Status & Who’s Who in the regulation game"

Workshops in Wales

2011-04-23T18:41:00.005+01:00

Swami Ambikananda is runnng two workshops at Arjuna's yoga centre in Wales; 'Bio-Tensegrity and Yoga' and 'Yoga and Jyotish' - Click on the leaflets below to see the information in close detail. To book contact Uddhava on 0118 958 1817 or uddhava@traditionalyoga.org

Thoughts on asana

2011-04-08T21:40:00.001+01:00

TYA teacher Hermione writes with a few thoughts...

Just a few thoughts. I have just attended a yoga workshop in the village. Kate a Hatha Yoga teacher was excellent, but challenged me with her method of doing asana. For example Trikonasana was taught with the hips facing not to the front but to the forward leg and the pelvis rotated fully towards the forward leg. With abdominal control both of the pelvis the lower back and the ribs, the triangle was formed by rotating the thoracic spine. It was a very effective posture especially for those people with stiff mid thoraces. Little or no emphasis was given to the neck position, but much was made of rooting through the legs and feet. I have taught this posture with hips facing the front and the stretch occuring up the side of the body opening the lower back and the ribs and have made a point of the neck posture. There were several other standing postures in which my understanding was challenged. I trained a long time ago, so have had an opportunity to reflect on this difference in teaching. Whilst it is quite possible that teaching has changed with modern knowledge and thinking ( I trained a very long time ago and do not have the benefit of swamiji's teaching here in Wales) I also enjoyed the idea that postures can be modified and taught in ways that challenge the body mind in a different way, with equal but different benefits.

What do others think? With best wishes to all Hermione

Let's have a get together

2011-04-04T13:36:00.002+01:00

TYA teacher Margaret Manning writes...

Hi everyone,

It was great to see those of you who were at the 1st.Aid course yesterday, enabling us to catch up for a few, all too brief, moments with our news. I did enjoy catching up, also sharing our teaching problems.

We really ought to aim for a get-together during the summer, maybe we could have a picnic or B.B.Q at my home. I would be very happy, so if anyone is interested we could aim for a date. No need to leave children behind - my garden is good for kids! The more the merrier.

What a pity we have had to cancel the retreat, but it wasn't to be.

Keep up the good work we have learned from our beloved Sw.Ambikanada!

Fondest love to you all.

Margaret.

(If you want to respond to Margaret click on 'Comments' below)

Spring birth!

2011-03-19T17:23:00.003Z

Swami Ambikananda writes with the following news...

"Grace Elouise was born to Yogini Tracey on Wednesday the 16th March. We congratulate both Mum and Dad, Simon, and welcome Grace into her new life."

Retreat cancelled

2011-03-13T00:42:00.000Z

Please be aware that the TYA Retreat has been cancelled because there was not enough support to allow it to go ahead. The financial restraints felt by everyone at this time affected the take-up quite dramatically. In different economic times an event like this will be more realistic but now seems not to be the time. Everybody who booked and paid will be refunded in full. Thank you for your interest in this event and thank you to all those who put so much work into trying to make this happen.

INDIA FAST TRACK

2010-12-15T17:04:00.014Z

As most of you know, for the past ten years Trudie Styler has been the patron and support of the MUKTI Project. She has always responded generously when we’ve sent out a plea for funding or support and has done so without seeing the two orphanages that MUKTI sponsors ~ Karm Marg (home for street-children) and Naz (home for HIV Positive and AIDS children), taking the word of the yogins who run MUKTI that the orphanages are working well. But this November Trudie was going to be in India attending the wedding of a Maharaja and decided to make a trip across to Delhi to visit the homes.

The project committee quickly decided it would be great if one of us could make the annual visit to the homes to coincide with Trudie’s visit, and I was the one that got to go. Lucky me! (Actually I think I was chosen because I’m the one with the best camera!) I am always inspired by seeing the children ~ they never fail to remind me how we can all turn our lives around if we are just given the opportunity and means to do so.

So I flew out on Friday the 19th November and by Monday the 22nd a group of us, including Veena Lal (who is director of Karm Marg), Anjali Gopalan (Director of the Naz home), Brinda Singh (who sits on the board of both homes) and some of Trudie’s friends (Snowdon, Emma and Theresa) were all in two cars making slow progress through the traffic of Delhi (which always includes trucks, cars, people, bicycles, scooters, bullocks and even the odd camel), towards Karm Marg situated on the outskirts of Delhi in Faridhabad. In the back of the car we had huge bags of fruit and goodies that Trudie had stopped at a Delhi market to buy and other bags of goodies sent by Hema from England.

The children of Karm Marg are warm and welcoming, ready for hugs and kisses from visitors and I did wonder how Trudie, probably more used to keeping paparazzi at a distance, was going to cope with this. I had seen other visitors from the West becoming a bit overwhelmed and retreating into their own space. But Trudie let down all barriers and instantly engaged with them all ~ meeting each child from the youngest to the oldest where they were, hugging and kissing right back. She was interested in what they were doing, what their dreams and ambitions are for their lives, and spent the entire day listening and talking to all of them. She engaged with Puja and Ashu who have both decided to try film-making as their careers now that they have successfully completed their higher education, and played with young Abdul as if she had known him for years.

I have always said I absolutely understand why Trudie sometimes gets bad press: she married the most gorgeous man on the planet and, heaven knows, even I’m annoyed with her about that (and I’m a celibate monastic!). But if those reporters who are often prepared to present her to the world in unflattering ways could just have been present to witness her open and authentic encounter with our children, I’m sure they would have something different to say (unless, of course, they’re made of stone, which is another possibility!).

One of the ways the children of Karm Marg engage with other children still on the street and being exploited in so many ways, is through street theatre. So in the afternoon they put on one of their concerts for Trudie. She sat and enjoyed it all.

I knew by then she was under pressure from Delhi’s gliteratti to attend functions with the elite of Delhi society that evening, but she brushed them all aside and said she wanted to go to Naz. As it was getting dark I took on the task of extracting her from the children ~ that she was by now dancing with ~ and getting us all into a car so that we could be off the worst roads by dark. (Not easy, but as you all know, I slip into downright bossy quite easily, “No, not just five more minutes. No, not another dance.”)

We then went onto Naz. By this time, I have to confess, I was tired and I’m sure Trudie was too. But you would never have known it from her response ~ again that instant and intimate engagement, laughter and sharing. The children danced for her, did Yoga for her and of course, it all ended with them all dancing together led by the magnificent Snowdon.

Finally, long after dark and after the children’s usual bedtimes, we left Naz and parted, as Trudie would be leaving for the airport at about 3 a.m.

On a personal note I have to say that while I love both Karm Marg and Naz and am so proud of the work the Yoginis and Yogins of the TYA do to raise funds for these wonderful, spirited children, I don’t always enjoy the task of fundraising ~ especially when having to ask again the very generous people we’ve already asked because we need that bit extra. But this was a day that made all the other days worthwhile: a day filled with nothing but laughter and delight.

Then last week, just as I was getting sorted out after my return, Trudie emailed to say that she had had lunch with “the kindest man on the planet” and told him all about Karm Marg and Naz. A few days later Tony transferred £45,000 into our MUKTI account (Now that’s the kind of “kind” I love! But don’t relax Yogins, while that helps us take care of 2011 there’s still 2012, 2013, 2014…..so no slacking off on the fundraising just yet and please keep selling those bedcover lottery tickets!

Every year Trudie has made special funds available during the Christmas/New Year season so that the children could party and get presents like all other children. And every year they have sent her a ‘thank you’ card addressed to ‘Auntie Trudie’. Watching them finally meet Auntie Trudie was a joy and an inspiration ~ and a reminder to keep my own heart open and let gratitude flow.

Thank you my dear, beloved friends, Yoginis and Yogins of England and Spain, who just keep this miracle happening, and thanks too to our patron, Trudie.

May you all have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful, creative 2011.

With joy and peace, Swami Ambikananda

Summer school message from Swami

2010-08-27T16:24:00.002+01:00

Dear Yoginis and Yogins,

Our first Summer School has been great. All the teachers, Uddhava, Ben,Hema and Kim have really given wonderful classes that everyone has enjoyed.

We've so far made £700 towards our advertising and Mukti has raised nearly £300 thanks to Hema for the drinks and Kadambari for the bags.

Slight change of plan for this coming Monday - our last Summer School evening for this year: I will be taking the class instead of Arjuna.

Arjuna is deep up to his elbows in getting pumps working and water flowing on the new retreat centre in Wales that he and Lynnie will be running.

We need that water if we're all going to be going down there to enjoy the peace and quiet of the Pantglas valley, so I encouraged him to stay and finish the job!

New yogi recruits needed

2010-08-22T12:27:00.000+01:00

Dear Yoginis and Yogins,

Please let us know if you have anyone interested in the next TYA Foundation Course in Reading.

The course will start on 17th October and all the dates are now available. The Yoga Foundation Course will now be offered partly in attendance (5full days) and as distance learning. We have done this as a way of reducing the time that people have to commit to being away from home(particularly women, who form 99% of the course participants) and therefore we are able to reduce the price and accomodate this changed financial climate, make it more accessible to a greater number of people.

The total cost of the course is now just £450. The very high quality of the course has not been diminished in any way and this new way of participating gives students an opportunity to engage with the material in a very personal way.

Remember, this is a course for those wishing to deepen their own practice and expand their knowledge of Yoga. It is also the first level of the TYA’s Teacher Training Course.

We will be sending you some new leaflets for the course at the beginning of September.

In peace, Uddhava

Swami is well

2010-07-31T09:41:00.000+01:00

Swami's daughter writes with a message:

I am delighted to inform everybody that Swami Ambikananda, my beautiful Mom, had her operation yesterday afternoon and it was a success. I spoke to her directly after the surgery and it was the strangest conversation I have ever had because she couldn't say anything back!

This morning, at about 8am, Mom phoned and she was able to talk to me Swamiji didn't say much because she has to rest but it was her voice, if a little croaky. I am very relieved to inform you all that the surgeon "got it" and now Swamiji can progress to full health again, with a period of time-out.

With Love,

Sam

Get on to REPs - Step by step

2010-07-29T13:45:00.003+01:00

Swami Ambikananda has written this:

Dear Yoginis and Yogins,

Here with the information about getting onto REPs. Once again, if you feel you may need it in the next few years, it’s best to get it now.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR GETTING ONTO REPS

STEP 1 : INSURANCE.

REPs require you to have £5million pounds insurance cover. As you know,the insurance we use (Three Counties) starts us at £3 million cover –which I have felt is more than adequate for many years. However, the very first thing you will need to do is increase your insurance cover to £5million. You can do this through Three Counties by simply phoning them.

OR you can buy a new insurance policy through the REPs brokers (JardineLloyd Thompson UK Ltd, to be found on their websitewww.exerciseregister.org) as part of your registration process.

OR you can investigate the brokers of IYN (Bordengate Insurance – see IYNwebsite www.independentyoganetwork.org).

In this regard Uddhava and I found that while the REPs insurance throughJardine Lloyd Thompson is cheaper, it is not as comprehensive as the ThreeCounties insurance we already have, so we have opted to increase our insurance cover with Three Counties. Once we phoned and did that we got the certificate for the new cover the next day.

Once you have sorted out the insurance the rest becomes quite easy.

STEP 2 : BECOME A MEMBER OF IYN.

The TYA is a member as an organisation so you are now able to join as individual members. In order to do this you will need to:
• Go to their website and print out form YR 101 and complete it.
• Make a short Yoga-specific CV.
• Make a copy of your TYA Yoga Teachers certificate.

Send all this to the IYN. The cost of joining them is £25 and you will need to send this fee in with your application.

They will send you a welcome email with your IYN membership number – keep it safe.

STEP 3. JOIN REPs.

Once you have your IYN number you are able to apply to REPs. This is done as follows:
a) Go to the REPS website, click on Join REPs and print out the form appropriately called REGISTRATION FORM (for which you need your IYN membership number). You will need to complete and return this form to them with the following:
• Your Yoga-specific CV (that you have already created for IYN)
• A photocopy of your £5 million insurance cover
• A photocopy of your TYA certificate
• A photocopy of your membership email from the IYN
• A letter (from a ‘responsible person’ i.e. your doctor OR Uddhava can give you such a letter for a nominal fee of £5) certifying that all these photocopies are authentic.

All these are sent to REPS with the £25 joining fee. (Thus the entire process will have cost you £50 + the added amount for the increased insurance). You will enter the REPs register at Level 3. This is not the end of this long journey for us as an organisation – we will continue to explore other avenues. However, it does mean that REPs membership is immediately available to all our individual teachers who want it.

In peace, Swami Ambikananda

The great REPS debate

2010-07-27T10:00:00.006+01:00

This is an unedited message from Swami Ambikananda to all TYA teachers:

Dear Yoginis and Yogins,

My salutations to you all.

THIS IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT MESSAGE AND I ASK THAT YOU TAKE THE TIME TO READ IT CAREFULLY AND CONSIDER YOUR COURSE OF ACTION FOR YOUR CAREER AS A YOGA TEACHER.

As you know we have spent a great deal of time figuring out how to join an awarding body that makes it possible for our teachers to get onto REPS (the Register of Exercise Professionals).

We pursued first of all Skillsactive and then CYQ. It could be described as akin to diving into an Olympic-sized swimming pool filled with papers and being asked to getto the other side transformed! In the process we learned a lot about the ‘fitness/exercise’ industry: 1. It is by NO MEANS settled and determined. It was impossible to find anyone anywhere who could predict what the situation would be three months from now, let alone three years.

As we understand the current situation, REPS themselves are considering whether Yoga should actually be on at all (they don’t, for instance, have Karate or Kung Fu because they say the disciplines are too vast for them to determine effective practice). Added to this uncertainty, we have a new government cutting quangos of this type.

2. Given this, we were still being asked to hand over what would amount to thousands of pounds (costs which would have to be borne by increased membership fees!) for what looks like an uncertain future for Yoga in regard to this register.

3. The awarding bodies have no or very little knowledge of Yoga and yet wish to set and monitor standards of both philosophy and practice. The CYQ Curriculum was, to say the least, flawed. When I questioned it they responded saying we did not have to use their model answers. Between us, we wouldn’t even ask those questions!

4. Manisha and Uddhava spent a day in London working with CYQ and representatives of other Yoga schools on revising their curriculum – but the outcome of this process is uncertain.

5. The failure to produce a decent working model of Yoga - that would allow each school to determine its own philosophical position - is ‘balanced’ by an overwhelming amount of paperwork that each teacher would have to comply with for each and every class you give. It seems more like an attempt at imposing an overwhelming bureaucracy than trying to establish standards of excellence.

So we looked around for another way that would allow our teachers to get onto REPS without forsaking our independence AND WE FOUND IT. We have now as an association, applied for and been accepted as members ofIYN - Independent Yoga Network.

By doing this it means that YOU as TYA teachers become eligible to join IYN as individual teachers, and when youhave done so you can then apply to REPS to get onto their register. You are not automatically put onto REPS because the TYA has joined IYN, but our joining means you become eligible to get onto REPS.

EXACT DETAILS OF HOW TO DO THIS AND THE COST TO YOU WILL FOLLOW SHORTLY. However, please rest assured that this is by very far, the cheapest and quickest way of getting onto REPS for our teachers. In the meantime I ask that you consider seriously whether you need – in the foreseeable future – to go onto REPS. Even if Yoga falls off the register, if you are on it, you are on it. So if you work in any kind of fitness centre, health centre, gym, local authority, school, etc., my strongest advice is that you consider getting onto REPS as soon as we advise you of the process.

Please take a bit of time to think about it and details will follow. Of course, there will be the usual open discussion on the Ashram website about it.

In peace, Swami Ambikananda

Yoga Summer School

2010-06-15T20:42:00.010+01:00

The TYA is running a Yoga Summer School in July and August and we want as many people as possible to come along.

It begins on Monday 26th July with a class taught by Swami Ambikananda and continues with other teachers for six Mondays until 30th August. All teachers are giving their time for free.

The classes are £6 each and run from 8pm till 9.30pm in Calcot Hall in West Reading (directions below).

Here are the teachers and dates:

26th July - Swami Ambikananda

2nd August - Ben Parkes

9th August - Uddhava Samman

16th August - Hema Patel

23rd August - Kim Allyson

30th August - Arjuna Marchant

Directions to Calcot Hall:

Calcot Hall is located close to Junction 12 of the M4. From Junction 12, follow the signs for Reading A4, go past Savacentre and then at the next roundabout turn left into Royal Avenue.

Drive up Royal Avenue and take the fifth turning on the left into Highview (there is a sign for the Calcot Centre). Go to the end of the short road and you will see the car park for Calcot Hall.

Alternatively if you are driving from Reading town centre, drive out along the Bath Road and then turn right into Royal Avenue.

Profit hungry sports centres

2010-05-23T20:00:00.008+01:00

TYA teacher Michelle is experiencing some financial bother with a sports centre. Can anyone give her some good advice?

Michelle said: "I currently teach at a sports centre three nights a week and they have recently put the prices up for students attending classes.

"As I haven't increased my fee for over two years I asked for a rise based on the number of students attending a class. i.e. my normal rate of £25 for up to 7 students and I would charge a new rate of £35 for 8 or more students. I felt this would be fair for them and myself. They have come back and said no which has left me somewhat disappointed.

"I have steadily built up the number of students in all my classes through my own advertising and recommendations and they regularly take £75 per class, giving them £50 profit so I didn't think I was being unreasonable.

"I just wondered if anyone had any suggestions or could give some idea of what other sport centres pay for a Yoga Class?"

To respond to Michelle please add a comment below or email me (benjaminparkes@hotmail.com) and I will post it up here for all to see.

Responses we have received so far:

Julie Currier said: "I read about Michelle’s comment regarding pay.

"I am paid £35 an hour and thought this is pretty standard, therefore, am surprised to read Michelle is paid less. I do know that no matter if I have 4 or 10 I am still paid the same and I am sure this applies to other Yoga teachers – I may be wrong. The centre is not ‘playing fair’ especially as she has built up the class numbers.

"Getting centres to move on pay may be tricky; if she was to hire a hall would her students go with her? Perhaps she could ask the centre the exact number that she would need to attend before her pay rose. Good luck."

TYA teacher Hermione added: "Maybe our teacher is being a little bit greedy. If she has not put her rate up for two years then to put it up by apparently almost 9% is more than the rate of inflation ,even over 2 years.

"I think she needs to see what percentage the fitness centre has increased their rates by and negotiate to do similar. Perhaps if their's has increased by 8-9% she could negotiate something in between, so that it is a win -win situation for everyone.
"I think she has confused the situation by saying her rate will be £35 if she has 8 students or more. Just stick with whatever formula she originally used to set her price and then add a percentage rate to that.

"Given that inflation has only been about 2% for the past 2 years, I think the most they will accept is something like £28 per hour or at a push £30. Remember they have the clout.

"There are plenty more yoga teachers so decide if you really want to work there and where else you could work and whether it is a matter of principal, money, or service that is the deciding factor. But above all she must feel happy working there. With some tactful negotiation and a bit of give and take I am sure a reasonable solution can be found."

Swami Ambikananda has responded to this question:

KNOWING YOUR TRUE WORTH IS NOT GREED!

I have long been concerned that Yogis and Yoginis, all belonging to different schools and speaking from different areas of understanding, might never come to speak with the one voice needed for collective bargaining.

Yoga is no different from any other skill: we spend many years learning and acquiring our skills, we carry on our learning process even while we are teaching, we bring all of that to the market-place and ignore history.

And history tells us that the market-place will pay us as little as it can get away with!

Wanting a share in the increase of money that is being demanded from students is not greed. Rather it is the realisation that the basic pay on offer is so poor that it would take a much greater percentage increase to make it anything like a decent living wage. And for those of us for whom Yoga is our life, it would be great to actually be able to earn a living from it!

Do not let anyone fool you into believing that bringing love and compassion to work means you should give it for free. We are only better able to spread those wonderful qualities, that we take the time as practising Yogis to build, when we know our work is valued. And the way we measure value in the market-place is through money.

I am always saddened when those of us of an age when we are leaving behind our careers, fail to see the needs of younger members of our profession who need our strong voices to encourage them towards a fair deal! Our support would be the Yoga Way.

SUPER Surya Namaskar-athon 2009!

2009-11-26T16:20:00.019Z

As I am sure you are aware the Surya Namaskar-athon 2009 took place at Whitesheet Primary School in Zeals on the border between Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset on Sunday 15th November.

This was the eighth annual sun salutation day raising more than £6,000 with still more to come, through people’s generous support, sponsorships and other collections.

What a superb result for MUKTI! The event was a real coming together of commitment and energy from all who helped out and took part on the day.

Organised and supported by yoga teachers and friends in the local community, the event was a wonderful gathering of optimistic, warm and compassionate people, two of whom are pictured above, who came together to boost the funds for the MUKTI project.

Swami Ambikananda, the founder of the MUKTI project paid a special visit to lend her support. Swamiji updated everyone on the work of the project before going on to complete a number of sun salutations. She thanked guests and organisers and enjoyed the warmth and energy of the day.

This year a bigger event was on offer starting at 11am and continuing throughout the day past 5pm, allowing both visitors and participants to drop in and spend time with like-minded people.

At the heart of the room yogis and yoginis performed sponsored sun salutations around a beautiful central artistic depiction of the sun, itself lit up with candles.

Tempting sweet and savoury food and drinks made by volunteers was laid out for guests on one side of the room and enjoyed by all.

Opposite stretched a table packed to bursting with beautifully crafted bags, wallets, clothes, mirrors, yoga bags and more items hand-made by the children which MUKTI supports. These wonderful gifts were snapped up by guests shopping for early Christmas presents as well as treating themselves.

There was also the chance for visitors to try mini-pampering sessions submitting themselves to the healing hands of Reiki, Indian head massage and reflexology practitioners. These sessions were extremely popular and helped to raise a substantial amount of money for MUKTI on the day.

New to the event this year was the Yoga Relaxation Room, a welcoming womb of a room with soft floors, drapes, blankets and cushions and a yoga teacher on hand to sooth away stress with gentle and relaxing yoga nidras.

Why not book out next year’s Surya Namaskar-athon date in your diary and get involved in whichever way you choose. Without the support and love of all the yoginis and yogis from near and far, volunteers, guests and visitors, we would not be able to keep bringing smiles to the faces of the MUKTI children.

It is the healing and optimistic atmosphere, defined by its warmth and compassion which surely helps make the Surya Namaskar-athon such a happy, enjoyable and welcome event to be a part of year on year.

We look forward to seeing you next year at Surya Namaskar-athon 2010!

If you want to be part of next year's event there are many different ways you can help - give Arjuna a call or email Ben at benjaminparkes@hotmail.com to share in the experience.

Yell.com advert performance - September 2009

2009-10-29T12:36:00.001Z

How's the advert doing? Here are the figures.

September 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 286
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 157
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 37

August 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 259
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 118
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 47

JULY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 357
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 113
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 61

Subsequent calls to teachers via the Yell.com advert this month:
Dee Johnson had one phone call which came from the TYA website.

JUNE 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 341
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 107
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 50

MAY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 324
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 150
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 40

FEBRUARY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 574
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 297
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 36

Subsequent calls to teachers via the Yell.com advert this month:
Diane Hargraves had one phone call.
Alex Carter had two enquiries.
Dee Johnson had two phone calls.

JANUARY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 875
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 421
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 39

Subsequent calls to teachers via the Yell.com advert this month:
Luci Beales had a call from a man in Newbury.

DECEMBER 2008
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 344
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 239
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 10

Swami Ambikananda and her spiritual journey

2009-10-23T12:19:00.003+01:00

This November Swami Ambikananda is one of a number of compelling speakers giving talks to an audience.

The subject of Swami's talk is her spiritual journey. She grew up as a Catholic of mixed race in South Africa and is now a Hindu monastic.

The lectures take place at the Friends Meeting House in Reading. Swami Ambikananda is speaking on Wednesday 4th November at 7.30pm.

More details can be found below:

TALKS AT READING FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE OCT/NOV:

The Forgiveness Project- talk by Jo Berry
Wednesday 21st October 09, 7:30pm
Jo’s father Sir Anthony Berry was amongst the people killed 25 years ago by the IRA bomb in Brighton. Since then, Jo has visited Ireland many times and worked with victims and former combatants.

Multi-national tax dodging and its impact on the poor and the planet
Wednesday 28th October 09, 7:30
John Christiansen, Director, Tax Justice Network, and John Madeley, author: how multi-national tax dodging shifts money from the poor to the rich and impacts development.

My Spiritual Journey- Swami Ambikananda
Wednesday 4th November 09, 7:30
Swami Ambikananda Saraswati grew up as a Catholic of mixed race in South Africa. She is now a Hindu monastic and author with books published on Yoga, health, and philosophy.

My spiritual journey- Harvey Gilman
Wednesday 11th November 09, 7:30
Harvey Gilman grew up as a Jew in Manchester, and became a Quaker. He has written several books about Quakerism and spirituality, and in 2002 was awarded a Rowntree fellowship to investigate how we explore and express our spiritual journeys.

My spiritual journey- Dawud Bone
Wednesday 25th November 09, 7:30
Dawud grew up as a Quaker in Reading, and as a young man became a Moslem but retained his membership of Reading Meeting. He is now Director of the Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations at the Woolf Institute of Abrahamic Faiths in Cambridge..

All events take place at Reading Friends Meeting House, Church Street, Reading RG1
2SB (off London Street).
Call 0118 950 7736
www.midthamesquakers.org.uk

The ups and downs of breathing

2009-10-12T16:27:00.003+01:00

TYA yoga teacher Dee emailed with this experience of breathwork off the mat and up in the air. Enjoy her story:

From the very first time I tried using my breath to help me in paschimottanasana I knew the power of the exhalation in yoga.

I first took that idea off the yoga mat when giving birth to my second child – a wonderfully, earthy, natural experience. But only yesterday, I was surprised and delighted at how far into my psyche this breathing lark has buried itself, ready to be drawn upon in times of need.

I am practically allergic to adrenalin and my now teenage children and husband love teasing me about it! Whatever possessed me to offer to take them to the steam fair in Reading I do not know.

I have not been on a fairground ride since I nearly threw up aged 16. I suppose I got carried away laughing at the glee on my children’s faces as they rose and dipped on the mechanical bomber planes, giggling their heads off, just like when I used to tickle them as toddlers.

They said I should go on the next ride with them and seeing what harmless fun they were having I ... agreed.

We climbed aboard the huge swinging boat and took our seats. It wasn’t until the girl taking the money suggested we hold on tightly that the first frisson of fear crept into my body.

I tightened my hold and shortened my breath. I thought hollering at the zenith of each swing would make things better. It really didn’t. It just made me more tense and fearful. Suddenly without giving it too much thought, a very loud urge to ‘just breathe’ surfaced.

I fixed my gaze on a particular tree to try to stop the sea-sickness developing, and watched my breath come in and go out, trying each time to extend the outbreath and even to co-ordinate the outbreath with the zenith of the swing each time, as that was the scariest part.

Although I was still scared, I managed to get off the ride after far too long, smiling smugly at my secret weapon against adrenalin! And my family was giggling at how I became very quiet after those initial 3 screams – they knew exactly what I was up to with the breathing, which means I have educated them too!!

So thanks to yoga and breathwork I got to enjoy the fun of the fair again after umpteen years.

Yell.com advert performance - August 2009

2009-09-17T16:25:00.001+01:00

Latest figures...

August 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 259
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 118
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 47

JULY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 357
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 113
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 61

Subsequent calls to teachers via the Yell.com advert this month:
Dee Johnson had one phone call which came from the TYA website.

JUNE 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 341
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 107
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 50

MAY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 324
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 150
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 40

FEBRUARY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 574
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 297
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 36

Subsequent calls to teachers via the Yell.com advert this month:
Diane Hargraves had one phone call.
Alex Carter had two enquiries.
Dee Johnson had two phone calls.

JANUARY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 875
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 421
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 39

Subsequent calls to teachers via the Yell.com advert this month:
Luci Beales had a call from a man in Newbury.

DECEMBER 2008
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 344
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 239
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 10

Responses on Peter Blackaby

2009-09-08T17:24:00.008+01:00

After one TYA teacher asked for feedback about a Peter Blackaby yoga workshop (see article below) Swami Ambikananda, Jan Guiver and TYA teacher Diane Hargraves got in touch with The Ashram to offer some words of advice.

First Swami Ambikanada's advice...

Dear Yoginis and Yogins,

Regarding Peter Blackaby Course: All of us in the TYA should be looking constantly for inspiration - the spiritual journey is a difficult one and it requires the energy and vitality we get from inspiration. ANYONE that provides that is recognised by all of us in the TYA.

But it has to be YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE. Yoga is an experienced based system. Don't accept anyone else's word for it. I've never been to a Peter Blackaby workshop - simply because the times they have been on have not been convenient for me. The ONLY way you will know whether it is good is if you experience it yourself.

Then what you pass onto the rest of us will be filtered through our own experience. Some will take inspiration from it and others not. No-one is right or wrong - we are simply making the journey.

In peace, Swami Ambikananda

And now the response from Diane...

Namaste

I just logged on to the Ashram to check out the latest news and see that Dee is questioning the work of Pete Blackaby.

I have worked with him many times in the past and he has so much knowledge on Anatomy & Psysiology that even in the four sessions we have booked him for next year, there will still be more to learn.

He has a very relaxed and intuitive style of teaching and manages to get his point across with light hearted humour. He is great fun to work with and uses real life scenarios to demonstrate his point.

In terms of his recognition by the TYA, I am sure that Swamiji will agree that he is a fantastic teacher, and I believe they have met. For confirmation of this I am sure that she would be happy to endorse my recommedation.

Love & Light

Diane Hargraves

Here's the response from Jan...

Namaste,

I have worked with Peter Blackaby on several occasions. His knowledge of anatomy and physiology is excellent and his sessions are always most enjoyable. I really appreciated how he offered us all alternative ways in which we could approach our yoga practice. If you have never been to one of his sessions before then it is certainly worth going along and experiencing it for yourself.

Love and light
Jan Guiver

If you would like to continue the discussion get in touch with me (benjaminparkes@hotmail.com)

Yoga day with Peter Blackaby

2009-09-07T23:16:00.017+01:00

TYA teacher Dee writes to ask whether anyone is considering going on the Peter Blackaby 2010 course in Wokingham in Feb, March, April and May?

She wants to know if Peter, pictured below, is a useful teacher and wonders if any TYA teachers have worked with him before.

Dee is not sure if he would be recognised by the TYA as he is a British Wheel of Yoga teacher. She is looking for feedback. Click here to see his website.

Dee has more details on the course if anyone is interested.

(If you have studied with Peter Blackaby and want to reply to Dee email me; benjaminparkes@hotmail.com and I will post your reply here)

Yell.com advert performance - July 2009

2009-08-17T14:08:00.002+01:00

Latest figures...

JULY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 357
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 113
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 61

Subsequent calls to teachers via the Yell.com advert this month:
Dee Johnson had one phone call which came from the TYA website.

JUNE 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 341
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 107
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 50

MAY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 324
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 150
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 40

FEBRUARY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 574
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 297
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 36

Subsequent calls to teachers via the Yell.com advert this month:
Diane Hargraves had one phone call.
Alex Carter had two enquiries.
Dee Johnson had two phone calls.

JANUARY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 875
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 421
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 39

Subsequent calls to teachers via the Yell.com advert this month:
Luci Beales had a call from a man in Newbury.

DECEMBER 2008
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 344
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 239
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 10

The MUKTI lottery needs your help!

2009-07-29T09:14:00.000+01:00

Dear Teachers,

As you will have noticed we didn’t hold a Surya Namaskar-athon in Reading this year. We felt with the financial time that we would try something else and what we are doing is holding a Lottery.

First Prize £3,000
Second Prize £300
Third Prize £30

Each ticket will cost £3 and the tickets will come in books of 10. The draw will take place on 16th January 2010. SO A LUCKY JANUARY FOR SOMEONE IN THESE TOUGH TIMES.

FOR THIS TO BE A SUCCESS WE NEED YOU TO SELL THE TICKETS FOR US. Please let me know by return email how many books you would like; remember you have until the end of December to sell the tickets.

This Lottery is our big fund raising event for the children in our 2 orphanages for this year, please help us to make this a success.

(Contact Uddhava for more details)

Don't forget that the Dorset Surya Namaskar-athon is still going ahead and Arjuna is busy organising as we speak so please do come along on SUNDAY NOVEMBER 15 2009!

Trudie Styler

2009-07-27T16:50:00.004+01:00

A national journalist and gossip columnist recently singled out MUKTI patron Trudie Styler in The Guardian newspaper.

Trudie Styler

Marina Hyde used her weekly Lost In Showbiz column to lambast Trudie Styler after receiving a press release about her new DVDs.

Marina Hyde

Although you can make up your own mind about the article Marina Hyde didn't give Trudie Styler any right of reply and she definitely didn't take into account the range of charity work that Trudie Styler is involved in, not least the MUKTI project.

You can read the article by clicking HERE and I include it so that that you can add your own comment or write to The Guardian with your own views, should you feel it's appropriate.

Where have my students gone?

2009-07-27T09:09:00.006+01:00

TYA teacher Dee has written to The Ashram with a question about class attendence and advertising, two things that must affect us all. If you have any comments or advice for Dee, and the rest of us, email me (benjaminparkes@hotmail.com) and I'll post the reply on this site. Here's Dee's email...

Hi,

Could I put my perennial question again...

‘Has anyone else noticed class numbers drop off dramatically in the 2nd half of the summer term? Has anyone decided to stop a class because of poor attendance? What was your analysis of the cause for low numbers (wrong place/time?) And how did you resurrect yourself? Do you have a timetable for advertising, e.g. do you have a permanent ad somewhere, or do you remind yourself to advertise every half term? Is it worth advertising in the summer holidays or do you find it better to advertise only during term-time when people are about? Have you already advertised for next term’s class? Where? Local papers, shop windows, leaflet drops, any other suggestions?

After a flurry of enquiries (2!) from the yell.com ad earlier in the year, I have had no more internet enquiries and falling class numbers. Lynnie’s idea of doing a leaflet drop in the target village worked well at first, but I think the village was too small to support my class, as people’s circumstances changed and their attendance dropped off, I ended up teaching 2 people most weeks and making £2 after hall fees, clearly not enough financial gain to keep my interest, though the people who did come were super. So I may have to go more urban!! But a leaflet drop there would be a huge task! So any suggestions?

Kind regards

Dee

---

An answer to Dee's question from Swami Ambikananda:

I don't think there's any one single thing that we can do to keep that summer term going, when people are enjoying some sunshine, but here are some things that have worked for me in the past:

1. Paying for a term at a time. Then people have more of a stake in continuing to attend and you are not left financially drained. This is important : money is an exhange of energy and if you're not getting adequately recompensed for your time, you will lose the energy to keep teaching. So, get the money right.
2. A leaflet drop is such a big job. But what about some good posters in a few shop windows or at the library? And check their condition every now and then - if they get tacky replace them - or just use a new, different picture.
3. This one I have learnt just in the last few years - and it took me by surprise! Start you September term (when psychologically everyone is gung-ho to finally start doing that Yoga class they've been thinking about for years) oversubscribed. I know it means it will be a bit of a tight squeeze at first but not everyone comes to every class and then as the class thins out as soon as the sunshine comes, you're not left empty.
4. And this is the most important : let your students know you want them to spread the word. They value your class and they will understand that you can't keep it going without enough interest, so get them recruiting for you. Maybe even offer them a discount for each person they sign up.
5. The surprise teacher : occasionally invite someone who has a different skill to do a class. Not too often - two or three times a year is enough -acupressure, partner yoga, chanting, whatever. It keeps interest going especially if you talk about a good few weeks beforehand - don't spring it on people - make it something they can look forward to. If you trawl around the TYA teachers you'll find people with oodles of 'specialities'.

Hope this helps - you have so much good stuff to offer.

Peace, Swami Ambikananda

---

Dee's response:

‘Dear Swamiji

Thank you so much for your kind words of advice. There is certainly something there to act upon! Regards Dee’

Summer School information

2009-07-25T19:52:00.002+01:00

Below is a message from Margaret regarding the summer school:

I perhaps didn’t make it too clear about the teacher on the 19th August. It was going to be Bruce Singleton, but he’s had to cancel because of work commitments and so stand-in teacher for the 19th August is Sylvia Smith.

Again, many thanks.

Luv Marg xx.

TYA Support Group - latest meeting

2009-07-21T10:59:00.003+01:00

Below is a roundup of what went on at the recent support group meeting which is open to ALL TYA teachers, whether recently graduated or experienced. It is an excellent event which takes place in a village halfway between Reading and Dorset and is organised by TYA teacher Lynnie:

Hello Everyone,

It was decided at the recent Support Group meeting that it would be a good idea if I were to drop you a few lines just to let you know how the meeting went and what went on, so here goes.

Sunday 5 July was one of those 'sunshine and showers' days so I think we were lucky that although we arrived at Collingbourne Ducis in a downpour, we were able to eat our picnic in lovely sunshine out on the grass at lunch time.

Sadly, not everyone who had said they would be coming actually turned up, so we were a little down on numbers, however those who did come all felt that it was an extremely useful and helpful day.

Special thanks to Sharon who during the session in which we shared our favourite Vinyasa gave us a set of beautiful sequences to take away and try on our unsuspecting classes. Also, thanks to Mary and Ben who shared lovely Nidra with us and again gave us all some much appreciated material to take away with us. Ben was kind enough to send each of us a copy of the beautiful flute music which he used in his Nidra. Thanks Ben!

The period in the programme devoted to sharing ideas on equipment, music, books etc yielded some lovely CDs, books and an extremely interesting support harness for the seated position in meditation. Thanks Sanna! Here is the supply information that people wanted:

Acumag Ltd
106 West St
Erith
Kent DA8 1AQ
Tel: 01322 447610

As someone who struggles in maintaining a comfortable position for meditation I found this support harness fabulously helpful. I felt I could have sat blissfully for hours!

During our discussion period Ben raised the subject of charging for yoga classes - in particular whether we all found it better to charge for classes in advance or to allow drop-in payment. He also wanted to discuss what was reasonable to charge for private sessions. The general concensus was that unless numbers are very strong the best policy is to charge a non-refundable fee for a set of classes in advance - the range being between £7.00 per session and £10.00 per session depending on location. For private work the fee charged by most of us was £40.00 for a 90 minute session.

Mary alerted us to the need to be mindful of the requirement for a music licence if using music during a yoga class in a public place, and to be particularly careful about using copied CDs.

Everyone who attended was convinced as to the value of continuing these support meetings, and the decision was taken to try the meeting next year on the first Sunday in October to avoid the pressure on weekends that we all experience in the summer. Don't worry, for those of us who don't have a 2010 diary yet, I will be bursting into print next year.

Many thanks to those who attended, it was so good to see you and to exchange ideas and experiences. Thank you so much for your support (and for your help with the washing up!!)

I do hope you will be able to join us next year!

Fond regards
Lynnie

The Eileen Bray Yoga Summer School - 2009

2009-07-21T10:54:00.004+01:00

The summer yoga school in Wokingham is underway and Uddhava is teaching at the event this coming Wednesday, 22nd July. The leaflet with more details of who to contact is below.

The Eileen Bray Yoga Summer School - 2009
Emmbrook Senior School (gym Emmbrook Road, Wokingham, Berks RG41 1JP (on entering the main gate, keep bearing left - parking for the gym is located towards the back left of the school)

These are “drop in” classes so there is no need to book in advance

Wednesday 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

T u t o r s

08 July Margaret Shepherd
15 July Japke Wanrooij
22 July Uddhava
29 July Lynn Hook
05 August Judith Griffiths
12 August Claire Ruben
19 August Bruce Singleton Sylvia Smith
26 August Margaret Manning

Tutors are fully qualified. Students are advised to inform the teacher if they are new to Yoga, or have any medical conditions that may preclude them from doing certain movements. Please wear loose, comfortable clothing, bring a non-slip mat, block(s), belt, blanket and / or extra sweater for relaxation at the end of the session.

Cost: £6.00 payable at the door
Part of the proceeds to go to:
The British Heart Foundation and Local Charities

For further information, directions, etc please contact:
Margaret on 0777 889 1874 or
email: shepherds@sandhurst47.fsnet.co.uk
(Subject: “Summer School”)

Yell.com advert performance - June 2009

2009-07-20T16:46:00.001+01:00

Latest figures...

JUNE 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 341
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 107
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 50

MAY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 324
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 150
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 40

FEBRUARY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 574
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 297
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 36
Subsequent calls to teachers via the Yell.com advert:
Diane Hargraves had one phone call.
Alex Carter had two enquiries.
Dee Johnson had two phone calls.

JANUARY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 875
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 421
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 39

DECEMBER 2008
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 344
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 239
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 10

Yell.com advert performance - May 2009

2009-06-25T13:24:00.004+01:00

Hello, here are the latest statistics showing our advert performance (March and April have gone missing. I'm trying to locate them!)

MAY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 324
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 150
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 40

FEBRUARY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 574
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 297
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 36
Subsequent calls to teachers via the Yell.com advert:
Diane Hargraves had one phone call.
Alex Carter had two enquiries.
Dee Johnson had two phone calls.

JANUARY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 875
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 421
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 39

DECEMBER 2008
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 344
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 239
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 10

Yell.com advert performance - Feb 2009

2009-03-24T14:38:00.006Z

Hello, here are the latest statistics showing our advert performance.

FEBRUARY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 574
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 297
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 36
Subsequent calls to teachers via the Yell.com advert:
Diane Hargraves had one phone call.
Alex Carter had two enquiries.
Dee Johnson had two phone calls.

JANUARY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 875
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 421
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 39

DECEMBER 2008
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 344
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 239
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 10

Yell.com advert performance - Jan 2009

2009-02-18T18:06:00.001Z

Hello everyone, here are the latest statistics showing how well our advert is doing.

JANUARY 2009
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 875
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 421
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 39

DECEMBER 2008
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 344
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 239
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 10

Yell.com advert performance - Dec 2008

2009-01-20T15:23:00.005Z

Hi,

As many of you know, the TYA leadership recently paid for an advert with Yellow Pages and Yell.com as a trial to explore the effectiveness of adverts like these.

The advert links to the TYA website where our names and contact details are listed.

Yell.com gives figures telling us how many times our advert has been looked at on a computer. Clever!

It also tells us how many times the person looking at the advert then clicked on it to find out more information. Even more clever!

On behalf of Swami, I'm going to be checking the figures each month and rounding up the data on how well the yoga advert is doing.

If you want to keep track of how it's doing then just look at this website each month.

Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, if someone rings you up and says they got to you through the advert on Yell.com, let me know by emailing benjaminparkes@hotmail.com so I can add that in to the reports.

In about ten months we should have a clearer picture of whether the advert was worth the effort and the money and so we can make an informed decision about whether to take out further adverts with Yellow Pages.

Here's the first report:

DECEMBER 2008
Number of people who viewed the advert in the local area: 344
Number of people who viewed the advert nationally: 239
Number of people who clicked on the advert to find out more: 10

See you next month.
Ben

The future of the TYA

2008-10-13T15:29:00.002+01:00

I attended a meeting of TYA yoga teachers on Sunday (October 12) held by Swami Ambikananda in Purley, near Reading.

There are some very exciting and interesting things happening within the TYA which are of interest to us all.

Rather than detail them here I thought I would just use the website to urge people to seek out the information from Swami, Manisha, Arjuna or Uddhava and then you can decide for yourselves whether to take part.

It was a really positive meeting which opened up lots of new possibilities for TYA yoga teachers and their future.

Peace,
Ben

2008-09-26T11:49:00.003+01:00

Just wanted to publicly thank Lynnie for organising the teachers' get-together in Collingbourne Ducis earlier this month. It was a very useful day, with all of us able to air any thoughts and worries to like-minded people and a great deal of support came flooding back in return. We enjoyed getting our hands on Dave (the 'skellington'!) and enjoyed sharing some great ideas for our classes. The tea and biscuit selection were outstanding too!! Can't wait for the next one. In the meantime, why don't we make more use of this blog everyone as a support tool?

Here's my tip to get us started: We all have a task that we are procrastinating over, be it arranging a dentist appointment, repairing your son's ripped school trousers or organise your class marketing...

During July when my previous class imploded I found it very easy to say to myself that it wasn't worth advertising for new people as the summer holidays were upon us. After having it hanging over my head for a couple of weeks I took Lynnie's advice, (took ages to create some flyers because none of them were quite right) and eventually did a door to door letterbox drop in my chosen village.

Even before I got home that day someone had left me a message saying they wanted to start in September and before I knew it I had enough to start up a class again! The icing on the cake was that I was called that same week by the manager of a local Leisure Centre asking if I would like to consider becoming their new yoga teacher! So by getting on and facing my inertia I ended up with 2 new classes and the buzz from helping people relax and exercise safely.

The phrase that helped me do this was 'Everything is in place and events are unfolding' . By saying to myself that everything is in place, it somehow got me to get on with arranging things - I didn't want to keep lying to myself after all...Hope this phrase helps you to either find more patience, or galvanise you into action! Kind regards, Dee

Clothes and tax

2008-07-23T09:26:00.002+01:00

Hi it's Ben,

I had a chat with a friendly accountant last week - he gave me lots of good advice and in return I bought him glasses of wine.

He said a few interesting things. Here are a few highlights:

1. Claiming for the mileage from your home to the yoga studio or village hall is not allowed as it is considered private use, just as business people cannot claim mileage for their commute to work.

2. Claiming for clothing used specifically for teaching in is allowed.

3. Whilst it is possible to claim for teas, coffees and lunches with potential students, it is silly to put them under a 'client entertaining' category. Better to put them under 'sundries'.

4. It is more acceptable to 'make a loss' as a sole trader in the first year because of the new business costs but if you go on making a loss year after year, the tax office may look closer.

5. Get receipts from the people who rent the yoga hall to you (I forgot).

It does seem that there are different ways of doing things and one accountant will give one set of advice while another will say something else so if you have heard different pitch in your tips.

weekly-ish thought provoker

2008-07-21T10:17:00.000+01:00

Here is a site I have signed up to that sends me thought provoking ideas around yoga. They are usually quite light-hearted! here is the link www.msmindbody.com/. You can sign up here to get the regular e-mails sent to you.

yoga website

2008-07-14T19:30:00.001+01:00

Found a yoga website called yoga abode.com its based on a magazine format and there are a few interesting articles to browse through.

Sharon Nagle

Summer break

2008-06-27T11:03:00.001+01:00

Does anyone have any plans for interesting yoga retreats, workshops or classes over the summer?

How to undermine your confidence in one easy motion

2008-06-12T21:46:00.002+01:00

For a month now, I have been filling in for a yoga teacher called Ann who is the resident teacher at a local gym.

Waiting with the students before the class tonight a new one turned up and came up to me.

Female student: "Where's Ann?"
Me: "Hi, I'm filling in for Ann for a few weeks but she'll be back soon."
Female student: "I was really worried when they told me at the desk that a man was filling in."
Me: "Yes. Well. I'm the man. My name's Ben. Pleased to meet you."
Female student: "Hi. When is Ann back?"
Me: "Very soon. I'm filling in for the next two weeks so I'm afraid you've got me for a while. I'm sure we'll be fine!"
Female student: "Mmm."

Good confidence boost huh? What would you have done?

Click on comments and offer your advice...

Thanks,
Ben

Getting the word out

2008-06-12T09:19:00.004+01:00

Hi. I get a few email newsletters from Yoga Journal magazine and this one is quite interesting as it gives a few tips on promotion and getting yourself out there.

Ben

In today's competitive yoga market, you can find a stand-out, experienced yoga teacher at nearly every corner studio. It seems unfair, though, that only a small percentage of them benefit from teaching full classes, while the rest struggle valiantly to maintain a regular base. Why do some thrive while other, equally great teachers can't seem to get a break? The difference often lies in their approach to marketing their classes and themselves.

In this issue of MYM, acquire basic marketing skills and explore finding a balance between marketing and your yogic values. Then, learn to promote your yoga studio. Finally, mentor teacher Ana Forrest answers your teaching questions.

Namaste,
Erica Rodefer

IN THIS ISSUE

Marketing 101

Learn how simple, inexpensive marketing techniques can boost your class numbers and elevate your career.
By Sage Rountree

http://www.yogajournal.com/for_teachers/2616

Marketing Yoga the Yogic Way

You don't have to compromise your values to fill your studio with eager students. Learn to infuse yoga philosophy into your marketing campaign, and make room for abundance.
By Dan Charnas

http://www.yogajournal.com/for_teachers/2615

Promoting Your New Studio

Not all promotion has to be expensive—in fact, some of the best ways to spread the word cost little to nothing. Read on for a variety of budget-conscious methods to bring students to your new studio.
By Constance Loizos

http://www.yogajournal.com/for_teachers/1155

Comments

2008-06-11T14:59:00.002+01:00

Hi,

I've added a comments feature to the site.

You can now click on the comments link underneath each entry and add comments to that specific post.

Ben

Registering with the Tax Office

2008-06-11T13:57:00.003+01:00

Hello

I have just phone my tax office to find out about registering as self employeed.

They advised that I should call 0845 9154515 to register.

Apparently you must register within 3 months of being self employeed.

As I pay national insurance through my main employer I have to call this number and ask for a National Insurance exempt form.

The very helpful lady I spoke to said to keep all the recepits and details of earnings just as we discussed at the last training weekend. I would be sent a Self Assessment Tax Form in April and to enter the details onto this. She did say that training was not claimable though.

I have also spoken to the Self Assessment help line 0845 9000444. They said that we cannot claim for training that has been undertaken to become a Yoga Teacher but we can claim for training to assist with maintaining our knowledge whilst doing the work.

Also, the very helpful man said that you only pay tax on the profit made, so if for example in the first year you make a loss of £1,000 then you can either off set this against any tax you are paying if you are also earning in an employed job or carry this loss over to the next year. So if in the second year you made a proft of £1,000 you would not pay any tax.

We should also be able to claim for clothing.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes

Michelle Mead

Well done Ben!

2008-06-11T13:23:00.001+01:00

Brilliant idea Ben! Thank you for being the one to do something about it!!
Love Dee

Great Idea Ben

2008-06-10T13:39:00.003+01:00

Ben, great idea to set up this site. I look forward to using it to commuicate with everyone.

I was really please with the class which I taught last night, I felt much more confident having formally qualified as a Yoga Teacher on Sunday (!)

Really enjoyed Sunday, it was a beautiful day and wonderful way to finish the 2 years training.

Well done and thanks to everyone.

Best wishes
Michelle Mead

Welcome to the yoga support group

2008-06-08T18:56:00.000+01:00

Hello,

This is a web site for Traditional Yoga Association teachers and trainees.

It's designed to keep us in touch so that we can support each other through our shared experience of becoming or being yoga teachers.

Use it to pose questions, recommend books, ask for advice, offer guidance, share good and bad class experiences, identify music, advertise your classes, publicise workshops, post a message to an individual or a group of people and anything else that might help you or others.

This is a public website so it goes without saying that we must all try to use it with respect and integrity. Do not refer to class students by name.

You'll see links to useful websites on the right hand side and all the posts are recorded in an archive so you can access them at any time.

It's easy to post a message so give it a go.

Peace,
Ben