Listen in on today’s Yogahealer Real Life show and learn more about welcoming prosperity into your business and making money teaching others about your passion!

What you’ll get out of tuning in:

• How to welcome prosperity in your healing business.
• How can money and spirituality work together?
• What does having your own business space look like?

Links Mentioned in Episode:

• Amy’s website
• Amy’s podcast – The Abundant Yoga Teacher podcast
• YHC Have a conversation
• Watch the Masterclass NOW

Show Highlights:

• 1:30 – Amy and I chat about how did we made the transition from our previous jobs to our current health coaching lifestyles? Our friends asked us for advice and moved us towards this path of wellness and helping people be heal and grow.
• 7:30 – How can you make a living teaching yoga without getting burned out on doing what you love? The business model that Amy works with to help people succeed teaching yoga to prevent burnout and low ojas and the difficulties of owning your own yoga studio.
• 15:00- What does it mean to have your own space to grow your business? Are yoga and spirituality mutually exclusive? What would you do with a ton more money?! Amy and I dive into these big questions in the second half of today’s podcast.

Favorite Quotes:

• “If you don’t root, it’s tough to rise.” – Cate Stillman
• “Any time I up my earning game I’m going to up my impact game.” – Cate Stillman
• “The more money we make is directly proportional to the more we’re serving people and the more people are being healed and transformed.” – Amy McDonald

Guest BIO:

Amy McDonald is a business coach for Yoga teachers. When she’s not travelling the world sipping chai and nerding out about Yoga she lives in a historic town in Australia’s goldfields with her terrier Stephen and a garden full of kangaroos and lizards. Find her online at amymcdonald.com.au or on her Abundant Yoga Teacher Podcast on iTunes. Connect Amy on her Facebook page and website.

My training in the conversation of health began when I started practicing as an occupational therapist in the traditional medical system. Over time, my work with clients with chronic disease and my own health challenges shifted my perspective- I began to look at health management and disease prevention through a broader lens.  

But it was my most recent studies in Yoga Health Coaching where my ideas on health care took an even bigger turn as I started to learn and experience the massive benefits of implementing a daily routine that is repeatable and simple. Now, as I teach my clients the benefits of eating an earlier dinner, going to bed earlier, and waking earlier to meditate and move, the significant change I am seeing in their physical and mental well being is telling me that there is an untold story of health that needs to be shared.

A Simple Lesson in Prioritizing

So let’s backtrack.

One of the things I’ve always admired about my friend is that she has a strong capacity to handle a large amount of challenge with grace and ease. This is something I have struggled with- for much of my adult life I have slept too little and worked too much. When I don’t get enough sleep or the right type of sleep I’m not able to show up effectively in my relationships, my work is sub par, and everything suffers.

Studying dinacharya- the Ayurvedic recommendations for daily habits and routines- I learned that my ideas of “self care” were heavily informed by the media and traditional models of medical care .

But recently I remembered that one of the greatest teachings I received about self-care was from this friend. And it dovetails beautifully with the Yoga Health Coaching approach that I now use. This is what she told me:

Sleep first – it is the most important priority.  If you have slept enough you can make better decisions. THEN focus on food choices and eating in a way that is nourishing. From this solid base of rest and nutrition you are set- exercise becomes more accessible and you can start to build a healthier body.

What my friend offered me was a clear hierarchy of how to care for myself.  I remember that it made sense- and that I unsuccessfully tried to make some changes in my routine. I realize now that this was my first experience of experimenting with creating self care habits for myself.

So here’s the thing – if family physicians knows that sleep and eating and movement are critical for health, we can then ask how  health professionals effectively help their clients start to make these critical shifts? How can we help people pro-actively choose to go to bed earlier when work, laundry, relationships, and even down time are all calling us to stay up to midnight?

Introducing Three Key Habits and the World of Habit Change Science

We know that there is significant research that shows us self-care is critical for managing chronic illness like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

We also know that most of us don’t know how to get started or how to create these new self care habits.  That’s why my friend’s “Sleep First” advice – as much as it resonated with my view of self care- was not accessible for me.  I didn’t know how to create a routine from an idea.

In his book “Getting Things Done” David Allen tells us when are goals are too big-  when we have not identified a small enough “next action” to get started- we can become paralyzed. For me buying new tires for my car is like this:  if my to-do list says “buy new summer tires” I can’t get started. What next action will mobilize me? If I take this to-do and make it into the tiniest action what I write down instead is “ask my brother what tires he recommends.”  

A similar approach can work for our clients.  Start with the most critical habits. Start with one at a time. And most importantly use of the concept of kaizen to help them get started.

Kaizen- Good Change

Kaizen means “good change.” A concept that evolved from wartime, it’s about small continuous change- small improvements that add up to bigger change over time. Everytime we look to create new habits in self care, a kaizen approach can help us to create the kind of small next actions that will give us success and prevent paralysis.

So what does this look like when we are talking about self care habits and the world of Ayurveda?  When we look at the Ayurvedic daily routine we can see that three key habits form the basis for good health- Earlier Lighter Dinner, Early to Bed, and Start the Day Right.  These habits follow the natural rhythm of the Ayurvedic clock and the corresponding circadian rhythm. And each one of them can be approached using kaizen as a tool.

Three Key Habits

Habit one is all about eating an Earlier Lighter Dinner. When we eat earlier- ideally by 6pm- we are able to digest our food more effectively before we go to sleep, and the physiological processes of recovery and growth that happen on a biochemical level are more effective and more available to us. Through the lens of kaizen and earlier later dinner could look like eating off a smaller plate so less food is consumed, replacing beef with tofu in a stir fry, or dialling dinner back from 7pm to 6:30pm. Encouraging our clients to eat their largest meal in the middle of the day gives them a greater chance of letting go of the “big dinner” mentality that often comes with a busy lifestyle.

Habit two is Early to Bed. Going to bed before 10 PM is critical as it helps us avoid the second wind that many people experience with a rise of energy that naturally occurs after 10 PM. How do we change our bed time?  The kaizen is approach here could include rolling bedtime back by 15 minutes at a time, adding in a habit like a sleep inducing foot massage before bed, or moving your daily shower to bed time instead of the morning so that work and other alerting activities are less accessible and less desirable.

Habit three is called Start to the Day Right. This habit teaches us that getting up before six, drinking warm water to encourage a bowel movement, and doing some type of movement, are critical to ensure we wake up feeling light and alert rather than heavy and groggy. People who wake up later often struggle with getting out of bed.  Although a cold turkey approach to getting up earlier can be effective with some people, changing the alarm by just 15 minutes a week can be an effective way to become a morning person. Movement can be as simple as doing 15 jumping jacks or dancing to a song. Drinking warm water? A sip or two can be a start and over time shift into a full intake of a liter.

It’s At Our Fingertips

I think back with gratitude to the framework that my friend introduced me to. She encouraged me to give my need for sleep more attention and introduced me to the idea that I have the ability to make change by taking responsibility for my own routine and habits.

But looking back on my lack of success with changing my own sleep habits makes me realize that creating new health habits is a science- and most of us haven’t learned the basics of how to successfully make this kind of change.

So how can we best help our patients? By educating them about these simple habits of health care, and linking them to a coaching program where they can get help with making the habits real.  Truth is, to make new habits stick we need to learn habit change science AND we need to learn why the habits have value.  Both are needed to make the habits stick.

Wondering who you can refer to? See if there is someone in your community who specializes in habit change and health. Or consider taking the plunge and adding Yoga Health Coaching to your repertoire of skills or as a primary care program offered within your health clinic. Bridging the gap between the idea of self-care and making a change on a personal level is where we can really start to make a difference.

Writing a book is about more than just getting your thoughts down on paper. It is a transformational journey about finding yourself and your voice, learning to speak your truth, and tapping into your natural talents and confidence. The more you tap into that which is deep within you, the more you tap into your message that you desire to share with the world.

What you’ll get out of tuning in:

• How do you know if your ready to write a book?
• How do you find your own voice?
• How does writer’s block show up and what to do with it?

Links Mentioned in Episode:

• Pitch-O-Rama for writers- Pitch your book in San Francisco!
• Brooke Warner- She Writes Press
• Carolyn’s website
• Elise’s website
• Monetize your wellness business with Free 4-video series

Show Highlights:

• 1:45- Carolyn tells us about her background living in an Ashram and studying the Indian culture and then continuing on to become a book editor.
• 4:00- How will a writer know if they are ready to write a book? How does the writer gain the confidence to do so? And when a writer is ready, how do they develop a book concept?
• 16:00- Caroline shares some of her editing stories from her work.
• 26:40- We hear the answers to more important questions about book writing. How does writing a book help you to develop your own platform in order to market it to the right audience? We all have hesitance or resistance to doing something we truly want to do- where does resistance come from within you? Where are you stuck and how can you work through that in your writing?
• 37:30- Elise and Carolyn answer the creative chat window questions asked by live listeners.
• 42:00- Batool, from YHC, joins the call to share how she feels about book writing. She says it’s important to be disciplined, stay committed, and give yourself deadlines.
• 47:00- Writing Blocks! How they show up and what to do with them.
• 1:00:00- Carolyn mentions her interest in taking a small group of people in September through a course based on the 5 step process of book writing. She would love to coach you through the book outline and book concept process in order to help people develop these skills themselves. If you are interested please contact Carolyn Bond at carolyn@carolyn-bond.com!

Favorite Quotes:

• “We tap into our prakriti and our unique blueprint….the more we do this, the more we naturally find that confidence and find that urge to express our true voice.” – Elise Collins
• “If you want to convey what you know to someone else, it takes a lot more effort and you need to articulate it and step outside of it a little bit to articulate it. But there are huge gifts in doing so.” – Carolyn Bond
• “I love the writing process because I think it is transformational.” – Elise Collins
• “When the timing is right, the book just shows up. Don’t start with a title, the title gets born within.”  – Batool
• It’s important to set that time for yourself to write, to create.” – Carolyn Bond
• “Writing helps me to become a more clear speaker and speaking helps me to flesh out my ideas. They kind of go hand in hand.” – Elise Collins

Guest BIO:

Carolyn Bond, after obtaining a BA in anthropology from Stanford and later an MA in Indian philosophy and Sanskrit from University of Pennsylvania, developed her nascent love of exploring worldviews and thought systems. Her love of books and fascination with exploring worlds converged in the late 1990s as she took up the art of editing. (Each book, after all, is its own world of thought.) She did not seek out editing; it claimed her when the executive editor of a small publishing house offered her a project; she of course said yes. In 1998, she moved to southern Oregon and started out as an editor. Since then, she has been privileged to bring her systems-thinking and word-crafting skills to every book project, collaborating with the author to produce the book he or she truly wants to write. Check out Carolyn’s website.

What you’ll get out of tuning in:

• What is online fitness coaching, who does it work for, and why do it?
• What is it like to be an entrepreneur?
• How to use social media to grow your tribe.

Links Mentioned in Episode:

• Body Thrive Book
• YHC Have a conversation
• Chris and Eric Martinez Facebook page
• Chris and Eric Martinez Website
• 5 Tips to Save Time and Be a Healthy Entrepreneur
• 5 Tips to Creating a Micro Movement within your Coaching Business
• Watch the Masterclass NOW

Show Highlights:

• 1:50- Chris and Eric describe what it is like to work as a fitness professional with an online business. What are some of the challenges and what are the benefits in this online fitness and entrepreneurial world?
• 8:00- Cate asks the bothers how they capture their lessons learned in order to leverage them into strengths on the entrepreneurial path.
• 11:00- Where are things going in terms of Personal Trainers? What are some emerging niches within fitness?
• 17:20- How the bothers use social media to grow their tribe and to keep their members informed.

Favorite Quotes:

• “A mind full of conclusions leads to no room for expansion.” – Eric Martinez
• “Whether you are in person or online, it is all about the relationship. It is all about care, connection, follow through, and small incremental improvement.” – Cate Stillman
• “It’s about these long term supportive relationships where we can see growth over time.” – Cate Stillman

Guest’s BIO:

Chris and Eric Martinez, also known as the “Dynamic Duo” operate a world class Online Fitness and Lifestyle Company by the name of “Dynamic Duo Training.” Chris and Eric are also Business coaches that own “The Dynamic Inner Circle” where they help fitness enthusiasts grow their online coaching businesses. Along with being #1 International Best Selling Authors and Speakers, Chris and Eric have worked with thousands of people online and in person to help them look better, feel better, perform better, and live a dynamic lifestyle. They do this through training, nutrition, mindset, personal development, and lifestyle practices. Chris and Eric practice what they preach on a daily basis; they live a dynamic lifestyle, continue to evolve in their training and nutrition, and never become complacent. Their attitude is to be excited every morning and reach for the stars- you deserve it! Connect with Chris and Eric on their Website and Facebook.