In this episode, Anna speaks with Suzanne about what methods have worked for her on her road to success as a Yoga Health Coach.

Suzanne shares what has worked for her and what has not worked for her along the way.  You may also get inspiration on how to play around with the model to find what best suits you in creating the most epic ride for your members.

What you’ll get out of tuning in

• How to recognize when you begin to embody the practices
• Understanding that following the business model works
• Inspiration and ideas to customize your program

Links Mentioned in Episode:

• Centered Living with Suzanne
• Instagram: @centeredlivingwithsuzanne

Highlights:

• The benefits of free talks – getting enrollments and people on the emailing list 13:37
•  It wasn’t until LA and Body Thrive that you put the theory into practice… even the yama and niyamas became real 3:03
• The business model really is a simple structure 13:05

Timestamps:

• “The Living Ayurveda course blew my mind” 2:20
• “If I can get them into a 1:1 talk we’re pretty good to go” 14:00
• “If you’re thinking about it and there’s a deep calling follow it…you don’t know how capable you are until you step into” 16:32
• “Income is so related to impact, two sides of one coin” 21:52
• “Self care is non-negotiable” 24:07

Guest Bio:

Suzanne McCahill Perrine is the founder/director of The Center, Harrisonburg’s first dedicated yoga and Pilates studio. Suzanne, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Certified Health Coach, and teacher trainer began teaching Yoga in 2005. Inspired to connect to others in her community and spread the joy and healing potential of yoga, she opened The Center Yoga studio. After years of study in the Anusara tradition with teachers, Desiree Rumbaugh, Christina Sell, Elena Browner, Amy Ippoliti, Moses Brown, Bita Jenkins, Suzie Hurley, John Friend, and Douglas Brooks, she eventually started teaching others to teach, starting the Center School of Yoga.

Suzanne encourages her students to have fun, relax, and enjoy the splendid journey that yoga offers them both on their mats and in their lives. More recently, Suzanne has studied under Cate Stillman offering yoga & Ayurveda health coaching as a way to collaborate with clients who wish to feel more connected to life, honor their true nature, and reclaim their health. She continues to find more joy in her life since discovering Yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda and sharing it with others

Me? I fell into yoga teaching as a way to deal with being downsized from a career as an engineering manager. Yoga helped me to transition and heal. While my training worked out really well, I didn’t consider all the factors that I would, if choosing again today. Now that I have taught and know more about teaching yoga as a career, I have a better sense of what types of questions to ask.

Are you thinking about deepening your relationship to Yoga with training or by teaching?  I invite you to consider what you really want from your “YTT” (yoga teacher training) and the commitment you are willing to make.

Choose With Care

Selecting a training program is a big decision, like choosing a college or major.

Blessed to be steeped in the healing traditions of Ayurveda and yoga I have a profound appreciation for the training I have received. It is the secondary education for my heart and soul.  Over the course of my love affair with Ayurveda and yoga, I have gone from taking yoga teacher trainings to teaching in them. I still train to engage and learn.

Now that there are so many yoga teacher trainings to pick from, making the choice can be overwhelming. YTTs (yoga teacher trainings) include a range of certification levels, styles of yoga, and training in everything from fitness-based yoga to the science of yoga for spiritual evolution. Yoga teacher training is a significant investment in energy, time, money and the direction of your life. Here are some guideposts to help figure out what you want, choose a program to support your growth, and get the best return on investment.

Sorting Through Many Choices

Do you really plan to teach yoga?

This is an important question to ask.  Do you plan to teach, or is this a deep desire to learn more about yoga?  Both are super reasons to take a YTT, but the reality of public class teaching should be a game changer as you sort through your options.

I wanted to teach, so I chose programs that would both deepen my study AND help prepare me to teach.  Some YTT’s add class observation and analysis requirements on top of the class time practice and homework.  Mine did. I sat in the back of yoga classes observing experienced certified teachers.  I journaled my observations- how the teacher introduced the theme, the choice of asana sequences, and other insights.

My program also required me to connect with an experienced teacher who could oversee and critique my teaching.  This was time incredibly well spent- the mentoring process elevated and refined my delivery in the classroom.  When making your choice it is worth asking how much coverage there is on the art and business of teaching.

Month Long Intensive Program or Weekends and Immersions

Yoga teacher training programs are offered as month-long intensives, weekend based programs, and everything in between. Your choice of program will depend on your lifestyle, your learning style, and your fitness level.

A live-away intensive program steeps you in the tradition of yoga, but your stamina, day job, and kids may not allow for 30 days away. You may not be ready for this intensive learning style. Two or three 10-day segments away, or 13 long-weekends may work much better.  I liken it to the difference between an intense summer course at college where you have 3 -5 weeks to cover the same material your would in a 12 week semester. Think this through before you pull the trigger.

Commuting, Travelling, and At-Home Programs

If you want to commute to a nearby program, remember that training can be rigorous.  Try to keep your drive time to 30 minutes or less. No commute at all?  Perfect!! A local program may be just the right fit for your work and life.

Again I liken the experience to commuting from home versus living on campus. When you stay at an ashram or retreat center for your training, your experience expands in ways beyond yoga. Friendships deepen and you are more likely to try new things.

If you are off to a destination, this can be a great adventure. There are wonderful programs all over the world.  Want some travel adventure as part of your training? Pick a teacher you know who heads off to an exotic destination to lead their teacher training.

Gotta Love Working With Your Teacher

Take at least one short workshop with the main teacher before signing on the dotted line for a YTT. You want to know you can connect to and learn from this person before you make a major energetic investment. I love teachers who make me strive, think and laugh. How about you?

Specialization Who are you called to help, to teach?

Often you will need to take a 200-hour YTT before you specialize, but some programs slant towards understanding the needs of a specific population. If you are drawn to help teens it makes sense to take a training that gives you insights on how to help them. Otherwise, follow up your YTT with specialized training. Sub-specialties include:

• Restorative Yoga
• Trauma recovery
• Elder Population
• Kids or Teens
• Therapeutics

Certification/Registration & Level

Programs can range form 200 to 300 hours or more. I am not a fan of less than 200 hours for YTT training if you want to teach.  It’s important to take a weekend workshop or even a few before you   on a  YTT to measure your interest and commitment. 200 hours creates a container to learn in. You need time and space to open to transformation.

One exception to less than 200 hours of training is programs segmented in parts that add to 200 hours.  Anusara trainings separate the program into 100 hours of study and immersion followed by a segment on teaching as part of a two hundred hour YTT.

Certification or Monitoring bodies.

YA (Yoga Alliance) and the CYA(Canadian Yoga Alliance) are two of the big organizations that set standards for yoga teacher trainings in North America.  Choose a 200 hour + program that lists the topics explored and meet standards set by the school of yoga or a certifying body.  Make sure you understand what will be covered.

Swaroopa, Anusara, Svivanada, Power Yoga, Iyengar and more all have program standards for 200 YTT. When you go to a specific style of yoga school and complete the requirements you are certified, make sure you can also register with YA or CYA at the 200 hour level.

4 Programs That Have The Goods For A Great Training

Himalyan Institute

The Himalayan Institute (HI)  offers 200 RYT and advanced teacher training in yoga and Ayurveda as well as slew of specialty classes.  Their teacher trainings have the Yoga Alliance  stamp of approval.  The programs are taught in 10 day segments and you stay at the ashram(spiritual community). Open to all styles of yoga, HI teaches yoga and deepens your spiritual connection to the practice while they prepare you to teach.

HI has the energy and clarity of a community holding and sustaining a 10,000 year living tradition of yoga.  Rather than a specific style you are invited to connect to the essence of yoga and apply the tools of yoga for your own growth while you learn to teach others. You feel the power and support of this tradition all through your training and beyond.

HI is an ashram and offers immersion programs. You go to learn yoga and learn to teach. An added benefit is you are immersed in a spiritual community.  When you leave the training you have active support and community to lean into and continue to learn from.

Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm  

The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm is a spiritual community and working farm that offers a YA approved 200 Hour program as well as advanced teacher trainings, and specialty courses and immersions. The programs are offered in California at the farm, in Vietnam, and at other travel destinations.

Teachers travel to the ashram specifically for the teacher training. The spiritual essence of Yoga is taught through a combination of practice and inspirational lessons. A teaching certificate from the International SYVC (Sivananda Yoga Vendenta Center) is awarded upon successful completion of the course.

Down Under School of Yoga  

This school offers 200 hour and advanced Iyengar yoga teacher training as well as specialty courses. Down Under is a Yoga Alliance approved school. The advanced Iyengar programs require that applicants meet specific requirements. All trainings are weekend based programs which allow you to stay locally or to commute.

Down Under opens its 200 hour YTT to everyone, but the focus is on Iyengar and Ashtanga styles.  The teachers have a deep, deep base in Iyengar, Ashtanga as well as Slow Flow yoga. Down Under is a yoga school as well as a studio.  Based in the Boston area, this is a great destination to enjoy while training in a weekend format.

YogaMaze

Noah Maze and his wife founded YogaMaze school. It offers a 200 hour and advanced teacher training, as well as specialty courses.The programs teach yoga and teaching yoga at a high level of excellence and completeness. These programs are for commuters and working people. They are weekend based training programs.

The school offers training programs in multiple locations including, California,St Paul Minnesota and Berlin,Germany. The teachers travel to teach in the different locations.Theory and practice of Yoga, Yoga philosophy and the art of teaching are the focal points of YogaMaze programs.

Choose Engage Learn Grow

The right YTT is an amazing journey of growth and a changemaker for your life.  Most push you to expand your boundaries.  You find a deeper experience of yoga, new ideas, beliefs, community and long term friendships. Find the program that is right for you and take the plunge.

The 80/20 rule, or the law of the vital few, is also known as the Pareto Principle. Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto argues that 20% of your activities will account for 80% of your results. Pareto’s Principle has come to be known as an axiom in business management and life, but I have seen this play out with group participation as well. If I can get 20% of my people to be very active and show up well – others will follow. My members will not show up simply because I do. The hierarchical teacher/student dynamic makes most students see me as different and separate from them, though. Latitudinal learning structures, where members learn from each other as much as from the teacher or leader, is far more effective in creating community.

By ensuring that 20% of your members have been instructed to be active participants – both on the live calls and on whatever social forum you are using – you will start to create a culture of togetherness. That means 2 out of every 10 members are showing up to the live calls interested, vocal, sharing, posting, commenting, and liking what is going on in the forum, and generally being engaged. You can ensure their participation by praising these kinds of actions, being specific in that praise and telling them how much it means to you and how helpful it is for the other people in the group. I do this privately, in an email or text, or in person. I have also utilized the specific talents of these vital few in special events such as retreats. This will give them ownership of the event and will hold them to a higher standard, pushing the bar up for the group as a whole.

Once you run one program, you will get a feel for who knows how to “show up”. Then, ask them to continue being a part of the group so that they can keep modeling that behavior in exchange for a deal on the cost of the program. They can be paired with newer members to put those vital few in more of a leadership position and elevate the chance of success in the newer clients. I’ve offered exceptional members an arrangement where they give me monthly feedback on what is and isn’t working in the course (encourage and teach them how to give critical feedback), agree to post new threads on the forum once a week, like and comment on other member’s posts 3x weekly, let me know who needs more support, and are required to attend 80% of the live calls. What I’ve found is that other members will start to share and show up in similar ways – becoming more vulnerable, transparent and present. It’s a beautiful thing!

Kelly Gardner is “certifiable.” She’s a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Yoga Therapist, a yoga teacher trainer, and a Yoga Health Coach. Kelly excels in building, analyzing, and refining systems, and she wants to learn how to build and offer signature courses. She’s currently coaching the third round of her 12-week yoga health coaching course and is getting ready to launch her annual pass.

For a Yoga Health Coach, the annual pass is the ticket to a good lifestyle. Offering multiple courses means more work for the coach. More is not better. In fact, more is worse. The key is to roll what you already know into your annual pass that so you only need to market and enroll for one course – your signature annual pass. To simplify things even more, you only need to design first next quarter. Let your course members help you design your next quarter and you can be sure you’re providing them with the experience they want.

What you’ll get out of tuning in:

• Why one annual pass is better than multiple shorter courses.
• How to design your annual pass based on your particular knowledge and skills.
• Why you only need to design the first quarter of your annual pass.

Links Mentioned in Episode:

• Kelly’s website
• Kelly’s Facebook page
• Discover more about Body Thrive 
• Watch the Masterclass NOW

Show Highlights:

• 0:00 – Kelly is “certifiable.” She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Yoga Therapist, a yoga teacher trainer, and a Yoga Health Coach. She’s currently coaching the third round of her 12-week yoga health coaching course and is getting ready to launch her annual pass. Kelly excels in building, analyzing, and refining systems, and she wants to learn how to build and offer signature courses.
• 6:12 – For a Yoga Health Coach, the annual pass is the ticket to a good lifestyle. Offering more courses means more work for the coach. More is not better. More is worse. For Kelly, the answer is rolling everything she already has into her annual pass.
• 13:00 – By figuring out your market differentiator, you can figure out your marketing strategy. If you’re still struggling to figure out what your annual pass should look like, go back and listen to “What Should Be In My Annual Pass?” in the YHC course hub. Each quarter of the annual pass goes deeper into your differentiator.
• 22:00 – After mapping out the annual pass, the next logical step is to organize retreats or live events. For Kelly, the idea of organizing a retreat is overwhelming. She offers her course online and her course members are scattered around the Eastern US. Cate suggests that Kelly have her course members come to her, build the retreat into the annual pass, and invite members to bring a friend who might enroll in the next round.
• 25:50 – When things get hard, get excited for your future members, for their transformation. Kelly’s next step is to detail her A to B transformation and refine her messaging around that. It’s important to speak in the language of the “A”s.
• 31:10 – You only have to design your next quarter. If you let your members help you design it, then they really are getting what they need from it, and you’re not overbuilding it. We’re selling connection, not information. We’re building a container for transformation.

Favorite Quotes:

• “Having more to offer means having more to market. . . . More is not better.” — Cate Stillman
• “It’s really important when things get hard to be excited for your future members.” — Cate Stillman
• “A lot of what people actually want is access. They don’t want more information.” — Cate Stillman
• “I just figured out that the habit course I’m teaching isn’t about the habits. . . . It’s about building the container for them to go be who they want to be.” — Kelly Gardner

Guest BIO:

Hi, I’m Kelly Gardner.  I’m a Memphis girl. I was born and raised in Memphis and my family has a strong history of working to make this city great.  So, I am doing my part as a Licensed Professional Counselor in both Tennessee and North Mississippi. I also serve as a Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT and 500 E-RYT) in clinical mental health settings.  When I am on the road, I am leading yoga teacher trainings as a Senior Master Trainer for YogaFit Training Systems or I am leading personal development workshops. I am currently in the thick of my Yoga Health Coaching certification which builds on my previous Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist training.  And if you need a personal trainer, I’ve got that covered too.
I believe that yoga is great for EVERYONE and I love introducing people to how yoga can change their lives.  (Yes, it can work for you too.)
I am a guide for others to learn how to make strides toward the kind of life they really want to live.  I do not believe that anyone was born to be unhappy and it’s my dharma to help others help themselves. Connect with Kelly on her website and facebook page.

Carly has led three very close friends through her 10-week program, The Habit. She has found that resistance that she could easily coach a stranger through results in defensiveness from her loved ones. Carly acknowledges that part of the problem might lie with her reaction to the defensiveness of her loved ones: she retreats rather than rallying as she would with other course members.

Cate reminds us of the adage: “When the student is ready, the teacher appears” and suggests that perhaps Carly’s loved ones are students who just aren’t ready. Cate’s advice, based on her own experience, is to run your course for the people who want to be there, and occasionally you’ll be pleasantly surprised when old friends and loved ones show up ready and fully engaged. Cate explains that she would actually make enrollment harder for friends and family, taking into account emotional triggers and the possibility of them messing up the group dynamic.

Focus your energy on getting the right people invested and let friends and family fall where they may.

What you’ll get out of tuning in:

• How to stop wasting energy on the people who aren’t showing up.
• How friends and family can skew the dynamics of a coaching group.
• How to determine the best structure for your coaching calls or meetings.

Links Mentioned in Episode:

• Discover more about Body Thrive 
• Body Thrive Book

Show Highlights:

• 0:00 – Carly has led three very close friends through her 10-week program, The Habit. She has found that resistance that she could easily coach a stranger through results in defensiveness from her loved ones. Cate reminds us of the adage: “When the student is ready, the teacher appears” and suggests that perhaps Carly’s loved ones are students who just aren’t ready.
• 5:00 – Carly acknowledges that part of the problem might lie with her reaction to the defensiveness of her loved ones: she retreats rather than rallying as she would with other course members.
• 5:45 – Cate asks Carly to take a look at who she invites into her course. It should only be people who want the outcomes of the habits: ease, depth, focus, and more control over their bodies and their moods. Cate’s advice, based on her own experience, is to run your course for the people who want to be there, and occasionally you’ll be pleasantly surprised when old friends and loved ones show up ready and fully engaged.
• 10:58 – Cate explains that she would actually make enrollment harder for friends and family, taking into account emotional triggers and the possibility of them messing up the group dynamic. They also could divert your attention away from your fully invested course members.
• 14:00 – Resistance can lead to disconnection. When resistance arises in a course member, remind her of her “Big 3” desires and then look at which habits are most “out of whack.”
• 17:00 – Cate suggests revisiting the YHC lesson on how to structure a coaching call. Asking specific questions to the group can help direct the focus of the call to where it might be most beneficial to most of the members. With a small group, knowing the individual struggles of each member can be very beneficial in directing the focus of a meeting or a quarter.

Favorite Quotes:

• “Wow. I have wasted a lot of energy worrying about the people who aren’t showing up.” — Carly Banks
• “I’m really excited for you to focus on the people that are invested. And to focus your energy on getting the right people invested and letting friends and family fall where they may. . . . ‘Cause the group is sacred.” — Cate Stillman

Guest BIO:

As a working mom of two, Carly Banks knows how easy it can be to put yourself last. For years she showered herself in “shoulds,” feeling guilty for not taking care of herself, and wishing she had more time.

Sometimes, there just isn’t more time. But there is always a different perspective.

Instead of focusing on how far away she was from big goals and big habit changes, Carly switched her focus to the little goals, and little habits she could create with ease. With this change in perspective, step by step, Carly has changed her entire life. Connect with Carly on her website, Facebook and Instagram.

When your family notices the self empowerment that is the product of the habits of ayurveda, they start to get curious about what you’re doing. Alexandra’s partner started to embrace some of the habits that she teaches to her course members and she wanted to figure out how to involve their 11-year-old daughter. What Alexandra has found is that letting your family follow your lead works better than making rules or forcing your habits on others. For children, everything is still an exploration.

As they grow older and are more influenced by their peers, parents have to be consciously creative when it comes to redirecting their attention and values.

Alexandra’s family has embraced family meetings. Family meetings provide a format in which every family member has an equal seat at the table. For Alexandra’s daughter, that meant understanding that with an equal voice, she also assumed an equal level of responsibility and mutual respect. To Alexandra’s delight, she has observed her daughter exhibiting her own values, and she knows she is giving her a strong foundation from which to grow.

What you’ll get out of tuning in:

• How to incorporate family values and family meetings into your home life.
• How to introduce your children to the habits of ayurveda.
• How couples can use the “family meeting” model to improve and strengthen their relationship.

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

• Alexandra’s website
• Body Thrive
• Yoga Health Coaching
• Values Workshop

Show Highlights:

• 0:00 – When your family notices the self empowerment that is the product of the habits of ayurveda, they start to get curious about what you’re doing. Alexandra’s partner started to embrace some of the habits that she teaches to her course members and she wanted to figure out how to involve their 11-year-old daughter. So they started having family meetings.
• 5:00 – Family meetings provide a format in which every family member has an equal seat at the table. When interest in the family meetings started to wane, Alexandra employed Cate’s values workshop to help her family see each other in a new light. For her daughter, that meant understanding that with an equal voice, she also assumed an equal level of responsibility and mutual respect.
• 10:00 – One of the values that Alexandra had identified for herself was nurturance. She recently found her daughter exhibiting that value. Alexandra also has weekly one-on-one values meetings with her partner that she feels helps recalibrate their relationship on a regular basis. Carly also prescribes one-on-one time with her husband that has saved her marriage.
• 15:30 – Carly is also involving her kids in the practices of ayurveda. What Alexandra has found is that letting your family follow your lead works better than making rules or forcing your habits on others.
• 20:10 – For children, everything is still an exploration. As they grow older and are more influenced by their peers, parents have to be consciously creative when it comes to redirecting their attention and values.

Your Favorite Quotes:

• “What an incredible gift that you’re giving your child. Your empowering her to make her own decisions and to reflect on what she really wants in life. And you’re letting her have a seat at the table. You’re inviting her to be seen and heard, and you’re letting her know that she has a voice.” — Carly Banks
• “It’s not about striving all the time, but about finding an even keel.” — Alexandra Kreis
• “To think that this is what my kids consider to be normal, versus what other kids consider to be normal in a day, it just fills me up. I feel like I’m really giving them a strong foundation to grow from.” — Carly Banks

Guest BIO:

Alexandra Kreis is a yoga teacher, ayurvedic lifestyle consultant, wellness masseuse, and yoga health coach. She lives in Berlin, Germany with her partner and their daughter. Since childhood, she has always felt happiest participating in the community while engaging in spiritual discovery in her private time. In the community, Alexandra experiences herself through the reflection of others, while ensuring that she makes time to connect inwards and maintain her roots.

It is, therefore, no coincidence that her professional career has brought her into the deeper layers of self-awareness and self-discovery, while assisting others on their own path.

Connect with Alexandra on her website and her facebook.

As a yoga health coach in training, the last year has been very intense for Tracey. She started Body Thrive in 2017 feeling pretty depleted. She went to the Yogahealer retreat in March 2018 during a time of introspection, knowing that the changes she was experiencing in Body Thrive and YHC meant that she needed to let go of some things in her life that no longer aligned with her identity. What happened during and after the retreat amounted to a deep dive into long-held beliefs, doubts, and shadow issues.

Tracey’s transformation culminated when she was ready to fill her pilot program. She filled 10 spots in one week! She attributes her success to living the habits of Body Thrive.

What Tracey and many other yoga health coaches have found is that Yoga Health Coaching is so much more than a business course. Because we go through the program we are learning to teach, our own personal growth is exponential. If you think YHC might be for you, your first step is talking to Grace.

What you’ll get out of tuning in:

• How personal growth leads to professional success.
• How Yoga Health Coaching evolves our identities.
• How the service provided by yoga health coaches is far more valuable than any “quick fix.”

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

• Yogahealer Shop
• Catch Yogahealer Black Friday Sweet Deal
• Why it’s Better to Gift Experiences to Evolve
• Yoga Health Coaching

Show Highlights:

• 2:48 – As a yoga health coach in training, the last year has been very intense for Tracey. She started Body Thrive in 2017 feeling pretty depleted. She went to the Yogahealer retreat in March 2018 during a time of introspection, knowing that the changes she was experiencing in Body Thrive and YHC meant that she needed to let go of some things in her life that no longer aligned with her identity. What happened during and after the retreat amounted to a deep dive into long-held beliefs, doubts, and shadow issues.
• 9:30 – Tracey’s transformation culminated when she was ready to fill her pilot program. She filled 10 spots in one week! She attributes her success to living the habits of Body Thrive.
• 14:35 – Yoga health coaching is service. You’re not selling a product. You’re guiding others through a process that facilitates self discovery. Sometimes that can be a hard sell. Not everyone is willing to step outside their comfort zone and put in the work.
• 18:00 – When it comes to the Yoga Health Coaching course, taking the long view is extremely important. Knowing we don’t have to do everything at once or know exactly how things will work out is calming and liberating and allows for our own personal growth. If you think YHC might be for you, your first step is talking to Grace.

Your Favorite Quotes:

• “This process of doing the work . . . you have to do the work; you have to look inside; you have to peel back your layers. And it hurts, and it’s hard . . . but the depth is so beautiful! And what you can uncover, and how you can grow from being in that depth is something that I never could have expected.” — Carly Banks
• “It [yoga health coaching] is service. And it’s service in the most clean way. You’re not buying anything. . . . There’s no quick fix. It’s not easy. You’re creating practices and it’s a process.” — Tracey Thiele
• “I signed up for a program that would help me build a business. What I got was a program that changed my personal life.” — Carly Banks

Following the birth of her second child in 2016, Carly found herself in the depths of postpartum depression. A visit from her long-time friend, Grace Edison, put her on the path to yoga health coaching and transformed her body, mind, and life. Embracing the 10 habits of Body Thrive triggered a chain reaction in Carly’s health and wellbeing.

The key to Carly’s success has been her willingness to show up in a real and authentic way that values connection. She loves that the Yoga Health Coaching model allows her to show up and be vulnerable not only with her YHC colleagues, but also with the people she coaches.

Carly’s transition into coaching started with mentoring first for Grace’s members and then for Cate’s. She loves that she was able to start coaching without having to face her fear of selling right off the bat. By the time she ran her pilot, she had been through Body Thrive six times and felt comfortable stepping into her authority.

Carly’s best advice to new yoga health coaches is to lean back and lead with your heart as opposed to your head. Adopt a beginner’s mindset, always. And don’t forget how far you’ve come already.

What you’ll get out of tuning in:

• Why you don’t need to be an expert to be a coach.
• How authenticity and vulnerability can make you a better coach.
• Carly’s best advice for new or prospective yoga health coaches.

Links:

• Check out Carly’s free checklist of simple habits to support your thrive  
• Body Thrive Book
• YHC Have a conversation
• Watch the Masterclass NOW

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Show Highlights:

• 0:00 – Following the birth of her second child in 2016, Carly found herself in the depths of postpartum depression. A visit from her long-time friend, Grace Edison, put her on the path to yoga health coaching and transformed her body, mind, and life. The key to Carly’s success has been her willingness to show up in a real and authentic way that values connection. 
• 6:00 – Embracing the 10 habits of Body Thrive triggered a chain reaction in Carly’s health and wellbeing. She admits she’s still in process and sometimes falls back into old patterns, but she’s developed a mindfulness and curiosity that she didn’t have before. She loves that the Yoga Health Coaching model allows her to show up and be vulnerable not only with her YHC colleagues, but also with the people she coaches. 
• 12:30 – Carly’s transition into coaching started with mentoring first for Grace’s members and then for Cate’s. She loves that she was able to start coaching without having to face her fear of selling right off the bat. By the time she ran her pilot, she had been through Body Thrive six times and felt comfortable stepping into her authority. 
• 15:25 – Carly’s growing edge now is structure and automation. Her hope is that she’ll free up time and money that she can give back to her community. Growth and creating a container for others people growth lights her up. 
• 22:22 – Carly’s best advice to new yoga health coaches is to lean back and lead with your heart as opposed to your head. Adopt a beginner’s mindset, always. And don’t forget how far you’ve come already.

Favorite Quotes:

• “It was just the biggest relief I’ve ever experienced to stop looking outward for the answer, to stop looking for the pill, to stop looking for that supplement . . . that’s supposed to fix you. There is no Band-Aid. At first that was frustrating, and now it’s liberating.” — Carly Banks 
• “I have faced some demons by doing this, and so I can speak to it because I know that it works.” — Carly Banks 
• “You don’t ever stop learning from these little changes. There’s always another evolution around the corner. There’s always another layer of ourselves to be discovered. And there’s always a new horizon to be approached.” — Megan Pintus 
• “It’s been an honor to do a job where I am fascinated by the work. “ — Carly Banks 
• “I feel like you’re helping people see the things they already know about themselves but maybe just don’t believe yet.” — Megan Pintus

Guest BIO:

As a working mom of two, Carly Banks knows how easy it can be to put yourself last. For years she showered herself in “shoulds”, feeling guilty for not taking care of herself, and wishing she had more time.

Sometimes, there just isn’t more time. But there is always a different perspective.

Instead of focusing on how far away she was from big goals and big habit changes, Carly switched her focus to the little goals, and little habits she could create with ease. With this change in perspective, step by step, Carly’s changed her entire life. Connect with Carly on her website, Facebook and Instagram. 

I give talks at regional Lyme disease conferences and to local support groups to get out in front of my community.  Clear impactful communication supports my wellness career and helps my audience understand the transformation I offer.  I’ve learned that speaking effectively with a large group at a meeting or conference is different than working with people one on one or in a yoga class. I work to improve my delivery, so I can help more people.

Speaking With Large Groups

The way you deliver your message- your use of voice and body language-  can make or break your impact in a workshop or a conference. I learned a lot about delivery while studying voice and singing. My voice coach was very particular about my stance, enunciation and use of breath.  She wanted these habits established, so I could focus on the emotions and message in each piece. By the end of our lessons I was always shaking with fatigue from the work we had done to improve my delivery.

I recently attended an event where a number of yoga teachers spoke- and as I listened to their presentations I was surprised by how uncomfortable many of them were speaking in front of a large group. It made me think about all the training I have done and how it supports my ability to speak effectively to an audience. It also reaffirmed the value of the work I continue to do to improve my delivery as I refine my voice and increase my impact.

8 Ways to Uplevel Your Presentation Skills and Engage Your Audience

Talk About Your Passions

People can tell if you aren’t into your subject matter. You don’t have to know and love every detail- just be honest about what you know, what you are learning, and why it is important to you and them. You want your audience to feel the love.

Know Your “Why”

Understand your purpose in giving the talk. Is it to entertain, to educate or to get people intrigued and excited about how you solve problems? Keep the purpose of your talk front and center in your plan and delivery.

Meet Your Audience Where They Are

Reach out to your audience. Make eye contact, ask questions, do quick surveys, or pass props to engage them. Use language they can connect with, and have simple explanations for any technical terms you introduce. Remember you are speaking for your audience, to help them engage at a deeper level.

Organize Your Information

I use powerpoint or google slides for large groups to me stay on track and on time, but you can use notes, props or speak from memory. Prepare for the unexpected by being organized and anticipating how things might go wrong. I always bring my computer, a thumb drive and a paper copy of my presentation. This means I am ready to continue if things go wrong.

Shake Off the Fear

Does public speaking give you the jitters? Before you begin, do a “check-in.”  Are your palms sweating? Is your mouth dry, or your tongue four times its normal size?  If so- stop. Before you begin, get grounded. Meditate, do some deep breathing, or imagine the audience in their underwear.

“Overall, fear of public speaking is America’s biggest phobia – 25.3 percent say they fear speaking in front of a crowd. Clowns (7.6 percent feared) are officially scarier than ghosts (7.3 percent), but zombies are scarier than both (8.9 percent).”  Christopher Ingraham “The Washington Post”

Actively Manage Pace, Pitch and Volume

Be aware of how quickly or slowly you speak, and learn how to actively vary your pace, pitch and volume.  I had a tendency to speak too quickly and softly. I could see puzzled looks on the faces of the audience as they tuned out.  My solution? I got myself a metronome and used it to practice varying my pace.

Stand in Your Own Footprints

What do I mean by this?  Literally stand and be still! Move with purpose when you move. Minimize the pacing, fidgeting, “sos”, “ums” and “ohs”- they detract from your message.

“There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.” –Dale Carnegie

Post Talk Review

Make a constructive review checklist. Fill it out after your talk and use your findings to create a plan for improving your delivery. Record your talk when possible and listen to your words and delivery.

Here are the questions I ask myself- or in some cases my host- after I give a talk.

Talk Review Checklist- 4 Questions

1.    Was I clear in my delivery? What one thing can I work on to zero in on my message?  Narrow the topic? Use a pause instead of “um”, “so” or “and”?
2.    How was my pace?  Did I need to slow down? Did I finish on time or was the conclusion crunched? If I was rushed at the end, what section could I leave out or shorten to create space?
3.    Did anyone ask questions?  If not, build in a place for questions.
4.    Did the audience engage?  Was this the right topic for the right community?

What should be on your checklist?  Do a quick post talk analysis, and systematically refine your voice to improve your impact with your audience.  You have the power to evolve the way you speak to reach more people with your message.

Prior to YHC, Dana was making $18K teaching 6-8 yoga classes per week. To try to make more money, she would lead a ton of workshops, but that left her exhausted. Dana now works 5 hours a day, 5 days a week. Her evenings and weekends are free to spend with her family, and she loves the freedom of creating her own schedule. Yoga Health Coaching also provides Dana with the freedom to travel because she can work from anywhere.

Dana’s success is due in great part to her ability to understand the value of investing and reinvesting in her self and her business skills. Simultaneously, she’s investing in the growth of the people she can serve. Her goal for next year is to double her income.

With an income that exceeds her basic needs, Dana is able to reinvest in her business skills, design the life she wants to give herself and her family, all while leading others to permanent positive change.

What you’ll get out of tuning in:

• Why investing in your business skills is the best investment for you, your family, and the people you serve as a wellness professional.
• How Yoga Health Coaching allows you to design the type of life you want to live.
• How income and impact go hand in hand.

Links Mentioned in Episode:

• Dana’s Website
• Body Thrive
• Yoga Health Coaching

Show Highlights:

• 0:00 – Carly and Dana live in the same city. Rather than being competitive, they meet up on a bi-weekly basis, share ideas and resources, and collaborate.
• 2:20 – Dana has broken the $100K annual income mark as a yoga health coach! Prior to YHC, Dana was making $18K teaching 6-8 yoga classes per week. To try to make more money, she would lead a ton of workshops, but that left her exhausted. Dana now works 5 hours a day, 5 days a week. Her evenings and weekends are free to spend with her family, and she loves the freedom of creating her own schedule.
• 6:50 – Yoga Health Coaching also provides Dana with the freedom to travel because she can work from anywhere. One of the reasons she set her sights on making more money was so she could travel more, and she has been able to do so this past year. Her goal for next year is to double her income.
• 9:00 – Dana’s success is due in great part to her ability to understand the value of investing and reinvesting in herself and her business skills.
• 11:00 – Inspired by Dana’s success, Carly is setting her sights for her own success higher. She knows that investing in her personal and professional growth is the best investment

Favorite Quotes:

• “It’s a great combination of having the freedom to be in your home and doing your work at your computer on your own time and then also be out in the community and connect.” — Dana Skoglund
• “I’ve continuously realized I need to invest more in being able to share my work with more people. You can’t just be a good teacher to do that. It takes way more than that.” — Dana Skoglund
• “I could continue to just play comfortable, but growth feels way more interesting.” — Carly Banks
• “When we play small, we’re actually stealing from other people because we’re not helping as many people as we could be helping.” — Dana Skoglund

Guest BIO:

Dana Skoglund is a Certified Yoga Health Coach, Yoga teacher, and mother of two rambunctious young boys. She’s been studying Yoga since 2000 and teaching since 2004, and she has over 1,000 hours of training in the styles of Jivamukti, Anusara, and Sridaiva. Her desires to take her health and well-being into her own hands and to learn how to keep her family healthy led her to Ayurveda in 2011.

After implementing daily routines from Ayurveda and noticing the profound impacts they had on her energy and happiness, she began coaching clients into these better body habits in 2013. She aims to inspire others about the importance of health habits in crafting the lives of their dreams. Dana is also deeply passionate about travel, adventure, learning, movement of any kind, and the arts.