After a very painful breakup, finding myself homeless, out of work and with most of my money tied up in an investment with my ex, I decided to do what so many Yoga teacher do: go to India!
I packed light but made sure to throw in a book I’d wanted to spend time with for a few years: Julia Cameron’s ‘The Artist’s Way’. “The book was written to help people with artistic creative recovery, which teaches techniques and exercises to assist people in gaining self-confidence in harnessing their creative talents and skills.” (Wikipedia, accessed 27.1.22)
I’d been working on a novel but since my breakup I’d let my daily writing habit lapse. (Truth be told, all I was capable during those first few months was lying in a very hot bath while reading Haruki Murakami.) My time on the beach in Kerala with Julia by my side was going to be not only my creative recovery, but my self-RE-discovery, too.
I was there for six weeks, give or take. I remember the mosquito net over my bed, the porter bringing a bucket of hot water once a day, the man who would play flute outside my window at midnight.
The place I’d go for coffee. The place I’d go for porridge. The place I’d go to rent a beach umbrella.
I shared breakfasts with a woman who sailed to the USA on an ocean liner with Vita Sackville-West. I took morning Asana classes with a Yogi who scowled at anyone wearing anything but head-to-toe clothing and delighted and disgusted us with daily reports of his severe ayurvedic rituals. I bought and traded bootlegged copies of Osho, Paramahansa Yogananda and Elizabeth Gilbert.
And I finished writing my novella.
The thing that made all the difference in my creative recovery was one of Julia Cameron’s pillars: morning pages. Essentially a journaling practice, doing morning pages requires you to sit with your thoughts and let whatever is coming up for you out on to the page for three full pages.
In the beginning most of my scribbling was complaining, whining, feeling sorry for myself. Then, over the weeks I wrote more about gratitude and even a sneaking sense of happiness. By the time I moved on from India to Thailand my morning pages were full of clarity, ideas, purpose and prose.
That was a long time ago and while my novella remains ‘in a bottom drawer’, my journaling practice is with me every day, for the three pages I started back then under my mosquito net.
In fact, the ‘pages’ are so important and useful to me these days that they form the foundation of my Svadhyaya, or self-study, practice. As well as helping me probe why I take certain actions, the ways I might conduct myself better in the future, tune into what I need to achieve in the coming day and puzzle out love-life complexities, my journal is also – and absolutely – a resource for my business.
If you’ve never journaled for business before, I’ve broken down 5 powerful Sanskrit words into two journaling prompts each. My hope is that by spending loving and tender time with these prompts, your journal and your business desires, you’ll get the clarity you’re looking for in your next steps, intermediate stops and final destination.
To make the most of these prompts, create uninterrupted time. Perhaps that’s easy for you, or perhaps you’ll need to wrangle childcare, a space outside or something else. Do your best. I find I’m freshest and clearest first thing in the morning. Let yourself discover when you’re at your best for this type of reflection. And remember: keep writing without stopping. No inner censor, no judgement, no criticism. Let it all out and, eventually, the gems will appear.
Good luck!
(Note on Sanskrit: I’m not a Sanskritist (obviously ;) I’ve taken these terms and applied them in way I hope to be useful. If I’ve misconstrued anything terribly, please do let me know.)
1. Sankalpa (or ‘intention’)
· What is your intention as a Yoga teacher?
· What do you desire to do/be/know/understand/share/release etc in creating an abundant Yoga biz?
2. Samskara (or ‘influential life experience’)
· What major life events or discoveries in your past influence how you show up in your Yoga biz now?
· What changes would you like to consciously make?
3. Kama (or ‘passion’)
· What do you desire to create in your Yoga biz?
· What elements of your Yoga biz bring you the most joy? What are your greatest passions?
4. Artha (or ‘purpose’)
· How do you desire to create wealth in your Yoga biz?
· What may be stopping you from achieving this?
5. Sangha (or ‘community’)
· How are you growing your Yoga biz?
· What next steps are you going to take to reach more people and share your gifts with your community?
Now that you’ve made it through this exercise, you might like to apply the five terms to other areas of your life. Alternatively, you might like to schedule this exercise quarterly or annually to keep your Yoga business moving forward.
Either way, remember to celebrate and nourish your insights and NEVER judge your pages.
If having my support to Grow Your Yoga Business in 2022 feels great for you, I invite you to explore my coaching offer here: https://www.amymcdonald.com.au/coaching
Working with me as your Yoga Biz Coach you'll receive the support and guidance you need on what next steps to take, discover how to strengthen areas that might feel blocked or stuck and celebrate your achievements...
It's like private yoga classes for your business!