Category: Free Inquiry
This is the category to apply to your Free Inquiry posts.
For this week, I am veering away from my website slightly because in the creation of my website and my research I have been inspired to create a poster using Canva to put up in my community offering one-on-one yoga classes or a yoga mentorship program on a sliding scale or for trade.
I typed this into ChatGPT to see if it could pull out the bits of into I should add:
I am a yoga teacher who wants to start offering one-on-one yoga classes. I want to make a poster to put up around my community. I am going to give a bunch of information and then can you take it all and write up some text that I would put onto my poster. I dont want the poster to have too much text, just enough to get the person looking at it interested. Here is my philosophy on yoga: Yoga isn’t just a practice for me; it’s a way of life, a profound path to uncovering the beauty and depth of each moment. My teaching philosophy is rooted in creating a space where individuals can arrive exactly as they are, shedding the layers of judgment and expectation to simply be present in their bodies and breath. In my classes, you’ll find a blend of playfulness and discipline, intuition and inquiry. I believe in the power of yoga to cultivate curiosity and awareness, offering a gateway to understanding the fluctuations of the mind and the habits that shape our lives. As your guide, I’m here to provide gentle encouragement and suggestions, allowing the practice itself to be the ultimate teacher. With a background in nature connection and somatic movement, I infuse elements of the natural world into our practice, whether it’s exploring the elements within us or flowing through sequences inspired by the rhythms of the earth. Each class is an invitation to dive deep, to explore the depths of your being. And here is just a bit more info: I trained at Vinyasa YogaShala Riskikesh, India in 2018 My focus tends to be rooted in the somatic experience of using the body and breath to guide the practitioner to the present moment. Curiosity, exploration, compassion, discipline tend to be other focuses that will be woven into most practices. There are no prerequisites. What I teach in yoga i What I teach under the umbrella of yoga include: the asana (postural practice), Breath practice, meditation, philosophy, and lifestyle. I want to attract all people of all ages. I want people to feel warm when they read the text.
This is what it gave me:
🌿 Discover Yoga with [Your Name] 🌿
Embark on a journey of self-discovery through yoga, where every moment is an opportunity to find beauty and depth within yourself.
🌟 Philosophy of Yoga: Experience more than just poses – uncover a way of life. Embrace each moment with openness, shedding judgment and expectation to simply be present in body and breath.
🧘 What to Expect: Join me for classes filled with a blend of playfulness and discipline, intuition and inquiry. Together, we’ll cultivate curiosity and awareness, allowing yoga to reveal the fluctuations of the mind and shape our lives.
🌍 Nature-Inspired Practice: Infused with elements of the natural world, our sessions explore the rhythms of the earth and the elements within us. Dive deep into your being with sequences inspired by nature.
🎓 About Me: Trained at Vinyasa YogaShala in Riskikesh, India in 2018, I bring a focus on somatic experiences, guided by body and breath. Expect practices rooted in curiosity, exploration, compassion, and discipline.
🌸 All Are Welcome: No prerequisites required – yoga is for everyone, regardless of age or experience level. Step onto the mat and into a warm, inclusive community.
📅 Join Us: [Contact Information/Location/Class Schedule]
Let’s flow, breathe, and grow together. Embrace the journey with open arms. Namaste. 🙏
I sent this over to some yoga friends to see what they thought and only got one response so far. Their response was “😍😍😍”
I watched this video on Youtube to get some more information on how to create a poster.
Below you can see my progress as I play around with different designs on Canva.
After my discussion with my sister-in-law, Lynn on the purpose of the website I went back to my idea board and began to finish some of the planned workshops.
Here is the write up for the yoga and dance workshop coming up:
Root to Rise: A Somatic Experience
Join us for an evening of embodiment and connection through yoga and somatic dance.
The journey will take you through your chakra system, from root to crown, where we will focus on accessing each energetic point with intention, and begin to learn the language of our own soul.
Explore the joy of movement and self-expression through an immersive yoga and dance experience that blends elements of somatic movement, breath, meditation, and creative exploration.
With Rachel and Eddy
And here is the link to sign up
And here is the meditation workshop I have planned but have not yet pitched to the studio:
The Nature of Mindfulness and Meditation – An Introduction to Creating a Meditation Practice
Join me for an afternoon where we dive into the foundation of mindfulness and meditation, providing you with the tools and knowledge to establish your own practice.
Through a blend of discussion and experiential exercises, we will explore various meditation techniques, such as seated, walking, and somatic meditation.
Discover how this practice serves as a powerful tool for navigating the adversities of life, fostering resilience, and finding inner peace amidst challenges. Whether you’re a beginner seeking to start your journey or looking to deepen your existing practice, this workshop offers valuable insights and practical guidance for incorporating mindfulness and meditation into your daily life.
The creation of the website is inspiring me to create more offerings! Which is something that I did not expect!
Here is a screen recording of my website thus far:
This week I planned some interviews with friends who have websites to guide me in the creation of my own. I asked them questions about design, marketing, and overall uses. Both interviews were done through Zoom.
The initial interviewee was my cousin-in-law, Zaina, a yoga teacher based in New York City. She mostly discussed the significant traffic to her website originating from Instagram. She recommended placing emphasis on using the mobile viewing experience of the website, as this is the primary mode of access for most visitors. She also suggested to make it very easy to contact the website owner and encouraged the collection of visitor emails for a newsletter subscription. That way when a retreat is planned I will have a list of people to tell about it.
Through the screen share option on zoom I showed my website to Zaina and she gave me more feedback around how many words are on each page.
Here is link to Zaina’s yoga website.
My second interview was with my sister in-law Lynn. Lynn is a entrepenour who owns her own electric bike company. Here is think link to her website.
She mostly discussed purpose and having a hook on the website. She said that viewers need to be intrigued right when they come onto the webpage. She complimented my first image on my webpage however I need to change it for the mobile view.
Lynn also laid out the numbers in how much the website will cost me and then how much I could bring in from the website. Currently since I am not actively trying to find people for retreats and my yoga studios I teach at do all the marketing for my workshops she suggested that I do not yet pay for the website to make it live until I am ready to really use it.
The insight from both interviews gave me direction for the creation of the website.
This week I have been working on my website, reflecting on an offering I held last week, and planning my next offering for later in March.
SquareSpace has been fun and at times frustrating. My challenge this week was uploading a video to the website. At first I thought that I all I had to do was to convert the file from the iPhone file to a MP4 file and then add it however it did not work yet. I have been using this free tool to convert my files to usable JPG or MP4 files:
https://freetoolonline.com/heic-to-jpg.html
On Valentines Day, my partner and I held a partners yoga class at Ashtanga Yoga. Below is the Instgram post from Ashtanga Yoga and my instagram River Eddy. The class was very fun and very new for both my partner and I. I liked how open and curious everyone was who came to the offering. Something that I would change next time would be to spend more time on the acro section of the class. People seemed to have a lot of fun playing.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3BYq5TPgKM/
The next offering that I am currently planning is a yoga, dance, and sound workshop. I will be collaborating with my friend Rachel for this event who is a somatic dance facilitator. We are thinking of opening with a mediation focussing on setting an intention and following the breath. From there, I will lead us through an explorative and playful yoga practice. Rachel will guide us through a half facilitated dance where she focusses on each of the chakras. I will then close the practice with another medication and a sound bath.
I am using the website MindBody to create the link for people to sign up with. Here is the link to that website:
Here are a few more screenshots from my progress on my website:
This week I finally chose which website to use. After playing around with WordPress, Wix, Canva, and SquareSpace, I decided to use SquareSpace.
https://www.squarespace.com/templates/browse/topic/local-business/type/courses&services
I chose SquareSpace because of its intuitive nature and because of the about of flexibility it has when designing each section of the website. I initially chose a template however as I began to place pictures on the website, I found myself deleting many pre-set sections and adding in my own sections that I could then customize even more.
I used this YouTube video to learn about some of the fundamental editing tools on SquareSpace. I found it is quite a long video, however around minute 6 he begins to discuss more about how to edit.
Below are some screenshots of my website so far. Most of my text is still on my google docs so currently i am just creating the layouts and playing around with the software.
As I delve deeper into my inquiry, I realize it is evolving. I want to place more focus on how I can currently become a better space holder and create additional offerings while developing my website. I intend to use this platform to reflect on my teaching practices for the week and explore ways to grow. The best way for me to grow is to continue learning. So, I set my intention for the week to attend, practice, and conduct my own offerings to observe their impact on others and to be inspired.
This week, I taught four yoga classes, attended two dance sessions, provided two Ayurvedic Abyhanga massages, engaged in two nature meditations, participated in one yoga class, and attended a dance performance at the Royal Theatre.
During my yoga classes, I focused on teaching hanumanasana (the splits). It served as a peak pose, and I began with a warm-up to create space in the hamstrings and focus on the front sides of the hips. Before each class, I ensure I feel grounded and balanced to hold space for 45 people. To achieve this, I practice pranayama (breath practice) beforehand. While teaching, my music playlists keep me on track, present, and excited. However, in Thursday’s class, my Spotify app glitched, and my music wouldn’t play. I had to improvise, using breath and the Rav drum as the soundtrack for the class. It was somewhat epic, a bit scary, and very fun. The yoga class I attended was inspiring in the way she integrated poetry, weaving it throughout the class while guiding us into the next pose.
Yoga class I taught on Thursday:
This is a link to the schedule at the yoga studio I teach at:
https://mawellnessandyoga.ca/schedule/
On Thursday evening I attended an ecstatic dance event called Dance Temple on Saturday morning I attend a masterclass by one of my favourite dance companies, Compagnie Hervé Koubi from France. Both events were incredibly inspiring. The DJ at Dance Temple facilitated with warmth and invited a seamless drop into the present moment. The master class pushed me out of my comfort zone, but I learned a lot within the 90 minutes, gaining new vocabulary in my body and insights into spatial awareness on stage.
Here is a link to the website of Compagnie Hervé Koubi:
Here is a link to the FB page for Dance Temple, the ecstatic dance offering:
https://www.facebook.com/DanceTempleVictoria/
The two massages I gave were not my best; I was feeling tired that day and lacked energy. However, I still came away with valuable lessons. One client couldn’t lie on her belly due to broken ribs, so I massaged her backside while she lay on her side. It was challenging, but once again, a learning experience.
I conducted two nature meditations, focusing on each sense at a time and simply observing. One in Beacon Hill and one meditation at Thetis lake. Additionally, I embarked on a meditation walk, directing my attention to the soles of my feet. When my other senses picked up something new, I allowed my awareness to shift, and when ready, I brought my attention back to the soles of my feet.
The most inspiring part of my week was the dance performance by Compagnie Hervé Koubi. Attending the Royal Theatre on Saturday night, I was in awe for the entire 75-minute performance. This inspired me to resume my French lessons because I dream of joining this dance company one day.
At the week’s beginning, I set my intention to experience similar offerings to mine to spark inspiration. By week’s end, I’ve filled up my creative cup and am now overflowing with ideas. I proposed to my yoga studio to lead an offering on March 16th, weaving together yoga, dance, and sound healing.
The tech I practiced using was converting iPhone photos to JPG using:
https://freetoolonline.com/heic-to-jpg.html
This past week I spent my time gathering information and more photographs to build the website. As I am creating the content I notice I am struggling bit with imposter syndrome. Even though I feel competent in my abilities to hold space for holistic healing, I still doubt myself. I noticed this with my procrastination in creating a website in the first place.
I have been exploring the platforms of Canva, Wix, WordPress, and also now SquareSpace form Andrews recommendation. Canva and Wix feel very intuitive but WordPress and SquareSpace feels expansive and it feels like I have more choices. I will mostly likely decide which one I would like to use this week. I am noticing such a big part of this project is gathering the content.
I have also been greatly enjoying going back and looking at my photography and editing some photos for the Website. I mostly edit on my phone using the Photos App and also the PicMonkey photo editing website.
https://www.picmonkey.com/home/editor/CiQyYzljMjUxMi00MTNhLTRlNDgtYTE0Mi0wMDE5MWQ1M2JlOGM
Inquiry :
How can I create a website that is engaging and informative, effectively showcasing my expertise as a yoga teacher, highlighting my skills in nature connection and ecstatic dance facilitation, as well as abhyanga massage services? Additionally, how can I ensure it provides a welcoming online space for potential clients to explore and connect with my offerings?
My plan:
I will begin by deciding which website I would like to use. I have been exploring WordPress, Wix, and also Canva. I am choosing to look into other websites because I see myself possibly using these as a teacher.
On the website I will have five main categories: About, Yoga, Nature Connection, Abhyanga Massage, Dance, and Contact. Under each section there will be subsections:
About: general philosophy, about me, quick overview of offerings, upcoming classes
Yoga: Yoga philosophy, Weekly/Monthly offerings, Studios I teach at, Retreats – past/upcoming
Nature Connection: Background, offerings (one-on-ones/group), nature connection activity ideas
Abhyanga Massage: About, offerings, Ayurveda,
Dance: About, offerings
Action Plan:
I plan to start gathering this information and place it in a word document. I am also looking through my yoga, nature connection, dance, and massage photos to use on the website. I will also choose which website I would like to use so I can start
Examples of photos:
