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A number of years ago, a story appeared in the Los angeles times. It seems a man was sitting in his living room one Sunday afternoon, feet propped up, watching TV, eating chips and drinking a soda. Totally relaxed, thoroughly enjoying his day. Not a care in the world. Suddenly, without warning, the wall of his living room explodes into pieces as a Los angeles city bus crashes into his home before coming to an abrupt stop. The man is unharmed, still sitting there with his feet up and a corn chip in hand. But now with a look of utter disbelief on his face as he stares into the tall glass windshield of the bus which is now facing him from where his TV used to be.

Some of us are prepared for such occurrences we anticipate they will happen and we are sure to build walls that not even a bus can penetrate. That's ridiculous. What is he talking about?, you ask. You see, many of us spend hours of our days (not only while awake, but also in dreams), worrying about anything and everything that can possibly go wrong. Okay, so maybe planning to deal with a city bus crashing into your studio is a bit much, but think about all the things that you worry about which may not be as extreme, but still hurt your business. (More on the bus story in a minute) I know studio owners who say things like:

I won't hire anyone new because they might not work out and then I'd need to fire them. (I'll stick with the mediocre staff I have at least I know their weaknesses)
I don't want to implement an auto-renew program because someone might not like it and tell all their friends that they didn't know they were on an auto-renew program and then no one will come to my studio anymore.
I don't want to sell merchandise (even what we use in class), because then I'd need to figure out what to do if someone didn't like what they bought and returned it. If this happened a lot, I could lose money. I'd better not sell anything.
I don't want to put out an email newsletter because if I write about a student and make a mistake they could complain and even sue me.

My question to you is this: Where in your own life (business or personal) do you spend time and energy worrying about things that might possibly go wrong? How much emotional energy does this take each week? How much time?

When we focus on what might go wrong, we defeat ourselves. First, we use up time and emotional energy. Next, if you follow the law of attraction, we attract into our lives exactly what we don't want. Also, if you devoted all this time and emotional energy to achieving something that you do want as a part of your studio (or of your life), imagine what could you achieve? There is a big difference between playing at life to not lose and playing to win. Virtually anyone in history who make any kind of a difference in the world played to win. Think of Gandhi, Mother Theresa, The Dalai Lama, or whomever you personally admire. Henry Ford once said Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eye off the goal.

So, how do we choose what to devote time and energy to? I often recommend a simple model, called the Circle of Influence. Imagine there is a circle around you. Inside the circle is everything in your life that concerns you AND which you have a reasonable degree of influence over. Things like the friends you have, what you eat for lunch, what you spend your money on, what type of work you've chosen, etc. Outside of this circle are all those things that you care about maybe very deeply but which you have very little or no influence over. This might be national or world politics, the weather, what choices most other people make in their lives, etc.

Now you get to make a choice. Once you've made this distinction, you may choose to focus nearly all of your time, energy and resources on those things within your circle. Sure, you care deeply about those things outside of your circle, but spending time worrying about them won't improve them. On the contrary, often when we focus on things inside our circle, it expands. Soon we find that we have more influence in the world than we did before. What things in your studio and in your life fall inside your circle of influence, and what falls outside of it?

The bottom line is this. Spend nearly all your time, energy and focus on the goal you want to reach. Only deal with those potential obstacles that clearly lie ahead in your path. As far as the guy with the bus in his living room goes, it turns out that the bus was stolen. In fact because it was stolen, the city refused to take responsibility for the damage. In the end, you can't prepare for everything. You can waste a lot of time trying, but there will always be the chance that a bus drives though your living room. Deal with what you need to and trust the rest will work out. If I might make a request: What is one area of your studio that you stress about, but which you could realistically let go of and be willing to just let go of worrying about? Okay, now do it I know if feels like a giant leap sometimes, but remember, many great souls have already proven this path for you. Go in peace.

Namast,
Al Lipper
Coach Al Lipper

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If you found this newsletter insightful, pass on the good fortune to others right now. Thank you!

Coach Al Lipper

Business Coach for yoga Studios
Destiny: Success
Website: http://www.CenteredBusiness.com
Email: fcoach@centeredbusiness.com
Telephone: (805) 544-3938

Coach Al Lipper of 'Destiny: Success' helps yoga studio business owners smoothly run and expand their yoga studio business. He helps stressed and overwhelmed yoga studio business owners who spend most their time wrapped up in daily business tasks, who can't handle any more clients, or who can't make any more money out of the yoga studio.

Coach Al helps clients find new yoga business strategies which result in generating more clients, increased profits, and more free time for the business owner. The amount invested was small compared to the results. Contact him today to discuss your yoga studio challenges at (805) 544-3938 or visit http://www.CenteredBusiness.com

pregnancy can be a challenging phase for your spouse. Maintaining a healthy posture will help her keep back problems away. An exercise routine will especially help her to keep fit. Your spouse can begin an exercise routine even if she has never really exercised before. Walking, swimming, pre-natal yoga, and simple aerobics are ideal forms of exercise during pregnancy.

These are some of the things your spouse may need to remember if she is starting an exercise routine:

All exercise programs should be begun gradually. Starting with about 15 minutes, three to four days a week is sufficient.

She should resist the temptation to overdo it.

She should avoid jogging, unless she used to jog regularly before her pregnancy.

She should avoid doing sit-ups and other exercises, which involve lying on the back as they may decrease blood flow to the uterus.

Exercises that involve standing in the same place for long periods can also decrease blood flow to the baby. It is better to keep moving or changing positions frequently.

She should avoid strenuous forms of exercise, such as riding a bike.

She should wear loose comfortable clothing and avoid overheating.

She must drink adequate amounts of water to avoid dehydration.

She should eat healthy foods to make up for calories lost during exercise.

If, after exercise, she notices symptoms such as fatigue, pain, nausea, vaginal bleeding or discharge, or pelvic contractions, she should contact her doctor immediately.

Whether your spouse is pregnant or not, exercise is one of the best things she can do for her physical and emotional health. The American college of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that pregnant women without health problems or pregnancy complications exercise moderately for 30 minutes or more on most, if not all, days of the week.

Pregnant or not, exercise helps keep the heart, bones, and mind healthy. Staying active also seems to give some special added paybacks for pregnant women.

Here are some really good reasons for your spouse to get regular exercise during pregnancy:

It can ease and prevent aches and pains of pregnancy including constipation, varicose veins, backaches, and exhaustion

Active women seem to be better prepared for labor and delivery and recover more quickly

Exercise may lower the risk of high blood pressure and diabetes during pregnancy

Fit women have an easier time getting back to a healthy weight after delivery

Regular exercise may improve sleep during pregnancy.

Staying active can protect your spouses emotional health. Pregnant women who exercise seem to have better self-esteem and a lower risk of depression and anxiety. Get more information for pregnancy exercise

Many adults have taken up yoga, but yoga has not gained as the same popularity with children. Child yoga can offer many of the same benefits to kids as it does to adults.

What can yoga offer your child?

A healthier body Childhood obesity is on the rise and one of the main reasons for it is that kids today do not move enough. yoga is a powerful technique for children to begin moving their bodies in ways that feel good and help them look good. Even if your child is of normal weight, yoga can help her become stronger, gain endurance and flexibility. If your child is involved in another sport, a regular yoga practice is a great cross training activity and it may help him reduce the risk of injuries.

The ability to control stress Today's children are under enormous stress. They are often over scheduled, they face tough competition in school, they have to deal with peer pressure, and they are trying to find their way in the world. This combination can cause children to become stressed out. yoga can help your child learn how to relax. When your child learns how to control her breathing and relax during her practice, she can then apply this to her world when she encounters challenging situations.

Increased self-esteem yoga is a non-competitive activity. Yet it does offer your child the ability to master challenging poses (especially as he gets older). Your child can feel good about his increasing ability without having to worry about how he compares to everyone else. This experience of success can help your child feel more confident in his ability to be successful in other things too.

Greater concentration
The breathing and inward focus that is a main component of any yoga practice can help your child learn to focus his mind more effectively. A number of studies have shown that many children who practice yoga, especially those with problems such as ADHD, are able to concentrate for longer periods of time.

What is a child yoga program like?
The main focus of a child yoga program is on fun. Often the children will pretend to be the animal for which the pose is named. For instance, when they are doing Cat Pose, they become the cat and may even meow. If they are doing Downward Facing dog with their butts high in the air, they will often bark, as they become the dog. The children are encouraged to fully participate in and enjoy the 'game of yoga.' Sometimes the instructor will create an entire story about the poses that the children are in so as to make the class interesting and to fully engage them. The children don't realize how much they are benefiting from the practice; the only thing they know is that they are having a good time.

Practicing yoga at home with your child.
While child yoga classes are wonderful, they are often hard to find. Depending on where you live, you might not be able to find a place to take your child. Don't fret. There are a number of excellent videos and books that you can get which will help you become your child's yoga teacher.

*Find a spot in your home where you have room to move freely.

*Establish an atmosphere of fun.

*Put on the video and do the poses together, hopefully with lots of giggles sprinkled in.

*Pick out some poses from a book that you can do have your child choose some of the them.

*When doing the relaxation exercise, talk your child through it by describing a warm, inviting place such as a quiet field near a bubbling brook with butterflies and singing birds. Use your imagination to create a safe and friendly space and help your child experience it in his imagination.

Child yoga is an enjoyable activity that can provide major benefits to your child. It will help her grow stronger physically, mentally, and emotionally and she'll have a lot of fun too!

Della Menechella is a yoga and fitness enthusiast who has been involved in fitness for over thirty years. Her website http://www.beauty-fitness-yoga-source.com/ is filled with practical information about how you can make yoga and fitness a positive part of your life. Visit the site and get your free meditation e-book.

The popularity of satellite radio is growing each year and for good reason. From the convenience of being able to listen to a favorite station from virtually anywhere without interruption and excellent sound quality to the wide variety of programming and less frequent commercial interruptions, the service is well worth the low monthly fee for many individuals.

For those who want more entertainment than what traditional radio or their own private music collection can offer, the question that arises is not whether or not satellite radio is a good choice but how to get the service started.

Clearly, the first step in getting started with satellite radio is to select the service. While europe has WorldSpace, the US uses two providers; Sirius and XM Radio. Both offer well over 160 channels of listening that is virtually commercial free. Pricing for both is in the neighborhood of $13 per month plus the cost of receivers and a small one time activation fee. Potential buyers can easily research the available programming through both Sirius and XM Radio via their respective websites and determine which subscription plan will meet their entertainment needs.

For those who would prefer a side by side comparison of the two services a simple search on Google for "Sirius vs. XM" will reveal numerous sites that provide a current "at-a-glance" comparison of the two satellite radio providers.

Once the choice is made, equipment will be necessary as a satellite radio receiver will be required. This could include a home receiver, car stereo, plug-and-play type device for use in both the home and car, or perhaps a small personal listening device. This equipment can be available through many reputable home electronics stores as well as directly through Sirius or XM Radio.

Any necessary installation of receivers in a car or boat can be done professionally or as a do-it-yourself task. Sirius for instance provides detailed, simple written instructions for installation via their site; Sirius.com as well as a video demonstration of installation.

After the installation of any receivers, another visit online, or by telephone, allows new customers to activate the satellite radio service for the subscription plan selected.

Obviously, getting started with satellite radio is not a complex process nor does it entail an exorbitant ongoing expense. Opening up the broader world of excellent radio entertainment is only a few mouse clicks away from reality for the listening public.

Christine Peppler believes that consumers should not have to possess a technology degree to be able to choose home electronics and entertainment devices. Take advantage of the wealth of simple to understand, useful information and shopping available on her website at http://www.homemedias.info