WellSpring Yoga St. Louis Blog

Although I don't personally subscribe to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, one of my clients does, and I had the opportunity to read today's front section news. Along with the disappointing outcome of last night's Cardinals vs. Brewers play-off game (if you're a Cardinals fan) there were lead stories about Bank of America's plan to charge a debit card fee and infant deaths at unlicensed day care centers.

I also discovered further into the section (page 7) a piece on Mitt Romney, the Repulican's leading contender for the 2012 Presidential race, and his vow to Stop Obamanomics and its threat to plunge us billions of dollars deeper into debt. Next to that story was a record of how Missouri and Illinois congresspeople voted on recent bills to increase or establish EPA regulations on air pollution.

Except for the coverage on the game, all these stories and reports have one thing in common: The Great Recession.

1. The Bank of America Story: Large Banks with big customer bases, much to the glee of the Credit Unions, are now looking for ways to leverage fees onto their loyal clientele. The days of "Free Checking" are over; I personally closed a twenty-year-old checking account with Commerce and switched it over to First Community Credit Union, where I had previously had only car loans and a savings account. The victims of the fees are the account holders who can't afford to keep $600 to $1000 minimum in their checking accounts and thus avoid the fees. I saved one of my 73 year old clients $60 a year by discovering she was paying a $5 monthly fee on her checking account - which happened to be with a Credit Union so don't think you're safe just because its not commercial bank. I changed her account to a senior one which has no fee. She had no clue about the fee until I pointed it out.

Reason for Fees: The Great Recession; banks are losing money due to increased government standards and interest rates and have to increase their incomes
The Victims of Bank Fees: Low-income and the Elderly

2. Infant deaths at unlicensed day-care centers: There were eight infant deaths in the past year, all except one deemed accidental, all were children aged three or less months, and most, if not all, were due to improper sleeping supervision and/or positioning. Many of the deceased babies had older siblings who were at the same center at the time of their death. The state has not punished or closed the centers, which are in private homes, due to weak laws and low fines; people are allowed to watch children in their homes if the number of children is five or less and/or they are related to the caregiver. Caregivers routinely lie about their licensure status to prospective parent customers. If caught they are told they must be compliant with the law and reduce the number of children in their care. They are fined $200 to $400, and serve no jail time.

Reason for Infant Daycare Deaths: Parents, especially those with more than one child, have to work soon after their babies are born and thus put very young (2 and 3-month old infants) into daycare. Women who need income take in children for pay and attempt to watch as many as eight to twelve infants, toddlers, and young children under the age of 2 years, when they are too young for Kindegarten. Two- and three-month old infants are fragile and susceptible to SIDS and asphixiation. They need to be monitored closely when sleeping and positioned carefully. A single individual caring for many children  of a very young age is taking a great risk, and its all about Making and Saving Money in times of financial stress. Again, The Great Recession.

The Victims of Illegal Daycare: Infants, bereaved families, the other customers of the daycare facility, and so on. Even the women who are responsible for these children are vicitims; how do live with yourself when a child has died under your watch?

Mitt Romney and Obamanomics: Whether you're Dem or Repub, it all stinks: in order to balance the budget and decrease the deficit, taxes have to be increased and Medicare/Medicaid benefits have to be reduced. The current propasal to reduce the debt COULD work, provided it is not changed or re-worked in any way (as politicians are wont to do). The non-partisan Committee for reporting on economic regulation and university economists predict that the plan has great potential for success, but it's under fire by Romney who selectively reads the report and looks at the expenditures but ignores the income created by the proposed budget.

Reasons for Budget and Romney's Rants: The Great Recession

Victims of Budget Cuts or if the Plan is Changed: The elderly, infants, low- to middle income... everyone except the Very Rich

How are Politicians Voted on Pollution Regulation Bills: There were three opportunities to pass or deny bills that would have increased toxic emission controls or allowed EPA regulations to take effect. Voting yes could either allowed for less control or for regulations to be increased on Mercury emissions (shown to be extremely dangerous to infants), cement dust (bad for all of us) and boiler emissions which or course add heat to the atmosphere. The Democratic reps (with one exception) all voted in favor of increased regulation or putting higher EPA standards into effect; the Republicans all voted the opposite, and won.

Reason the Republicans gave for voting against stricter pollution controls: To save jobs. REEEEELLLLY??? How in the heck does THAT work? COME ON! In truth, stricter standards would undoubtedly create jobs but would definitely reduce profits for those companies having to hire more workers to do things in a safer, less toxic manner. Due to The Great Recession profits are most likely already on the decline and companies are loath to make any changes that could potentially cost them money. Hello, Politician Friend... please help me out.. Quid Pro Quo!

The Victims of Reduced Toxic Air/Pollution Controls: Infants, the environment, and ALL OF US.

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I don't use Groupon, nor do I accept Groupon for my services. Here's why, short and sweet:

Groupon has a contract that stipulates they receive 50% of the sales amount, and the yoga studio (since I am a yoga teacher, this is the example I will use) recieves the other 50%. So out of that 50% the teacher is paid whatever the studio can afford; usually something like a $1 per student.

Groupons devalue the service they are supposedly promoting by offering it an extremely low price. The argument that the low price makes the service or yoga class available to someone who otherwise couldn't afford it doesn't hold water: how are they going to afford full-price classes once their Groupon is used up? Also, what is to keep them from purchasing another Groupon at another studio?

The cheap price of a Groupon does not breed loyalty. It breeds contempt. There is no respect for the practice of yoga, just an emphasis on getting a good deal. Instead, why not offer specials to those students who have demonstrated loyalty by coming week after week, month after month, year after year, and cut THEM a deal such as: sign up for a series now and get another at half price. Win-win. Use social media which is cheap or free (Constant Contact, FaceBook) to promote these specials to the regulars.

The other argument is that people who come in with a Groupon get "hooked" and then pay full price. This does happen, but does it justify disgruntling the regulars when all those Groupon people come pouring in at the last minute before their Groupon expires, taking up all the parking/class spaces, and making all those demands for specal treatment that their cheap Groupon (ahem) entitles them to make?

Finally, the Studio is responsible for State Sales Tax on the full amount of the service (yoga classes) not the Groupon discount amount. The Studio, not Groupon. Nope, Groupon doesn't have to pay a dime. So the studio has to turn to these hoards of folks coming in and ask them nicely if they'll pleeeeeese pay the full sales tax amount. Which they do, mostly with a good attitude.

Even if sales revenue for a studio truly justified Groupon, I would still be against it. There might be a spike in numbers after a Groupon feeding frenzy, but in the long haul I doubt it will continue. The fact is the studio loses money since they are selling spots in classes at a 75% discount. Let's say a class has 20 students with 50% paying Groupon price ($5/class), 50% paying regular price ($12). Instead of the studio taking an average of  $12/student at $240, the studio gets $170. The teacher who ordinarily makes $144 now gets $102. Not bad you say. Well, lets say the rent and utilities for that particular class are around $75, which is a reasonable for a studio that's paying $15 to $20 per square foot for rent, plus utils and other expenses, such as a website. Now subtract State Sales Tax on $120 (at around 9% its $10). So here's the happy math:

Studio takes in Groupon plus regular sales at $170. Now subtract what the Studio pays the teacher, lets say a salary @ 60%  which is $102. Subtract the rent, utils, and marketing costs at around $75, and subtract the sales tax on the full amount of the Groupon sales at $10 and the studio takes a loss of $17.

Now, if all 20 students paid full price of $12 average, which includes sales tax, the math would be $240 minus $144 minus $75, which is a profit of $21.

Granted some of the loss is offset by the fact that some of the Groupon purchasers are paying the sales tax. Some of it. But if a studio wants to stay solvent, Groupon is not going to do it. No way, no how, will it EVER add up. Let's face it, it's really tough to make a profit in the yoga business. It's practically a requirement to have a 200-hour teacher training program; it builds business and keeps the money energy flowing. But how are all those graduates going to see any return on their investment if all they get is $1 per student from Groupon sales?

There is a reason studios charge an average of $12 (which includes the sales tax) per student for a class. BECAUSE THAT WHAT IT COSTS.

Oh yeah, that's right. You can solve this by having 40 or 50 people in all your classes. I know some teachers can do a great job with that many students. Not moi. If I had an assistant and its a workshop, OK. If it's some big outdoor extravaganza where the quality of teaching and the personal connection matters not, sure. But I prefer to give my 20 to 25 students my maximum attention and devotion.

Finally, I won't pay for Groupon because I do my best to honor the yamas and the niyamas. To me, paying a few bucks for something that is normally worth $12 to $15 is tantamount to stealing and greediness. Can't do it, won't do it. 'Nuff said. Good-bye, Groupon. I am done with you.

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Do my clients think I am a beautiful angel of kindness and mercy?

Nah. Oh, sometimes they might, but I am not attached to what they think because how I am received by my clients changes like the weather.. it depends on what I'm doing for them and whether they perceive it as helpful. My one of my clients is a woman with dementia who LOVES to eat (junk, sugar, whatever) and is prone to impulse food-buying and is quite overweight. Obviously she isn't thrilled when I tell her she can't buy those honey roasted peanuts! Fortunately she forgets quickly.

That's called "letting the disease work in your favor".

It's truly amazing how in about a month's time I got really detached from my clients' opinions of me and their outbursts, crankiness, etc. The first time a client got really PO'd at me I freaked and my boss had to remind me not to take anything personally and to set healthy boundaries. I immediately set about doing so, and I can pretty safely say I have a fair amount of equanimity with it all. What's weird is that I couldn't do it with teaching yoga! I wanted everyone to like me and think I was the most wonderful teacher, and of course, everyone didn't. And it simply wasn't good enough to have some students like my teaching style and some not... it was all or nothing in my head.

That's all over now. I taught a promo class at Lululemon, which is a pricey workout-wear store in Plaza Frontenac, and I gave them a real yoga class, meaning that it was a practice in mindfulness and middle way, not just a workout with postures. Didn't care what the folks thought, and felt good about my integrity and standing my ground in teaching from my truth about what yoga is: a journey of Self-discovery.

Maybe it's because I'm over 50. They say that this is the decade when you get to not care what others think of you (within reason) which is very freeing.

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It has been a strange and wonderful journey to shift focus and emphasis in my life away from teaching yoga for a living and towards becoming an Occupational Therapy Assistant. Although it will be three years before the goal of being certified as an OTA will be realized, I am already exploring working in the field. My new endeavors include working for Companion Care Services as a non-medical care provider, working with seniors to help them stay independant, and volunteering at Benedict Joseph LaBre Center, a live-in rehab facility for men in recovery with drug alcohol, and mental illness issues.

Both of these new jobs have been extraordinary teachers, deeply humbling and challenging, yet giving me appreciation for unrealized talents and abilities. I credit teaching yoga and practicing Buddhism for giving me the wherewithall to take on these challenges and stay with my own sense of Self even when its rocked by new and different experiences.

The caregiver position includes working in hospital, nursing home, and in-home settings with clients who are disabled by physical illness and/or dementia. Compassion, patience, and a willingness to step into the clients' world have been the best tools I can pull from the tool box. The volunteer job, which is teaching yoga to 4 to 6 men with varying degrees of physical and emotional challenges is fascinating; I watch myself resist going each week, and then without fail, find myself loving this population and their courage and willingness to change.

This work has been tremendously humbling in the face of the challenges of the human spirit. When working with people with Altzheimer's or dementia it is knowing that these diseases are a one-way journey, and yet the goal is to keep the individual connected to their core (in yoga-speak True Nature or Self) possibly until the brain finally forgets how to breathe the body. When working with "the guys" it is watching them struggle to incorporate a new sense of Self, which does not include being homeless, addict, or criminal, but instead a vital and functional human being.

Communication skills are vital in these jobs, and I have had to learn new methods and unlearn old ones (when working with dementia one sometimes has to "lie" to protect the client's fragile emotional state, something that Yoga doesn't exactly teach!) Watching body language and being quick to assess a situation and create new possibilities is key with the populations with whom I now work. In this regard teaching yoga has been invaluable because that's something any good teacher does often in class settings.

Finally, the best aspect of a background of many years of teaching yoga  and practicing Buddhism is compassion and kindness; always remembering that the folks with whom I work are beings deserving of respect and honoring, even when they behave badly (and they can behave very badly at times!) In many cases they cannot help it, and never is it something to take personally.

I love this new path, although it is sometimes disheartening and wearying, but I am committed, and I feel I am moving in a necessary direction. I know, because I continue to be happy and peaceful, that I have at last found my Dharma.

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I have now had the pleasure of taking classes from three of the four other teachers at Ullola Yoga, which is fast becoming my "studio of choice". Angela Culbertson, intrepid owner of Ullola, is an accomplished "deep practitioner" and she continues to hone her skills as she is now studying Astanga Yoga with Tim Miller in San Diego. I can't wait to take class from her when she returns in early July!

Angela, Carolyn, and Sheri of Ullola Yoga all demonstrate wonderful skill as teachers, and it feeds my soul to have them near and available so I can get my yoga class fix. It is critical for my well-being to periodically learn from other teachers, and although this weekend I will be blessed to spend time with internationally-acclaimed Sarah Powers (sponsored by Chris Yonker of YogaSource) I am so grateful to have local folks to support me in my practice in a wonderful yogic environment.

Speaking of environment, I truly appreciate being able to take class in yoga studios. I am a firm believer in studios dedicated primarily to yoga; there is no comparison to the degree of yoga community that is fostered by studios. Although I teach in a variety of venues, I have to admit I prefer the studio environment that engenders a sense of peace, calm, and mindfulness which pervades the entire space.

Yoga needs to be widely available to the entire population, which is why I teach at a community center, an herb store,  and at rehab facilities for men and women. But a studio such as Ullola helps me stay connected and grounded so I am better able to share mindful energy with students in different kinds of settings.

Thanks to all the studio owners (Angela, Chris, Robin Buck, and all the rest) who give so much of their time and energy to gift all of us with a place to practice and share our love of yoga!

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The degree of mindfulness in local (St. Louis) yoga practitioners is increasing, as demonstrated by the participants in both the Reset to Renewal workshop and the Rhythm & Flow class which took place during the Memorial Day weekend. As a yoga teacher I am gratified and deeply satisfied to watch students in their practice, and see the growth and deeper understanding they display in classes and workshops.

Although there are blended forms of yoga and other practices that sometimes diminish yoga's emphasis on increased Self-inquiry and honesty, the overall increase in awareness on the part of students and teachers is quite apparent.

As I continue to offer workshops and classes I find myself fed by the energy students put into their efforts in practice, as well as their willingness to surrender and release old, non-serving patterns and habits. Yoga in St. Louis just keeps getting better and better!

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Hello to visitors to the WellSpring Yoga website! I am excited about the opportunity to create a fusion of yoga and dance in the upcoming class on Memorial Day Monday, May 31, 2010. This will be a chakra-balancing, energy-expanding, heart-opening joyous occasion.. if you've never experienced yoga or movement to live drumming by some very skillful drummers, you need to treat yourself to this event! Please join me at 9:30am at Ullola on Memorial Day!

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