Tips from the experts to help you grow the yoga business of your dreams
This month’s mentor:
Chris Nelson, 61, wellbeing entrepreneur, author, yogi, and founder of Ashiyana Yoga & Wellbeing Retreat Centres and BEST ME Journey (ashiyana.com)
What are the fundamentals for building a successful yoga brand?
Stay true to your values and highest intentions, and yet constantly innovate the product. When Ashiyana opened its doors in 2006, we were able to ride the wave of yoga that was spreading through the western world. This naturally meant that practitioners were keen to discover its roots through trips to India, which was obviously a huge boon for us in Goa.
Ashiyana has always stayed true to its origins, by consistently offering the opportunity for deep relaxation – to come home to yourself. This is what we are best known for, holding a loving embrace for our guests, so that they feel like they’re in their home away from home.
I have always paid close attention to the trends in the market place. Yoga has been exploding as an industry, offering multiple opportunities through sensing what customers wanted. For example, one-to-one yoga sessions, yoga therapy (yoga as medicine), and Ayurvedic treatments. But what I have been most focussed on is creating the possibility for sustainable lifestyle change, since I have felt that this simply isn’t provided for anywhere in the world of wellbeing. My obstinate obsession with this has resulted in the launch of BEST ME Journey, an on- and offline wellbeing support system.
What are the traits of a great yoga teacher?
As with any practitioner, and indeed anyone working with other people in a therapeutic, support, training or mentoring capacity, the key is to be empathic. Along with empathy, I would also say listening skills, and being able to hold a loving space. Skills can be taught, but essentially traits of personality and character cannot. We therefore always look for this quality first, whomever we employ.
And what are some essential qualities of a yoga business owner?
As with any business owner, you need to be hard working, resilient, and have a passion for what you’re doing. You also need to be a student of your product, otherwise the message from the top lacks integrity.
Ashiyana runs teacher training courses in India, Brazil, and now Spain – are they also open to those who don’t intend to teach?
Very much so, in fact we are often cited as a training that has more to do with self-development than learning to become a yoga teacher. Our intention is that our training provides you with the framework, confidence and tools to go on to teach if you want to, but if not, it offers the opportunity for a deep dive into introspection and self awareness. This is a valuable gift to yourself.
Your BEST ME system of wellbeing comprises retreats and an app, how does it work?
BEST ME has been created over 10 years of research, experimentation, trial and error, and a mountain load of blood, sweat and tears. It has been designed as a support system that enables sustainable behavioural change, rather like the retreat that never ends.
I conceived of this combination of elements – retreat, coaching, app and community support, because everything that I know of in the marketplace is little more than a ‘hot bath’ – great while you’re in its embrace, but once the experience ends, you’re right back where you started.
With our ecosystem, you leave the retreat motivated, inspired, and with a whole new vision for your future, and now you have the support and guidance of your coach who creates a personalised wellbeing programme for you.
It’s all about baby steps across key areas of your lifestyle. And a lot of the ‘Rituals’ that your coach will recommend, whether bespoke to you, or from the app’s library, are centred on your mindset. This is because, if you transform your mindset to be more positive and resilient, then your life rapidly evolves for the better.
What has been your biggest lesson learned from making your passion also your profession?
Fortunately, I haven’t suffered from the biggest challenge that many, or even most, yoga teachers encounter, which is that earning a living as a yoga teacher is hard work, often lonely, frequently underpaid, and therefore not all that it’s cracked up to be.
I was lucky to be an entrepreneur and therefore had no illusions about setting up a business. I also had another stream of income when I first taught, and therefore had no financial pressure. When I set up Ashiyana Goa, I had my own funds, and therefore once again, finances were not an issue. At least not at that stage!
Can you share a moment from your journey where you were completely out of your comfort zone, but it turned out to be a breakthrough for you or the brand?
I vividly remember one of our first 200-hour teacher trainings, where I was teaching the philosophy. While I have a pretty philosophical approach to live, and I love yoga philosophy, I was not in my lane. I didn’t know the material well enough, and more importantly, I felt the need to appear to be someone with gravitas and great wisdom. The smart students on the training saw through my veil of inauthenticity, and to cut a long story short, they let me know about it in no uncertain terms. This taught me the importance of only ever being in my lane, and also only speaking from a place of my own direct experience. This has been invaluable for Ashiyana, and had I not had this ego-destroying experience, I don’t believe that BEST ME would be what it is today.
As an entrepreneur in the wellness space, what advice would you give to others looking to build a business that is not just successful but also meaningful and transformative for its clients?
Become clear about who you are, and how you want to express your creativity, and stay true to this. Speak and act from a place of integrity, and employ incredible human beings who are far better than you at almost everything.
Nick Rice is a seasoned editor and writer, currently based in Catalonia.
A roving intellect and spiritual seeker, he’s passionate about yoga,
meditation and personal growth.
Photos: Natacha Elmir
Om Magazine
First published in November 2009, OM Yoga magazine has become the most popular yoga title in the UK. Available from all major supermarkets, independents and newsstands across the UK. Also available on all digital platforms.
