How can you live each moment with passion, health and purpose?
October 8, 2008
Dear Friend,
Before you answer that question – I want to offer a heartfelt "thank you". If you are receiving this letter, it means you are inspired to grow, learn and develop through the practice of Zen Yoga. Zen means presence and Yoga means union. Zen Yoga is to unify the mind and body through the practice of presence. So my thank you is for your support, believing in our Zen Yoga school and more importantly, believing in yourself. Just by actively pursuing the harmonization of your mind and body through a regular yoga discipline – you are among the top 2% of Americans who choose to improve themselves. As you know, most people don't - most stop growing in their late 20's or early 30's. This leads to at best stagnation, at worst atrophy or decay.
As you know, good health and inner peace do not happen by accident! (Poor health, stress, and un-happiness happen by accident.) Having a regular Yoga practice reverses this effect. You get younger each year! (We measure biological age at Zen Illumination – but this is not the point of this letter – check out www.zenillumination.com if you are interested in the biological age testing.)
Sign up for my free Zen Yoga
teacher training video series.
I will send you 5 short really cool,
enlightening videos over the next few weeks.
Most people do not wake up each morning with a sense of purpose – an "aliveness" and passion, ready to seize each moment and embrace the day. Even among the few that do have a feeling of purpose – most don't have the health and vitality that comes with an eastern health discipline. Don't be among the many – be among the few!
Before I explain our Zen Yoga teacher-training program let me ask you a few questions:
- Do you feel better since you began your Zen Yoga practice?
- Do family and friends notice a calmness, or inner-peace when you come home from class?
- Would you like to take your Yoga practice to the next level and gain greater insight into you and others?
- Do you like working with others – do you like to see others grow and realize their potential?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, read on. If you answered no to all the above questions – please stop reading (don't waste your time.)
Your journey into finding your own power
So what is Zen Yoga teacher training?
The first thing you learn as a Zen Yoga Teacher is that you can only give what you have an abundance of. So this means that you must first transform yourself before you can help others to transform. Unfortunately, personal transformation is not for everyone – it is for the few. So your journey begins with deepening your own practice and understanding of the mechanics of mind and body. For example, you will learn:
- The 3 root causes of unhappiness (and how to avoid them)
- The cycles of the 5-elements and how to use this tool for understanding yourself, others and events.
- How Yin and Yang theory applies not just to your Zen Yoga practice but to your daily life
- How to identify the 7 chakras – and use this understanding for self-healing and healing others.
- Understand the 5000 year old language of the "I-Ching" and how it was and still is used to see patterns in nature, human affairs, relationships, etc.
- How can even a simple understanding of "Ohm" can bring a greater sense of energy and inner-peace.
- How to teach the 12 pieces of Brocade (Zen Yoga Foundation) and other parts of the Zen Yoga curriculum so you can share it with family, friends, and yes – even your students.
- We will even go over how to set up your own "practice" and create students (for those looking to become a professional Zen Yoga teacher.) (The definition of professional is to be paid for your work – in this case paid for your teaching.)
- And much more....
Before you apply, there a few things to consider.
What do you want to gain from the teacher training program – or you can even think of the question as "who would you like to become as a result of the training."
Are you interested in teaching professionally or just learning to deepen your practice (we have a licensing program for teachers that want to go pro.)
Am you willing to completely "show up" for each class. To "show up" does not just mean to attend the class – you must be fully engaged in the process and embrace each moment.
Understand that a yoga teacher's deepest responsibility - and ultimate reward - is the ability to transform the lives of individuals seeking mental, physical, emotional and inspirational growth - and leading them to a healthier state of existence. Through this process you too become transformed. As the saying goes: "A rising tide lifts all boats."
When it comes to considering a Zen Yoga career – ask yourself:
Do I currently have a high level of job satisfaction? The fitness professionals industry has an 85% job satisfaction rate according to an Idea Health & Fitness survey. My personal belief is that yoga teachers have a much higher job satisfaction. Think about it – you live the zen yoga lifestyle!
So who am I and why am I qualified to teach you? I am currently a 6th degree black belt registered with the United Martial Arts Association of America – UMA encompasses many martial, healing and yoga styles. I have been teaching full time for over 17 years, and currently own Kung Fu, Zen Yoga and Zen Wellness Centers, and have worked with over 200 school owners in the US and Canada. I began my training in the late 80's under Master Teacher Jeff Arbiet. The discipline was Chung Moo Quan – a Korean hybrid of martial arts, chi gong and yoga. My first teacher (Master Arbeit) had his leg cut off when he was 19 (run over by a drunk boat driver while water skiing – only a piece of flesh was still attached.) To make a very long story short he used the ancient healing techniques to walk again. (The Doc told him to get comfortable in the wheel chair – that it was impossible to heal his leg.) It took him 7 years to walk and another 5 to run. The biggest thing he imprinted on me (aside from all the form, movement, and healing techniques)
was that ANYONE can benefit from the eastern arts – all you need to do is be willing to learn. A decade later I continued my studies with Grand Master Pan Qing Fu (Northern style Kung Fu, Yang Styles Tai Chi, Bagwa Chung (Taoist healing and martial art) and Tiger Form (one of my favorites!) Master Michael Leone (Long Fist, Tiger-Crane and 18 weapons) Master Ping Cheng (Bagwa, Yang style Tai Chi, Chi Gong, Tai Chi Sword, Yin Yoga, Preying Mantis, 5-Element Theory, 8-Trigram Theory, Chin Style Tai Chi, Xing-Yi Quan). Master Liang Sho Yu (Medical Chi Gong), Baron Baptiste (Baptiste style Vinyassa Flow Yoga), Rolf Gates (more vinyasa flow yoga), Sifu Rick Wong (Xing-Yi Quan), Master Jerry Cook (Southern 5-Animal Kung Fu, sword training), Grand Master Sung Baek (1st Degree of his Doh Yi (Taoist Healing Arts) curriculum including Taoist Yoga, Yin-Yang theory, 5-Elements and 6 Energies, 7-Dimentions and 8-Trigrams (I-Ching) acupuncture and other healing techniques.) There are of course many other teachers I have trained with – but the above are the main ones.
So why do I train teachers? It is what I do, it is who I am. My purpose (dharma) is to study the secrets of health, longevity, success and inner-peace and share what I find. I have no plans to let all this info "die in my head!" I help others reach their highest potential. Want a full or part time career in yoga? I can help you. Want to open a yoga school? I can help you. Want to buy an existing school? I can help you. I am fortunate not just to have found my passion years ago - but to be able to show others how to live theirs. I have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on my "yoga education", and hundreds of thousands of dollars on my "business education." No need for you to spend that much – I already did the work (and spent the $!) Your education will cost a lot less than mine! lol
Here are a few reasons to become a Zen Yoga teacher:
- Your self-esteem improves as you help others improve their lives.
- You become healthier – you deepen you own practice.
- You learn through students (anyone who has taught will confirm this.) The best way to learn a topic is to teach it!
- You become more "in tuned" to your self and others.
- You set an example to your students to live a "Zen Yoga life." This means to always be growing, and to have the playfulness of a child with the focus of a Zen master.
- There is no shortage of work for a qualified teacher. If your goal is to own a school, there are financial rewards (and the reward of owning your own business that helps others.)
- You are in a good environment (compare this to an office environment.)
- You remember that life is not a race, it is a journey. You make time to stop, think, breathe, relax, and meditate. This becomes your "job."
- You can develop greater independence – most want control of their life, but few achieve it. When you are in business for yourself you have greater control your own destiny and that of your family.
- Also – your goals may not be material at all. For example: You may want to start teaching Yoga to friends and family, and continue your personal studies while living the yoga lifestyle.
"Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal."
- Earl Nightengale
Be the master... A seeker of truth... An individual on a mission of positive change. It is my belief that we all have the ability to be such a leader. Walk this path and become your own seeker of truth, and learn to elegantly share your wisdom.
Remember that the Zen Yoga Teacher training is not for everybody. There is an application process to determine admittance. The focus is on all aspects of teaching and living the principles of yoga within a contemporary context and language. It is an exclusive opportunity to grow, connect, and contribute to your overall growth as a teacher and/or as a person. You will be expected to show up at your best. Your reward is the certainty that you are meeting your highest standard and dreams about who you are and who you are capable of becoming. As Shakespeare said: "We know what we are, but know not what we may be."
"There is no way I am qualified to teach – I just started my Zen Yoga practice"
As you can imagine, I hear that quote a lot. However, if you were thinking that, you are correct – you are not qualified to teach. However, are you qualified to learn how to teach? The biggest qualification is the desire and openness to learning. In my experience, most yoga and eastern healing professionals begin their teacher training in the first year of practice. Remember my first teacher, Master Arbeit? He started his teacher training in a wheel chair. He taught me that "When you fight for your limitations, your reward is that you get to keep them!" Don't let your limited self-concept stop you from being all you can be. Poor self-esteem is the great killer of the human spirit.
However, if you do apply and I believe you do not have the ability to do this – I will not be shy in telling you. 17 years of teaching full time has taught me to recognize when it does not make sense for a student to join the program. There are more students who want to learn than there are slots available – so I must make sure that our teacher / student relationship is set up for success.
Fill out the attached application and bring to Danielle or fax to 623-537-9850. She will set up an appointment for us to meet and go over your application.
Stay present and stay focused. I look forward to your success!
Namaste,
Jason Campbell
Master Teacher
Zen Yoga
sifucampbell@zenwellnesss.comPS #1 – Often I hear, "I'd love to but… it's not a good time, I'm so busy, I can't afford it, I'll have more time next year, etc." The same people who say that are usually very un-happy and love to cling to their excuses – and of course next year is no different than this year. Don't be that person. If you are inspired – TAKE ACTION TODAY!
PS #2 – As you can imagine, space is extremely limited. I only have so much time to devote to training Zen Yoga teachers – so I review applications on a first come – first serve basis. Don't be left out.
PS #3 – Fill out the attached application and give to Ms. Leoni or fax to 623-537-9850.
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