20 hours per week/$15 per hour starting

Reports To:  Managing Director

(Posting closes Feb. 4.)

One Yoga has been in existence for 12 years, and with 1,450 students, is one of the Twin Cities’ largest and most respected yoga studios. Thirteen teachers lead sixty-four classes per week at two studios in the Wedge neighborhood in south Minneapolis.

One Yoga is a 501(c3) nonprofit organization – the only nonprofit yoga studio in Minneapolis.  Karma Tribe is the community outreach program of One Yoga. Its mission is to alleviate suffering in people who don’t have access to or cannot afford the healing, transformative powers of yoga. Currently Karma Tribe has 48 volunteer teachers offering dozens of free classes in partnership with 16 human service and health organizations, and the mission is growing swiftly. Karma Tribe believes that everyone deserves access to the healing, awakening, transformative powers of yoga, and we are dedicated to lowering the barriers and removing the obstacles. Karma Tribe is fueled by the Sanskrit word karuna which means compassionate action to alleviate suffering.

Overall Responsibilities:

This 20 hour per week position (possibility more) manages the fundamental details of One Yoga’s day-to-day business.  It includes data management for both the business of the studio and for the nonprofit organization. It also includes some social marketing duties, which may expand. This critical position manages the daily office details of running a yoga studio, e.g., customer data, billing, cash deposits and running reports to ordering office supplies.

The ideal candidate will be decisive, detailed-oriented and exceptionally well-organized and be completely at home with working on the computer and managing customer and donor data.  We seek a great communicator and proactive problem solver, a creative soul with a peaceful spirit, a joyful face and great ambassador of One Yoga, a yoga lover and someone passionate about actively and creatively collaborating in the growth and expansion of One Yoga’s mission in the community. The ideal candidate must be available to work in the One Yoga studio from 3:45 – 7:45 Monday through Friday (to cover the front desk at times, and answer questions from students.)

Compensation: $15 per hour to start plus $110 per month pass for unlimited yoga.

Essential Job Responsibilities:

• Database and electronic information management:
  • Enter and maintain accurate, timely customer contact and payment data. (Mind-Body software system).
  • Run monthly and other special reports as requested.
  • Maintain and update customer monthly “Auto-Pay” data.
  • Update various communications channels to students such as community bulletin board, printed schedule, website, sandwich board and occasional mailings.
  • Coordinate class schedule online with web site, Google Calendar and printed calendars.
• Front desk, office, and building management:
  • Staff from desk 3:45 – 7:45 Monday through Friday. There is some flexibility with this schedule.
  • Assist in checking in classes; ensure that students’ experiences entering the studio are positive, professional and friendly.
  • Prepare nightly bank deposits.
  • Maintain an orderly and up-to-date office supply inventory.
  • Manage vendor relations and oversee service calls for maintenance of office equipment, including fax, copiers, etc.
  • Verify and process service and/or supply invoices for payment.
  • Oversee team of volunteer studio cleaners and other volunteers.
  • Assist in choosing and tracking retail operations.
  • Oversee maintenance of the studio space.
• Fundraising
  • Assist with special events and other agency-wide activities or agency program promotions.
  • Maintain database of One Yoga donors.
  • Assist with donor thank you letters.
  • Potentially advance into other fundraising skills and tasks.
• Communications:
  • Responding to customer inquiries and processing sales, general office and reception duties as necessary.
  • Craft correspondence through email, phone and snail mail with customers, vendors and donors as requested.
  • Craft and send weekly electronic newsletter.
  • Participate in and help expand social medial marketing (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
  • Create some internal documents for correspondence with teachers, board and staff as requested.
  • Attend staff meetings weekly, approximately 1 hour.
  • Assist Managing Director and Executive Director as needed with reports, documents, information searches and tasks as requested.

Qualifications:

Applicants should have a demonstrated interest in small business management and entrepreneurship and be self-starters who can work independently and accomplish set goals with limited supervision.

• Previous office management experience is a great plus (previous experience working in yoga studio ideal but not required).
• Knowledge of and experience with Mind Body software is a great plus.
• Friendly demeanor and positive attitude is required.
• Excellent customer service, relationship, and problem-solving skills required.
• Ability to be detail-oriented, highly organized, and independent.
• Ability to maintain customer and donor confidentiality.
• Must be willing to jump in as part of a small business team and “get stuff done” in the midst of a constantly changing and evolving environment.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work respectfully and communicate effectively with different cultures, groups, and languages.
• Ability to record and transcribe meeting minutes.
• Ability and interest in learning about the business of Yoga, the local yoga scene, community resources.
• Experience with and interest in the practice of yoga.
• Previous experience in a nonprofit development department is a great plus.

The successful candidate will enjoy free unlimited yoga classes and workshops. This is a great opportunity to work in a nurturing, holistic, calm and fun environment, learn about the yoga business, and enter on the ground floor as One Yoga begins an expansion of its nonprofit mission serving the community.

Please send a cover letter and resume to Jaime.oneyoga@gmail.com

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

Must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and to use standard office equipment, including a computer, stamina to maintain attention to detail despite interruptions, strength to lift and carry files weighing up to 10 pounds; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen, and hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone. Must be able to operate a motor vehicle.

Acknowledgement:

This job description does not list all the duties of the job.  You may be asked by management to perform other duties.  You will be evaluated, in part, based upon your performance of the responsibilities listed in this job description.

]]> http://www.one-yoga.org/2013/01/position-description-one-yoga-office-manager/feed/ 0 http://www.one-yoga.org/2012/08/30-day-yoga-challenge/ http://www.one-yoga.org/2012/08/30-day-yoga-challenge/#comments Fri, 10 Aug 2012 01:10:47 +0000 Danielle http://www.one-yoga.org/?p=442 DIVING DEEP: The 30-Day Yoga Challenge

Sat, Sept 1 – Sun, Sept 30

You’ve wanted to change your habits. You’ve wanted to surf less and wanted to dive deeper into your life, deeper into your potential. You know yoga is your path. Take control and make this commitment. No regrets.

One Yoga’s 30-Day Yoga Challenge is an invitation to transform your life and cultivate Yoga as a new healthy habit.

Set your own goal. Then achieve it!

Here’s what you’ll get:

• Clarify and claim your commitment in the optional Introductory Class on Sept 1 at 3:30. Start your month with a special practice to help you launch your challenge with power and authority. (Please pre-register. Class fee is not included in your challenge enrollment.)
• Your name on the OY “Star Board” in the lobby. This helps you visually track your progress and it also holds your feet to the fire. And you become an inspiration to others.
• An invitation to the Closing Celebration to honor your success and, with others from your yoga challenge tribe, reflect on what you’ve learned from this experience. (Class fee is not included in your challenge enrollment.)
• A super stylish “challenge” t-shirt.
• A chance to win an ultra cool prize like a monthly unlimited pass, massage with Nissa, or acupuncture treatment with Vicki.
• A chance to star in a One Yoga “Challenge” YouTube video.
• A serious sense of accomplishment, a transformed practice, a changed life and a gleeful satisfaction.

Cost is $20 to join. Use your current class pass to attend classes like always – OR – Purchase an unlimited class pass for the month of September for $110 – a savings of $15! (Pass activated from Sept 1-30 only. No pass extensions are allowed.)  Sign Up Today!

Every purchase you make at One Yoga helps us to meet our mission of bringing health and well-being to those that traditionally lack access.

We carefully select everything we carry and choose only the most socially and environmental responsible items we know you’ll love. So feel good about picking up a book, a bag or a mat for yourself or a friend next time you’re here!

Products we carry include:

Scarves, Bags and Mats – Handmade in Thailand. Fairly traded and directly purchased from the artisans.

Manduka Mats – Sustainable product and production methods.  Manduka PRO and PROlite mats are guaranteed for life.

One Yoga Tank Tops – Shirts are made in the USA, and are screenprinted locally by One Yoga’s office manager Danielle at no cost to the studio, to help raise funds to support our mission.

Luxurious Lavender & Flax Eye Pillows – Handmade locally.

Be Kind Naturals Roll-On Purfume – Handmade in Winona, MN.  Made pure and simple with just oils and essential oils.

A variety of books hand picked by our teachers, including books by David Swenson, J. Krishnamurti, Richard Freeman, Rod Stryker, B.K.S. Iyengar and many, many more!

Ben Vincent, One Yoga Teacher

Instructor for the upcoming
Winter Weekend Immersion- The Yoga of Desire: Harnessing the Soul’s Power to Shape Our Destiny,
Jan 26-29 

We are approaching the latter part of January, and with it, the fading of many half-hearted new years’ resolutions. From the yogic perspective, both the longing to realize our fullest potential, and the patterns of thought and behavior that keep us stuck, are based in desire. According to the yoga tradition, “Our life is the product of our deepest driving desires.” As such, it is essential to have a clear vision of how desire influences our lives. There is a misconception among many in the yoga world that the ideal of yoga is “being desire-less” or “letting go of all desires”. While this is true in regard to the deeper mystical experiences of yoga, trying to get rid of desire is not necessarily conducive to “living yogic-ly” in our day to day lives. In fact, it often leads to repression of our intuitive knowing and the calling of the highest Self. A more skillful way of working with desires is to:

1)  Cultivate awareness of what we really desire and need
2)  Explore how desires are influenced by the ego and the higher self
3)  Make clear choices and work toward realization of our calling

In the yogic tradition, there are four desires considered essential to a life of balance and fulfillment. While these desires manifest themselves uniquely in each of us, they are said to be universal- shared by all of us, and innate qualities of the universe itself. These desires are collectively known as the “Purusharthas.” To understand the intention of this teaching, it is helpful to understand the two sanskrit root words which form purush(a)rtha. Purusha is usually translated as “soul/ pure consciousness”. It refers to our true nature or highest Self, which transcends the cycles of life, death and rebirth. “Artha” is often translated as means or prosperity. Essentially, the purusharthas refer to the desires that enable the realization of the True Self.

The four purusharthas are: Dharma (purpose), Artha (means), Kama (pleasure) and moksha (freedom).

Dharma is one of the most important words in the yogic tradition. Often translated as duty, purpose and order, it literally means to establish or create structure, that which gives life order. Dharma refers to the laws that govern the entire cosmos (para or universal dharma) and our lives (sva or individual dharma). It also refers to the teachings of how to live our lives in accordance with what is ultimately real. On an individual level, we have many dharmas: the duties of being children, parents, partners in relationship and friendship, and contributors to our community and the world. We also have the dharma of what we do for gainful employment (our profession) and our life’s work. For many, life’s purpose is revealed through the experience of suffering , and our process of transcending it. For some, knowing our dharma comes naturally, while for others, it is not revealed without great endeavor. Contemplate and journal about the following questions. They will guide you in exploring, discovering and fulfilling your dharma.

• What is my role in the world? How do I want to invest time and energy?
• What are my responsibilities? Which ones feel right?
• When I am serving the highest good, what am I doing?

Artha, often translated as means, prosperity or abundance, refers to that which enables and supports us in fulfilling our dharma. While Dharma can seem esoteric, artha is very tangible. What do you need to fulfill your responsibilities, both materially and non-materially? A place to live, food and water, a job and resources necessary to cover your expenses are part of artha. So is your health, spiritual practice and supportive relationships. Finding the right balance of artha is a practice of the middle path. Focusig too much or too little for material support can make it very difficult to explore dharma. If you spend all our time trying to make money, the desire for artha can devolve into greed and materialism. On the other hand, if we don’t know where you will sleep or how you will eat tomorrow, you spend all our resources just trying to meet our basic needs, with little left for purpose, pleasure and freedom. Use the following questions to explore artha:

• What do I need to fulfill my dharma, materially and non-materially?
• Am I afraid of not having enough or afraid of having more?
• What does wealth mean to me?

Kama, meaning pleasure or joy, is usually what gives desire a bad name. We are in many ways a society addicted to pleasure. But are we happy? Most of us have searched the outer world to find happiness. We may have tried material comforts, money, food, drugs & alcohol, religious practice, and sexual & platonic relationships to name a few. While these may bring temporary enjoyment, they are ultimately part of a changing world and cannot bring lasting happiness without inner work. Continual craving of pleasant experiences can devolve into greed, addiction, sloth, and unhealthy sexuality. It is the unsatisfactory nature of passing pleasures that forces us to look inward. From the yogic perspective, Kama is the ability to be present with beauty at any moment in life, without being attached to its form. It is the pleasure that allows us to transcend the ego.. These pleasures may nature, music & art, intimate relationship, selfless service, self-expression and mystical experience to name a few. When exploring a healthy relationship to pleasure, use the following questions:

• What inspires me? What am I passionate about? What brings me joy?
• Am I happy, enjoying life?
• Are my pleasures supporting or undermining my dharma?

Moksha, meaning freedom or liberation, is the innate longing of humans to be free. It refers to both the “freedom from” and the “freedom to”. It is this calling to be “free from” which inspires all forms of spiritual practice, all movements for peace and justice in the world, and seeks an end to suffering in the world. Merely being “free from” is not the entirety of this teaching. Being “free to” implies the ability to pursue dharma, artha and kama, to cultivate families and communities, and to generally influence the course of our lives. Thus freedom is not to be misunderstood as a lack of responsibility. According to this teaching, we are only truly free when we are fulfilling our dharma- our soul’s purpose in this lifetime. Ultimately, it is the realization that we are always free, and appear bound only by our own misperceptions, that is the essence of moksha. Practices that support the realization of Moksha in one’s life include: Yoga, mediation, chanting, prayer, retreat, spending time in nature, and being with children and elders to name a few.

• What can I influence and Control?
• what must I let go of trying to control?
• In my life, what fulfills a sense of both Dharma & Moksha?

It could be said that the entire body of wisdom teachings known as Yoga, could be boiled down to the purusharthas. The human search for meaning, prosperity, joy and freedom motivates all human endeavors. It is important to remember that the map of the purusharthas, is not the territory. Simply having desire is not enough. We must explore both our deepest aspirations and also the subversive desires or fears which keep us from realizing them. Until we do so, we are at best surviving in this life. According to the dharmic traditions, a human birth is very fortunate. It is a rare opportunity to work toward self-realization.

I will be teaching a special weekend intensive on The Purusharthas Jan 26-29. This profound and transformative process will use yoga practice (postures, breathing and meditation and chanting), teachings about the pursharthas, and journaling and self-reflective exercises to explore how the map of these teachings, relates to the inner terrain of our soul. Join us for this special weekend…What are you waiting for?

May this new year inspire you to explore and work selflessly in realizing your potential and supporting the well being of the world.

Be well,

Ben

an environment in which everyone can respectfully express their true selves.

rich in the welcoming spirit of inclusion & the open-hearted embrace of diversity. Community creates belonging and freedom. Community is the space within which to be challenged and thrive. Community cultivates respect & deep listening.

a value that is realized when we gather in harmony. It may involve simply being present to one another or sharing food or sharing ideas. A strong community is like a ship that goes through troubled waters and through calm seas. There are struggles on the seas and struggles within but friendship and shared values holds the community together. It is different from a family because we are not related by blood but by a shared hope or dream or vision or goal. Some communities exist only for an hour and others have a life time membership. A community can be as small as three persons or as large as thousands.

real people willing to work with kids who have been in trouble and the collaborative effort to show kids another way to understand their health and wellness.

warmth, safety and acceptance, wherever you may find it.

understanding the relationship between all things and helping to make the connections.

being part of something larger than yourself, where you are accepted for who you are and supported in your highs and in your lows.

a group of individuals coming together to share, support, respect and nourish each other’s personal growth and a peaceful planet Earth for all beings.

Community is connectedness- however one describes it. As a community, we have a responsibility to one another, knowing that the health and well-being of any individual is dependent on the health and well-being of all. Each of us has something to offer and to receive.

How do you define community? What are the ways you connect to others and create community in your life?

“What is wrong with seeking the pleasant and shirking the unpleasant? Between the banks of pleasure and pain, the river of life flows. It is only when the mind refuses to flow with life, and gets stuck at the banks, that it becomes a problem. By flowing with life I mean acceptance– letting come what comes, and go what goes.”

To view the full chapter from which this is excerpted, click on this link,  I Am That, and scroll down to “The Living Present”.

Sound familiar? Not to the employees at Second Harvest Heartland. Thanks to their wellness committee and One Yoga’s outreach program, nonprofit workplaces are able to offer affordable, weekly, on-site yoga classes for employees!  Angela Vincent currently teaches for a similar partnership at Project for Pride in Living, which offers yoga as a health benefit to their employees and volunteers.

 “I have a lot of problems with my neck,” says Lisa, a Second Harvest Heartland employee, “and I have found that the stretching that we do in yoga really helps, and my neck feels much better after the class.” In addition to physical benefits, several studies show the cognitive benefits of yoga and meditation in the workplace. In a 2010 study of mindfulness-based meditation, psychologists noted that participants who had trained in meditation for less than a week for only 20 minutes a day demonstrated a significant improvement in their cognitive skills (including their ability to concentrate) and performed better than the participants who did not receive training. A 2009 pilot study at Ohio State University also suggests that even in small amounts workplace meditation and yoga can reduce feelings of stress and increase sleep quality in office workers.

Each week, One Yoga instructor Shira Charis and twenty staff members at Second Harvest Heartland transform their conference room, pull out mats and dim the lights to set up the space for on-site yoga. Classes take place during the employees’ lunch break so that it requires no extra time commitment. For staff, the space is a welcome breather from the hectic work week.

As Patricia, a Second Harvest Heartland yoga student, explains, “At first I wasn’t sure how I would feel about changing my clothes and then changing back again, but the hour of relaxation and escape is totally worth it. It is so nice to have a lunch period that provides an escape like that.”

Jealous? You can have it, too! Talk to your supervisor, human resources department, or wellness committee and request yoga at your workplace. As an added bonus, revenue from One Yoga’s workplace yoga classes help to support our community outreach fund, making yoga accessible to even more people!

Spring is upon us…at least theoretically. While it certainly has not sprung, all of the harbingers are here: patches of green grass, crocuses, tulips and daffodils piercing the surface of the soil, buds on the branches, and the perennial robin. Spring marks the death of winter, revealing what was not tended to before the snow fell, and what we used to make it through the dark and cold. There is something about the rebirth of spring that awakens within us a deep need to clean. It feels atavistic. We clean our homes. We clean our gardens and yards. We cut our hair. We clean and tune-up our bicycles and cars.

Yet how many of us actually clean our inner world of body, mind and heart? Why not take stock of all we have accumulated internally and non-materially, so that we can care for that which serves our well being, and let go of what does not? It is out of this very need to cleanse that Yoga evolved.

Cleansing practices were almost ubiquitous in pre-modern cultures and spiritual traditions, including Greece, Egypt, Native Americans (North, Central and South), and the modern day lands of China and India. Across cultures and lands, these cleansing techniques included some combination of:

• dietary restriction and/or fasting
• ritual offerings
• solitude for prayer, meditation and contemplation.

So it should come as no surprise that cleansing has always been a part of the yogic tradition. Two of the niyamas (fundamental self-observances) of yoga are Sauca (cleanliness, clarity) and Tapas (self-discipline, purifying heat).

The absence of cleansing, ritual, spirituality and solitude in our modern lives, has contributed largely to the popularity of yoga. The Hatha Yoga tradition, so well known for its asanas (postures), is intended to be a system of purification as preparation for deeper meditation. The Yogic way of living – a healthy diet, nourishing relationships, Asanas for bodily health, Pranayama (breathwork) to balance the nervous system, and meditation to clarify the mind – goes a long way toward maintaining optimal well-being. Even with a regular yoga practice, the ritual of cleansing and taking retreat is extremely important.

Simply by virtue of the world we live in, we are constantly “taking in”. We intake food and beverage. We intake environmental toxins. We intake information and nearly constant sensory stimuli. We intake thoughts, emotions and energy from those around us. All of these leave deep impressions on us. It is no wonder that when we sit to “meditate”, we often find the mind replaying past experiences, or needing to purge itself of over stimulation. With that same meditative awareness, we see that what we eat and drink for physical sustenance is often based in habitual coping patterns for unmet needs and desires, rather than a skillful approach to in-taking nourishment.

It is very difficult to see your own shadow. Particularly when those shadows manifest themselves as deeply engrained mental, emotional and behavioral patterns. Like a traveler who learns about their homeland while being away, cleansing and retreat are an opportunity to gain insight into ourselves, outside of the pressures of daily life. Likewise, by giving something up -even temporarily- we often see how and why we are attached to it. On all whole foods cleanse, it may become clear how we use caffeine, alcohol or processed foods to regulate our moods, and avoid actually feeling our deeper need for rest or release. By taking a break from multi-media, we can see how we often use the internet, movies & TV, and phones to pass idle time, or as a means of distraction or escape.

Here are a few ideas for cleansing & retreat:

1) Whole Foods Cleanse: For a minimum of one week, remove all caffeine, alcohol, dairy and processed foods from you diet. See how you feel, what crave and when. This will take planning and preparation and is best done under the supervision of a health professional with cleansing experience.

2) Multimedia Retreat: For a minimum of one week, remove all non-essential use of computers, TV’s, phones, music, magazines, newspapers and books. Explore which of these actually bring true pleasure, and which are simply used to pass the time.

3) Intentional Solitude or Silence: This can be done for as little as a day, but will have a deeper effect if given more time. Quietness and time alone, particularly in nature, is a wonderful means to reflect on our relationships and our life- and what we want to invest ourselves in.

There is nothing inherently wrong with all of the things we intake. The goal of cleansing is not necessarily to rid our lives of them. It is to see clearly how they affect us and why we choose them, so we can make choices that feed our aliveness. If a cleanse is done skillfully, it will almost certainly leave you feeling more alive and empowered. The practice of being without, is a powerful means to cultivate sauca (clarity) and tapas (willpower). With clarity, willpower and little bit of grace, there is not much standing between us and the life we really want.

Be Well,
Ben

You can email Ben at bvrocksteady@gmail.com with questions or comments.

How was your winter? Are you feeling the residual effects from intense cold, excess dark, and the natural introspection that the winter months lure us into? Do you feel like you could use a jump-start to get all systems running up to speed again? Are there things in your life you want to let go of? Does your body need to lighten-up?

This winter was long! In fact we had snow on the ground for a total of six months! Can you believe it? As I’m writing this I can see out my kitchen window and I have to say, I am truly elated that my view no longer includes the six-foot tall snow banks that framed my driveway. I can actually back out knowing “I’m in the clear”. What a relief! I’m sure you can relate.

While I am an avid walker all year round and make a point to get plenty of sunshine and fresh air daily, I was impacted quite significantly by the last six months. In the beginning of February I found myself experiencing insomnia, anxiety, and depression. Many of you might think that yoga teachers are immune to these kinds of disorders, that we are the epitome of health and wellness. While I do admit that I know a lot about living a holistic lifestyle, I’m fairly tuned-in to myself, and always seek the sacred in every moment, I am human like anyone else and experience imbalance from time to time. Actually, transformation may be a better-suited word for what I went through this winter as the experience has left me feeling more whole, alive, and grateful today. And, it is these inner transformations and life struggles that most inspire the work I do and what I share in all of my classes and workshops.

Jessica and I have been co-teaching the Total Detox curriculum for over a year now. We are super excited to collaborate once again at the end of this month. We’ve revised the student packets and feel extra compelled to support anyone desiring transformation this spring during our week together. Past participants have joined us who desire weight-loss, emotional resolve, self-care support, a change in their diet and/or exercise routine, and for many, a shift in their way of life that promotes greater health and balance on all levels.

Although the name of our week intensive is “Total Detox”, which implies “releasing” or “getting rid of what no longer serves you” there is so much for you to gain as well. Learning to open the flood-gates to receive is just as important as being able to let go. We emphasize both of these practices in Total Detox.

Whether you plan on joining us on April 30th or not, know that you are supported on your journey. Take time for yourself this spring to consciously consider what you want to let go of and what you want to welcome into your life. Maximize this growth-filled time of year and be fruitful!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Spring is naturally a time of growth. If you’d like to join Jessica and myself for Total Detox, you can find more information here.