Wow!! That's Writing Worth Reading about Social Entreprenuership!

Do you ever read something and think 'awesome!"? Sasha Dicther, who is the Director of Business Development of the Acumen Fund, inspired by Seth Godin's new book, Triibes, wrote this absolutely awesome manifesto. (You can read it in html on this post).

For a few years now, I have been moving my focus more and more towards how do we take all of the great work we have done at Yoga Yoga, and explore what is next? My thoughts often settle around the focus of social entrepreneurship, patient money and creating 'organic' social change directed towards making yoga even more accessible, and how to not lose the knowledge, technology and wisdom of the 'yoga' as it reaches a larger audience, something that is a concern as the yoga 'industry' is increasingly associated with 'stuff' and 'sweat' versus knowledge and a lifetime of patient practice.

Recently I found this page about the Acumen Fund's approach to lending, and was greatly impressed by the breadth as well as the depth of their thinking about how to bring funding into the world of social change.

As I explore various initiatives for bringing yoga into the mainstream of the marketplace, hoping to support the change that this practice brings to individual lives day in and day out, my primary focus is how to 'scale' without losing our heart. I am convinced that the creative use of capital is at the heart of this issue, and I am inspired to continue to explore this when I read work this thoughtful, cogent and persuasive!

I hope you take the time to read it. Especially now, in these economically confronting times, we can be well served by taking the time to question our current beliefts in capital, economics and what it means to foster genuine well being in our communities. I think money and capital can be part of the 'perscription' for community health, but it is time to reinvent the rules. I think Acumen can help, and other groups like Ashoka, and the RSF Social Finance are moving this entire concept more and more into the mainstream of our culture every day.

The Yogic Edge - Extended Version on December 6th

Last Saturday I presented the current version of 'The Yogic Edge', a workshop for yoga teachers and students to explore how to integrate their yoga practice and their professional experience in the marketplace. As part of the Southwest Yoga Conference, I had the chance work with a few folks from out of town and that was great. I met studio owners, yoga teachers new and old, and had the chance to continue to develop this body of material I have been working with.

The comments had a consistency to them. Folks wanted more details, more 'what to do'. Unfortunately, in just 2 hours, it is all I can do to get some of the basic concepts into the discussion, much less try to cover more specifics. Luckily though, in less than 2 months, on December 6th, I'll be doing a 5 hour version of 'The Yogic Edge' here at Yoga Yoga, and in that workshop I intend to get more specific, to give folks a more developed structure to work with when then get back home.

Please join us in Austin!

Raghurai