Money. Dehumanization, and the 'Healthcare' System

As some who read this blog know, one of the writers I consider most enlightening is John Bloom, who writes 'Reimagine Money'. John posts infrequently, and I am always eager to read what he has to say. This last post is no exception. Here's how it concludes, in a way that I think we all must take to heart with regard to how we relate to all systems, and most definately as we relate to the 'healthcare' system.

Any invention of the mind (in this case money and debt) that is managed in order to dehumanize its users needs a new set of ethical practices that might take a cue from the ancient temples and the origins of money in Western civilization. There can be a quality of offering in and through every financial transaction. I can become more conscious of the intentions in my financial behavior, or more aware of the work and economic efforts of others to make the transactions possible at all. But first I, and others who have not already suffered enough, have to wake up to the pain and inequity that have grown within the system even as I have participated willingly, if not wisely, in it.

If you replace the references to finances and the financial system with the healthcare system you will see how clearly we have allowed ourselves to be blind and numb to the inequities we live with. Why should someone who is less fortunate than one of us suffer the consequences of no health insurance, and hence often less care, simply because our culture has chosen to capitalize the profit of delivering health care, but socialized so many of the costs. A chosen few profit, yet as a society we all bear the costs, both financial and energetic of allowing reactive care to prevail over prevention in virtually every circumstance in our healthcare system.

We have alot of work to do!

Back at it!

As has been the case time and again as I've written this blog, I have been through a slow writing period. What's interesting to me, is that there seems to be a direct relationship between how busy I get at Yoga Yoga, and how little time I have to write. Of course, it really isn't that I don't have the time, its more that the kind of time that this sort of writing takes is just more than I can do when I am way full in my 'day job'!

Well, much has been happening!

We opened a new yoga center in over the course of 6 weeks, Yoga Yoga 360. Its seems like this was ages ago, but in fact it was only 7 weeks ago that we actually opened our doors!

We're also going to start classes in partnership with Seton/ Good Health Commons in Round Rock in January.

And our newest project, YogaSolve(tm) is going to roll out shortly.

For us at Yoga Yoga this time has been challenging and exciting. We've managed to get the new center open, and really not 'miss a beat' with our end of year plans, projects and actions. The team is fabulous, and I'm learning what it really can be to work with a group that has begun to 'find itself'....what a pleasure!

More to follow as we head into '09!
Raghurai

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

Integrative Medicine - Riding a Cultural Wave

The last decade has seen a substantial shift in the awareness of all forms of 'alternative' approaches to health and wellness in our culture. For the first part of the decade I had been almost exclusively focused on growing Yoga Yoga and building a unique organization - focused on delivering classical yoga with respect for lineage, while making this yoga more accessible to a larger portion of society. Then, a few years ago the role we could play - in fact were already playing - in the context of health care became more apparent.

Students were (and always had) taken yoga for their own reasons along the spectrum of wellness. Some were healthy and wanted to expand their experience of being well into other dimensions of health (in mind or body or both), some were not well, but not yet of need of medical intervention and heard yoga might help, so they tried it and it worked. Others had already sought the intervention of a health care professional, who recommended yoga as an adjunct to the care they were providing, or who sought out yoga in order to complement the care of a more traditional provider. And occasionally individuals seek to use yoga in lieu of medical intervention as a purely personal choice.

Now, as society moved towards a 'perfect storm' which just might be a harbinger of change....

• A health care system clearly failing from overwhelming cost and massively unacceptable results
• Explosive growth in the use of 'alternative' approaches
• Growing scientific evidence for the benefit of these alternative approaches
  

In the context of this 'storm' I've been exploring what this all means for yoga, how it is taught, how it is defined in our culture, and what the future might bring.

Recently I had the chance to attend a conference on the emerging field of Yoga Therapy, and participate in this ongoing discussion and exploration. Its an important area of growth for our profession, and I'm especially curious how it will emerge in the coming decade. In fact, in March of next year I will be presenting at the SYTAR conference on 'The Economics of Yoga Therapy'.

I'd encourage all of us to stay informed as this field evolves, matures and adapts to the needs of our communities, the knowledge of our professionals, and the development of structures that make it possible for yoga to reach ans serve more and more people.

Rich (Raghurai)

How Far Can We Scale Communication and Retain our Humanity?

For years our organization has shrived to 'be human.' It almost sounds silly, how could we (over a hundred yoga teachers and committed practitioners) 'be' anything else? I believe the issue is 'scale', that subtle affect of going so far past the past the 'tipping point' in the paradigm structuring relationships that you aren't even aware that there was such a point.

Earlier in the week, as I heard a commentator saying that a particular event was ' staged' (and they meant it in a derogatory manner). I was struck by the absurdity (as well as the lack of intention to genuinely serve) in the comment. Of course, when we are talking to individuals, small groups or large groups we need to be thoughtful of what we say. I would call this bringing consciousness and awareness to a relationship. In a one to one I can relate consciously in a way that simply won't work in a much larger group. When on the stage in front of millions of people, it is probably a more responsible thing to be aware of what one is saying ahead of time, and VERY thoughtful about delivery, phrasing and pace. However, simply by virture of this consciousness brought to the interaction one cannot doubt the authenticity of the moment. It is up to us to us to decide, to 'be with' the moment if you will, to trust our perception. We humans can perceive other humans acting with integrity even in extreme situations, if we are willing to be conscious and aware.

Recently Seth Godin wrote this:

Organizations will work tirelessly to de-personalize every communication medium they encounter.

You can read the entire post here. I think what we have consciously done, and consciously do day by day is to violate this law. We strive to put our 'humanness' into each and every communication, piece of paper and conversation. Its hard. It may cost more. But it feeds us, and allows us to retain a level of humanity and satisfaction that drifts away in most organizations. And its simply because we insist on being human. We insist on being conscious. And we insist on being aware. And in the presence of that insistence is where we begin to communicate from. And then we trust our audience - one person or many - to listen with open hearts and hear the subtly from which we speak.

So far, its working out ok. I think you can scale communications just fine, as long as you are aware and as long as the conscious heart felt intention is there from the beginning, and steadfastly insisted on throughout.

Join Me at UT Informal Classes - October 7th

Thsi should be fun. I'm going to teach a class at UT Informal Classes entitled "Socially Responsible Business Practices". Here's the course description in the catalog:

This class will cover both practical and philosophical aspects of the current business environment and practices which can be thought of as "socially responsible" business practices. Participants will learn how to bring these practices into their own work lives and businesses. The course will cover marketing to the "Lifestyles of Heath and Sustainability" market, and how to explore reworking your business strategy to incorporate this set of dynamic, successful business principles. This material is appropriate for business owners and employees at any stage of their career, if they want to learn these competitively superior business foundations of the emerging socially responsible economy. Rich Goldstein is the managing partner of one of Austin's premier yogic learning centers that supports and contributes to the unique and diverse culture of Austin. He practices combining strategic business management, marketing and operations with a deep respect for each individual's commitment to living with a more heart-centered work experience. Seating is limited. (2 meetings)

The class will meet on Oct. 7th and 14th, from 6:30 to 9:00 pm. My plan is to use examples from around the economy of success stories (and some not so successful stories) illustrating the power of this conceptual approach to business. In the second session we'll be developing action plans specific to your business or career. If you are reading this and here in Austin, come join us and help make these 2 nights interesting, exciting, challenging and fun.

Here's a link to the class in the course catalog. (Its in a frame, so you may need to click here to get to the home page of the catalog). The class is in the Business & Personal Finance Section.