Launch Success & Lessons from our Dream Project

​It's been a while since the last newsletter and for good reason. The last time I emailed you was to tell you about the 'The True North' banner, and the Signature Program “From Chasing To Attracting”, a 28 days Residential Self-transformation & Wellness program at Dharamshala.

Well... We did it! We launched it, ran it and enjoyed every minute of it. You may have followed us on our social media to see all the magic as it was happening and thank you, for those that wrote in with your good vibes and your questions. 

We stayed in the most gorgeous location way up in the mountains above Dharamshala, India. We were spoilt for choices of nature trails, waterfalls and sunset locations. We loved the quiet and stillness that we woke up to, the simplicity of the homestay and the luxury of mountain beauty that surrounded us all the time. 

​We go back in October of this year for the same signature program and we have a lot of work to do before then. 

Like I always do, I'd like to share with you some lessons and learnings for this adventure, so here goes:

• Partner with people who believe in you, trust your skills and most importantly, ones who want to partner with you:

Perhaps the biggest lesson for me was this one. I have, in the past, wanted to do work with others who I thought would be a good fit to do some good work.

I always wanted and still do, want to work WITH someone else instead of being a solo player. And in my need to fulfil this dream, I would dismiss any display of lack of trust or the lack of enthusiasm, mismatch of direction and small signs that I should have taken seriously. 

But with this project, I've involved myself only in areas which I am in love with and won't be parts of offerings which aren't in line with my joy, skills, and balance. My partner and I value each other and make sure we say that enough number of times, we each take up responsibilities that negate the other's weakness and we both feel like spending more time with each other. These are all the right kind of signs that tell me I am in the right place.  

• It always looks impossible till you do it; breaking the mould is not easy: 

When we initially knew we wanted to do a 28-day residential program, everyone looked at us funny. It's not something that's readily offered as a format for transformation workshops (outside of the Yoga Teachers Training, and this too now has formats of 1 or 2 weeks).

Who would come to live with us for 28 days? Where would people find the time? But we had tried offering a similar program in the city, once a week, and the results weren't as good as we'd hoped. We knew the kind of reflection, healings, meditations and inner work that the participants had to do to make a change, required time, nature and quiet. We help firm in our conviction, we could see what most couldn't. 

We've made peace with the fact that this program is not for the masses. It's not a quick fix offering, it is meant for an individual who wants to do it right, wants to make permanent changes and is matured enough to commit the time. And so we went ahead, announced it and began with the first set of participants even though we didn't sign up the capacity of 25.   

At the end of the program, each of them thanked us for the format, the insistence of the month-long time commitment, and the remoteness of the location.

• Stick to the basics and offer simplicity in language, tools and techniques:

Over complicating things is a big mistake. The way to make an impact and to leave a mark is measured by how well we are able to plant a seed of an idea in another. It is measured by the practical, everyday use of the tools by the other. Often people try to squeeze more information, use high-level language to show expertise. This is one of the reasons why a lot of workshops and courses are attended by millions but only a handful ever find it possible to really change or use that material. 

From yoga to meditation, workshops and activities, concepts, to food, we kept it simple. With a total of five core concepts that comprise of our 'theory', we completed it by the second week, and we stayed focused on practice, practical applications, experiments and reflections. 

• Be OK with failure and be Open to adapt:

It's so important to stay detached from a fixed outcome. More so, it's important to be OK with failing. Failing is so terrible in people's minds and it's because people are very concerned about what others will think of them.

When you try something, it could be a venture or it could be getting healthy, make it about yourself. Even with the best of intentions and all the right moves, the outcome may look different or you might find yourself forced to change the path midway. Don't be too hung up on the execution of the plan as is or with the look and feel of the outcome. 

Show up and do your best work.

Written With Love and a Hope that you attend this Signature program soon!
Ruby