Given that I have only one title published at the moment (and another underway), I thought I would let you read the article I wrote for Yoga Scotland magazine describing a Yogic Approach to Business. You will find out that my biggest obstacle (apart from finance) is a liking for lying down.
(By the way, Yoga Scotland is the Scottish equivalent to the British School of Yoga. You should check out their website for teachers, courses, yoga days and general helpful advice www.yogascotland.org.uk
A yogic approach to business
My two passions in life are languages and yoga. Being made redundant gave me the opportunity to combine the two and become a micro publisher. And so The Publishing Cupboard was born.
Over the past year I have been slowly building it up. The easy bits are the ones to do with external things or ‘image’ – the logo, the stationery, the website. The difficult ones are to do with internal things – my own nature and whether I have the focus, drive and ambition to succeed.
It has been a fascinating venture. Especially as I have no illusions about myself. I am a kapha whose ideal journey is from a horizontal position (preferably a bed) to the fridge (and back). But I am tenacious. I may move slowly but I keep on moving.
I recently read Deepak Chopra and David Simon’s excellent book, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga and decided to see whether I was building these laws into the foundations of the business.
1. The Law of Pure Potentiality
This is where anything can happen or be created. Just the existence of The Publishing Cupboard is proof. I hope the books capture the spirit of the moment and don’t just follow a fashion or trend. This doesn’t mean to say that they won’t be covering old ground, they’ll just be coming at it from a fresh angle.
2. The Law of Giving and Receiving
Useful books should provide information. Our books aim to give people a deeper understanding of a subject and progress them on to a higher level. From a more mundane perspective we get their money and, hopefully, loyalty in buying further books.
3. The Law of Karma (cause and effect)
Everything we do has an impact or consequence. Choosing the cheapest option for printing books or pressing CDs (perhaps as far afield as China) can affect jobs in the UK; it puts time pressure on editors working to tight deadlines; and also threatens the environment. The Publishing Cupboard overheads aren’t huge, there are no shareholders to satisfy, so we can try to source more locally.
4. The Law of Least Effort
This is my favourite – minimizing effort and maximising effect! Rather than running around like a headless chicken, time is spent working out the best way to bring a project to fruition. It means spending more time on preparation and less in a frenzy at the ‘doing’ stage.
5. The Law of Intention and Desire
This is similar to cosmic ordering. If you are focused and specific about what you want, you will achieve it. If you don’t really want it then you won’t get it. This is always uppermost in my mind.
6. The Law of Detachment
‘In order to acquire something in life, you have to relinquish your attachment to it’. Like your children, the more tightly you try to hold on to them the more they want to escape. But give them some freedom and you have companions for life. The books are a bit like children. One can become overly attached to them and deaf to any criticism or advice. Flexibility, openness and detachment can only improve them.
7. The Law of Dharma (or purpose in life)
This is knowing your true self – what makes you tick and knowing your talents. If you can match these to the work you do, then you’ve hit the jackpot. Any effort you put into achieving this will be effortless and successful.
The first title coming out of The Publishing Cupboard is Nod Off in French (who but a kapha would come up with horizontal learning). It uses relaxation (a modified yoga nidra) to help learning. Many people simply tense up at certain subjects, especially if they had a bad experience at school. Yet they still want to (or have to) learn. The best way for our brains to absorb information is by being relaxed. This light laid-back approach eases you into this receptive state by introducing the subject with a short relaxation session. Then it’s time for a clear explanation of how French works (yes folks, grammar!) illustrated with numerous examples. All the information on the CD is clearly laid out in the accompanying 48-page booklet. It’s ideal for:
• Beginners
• Students revising for Standard grades and GCSE
• Rusty learners
• Parents who want to reactivate their French
• Teachers who need to refresh their knowledge
• Students who have difficulty reading
Bénédicte Paviot who presents the material has practiced yoga for many years. As well as being a bilingual presenter on radio and TV, she has a voice to die for. If you have a son or daughter who gets tense at exam times, this is the ideal way to help them relax and get a good night’s sleep. Be sure to greet them in French in the morning! Other titles to come out later this year are Spanish, Italian, Grammar & Punctuation and Portuguese. All priced at £6.99. They are (or should be!) available from bookshops or you can buy direct from www.publishingcupboard.co.uk. For further information contact caroline@publishingcupboard.co.uk.
article first appeared in May 2007 edition of Yoga Scotland magazine
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