My Top Four Studio Models To Limit Your Overhead Risk And Grow Your Business

My Top Four Studio Models To Limit Your Overhead Risk And Grow Your Business

by | Apr 23, 2020 | Business Planning, Coaching, Gyrotonic Movement

Are you considering starting a studio but have some fears about taking on the risk overhead? Or maybe you are considering shifting your studio business model to lower your overhead expenses? 

Owning a studio is a fantastic way to create community space around health and wellness, develop a team to grow your mission, and invest in your business. But overhead vulnerability is also very real. And having a studio space does require taking on financial risk. But the financial risk can be mitigated if you choose your model carefully and align it with your goals. 

There are many ways to limit your financial risk when if you want to start your first studio or if you want to change your current studio model to mitigate your overhead risk while you continue to grow your business. 

I have had at least four different models for my movement therapy practice and coaching practice over the last fifteen years. Now, just a disclaimer, a big studio model was never in alignment for me. My goal with all of my studio models was to create a collaborative space where I could grow my practice, support, and learn from others and minimize my overhead risk while maximizing my resources and profit. So all of the models I suggest are aimed more towards the solopreneur or collaborative space model, but they could also be useful for larger studios.  

So here are the top four models I love for creating and growing a studio without a lot of overhead risk.

1. Renting a space and subletting to other complementary practitioners- In this model, you will have at least one or more other practitioners who want to come on board and make a commitment to sharing the space with you. My first space in Minneapolis was specifically a rental space. I was the one with the name on the lease, but I had several Gyrotonic Instructors, a Pilates Instructor and a Reiki Practitioner helping to pay the rent and creating a community. The benefits of this model are that you can easily cover most of the rent each month, and you get to have a leadership role in creating the look and feel of the space and the community. 

2. Subletting from another Complementary Practitioner or Colleague- In this situation, the roles reverse. Rather than you holding the lease, you are the subletter. Subletting decreases your financial risk and space responsibility, and you get to benefit from the resources of the studio you are renting from and focus on your teaching. The downside of this is, although you have less financial risk, you may often pay more because you can’t offset your fees by renting to others. And in the end, it is not your space, so you have less freedom to create the kind of environment that you like.

3. Bringing your equipment to another studio and getting paid as a contractor- This model is one of my favorites. For years, I had my Gyrotonic Equipment within a physical therapy clinic. I operated as a contractor, but the PT clinic paid me more in exchange for bringing my equipment and adding value to the physical therapy business. The benefits of this were that I had a direct referral source and niche working with their clients. I got to learn a ton of working in an integrative medical care setting, and I was able to benefit from the branding, marketing, and resources in their space. The cons were that I had to fit within their brand and didn’t have a lot of choice about how I wanted my space to look and feel.  

4. The home studio- This may seem like the most straightforward option with the least financial risk, but it also has a lot of drawbacks. It is challenging to market your business and take on new clients because of the vulnerability of brining people you do not know into your home. Also, sometimes it is challenging to create the best experience for the client, depending on how conducive your home life is to creating a studio environment. Also, sometimes the work/home life can get blurred and make it challenging to separate work and home life. I see this model work best with people who have established client bases that they can comfortably bring to their home. And then grow with a slow trickle of referrals from trusted sources. 

So how do you know which model is the right one for you? Which model you choose will depend on your business and income goals, your niche, your comfort with risk, AND your personality. But in the end, whatever you chose, your model can always be changed. In my fifteen years of business, I have changed my studio location and model 5 times, and each evolution has helped me to grow and evolve my business in new ways.

So which one appeals to you the most? Are you looking to start a studio or transition your current one to a new model?

If you want to chat about what your top opportunities are for your new or evolving studio business, schedule a strategy session below!

All the best,

Dawn

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5 Steps To Become A Gyrotonic Instructor In One Year

5 Steps To Become A Gyrotonic Instructor In One Year

by | Jun 1, 2019 | Business Planning, courses, Embodied Wellness, Embodiment, Gyrotonic Movement, Gyrotonic Teacher Training

Are you a health and wellness coach, movement practitioner or therapist who is looking for a new approach to holistic movement with your clients?

Gyrotonic training attracts people from all walks of life. I have had dancers who want to share their love of movement, elementary school teachers, professionals in other careers that want to make a career change and instructors from other modalities like Pilates, yoga, physical therapy and massage therapy that want to expand their skill range and people who just want to go through the training for their own personal development or to have equipment in their home and to work with family and friends!

If you LOVE movement, and enjoy helping others to understand how their bodies move and how to move to their fullest capacity, feel good in their bodies and in their lives, then becoming a Gyrotonic Instructor may be a great fit for you.  In this blog post, I am going to give you the simple 5 step process to become a Gyrotonic Instructor and tell you how you can get started.

To get started, before you even enter the teacher training process, you will need to have a minimum of ten sessions with a certified instructor to familiarize yourself with the introductory material and to prepare your body for the training. This will also give you the opportunity to get a good feel for the system and make sure that it is right for you!

So, what is so unique about the Gyrotonic Method?

The GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® is made up of two methods, the GYROTONIC® Method and the GYROKINESIS® Method. This blog post will focus on the Level 1 Gyrotonic Method Training. The Gyrotonic Method is a holistic system of movement that can meet a variety of health and wellness goals to help you move without pain, develop flexible strength with minimal impact to your body and cross-train for specific sports like Golf, Tennis or Dance.

Exercises are based in three -dimensional movements that help you to align and strengthen your core and move your body as a whole with fluid, flexible strength. Movements integrate breathing principles, mobilize and decompress the spine and joints and work all the major muscle groups synergistically for a full body workout.

The Gyrotonic Method is an apparatus-based method that utilize a unique pulley tower system that offers supportive resistance to the body in all ranges of motion. The level one teacher training process is taught on the pulley tower system. Other specialized equipment like the Jumping Stretching Board, Leg Extension Unit and the Ladder, offer a variety of exercises for developing strength, flexibility, balance and coordination through fluid movement and are available as advanced training courses for Gyrotonic Level 1 Certified Instructors.

My personal practice with Gyrotonic has evolved as a Movement Therapist to working primarily with clients who are transitioning from Physical Therapy and need specific exercise modifications to help them create a new approach to movement. I bring my expertise and experience from working in a physical therapy clinic and as a movement therapist and somatic coach for 15 years to help my students empower their clients to use the Gyrotonic Method to connect to their bodies and find their home in movement.  As a Master Trainer, I teach the first three courses in the Gyrotonic Teacher Training Process.

 

The Gyrotonic Level 1 Teacher Training Process

The Gyrotonic Teacher training process is a combination of four courses that usually take from 9-12 months to complete. All courses must be completed with certified Gyrotonic Pre-Trainers or Master Trainers. You make take each course with a different instructor or all courses with one instructor.

Introductory Sessions

As I mentioned earlier, the first step in the Teacher Training process is to have ten introductory sessions with a certified Gyrotonic Instructor to familiarize yourself with the work and prepare your body for the training. The training is intensive and demanding and you will want to be familiar with the movement before you begin.

 

The Gyrotonic Pre-Training

The first course in the Gyrotonic Teacher Training program. In the Gyrotonic Pre-Training you will learn the fundamental exercises of the Gyrotonic Level One Foundation Course with a focus on individual execution of the movements and understanding of the principles. At the end of the pre-training you will be able to put together a full Gyrotonic workout to lead your self- practice routines. The Gyrotonic Pre-training is a 6 day/30-hour course that can be broken up into two, three-day segments. The pre-training is taught by Dawn Strom or another certified Pre-Trainer.  After you complete the pre-training you will have three months to enroll in and begin the next course, the Level 1 Foundation Training.

 

Level 1 Foundation Training

In the Gyrotonic Level 1 Foundation Course you will learn how to teach fundamental exercises of the Gyrotonic Level One Foundation Course. This course will focus on deepening your understanding and communication of Gyrotonic principles as well as introducing teaching tools and cueing. Upon completion of your Gyrotonic Foundation Course you will be able to teach an introductory session to a new client. You will then enter your Apprenticeship period where you will practice progressing clients through the level one material as well as continue to develop you own integration of the material through self- practice. The Foundation Course is taught by a Master Trainer and is a 12 day/60-hour course that can be broken up into three four-day weekend segments. After you complete and pass the Foundation course, you can continue into your apprentice period.

 

Apprentice Review

After you complete your Foundation Training you will have a 6-12-month apprenticeship period where you will teach a total of 60 sessions, 30 of which must be completed before your apprentice review course.

Once you have completed 30 sessions you will sign up for a 6-day/ 30 hour Apprentice Review Course with Dawn Strom or another licensed Master Trainer. During this time, you will review material and learn any material that was not covered in the foundation training. You will have time to ask questions about your teaching practice. After finishing your apprentice review, you will complete the remaining 30 hours of teaching and then you will go on to your final certification offered at a variety of locations in the USA and in Europe.

 

Certification

After you have passed your apprentice review and completed your hours, you may sign up for your Certification offered through Gyrotonic Headquarter at a variety of locations in the US and Europe. This is a three day course. And upon completion of the course you will be a licensed Gyrotonic Trainer.

 

Cost of Training

The cost of the Gyrotonic Teacher Training process is divided into a combination of course fees and studio fees.

  • The course fees are determined through Gyrotonic Headquarters and are the same regardless of which Master Trainer you work
  • The Studio where you take your course will also have a fee that will cover the costs of using the studio space and may also apply for travel costs of the Master Trainer teaching the course. Studio fees will vary based on
  • You should check with the individual studio hosting the course for a complete list of fees. For a complete list of general course fees click HERE.

 

Continuing Education

Once you are a Licensed Gyrotonic Trainer, you will need to complete continuing education requirements every two years and pay a licensing fee to renew your license. For more information on continuing education requirements, click here.

 

How To Get Started

So now that you know a little more about The Gyrotonic Teacher Training Process, you may be wondering whether it is a good fit for you? If you are interested in joining one of my level 1 foundation trainings, click HERE to schedule a discovery session. I would love to talk with you in person and help give you the information that you need to make the best decision for your career.

To see a list of our current scheduled courses, click HERE . Please let me know if you have any questions!

I hope to see you in one of my courses!

All the best,

Dawn

GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® Specialized Master Trainer

Expand Your Wellness Business with Gyrotonic Teacher Training

Expand Your Wellness Business with Gyrotonic Teacher Training

by | May 22, 2019 | Gyrotonic Movement, Gyrotonic Teacher Training

Are you a body centered therapist (massage, movement, physical, occupational) and are looking for a new approach and tool set to work with your clients on their range of motion, flexibility, strength and coordination?

Do you wish you could set aside some time to work on your own body and deepen your own practice?

The GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® offers a unique approach to movement that can help you to deepen your own movement practice and expand your mindset, skillset and community as a wellness practitioner.

The Gyrotonic movement method is unique approach to movement that addresses the entire body, opening energy pathways, stimulating the nervous system, increasing range of motion and creating functional strength. Gyrotonic exercise sequences are composed of spiraling, circular movements which flows together seamlessly in rhythmic repetitions with corresponding breath patterns. Each movement flows into the next allowing the joints to move through a natural range of motion without jarring or compression. These carefully crafted sequences create balance, efficiency, strength and flexibility in the mind and body. 

 

Adding Gyrotonic Movement to your toolkit through Certification in the Gyrotonic Method can give you a new paradigm to approach your practice in 3 main ways:

1. Expand your mindset- Each movement method offers it’s own approach to the body. And the Gyrotonic System is unique in its holistic, somatic and experiencial approach. The approach is based in a somatic orientation, focusing on the experience of movement and “getting connected to your body”.  Through your training, you will step into your body in a new way and learn how to guide your clients with new eyes into their own embodied experience.  a holistic movement system and focuses on the experience of whole body movement.

2. Expand your skillset and toolbox- The Gyrotonic Level One training encompasses over sixty new exercises for you to explore with your clients that, together, work the body in an integrated way to create greater strength, flexibility and range of motion.  In addition, the specially designed equipment offers a unique and effective approach to support range of motion and functional strength than any other system out there.

3. Expanding your community- The Gyrotonic community of practitioners to connect with, learn from and dialogue with. As a certified practitioner you participate in continuing eduction every two years which offers regular, in person opportunities to share ideas, expand your knowledge and update your skills. As a Certified Instructor, you are also invited to join several facebook groups where you can connect with other instructors, share ideas, learn more about the method and stay connected an inspired.

So if you are ready to grow your Wellness Business by expanding your mindset, skillset and community, the Gyrotonic Method may be a perfect fit!

Grab my FREE Guide to the Gyrotonic Teacher Training Process HERE.  Or schedule a Teacher Training Consult if you want to talk in person about how Gyrotonic Teacher Training can help you reach your goals!

All the best,

Dawn

Gyrotonic Master Trainer

7 Reasons to Love Gyrotonic

7 Reasons to Love Gyrotonic

by | Feb 23, 2019 | Gyrotonic Movement

Imagine how great it would be if you were to do GYROTONIC® exercise for a few sessions and with in that short period, …and within a few weeks you would understand the power of Gyrotonic exercise – and how it can help you get back the active and healthy lifestyle that you’ve lost, or are in danger of losing…

 

The Gyrotonic System can transform how your body moves and how you feel in your body from day one.  GYROTONIC® Training is Apparatus based sessions that utilize a unique pulley tower system that offers supportive resistance to the body in all ranges of motion. Other specialized equipment like the Jumping Stretching Board, Leg Extension Unit and the Ladder, offer a variety of exercises for developing strength, flexibility, balance and coordination through fluid movement.

At C.A.R.E. Bodyworks & Gyrotonic Fit, we offer Gyrotonic-Based Rehabilitation with a Licensed Neuromuscular Therapist or Somatic Movement Therapist and Gyrotonic Fitness training in private, duet or small group equipment classes, as well as group Gyrokinesis Classes with our Resident Master Trainer, Dawn Strom, or a Certified Gyrotonic Instructor.

Gyrotonic exercise is a three dimensional, ‘Functional’ method of exercise. In our daily lives, we all bend, twist, reach, extend, lose our balance and catch ourselves from falling on a daily basis. These are movements that help us to function in our daily lives. But often times our daily habits compromise and limit our movement and these functional patterns start to become compromised. Gyrotonic training can help you to counteract the everyday stresses and poor movement patterns that keep you from feeling strong and healthy in your body.

Gyrotonic exercise teaches you to build a stronger and more efficient body as a whole, rather than isolating individual muscles. Gyrotonic exercise first works on building a strong spine and then uses the core’s strength to help balance out the rest of the body in a way to improve the stability and agility of the body’s functional, daily performance. In Gyrotonic exercise the aim is to lengthen tight muscles, strengthen weak muscles, align the spine, and bring the body into a better and more harmonious balance.  It establishes equilibrium to keep the body moving and performing at its best.

So here are the 7 reasons why a gyrotonic practice will help get moving and stay moving for a lifetime! 

1.It is a  huge stress reliever-

The Gyrotonic method has grown in popularity in the United States for a number of reasons. You feel – and see – results quickly, which provides great motivation to keep coming. The classes can be intense – but it’s a full body workout. Not only can you feel the exercises working, but you feel great afterwards – an endorphin Buzz!  It’s also time-efficient – you can be in, worked out, and out of the studio in just over an hour. Last, but not least, it’s a great stress-buster. Whether first thing in the morning or after a long day at work, Gyrotonic exercise provides a great escape where the focus is on breathing and movement. The combination of breathing properly, while carrying out the exercises, along with stretching, helps to relieve stress and tightness in the body.

2-It’s Exercise without the Fuss-

Sometimes the thought of going to the gym is dreadful and then you keep putting it off. Gyrotonic exercise lets you tailor your workouts and even complete sessions at home. The ideal way to keep up with your training is to have a Certified Gyrotonic In-structor design a series of exercises for you to complete between your sessions in the studio.They will also plan a review session every so often to make sure your technique is still sound and you are getting the most out of your training. So, you might be stretching, but you could be doing more damage than good. Checking whether you’re performing the moves correctly will ensure your results.

3- Improved Posture-

Often times repetitive patterns of inefficient posture and alignment keep your body out of balance and can cause areas of stress and tension in the body. Gyrotonic exercise start by strengthening your spinal alignment and helping you develop your postural muscles. Then, you work your body in symmetrical and balanced movement exercises so it can naturally help you to relieve chronic patterns of tension and strain caused by poor movement and postural habits. If you are in need of assessment and treatment of a particular issue, our neuromuscular care therapist can do an assessment and offer structural balancing work to help augment your gyrotonic training.

4- Less Back Pain-

Most back pain results from faulty posture and a sedentary lifestyle. Gyrotonic exercise addresses the muscle imbalances that typically contribute to back pain, namely weak abdominals and buttock muscles. Gyrotonic exercise also stretches out the tight and overworked back muscles. Proper alignment is the main factor that helps to alleviate back pain. If you do Gyrotonic exercise carefully, you’ll understand how to use your body in ways that protect your back from injury. Gyrotonic exercise was initially developed as a rehabilitative tool by Juliu Horvath, a professional dancer that injured his back and leg. He believes that by having awareness of breath and of alignment of the spine, one can strengthen the body, and recover from injury.

5- You will increase your strength and flexibility-

Every Gyrotonic exercise focuses on using your deepest abdominal and spinal muscles to power movement in your limbs, literally moving from the core. Whatever activity you do, you’ll find that Gyrotonic exercises improve strength in meaningful ways and can help with the overall health of your spine. Doing Pilates can help prevent injuries, too! Any exercise regimen should increase your body’s overall strength, or else what’s the point? But Gyrotonic exercise strengthens the muscles in your body that you may actually notice on a day-to-day basis. Gyrotonic exercise is meant to improve your daily life: It can help you get up from bed, if that’s hard for you, or it can help you get stronger for playing sports.Gyrotonic exercises stretch the muscles and the joints while they strengthen the body. If you have found that your spine has lost some of its range of motion and flexibility, Gyrotonic exercise very quickly addresses this problem.  Everyone has physical limitations that depend on age, genetics and lifestyle. Gyrotonic exercise is not a magic pill, but with a regular Gyrotonic exercise program, your body can reach its potential in the areas of flexibility and strength.

6- Improved Athletic Performance

Improved Athletic Performance- Do you feel stiff or sore from doing your favorite athletic activities like golf or tennis? Gyrotonic movement can help you loosen up your stiff joints and cross train for your favorite activities. Gyrotonic is three dimensional and can help you correct imbalances that come from your golf or tennis game and . Do you want to improve your hip and shoulder turn, create more power in your swing and learn exercises that can help to prevent sports related injury and back pain? Then the Gyrotonic program applied to Golf or Tennis program is for you. They are taught by Gyrotonic Fit’s neuromuscular care therapist and corrective exercise specialist who can teach both programs as well as offer movement assessments and neuromuscular therapy for specific pain patterns.

7-Live More Consciously-

Gyrotonic exercise forces you to pay attention—you’ve got to focus on your breath while working through each movement and concentrating on proper Form.Gyrotonic exercise will help you to tune in to your body in order to activate the muscles. You need to listen to the instructions carefully in order to be safe, and you need to pay attention to the feedback you are getting from the equipment. You cannot think about your grocery list, tomorrow’s board meeting or what you are eating for dinner. After a Gyrotonic session, you’ll feel refreshed and relaxed.

In summary, Gyrotonic exercise can help you and make a difference in your life. I could go further in-depth on exercises, classes and our programs, but all I ask you to do now is take a moment and think about what your next step will be.

So, here is my challenge to you…now that you have this information in hand, take the time every day to do Gyrotonic exercise. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by how much better and healthier you will feel in doing so. The benefits I’ve shared with you here will make a huge difference to the quality of your life.

How to get started and see if Gyrotonic exercise is a good fit for you…

So now you know a little more about how Gyrotonic movement can help you de-stress and stay active and help you reach your goals for lifelong movement, injury prevention, sports cross-training and overall well-being. But the most important factor is how you FEEL after a Gyrotonic Session! So if you are interested in learning more about how Gyrotonic movement can help you to de-stress and stay active, schedule a FREE Discovery Session to get started. We will meet with you in the studio or on the phone to discuss your needs and goals and see if one of our programs could be a good fit for you.

Download your copy of this FREE Guide below and let me know if you have any questions!

Take Care,

MLS, Holistic Coach, Registered Somatic Movement Therapist, GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® Specialized Master Trainer

Gyrotonic As Meditation

Gyrotonic As Meditation

by | Aug 15, 2018 | Gyrotonic Movement, Restorative Exercise

Hey everyone, it’s Dawn Strom from C.A.R.E. Bodyworks and today I want to talk a little bit about Gyrotonic as a form of meditation. In the last video, I talked about two different techniques that we use in our movement therapy practice to help you connect to your body: the body scan and the breathing exercise. Today, I want to talk about how Gyrotonic can be a form of meditation as well.

If you think about meditation as a practice of focusing on something specific and singular, like your breath or your sensations or a particular mantra, you can think about Gyrotonic movement as focusing on a holistic perception of your body.

I’ve heard people say in their Gyrotonic sessions that there are so many things to focus on. “I’ve got to put my arm here and do this  with my spine and something different with my head and I don’t know what to focus on” is a sentiment I hear often when clients first try Gyrotonic. However, the real opportunity and beautify within Gyrotonic is that instead of focusing on the minutia of what is going on in any one part of your body, you are actually developing a holistic perspective of how your body is moving in space. You’ll notice in your practice and in videos of Gyrotonic movement that it’s a fluid, whole-body movement. One of the key things we work with is helping our clients discover the imperfect perfect movement. The movement won’t always be perfect, but the idea is to develop a holistic sense of how your body is moving so  you start to feel your body moving as a whole in space and you feel yourself move as a whole. You’ll start to feel the way that your body moves best and with ease and, like pottery on a wheel, you can start to mold it and shape it through your awareness.

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The big picture is that you really want to get a feeling of your body as a whole and yourself as whole moving through space and in your life. This is how you want to show up in your movement practice and exercise practice on a daily basis. In that sense, Gyrotonic can really be a form of moving meditation if you can drop into it and allow your awareness to develop of this singular, holisitc focus: the sense of your whole body moving in space, and sense the rhythm of your breath moving your body in a simple and fluid way.

In that sense, Gyrotonic practice can really help you to drop you’re your body. It can help you to establish that singular, holistic focus. It can also just give you the opportunity to move your energy, let your emotions move, clear you mind and all of the other positive benefits of a meditation practice.

So the next time you are moving through your Gyrotonic Practice, let yourself drop into it as a kind of meditation and see how your experience shifts!

Take Care,

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Re-Balance After Injury Using The Gyrotonic Method

by | May 5, 2018 | Gyrotonic Movement, Movement Therapy

The Gyrotonic Movement System is a holistic movement system that can serve a wide variety of need and goals.  One of the ways that I have used the system in my movement therapy practice is to help clients who are transitioning from working with a physical therapist on an acute condition to getting back to a movement program that helps them continue doing the activities that they love.

The Gyrotonic System is both gentle and supportive to the body on many levels. But one of the primary ways it can help you to get make to movement after injury is by developing a new mindset about how to listen to pain and ease in your body. The movement sequences are created to teach you how to deepen your awareness of how your body moves from the inside out, to be able to feel what movements cause pain, and what movements help your body to move comfortably in that moment. Moving your body from a felt experience and a sense of intention towards ease and comfort can help you to create a new level of trust with movement when you may have fear about moving again after injury.

The other way that the Gyrotonic Movement System can help you transition back to injury after movement is through the supportive environment of the equipment.  The Gyrotonic equipment is specially designed to support your body to access your full range of motion with support. The equipment provides resistance and support to your body to help you regain a sense of connection and support. It also provides an element of instability to help you re-train your nervous system to get back to full dynamic movement in your life. 

Watch the video below to see an example of how a Gyrotonic Movement Program can help you regain balance after injury.

And check out our free guide to the 7 Reasons to Love Gyrotonic!

Take care,

Dawn

 

  The GYROTONIC® Interview Series - Re-gaining Balance from GYROTONIC® Headquarters on Vimeo.