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Learn the art and business of teaching yoga at The Bookworm of Edwards

Richard Cummings | Special to the Daily
Richard Cummings | Special to the Daily |

If you go …

What: Event with Amy Ippoliti and Taro Smith, authors of “The Art and Business of Teaching Yoga.”

When: 6 p.m. Thursday, June 16.

Where: The Bookworm of Edwards, 295 Main St., Riverwalk at Edwards.

Cost: $25, includes appetizers and a copy of the book.

More information: Visit http://www.90monkeys.com, or call The Bookworm at 970-926-7323.

EDWARDS — Affectionately known as the “teachers of teachers,” Amy Ippoliti found her passion before it started paying her bills.

“I’ve always been really deeply connected to nature,” Ippoliti said. “As a child, I always wanted to be outside. I had been doing yoga as a teenager and sought to change people’s lives through my practice and as an activist.

“My passion turned into a career when I realized I wasn’t making much of an impact as an activist. I thought I could be a role model by being a teacher, thinking this was really a path that might work for me that will help me to teach others to lead a meaningful and mindful life.”



Yogi revelation

Ippoliti began teaching yoga and training teachers in the late 1990s. There was an explosion in the practice of yoga at the time, but by 2001, she discovered an issue she didn’t foresee.

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“The graduates from my teacher training classes couldn’t find jobs,” Ippoliti said. “In the explosion of yoga, not only was the practice so popular, but there were thousands of new teachers being pumped out every year. That was the first time when I was like ‘Oh my gosh, there is real competition out there.’”

This revelation convinced Ippoliti to pursue the idea of writing a book specifically for those looking to open up their own studios and find the success they envisioned. She partnered with Taro Smith, a movement specialist and wellness entrepreneur, to write “The Art and Business of Teaching Yoga,” which focuses on marketing and customer service as much as Sanskrit and postures.

Ippoliti and Smith will discuss the book Thursday evening at The Bookworm of Edwards.

“Taro and I met just as I was about to launch an online course that centered around my teacher training,” Ippoliti said. “He couldn’t help but contribute to the ideas of the course. He looked at my work and took it to a whole other level. His contributions to the content of course like the of basics of marketing, the client cycle and so many other little things proved vital to the development of the book.”

Pursuing passions

One of the biggest ideas conveyed in the book is how to pursue your art and passions as a career while still upholding an accurate idea and understanding of customer service.

“There’s a lot of corporate and business terminology that Smith brought to the book. Even though we don’t use this terminology often in the yoga world, the meaning behind words like this is so important for a successful studio,” Ippoliti said.

Though the book is geared toward the yogi community, Ippoliti encourages all people pursuing their passions as a career to join the event.

“There are people that are fitness professionals that are struggling being in a lifestyle-oriented business,” Ippoliti said. “Even artists are running into the same problem. They can glean things from how to make a living, how to stand out, etc. I believe the message of the book is something for anyone seeking to make their dream their career.”


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