I went to school for advertising. I spent six years learning to build brand identity, even when you didn’t necessarily believe in the product. (Quick aside: I remember a fellow student being very offended when a Wall Street Journal poll ranked those of us in advertising as among the least trusted of all professionals — below personal injury lawyers. Seemed apt to me.)
At any rate, I spent years learning how to position goods and services in a way that would attract consumers.
But Then I Had to Market Myself
The first rule of branding and marketing is to be really clear about the product you’re selling and try to clarify the ways in which it can stand out in the marketplace. For example, all toothpaste will help keep your teeth and gums healthy, but one brand might focus on whitening while another focuses on fresher breath. The products are only subtly different, but the branding of each makes these differences everything.
So what is the Daily Flow brand?
I’ve really been reflecting a lot on my Daily Flow presentation and how it aligns with who I am as a teacher and what I would like Daily Flow to become. I’ve been seduced by articles about algorithms and watched as some of my videos attract zero viewers and others garner hundreds. (I have yet to get much more than that.) While I’m very comfortable with that — I even wrote an article about it — I still think it’s important that my messaging be clear.
Daily Flow Is…
For people who want to step out of the grind without stepping down. They have at least a basic knowledge of yoga postures and terminology and want to ground their days and refine their practices. They want tools to help them stay strong, healthy and flexible without feeling like they always have to go hard (or even break a sweat). They value a daily practice and recognize that just a few minutes in the morning can have profound and lasting effects that resonate through every facet of their lives.
And, most importantly, they see yoga as a physical practice for their spiritual well-being.
So what will change?
Honestly? Maybe nothing. Your experience will probably not be all that different. In fact, I expect if I hadn’t told you, you wouldn’t even notice. But I will notice.
I will assume a baseline of experience and I will emphasize, even more, that the only way to make real progress is to move our bodies slowly, deliberately and mindfully. I will also redefine “progress” for all of us: to progress in a yoga practice means to be deeply connected with one’s Self and meaningfully comfortable in discomfort.
To recognize that effort — what the Buddhists call “right effort” — is valuable but that strain is not.
“The Yoga of Branding?”
To be in a state of Yoga means to be completely integrated. To recognize that the deepest truth of who we are has nothing to do with core strength or standing on one foot. Those things are just tools to maintain our physical being and reveal our spiritual one.
In order to resonate with the “right” audience — busy yogis who are tired of gimmicks and see beyond flash — everything I present must communicate these deeper truths. And, in so doing, I will deepen my own practice right along with you.
I invite you to practice with me on YouTube, where I share short daily classes focused on mindful movement, sustainable strength, and right effort. You’re also welcome to leave a comment or share this post — not to boost an algorithm, but to keep this kind of conversation alive. Yoga works best when it’s practiced together.
So let’s get started.
Nothing that appears in this blog or on this website is intended to treat or diagnose any disorder, physical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before beginning any exercise program.