Better Together

Better Together

Lucy is creative, creates wonderful experiences and has a magical way with words. I have a lot of drive, I’m highly committed and get stuff done. We both have unique strengths and are successful in our ways. Yet, we are better together. In fact, together we are actually pretty amazing. Our skillsets are not just perfectly complementary, somehow something else happens. 1+1 doesn’t = 2. Together we make 1+1=3 (or more!).

We met at intenSati Leader Training in 2015. We decided to become accountability partners to support each other in the processes after the in-person weekend. And thus our journey started. We practiced together at Equinox and rented practice rooms at Pearl Studios to offer classes to our friends. Sometimes we would take each-others class because no one else showed up. We both still get a slightly uneasy feeling when thinking of these smelly rooms with terrible, fluorescent lighting. Luckily the effort paid off – we got rewarded with two classes at Athleta Soho – Sunday morning and Monday night. After that, there were a few more classes elsewhere but somehow it never really took off.

In the meantime, Lucy had an injury and couldn’t teach anymore. I had proposed to add an intenSati class to the Naam Yoga schedule because the philosophy of both practices is so similar but it wasn’t exactly a success either. We were not doing it together and it was not going well. Actually it was pretty frustrating. We both knew the class was revolutionary but somehow it just wasn’t working for us.

Not giving up

I love the intenSati workout but it’s actually so much more than that – it’s a way of living. “Sati” means mindfulness, awareness without judgment. “Inten” is short for intention. The concept behind intenSati is thinking greater than our circumstances and taking inspired action. It’s about taking responsibility for our own life, health and happiness. Obviously this is really difficult and it takes a lot of practice to live our life this way. So I was always intrigued by creating workshops around that aspect of intenSati and thought that Naam would be the perfect place for them.

This was a bigger project and I missed co-teaching with my Partner in Crime so this was the perfect opportunity. One of our favorite things to do is to plan and strategize, i.e. having brunch and brainstorm ideas. Of course Lucy immediately loved the idea and we planned out a 2 hours session: A worksheet would guide us through the first hour and the second hour would be the workout and a meditation. 2-hours, once a month – done! The first half of the year was pretty good – also in part to our most loyal friends who showed up faithfully – Thank you!

The second part was a little less successful. But we both knew this is it. This is the format and it’s working. So at the beginning of this year we decided to put our stake in the ground, level up the experience and get 10 participants each time. And it worked. Boom. And of course, we couldn’t be more thrilled.

Recipe for success

So I’ve been wondering why together we can make 1+1=3 and here is the theory I’ve come up with:

1. I don’t have to worry about my insecurities or the things I’m not great at because I know Lucy has that stuff covered (I’m sure that’s a mutual feeling)
2. I can fully focus on my strengths (same mutual feeling)
3. We build on each other’s ideas
4. We challenge our not so great ideas
5. We open worlds for each other that by ourselves we wouldn’t have access to
6. There is my way, there is her way and there is often a third and even better way
7. We both have the same vision and we have the same goal, so the energy multiplies
8. We don’t give up
9. We keep pushing and motivating each other
10. We always make it fun, too

This Sunday we’ve had another strategy and planning session for a new project and I can’t wait to see what’s going to come out of that!

And of course, don’t miss our intenSati workshops at Naam Yoga – the next one is on Sunday, March 24 from 10:15-12:15. Sign-up here.

Do you have a partner in crime? And what’s your theory why you are better together? Leave a comment!