What do yoga and Yoda have to do with you? Maybe nothing. But, for all you over 50 Jedi Knights who are learning to become more mindful, here’s a suggestion: create your own Yoda Studio. And, of course, this is not just for yoga instructors and life coaches, but any business that wants a little of that Jedi magic. Here are few cool features that might be more popular than you think:

1. May the Force Be with You.
   Too often, we believe our wisdom or skills will save the day, but sometimes learning how to channel a force beyond ourselves will yield greater results. Whether that force is the power of a group (like an MEA cohort) who supports and guides you from afar, or a mystical power greater than you, your Yoda Studio will create the container for you to tap into an even more powerful collective magic.
   
   
2. May the Decision Be Yours.“
   Your path you must decide,” said Yoda. While learning to tap into positive forces beyond yourself is part of Jedi training, you can’t wait around for someone else to make decisions for you. If we’ve learned one thing in the pandemic, it’s that being resilient, adaptable, and decisive are critical qualities for a time of uncertainty. Your Yoda Studio could create Resilience Circles to advise and support on all your dealing with, but the decision is ultimately yours.
   
   
3. Learn to Let Go.
   “The fear of loss is a path to the dark side. Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them, do not. Miss them, do not. Attachment leads to jealousy. The shadow of greed, that is. Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.”
   
   “Soon, will I rest, yes, forever sleep. Earned it, I have.”
   Yoda, at the ripe old age of 900, ready to die.
   
   Yoda Studios teach us that death is an organizing principle for life. A Yoda Studio teacher helps one see the three parts of any transition: ending something, the messy middle, and beginning anew. We go to the Studio to continually edit our lives just like people go to WeightWatchers to shed their extra pounds. In short, a Yoda Studio is a Wisdom Gym.
   
   
4. Don’t Worry How You Look.
   Yoda was a funny, cross-eyed character with big pointy ears and scaly skin. He wasn’t going to win any beauty contests, and he didn’t care. He was playing on a much deeper field—the place of heart and soul. And that’s what made him so lovable. Of course, a Yoda Studio isn’t just focused on helping you go within; it’s also the place where you learn to become a beginner again, without worry about how you look like a neophyte. At MEA, most of our students try something new for the first time—baking bread with a couple of partners, improv comedy, meditation or journal writing, surfing, expressing unfiltered emotions with strangers. As George Bernard Shaw wrote, “A man progresses in all things by making a fool of himself.”

There you go. Your own Yoda Studio in a box—the kindling for your business plan. Here’s the good news. The better you get at delivering on this business plan, the more Yoda-like you become.

“Do or do not. There is no try."