There's something that's been bothering me about the yoga industry for years. Actually, it's more than bothering - it's a fundamental disconnect that I can't stop seeing, especially as an autistic business owner who tends to notice patterns others might miss.

The whole thing feels absurd sometimes. We spend hours on our mats teaching about unity and connection, about how we're all part of something bigger than ourselves. Then we walk into a business workshop, and suddenly, everyone's talking about competitive advantage, market differentiation, and unique selling propositions. I'm sitting there wondering if I'm the only one who feels the cognitive dissonance. The only one noticing how we've completely abandoned everything we just finished teaching about on our mats.

When I started building Sole Journey Wellness, this disconnect became impossible to ignore. Traditional business models never quite clicked with my neurodivergent brain anyway - all those rigid formulas and one-size-fits-all solutions that felt like trying to force a square peg into a round hole while someone shouted, "Just push harder!" But this went deeper than that. It wasn't just about how my brain worked. It was about watching an entire industry collectively forget its own teachings the moment money entered the conversation.

Beyond the Scarcity Mindset

The traditional business world would have us believe that success is some twisted game - that for one teacher to thrive, another has to struggle. Like there's only so much abundance to go around, and we're all fighting for our piece of it.

I remember sitting in this fancy business workshop, surrounded by other yoga teachers. The "expert" leading the Zoom was going on and on about competitive analysis and market positioning. All these corporate buzzwords that felt utterly disconnected from what we were actually trying to do - help people connect with themselves through yoga. I kept looking around the screen, wondering if anyone else felt how wrong this was.

But here's what I've learned through building Sole Journey Wellness - that whole model isn't just misaligned with yoga's values; it's flat-out wrong. Every time I've chosen collaboration over competition, my business has grown in ways I never expected. And I don't mean growth just in terms of money or numbers. I'm talking about the depth of what I can offer, the richness of the experience for my students, and the sustainability of my own practice as a teacher.

This shift from scarcity to abundance mindset has been a slow unfolding. Countless conversations with fellow teachers showed me how different teaching styles could complement each other instead of competing. When I started referring students to other teachers who might better serve their specific needs, something magical happened - those same teachers started sending students my way who needed exactly what I offered. Every time I shared resources or collaborated with supposed "competitors," the return was exponentially greater than what I gave.

The Alchemy of True Collaboration

My journey to authentic collaboration has been anything but linear. When I moved to the Seattle area, I started working at a reputable yoga studio down the street from where we lived. After 18 months of watching the toxic competitive environment of that studio slowly drain everyone's spirit, I started to become wary of traditional business relationships. Then, a partnership that began with such promise ended in heartbreak - my friend/business partner mocking the very traits I would later understand as autism & ADHD. I retreated completely, convinced that building my business had to be a solo journey. My island felt safer than risking that kind of heartache again.

Looking back now, I see how that experience, painful as it was, taught me something essential about collaboration. Sometimes, we must experience what we don't want to find what we need. I've learned that collaboration is not just about finding someone with complementary skills or shared goals. It's about creating spaces where different minds can truly flourish together.

Everything changed when I met my friend and collaborator Jeannette through Digital Yoga Academy. What began as simply supporting each other through course materials has blossomed into a five-year journey that's transformed how I see partnership entirely. We've created workbooks, workshops, and online retreats. And now, we're building something revolutionary together through Wild Wisdom Alliance. But the real revolution isn't in what we're creating - it's in how we work together.

We've thrown out the traditional partnership playbook with all its rigid expectations and unspoken rules. Instead, we've created a collaboration that breathes with us. Some days, my neurodivergent brain needs more processing time. On other days, Jeannette may need space for creative flow. Rather than seeing these differences as obstacles to work around, we've learned to treat them as strengths to lean into.

Something magical happens when you release the pressure to perform or mask or keep up with some arbitrary timeline. I've found that solutions emerge from the most unexpected places. Ideas cross-pollinate in ways they never could under the strain of competition and scarcity. We've discovered that our different perspectives don't just complement each other - they multiply our impact in ways neither of us could have achieved alone.

This kind of collaboration isn't just more pleasant or sustainable (though it absolutely is). It's also more innovative. When you create space for different minds to work in their natural rhythms, you tap into a kind of collective creativity that traditional competitive models can never access. Each partner's unique way of seeing and processing becomes a gift to the whole.

Building Authentic Partnerships

The problem with most business advice about collaboration is that it treats partnership like a transaction - what can I get from this person? How can they advance my goals? But genuine collaboration, the kind that creates lasting change, grows from a completely different soil. The journey from competition to collaboration requires more than just good intentions - it requires a fundamental shift in how we approach relationships in our industry.

Through years of trial and error, I've learned that successful partnerships are built on three key foundations: trust, shared values, and clear communication.

If there is no trust, there is no collaboration. Traditional business advice is that trust begins with being reliable and consistent in our commitments. Building genuine collaboration also requires you to be open to this looking different than what you envision. Being reliable and consistent looks different for people living with chronic physical and mental health issues. Trust grows stronger when we maintain transparent communication about both successes and challenges. Your collaboration includes all of you, not just the part that works. Most importantly, trust flourishes when we genuinely celebrate each other rather than viewing each other as threats to our own success.

Shared values provide the compass that guides our collaborative efforts. In the past, I have underestimated the importance of shared values and partnered with people deeply rooted in white supremacy and cultural appropriation because "It's just business." But now, more than ever, we must be mindful that the person or business we are collaborating with doesn't represent something unaligned with our values. In my own partnerships, I've found that alignment on core principles - like making yoga more accessible, honoring different ways of learning and teaching, and prioritizing genuine transformation over quick profits - creates a strong foundation for working together.

Clear communication is the cornerstone of all successful partnerships. It becomes especially crucial when working across different processing styles and needs. In the past, I hid my struggles from the people I was working with because they were neurotypical, able-bodied people who would eventually grow wary of the multitude of physical and mental symptoms I navigate daily. But now, I've learned to be upfront about my own neurodivergent traits and physical needs to create systems that honor different communication preferences. This might mean having both written and verbal agreements, setting clear expectations about response times, or establishing regular check-ins to ensure everyone feels heard and supported.

Practical Steps Toward Community-Based Success

The shift from competition to collaboration doesn't happen overnight and isn't just philosophical - it requires conscious unlearning and practical action. Here's what I've found most effective in my own journey:

Start by identifying potential partners whose values align with yours. Nowadays, almost every solo entrepreneur or business displays its core values on its website or social media. Read through their information and critically examine if you're in alignment. Look beyond the apparent industry connections - some of my most successful collaborations have been with practitioners from entirely different industries who shared my commitment to accessible and inclusive collective healing.

Begin with small, manageable projects that allow you to build trust and understand each other's working styles. This might mean cross-promoting each other's services on social media or email marketing and, if that goes well, going Live together on social media to discuss a shared topic or co-teaching a class. Initially, the goal is to mindfully and truthfully assess if your working styles are compatible. Pay attention to how you work together and communicate during these initial collaborations.

Creating clear agreements about roles, responsibilities, and resource sharing upfront will save energy and prevent a lot of head and heartache in the future. Don't shy away from discussing financial arrangements and boundaries - clarity in these areas actually strengthens relationships rather than damaging them. It doesn't matter if you've never had these types of conversations before it just matters that you are open to discussions. If you feel like you CANNOT have these types of conversations, you are not ready for collaboration.

Establishing systems for regular evaluation and adaptation may sound formal and scary, but it's vital for the evolution of a collaboration. Take the time to critically examine what's working well and what could be improved. How are both parties feeling about the developments of the collaboration? These mindful check-ins help prevent misunderstandings and ensure the partnership remains beneficial for everyone involved.

Looking Forward: The Future of Yoga Business

Your final tip will lead into your post’s conclusion. For example, “Lastly, knowing just a little As we move forward in an increasingly connected world, the old paradigms of competition and scarcity are becoming not just philosophically outdated but practically unsustainable. The future belongs to those who can build bridges, foster genuine connections, and create collaborative communities that support everyone's growth. It's about fundamentally reimagining what success looks like.

I'm no longer interested in putting my name on yoga as if I somehow own it. Nothing I will ever teach will be revolutionary to yoga's lineage. Instead, I focus on creating containers that honor and pay respect to the creators, caretakers, and lineage holders I've learned from. As my prices increase, I offer sliding scales. I give away valuable content and teachings that others might charge premium rates for because what I teach about navigating life's ups and downs shouldn't be locked behind a paywall.

The yoga industry needs to change. We must move beyond the hustle culture with too many teachers burning out in studios, beyond the white-washed branding that erases yoga's roots, and beyond the scarcity mindset that turns fellow teachers into competitors. This isn't about creating the kind of yoga industry we want to see. One where different approaches and perspectives are welcomed, honored, and celebrated rather than criticized. Where success is measured not by how well we compete against each other, but by how effectively we collaborate to create positive change.

When we genuinely embrace community over competition, we're not just building better businesses but nurturing a more sustainable, inclusive, and transformative yoga industry. We're creating spaces where every teacher can thrive, every student can find their path, and the true spirit of yoga can flourish.

Are you ready to explore what's possible when we rise together? Let's start by having honest conversations about how we can support each other's growth while staying true to our individual paths. When we share our gifts, honor our differences, and work together toward common goals, we all rise higher and find a level of success that we cannot reach alone.