I want to put this out there: probably it will have no effect on most current members but I would like some feedback.

Retiring from public session work was Shamanic imperative- I did not get a choice, but it also cut my income by 60-80%... and I was not earning all that much to begin with. I haven't given myself a raise in 8 years.

  When I created FST in 1999, the USD was $1.47 CDN... now it is .97 CDN and I am actually getting about  $50 less per membership than when the course first opened, which is a little absurd because FST has become bigger and better since then.

  I wanted to wait until the massive update is complete before a price increase, but fluctuating global exchange rates interfere with the best laid plans.   So, I am abandoning USD and the basic price of membership is increasing to $150. CDN  per year.  That represents a big price increase for Americans, but for stronger global currencies it is no increase at all. 

   I don't delete expired memberships, renewal is on the honour system anyway, and whether you choose to renew at $88 USD or $150. CDN or $0 is up to the individual. 

   I offer FST students 20% off my regular public session rates... but I am not doing public sessions anymore, and 20% of 0 = 0.  I like to keep my agreements: if you want a session and really need the 20% off I will give you that, but if you can affoard not to, great!  Thank you. Future students will not be offered the discount.

  I took several sabbaticals this year, but I am available for sessions at this time. I'm not doing tummo initiations anymore, I trained Sigmund to take over that part, but I am still doing Shaktipat, karma cleansing etc. 

   I really have a lot of loathing for organizations that plead poverty and beg for donations.  I don't want to go there, it is embarassing to me... but I have to deal with what Is.  I am doing OK, because hubby pays the mortgage and he'll make sure I don't starve... he is a generous man who has covered various shortfalls over the years, even though he is not and has never been an FST student or particularly interested in Kundalini.

   I don't have any savings or investments, or any sort of a retirement plan like a normal person would.  At present, my bank account is overdrawn, I haven't made a visa payment in two months, and it would be even worse except my man paid off my other credit card and last week spent $2200 getting my car repaired.  he is gracious about it, but it doesn't feel fair to me. he would have retired from a job he hates if not for these various expenses.  There are other things he would rather be spending his hard earned $$ on. 

   FST is not a religion, an ashram or church... it is not even a non-profit org except I don't really make money at it... but it is a school, and schools, even universities depend on donations to stay afloat.  Aside from my man, there are two other people who made donations of a few hundred $ in support of my work once or twice per year:  and one of them is now deceased.

   I think most students agree: FST is worth a lot more than the tuition I ask.  If you are in a position to help out, that would be wonderful. Thank you.

paypal: mystress@kundalini-teacher.com

Hi Mystress,

I want to put this out there: probably it will have no effect on most current members but I would like some feedback.

Retiring from public session work was Shamanic imperative- I did not get a choice, but it also cut my income by 60-80%... and I was not earning all that much to begin with. I haven't given myself a raise in 8 years.
...

Coincidently (or not), I've been reflecting on this the past few days... wondering how you can possibly manage to keep things going without an income. As a musician I understand the how difficult it is when those of us outside of "normal" society are forced us to stop work due to health. I'm a piano player and broke my hand some years ago but had to play anyway or starve as its all I know how to do. I don't wish that on anyone.

As far as price increases, right now your only getting 1.70 A WEEK for the FST course. Less than a good cup of coffee! As far as I'm concerned you don't need to justify a price increase. What you offer is priceless!

Then there are the gross misrepresentations that people project on to you. That doesn't help attract potential clients. I saw an instance of that this week which you know about by now.

I took several sabbaticals this year, but I am available for sessions at this time. I'm not doing tummo initiations anymore, I trained Sigmund to take over that part, but I am still doing Shaktipat, karma cleansing etc.    

Yeah, I'll be contacting Sigmund at some point.

...
I don't have any savings or investments, or any sort of a retirement plan like a normal person would...

I can relate to the above.

   FST is not a religion, an ashram or church... it is not even a non-profit org except I don't really make money at it... but it is a school, and schools, even universities depend on donations to stay afloat.  Aside from my man, there are two other people who made donations of a few hundred $ in support of my work once or twice per year:  and one of them is now deceased.

   I think most students agree: FST is worth a lot more than the tuition I ask.  If you are in a position to help out, that would be wonderful. Thank you.


As mentioned earlier, though I am a newbie here, I've been thinking of this over the last couple of days. Something fell in my lap this week that I didn't have to work for so I'm happy to be able to throw $200.00 your way (don't worry, its a fraction of what I received). I'll have to wait until Monday though. Consider it an expression of support but more than that, appreciation. You've offered so much through your websites and your long history of support for K people.     


paypal: mystress@kundalini-teacher.com

Quote from: Mystress on Oct 18, 2007, 04:30:34 PM
I want to put this out there: probably it will have no effect on most current members but I would like some feedback.

Retiring from public session work was Shamanic imperative- I did not get a choice, but it also cut my income by 60-80%... and I was not earning all that much to begin with. I haven't given myself a raise in 8 years.

  When I created FST in 1999, the USD was $1.47 CDN... now it is .97 CDN and I am actually getting about  $50 less per membership than when the course first opened, which is a little absurd because FST has become bigger and better since then.

  I wanted to wait until the massive update is complete before a price increase, but fluctuating global exchange rates interfere with the best laid plans.   So, I am abandoning USD and the basic price of membership is increasing to $150. CDN  per year.  That represents a big price increase for Americans, but for stronger global currencies it is no increase at all. 

   I don't delete expired memberships, renewal is on the honour system anyway, and whether you choose to renew at $88 USD or $150. CDN or $0 is up to the individual. 

   I offer FST students 20% off my regular public session rates... but I am not doing public sessions anymore, and 20% of 0 = 0.  I like to keep my agreements: if you want a session and really need the 20% off I will give you that, but if you can affoard not to, great!  Thank you. Future students will not be offered the discount.

I think that's perfectly normal thing to do. Sure it's a school, but it's also a business.  In the game industry where I work, they renew contracts depending on the currency.  American companies have had a harder time lately because of the low dollar rate.   If I charge something for a hobby project here, I base the costs and requirements on the Swedish money here, since that's what really matters. I perfectly agree with that doing the same for you is a totally fair thing to do!

Quote from: Mystress on Oct 18, 2007, 04:30:34 PM


  I took several sabbaticals this year, but I am available for sessions at this time. I'm not doing tummo initiations anymore, I trained Sigmund to take over that part, but I am still doing Shaktipat, karma cleansing etc. 


   I really have a lot of loathing for organizations that plead poverty and beg for donations.  I don't want to go there, it is embarassing to me... but I have to deal with what Is.  I am doing OK, because hubby pays the mortgage and he'll make sure I don't starve... he is a generous man who has covered various shortfalls over the years, even though he is not and has never been an FST student or particularly interested in Kundalini.

   I don't have any savings or investments, or any sort of a retirement plan like a normal person would.  At present, my bank account is overdrawn, I haven't made a visa payment in two months, and it would be even worse except my man paid off my other credit card and last week spent $2200 getting my car repaired.  he is gracious about it, but it doesn't feel fair to me. he would have retired from a job he hates if not for these various expenses.  There are other things he would rather be spending his hard earned $$ on. 

   FST is not a religion, an ashram or church... it is not even a non-profit org except I don't really make money at it... but it is a school, and schools, even universities depend on donations to stay afloat.  Aside from my man, there are two other people who made donations of a few hundred $ in support of my work once or twice per year:  and one of them is now deceased.

   I think most students agree: FST is worth a lot more than the tuition I ask.  If you are in a position to help out, that would be wonderful. Thank you.

paypal: mystress@kundalini-teacher.com

Goddess definitely provided you with an incredible husband!   Most people live with a bunch of credits to pay off (We do, for sure) and a bumpy road as far as economics goes! If/when we get an opening I'll be happy to send some your way.

I know for sure I can contribute by pushing to get those videos done.  Selling DVDs could be a great boost, too.  And why not distribute some of those audio meditations?  They could be very helpful.  Spiritual traditions everywhere sell them. Same thing goes with that book you wanted to finish. Kimberly is still available to assist with that. Maybe it's time to get some stuff out on Amazon and places like that.   Since you've cut down so much on the sessions, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to start distribute material that contain guidance but doesn't require you to do sessions all the time?  I know that all of that stuff is more about the big update, but I felt compelled to highlight it for some reason.

Namaste
Gustaf

  Reading responses this morning made me burst out crying... happy tears, emotional  release.  I really had no idea my financial situation had me so stressed. I'm actually kind of good at hiding out from my feelings, especially if I judge the feelings as useless and not a good focus of attention. Worrying about money sabotages abundance, so I just don't let myself feel worried.

  I've fallen back into the habit of 18 hour days at the desk. Witness state has no sense of time passing, and niether does ADD.  I have no will power to force myself to get exercise 3x per week. Two weeks ago I asked Goddess to help, give me motivation... and the next day a flyer landed on my doorstep asking for a carrier for the 3x weekly local community newspaper on my street and a few blocks around.  107 homes, lots of hills and stairs. 

  So I took the job, and I am finding it enjoyable.  Pretty cool, I get paid to work out. Not much (about $6./hour) but... I told the woman who hired me that I wanted the job for the exercise, the $180. per month it pays is less than my hourly professional rate... We had a good laugh about that.  Then yesterday, looking over my finances I realized the paper route was actually my primary income this month, and ... ouch. Pretty devastating realization. Humiliating.

  Anyway, I'd better get at it. Friday's paper is the biggest, stuffed full of advertising flyers and I need a chiro visit before I begin. I just wanted to let you know- Gary and Gustaf, and Pete, Samuel and Eileen who responded privately, you really made my day!  Thank you, for your warmth, generosity and understanding. 

"I really have a lot of loathing for organizations that plead poverty and beg for donations. I don't want to go there, it is embarrassing to me..."

I can understand that, but that is not what most serious yoga organisations do. And actually many of them seam to manage fine financially. They don't ask for money for being poor (and that might not even work; many people would not think much of a yoga form where the guru is not able to make money although he/she wants to); they inform people that they do something valuable for humanity. Other people believe in this and therefore they want to contribute. Creating some kind of legal entity (organisation, church, trust or whatever is most fit under your legal system) with a trustworthy name – something neutral about elevated consciousness etc – would make it easier for companies to take advantage of your services or make contributions under tax legislation. Making a good impression is also important, e.g. removing information that would make some people (e.g. tax officers) who acts on their first impression perceive you as not being serious. If making money is what you want, it probably wouldn't be very difficult if you could design some teachings and practices fit for ordinary people who are not awake. A book might be a good way of marketing.

Vyana wrote:  Creating some kind of legal entity (organisation, church, trust or whatever is most fit under your legal system) with a trustworthy name – something neutral about elevated consciousness etc – would make it easier for companies to take advantage of your services or make contributions under tax legislation. Making a good impression is also important, e.g. removing information that would make some people (e.g. tax officers) who acts on their first impression perceive you as not being serious. If making money is what you want, it probably wouldn't be very difficult if you could design some teachings and practices fit for ordinary people who are not awake. A book might be a good way of marketing.

     What you say, all makes good and perfect sense and none of it is new information.  It is also, as cruel as asking a quadrapalegic why they won't get up to dance. 

  I mask my disability by focusing on my strengths... but I am disabled, to the degree of being basically unemployable in the "real world"  and having to cope with a lot of dysfunctions, every day. 

   ADD/ADHD comes with sizeable beaurocracy phobia and difficulties with authority. Paperwork is a nightmare. Other people's schedules are impossible, and things never get completed. This course is not even complete, and it has been open for 7 years! 

    The only reason it exists at all is because a not-spiritual business man with no interest in Kundalini approached me to make it, as a joint venture in online educational media.  Actually, he wanted to make an SM how-to course but I persuaded him that would contravene Canadian censorship guidelines, and to make FST  instead. He kept me on track.   I have 5 books in process, and I doubt I will be able to complete any of them unless I get a ton of support. 

   Yes, all of what you say is good and true, I know it already,  and I am simply incapable of any of it because I am disabled. Hello!!    I do not want to reveal or admit how much FST does NOT exist as a legal entity and what shaky ground I am on, because of what I simply cannot deal with, because my brain is not shaped to it.  Goddess took all that ability and gave me wierd Shaman -artist shit intead that is no use at all for stupid essential mundania like doing taxes or incorporating a business.   There is no-one to do it for me, so it just doesn't happen, no matter how much I may need it or wish for it.

  Artists, are not usually expected to also be promoters, lawyers, agents, accountants  and busness execs.  Nor are yogis. 

  For years, I have been praying to Goddess to please, if it is Thy Will, bring me a business manager, an agent, someone who believes the work is of benefit to the world and is capable, willing and able to do what is required to make it so, to do what I cannot. 

   They haven't shown up. Goddess did not provide.
 
 

 

Eileen asked me to post this, she is having connection problems with internet.

Eileen wrote:

I'd like to comment on this because this type of thing has been the subject of some valuable lessons for me.  Hopefully the words I use will flow with the intended meaning and emphasis...clearly.  (forgive the long post please)

One of the things that I have noticed over and over and over is the negative association with money that is entertained by those having anything to do with 'spirituality.'  This is not intended to be a blanket statement - I emphasize that this is my observation and what I've seen in the MAJORITY of cases.  MY observation is (and I'll generalize here for the sake of the examples) 1.   that poor people (with a poor mindset) want everything for free.  2.  Many gurus and other types of spiritual leaders who DO take in lots of money, often misuse it and are caught with some rather bad behaviors; i.e. - sexual abuse, fraud, etc.   3.  Many HONEST teachers, with the above 2 examples sort of breathing down their necks, sit with the question about how to deal with the money problem...attempting to provide for the poor and yet not end up with the reputation or the potential ego problems that MAY come with money coming in bucketfuls.



What to do?



I'll use my own personal experience here in order to try and convey the lesson I've learned about money.  My profession is that I am a massage therapist.  One thing that massage therapists TEND to have in common with many spiritual teachers/leaders is that, in general, most MTs have little or no background in business.  And yet, many attempt to develop their own business after they graduate from massage school.  Most fail.  Those who make it, may do okay financially, but they'll never get rich unless they are one of the FEW who open a larger business like a spa or other clinic...which requires a lot of BUSINESS SENSE in order to make it successful and profitable.



I don't just do massage...I don't fluff people.  I specialize and have a lot of extra training in order to help people with trauma, chronic pain, migraines, etc.  In general, the majority of people who suffer such things are financially strained.  I also facilitate PSYCH-K which puts counseling to shame...and helps people to deal with their emotional crap.  Who has the most oppressive emotional crap, in general?  Those with financial difficulty.  Not all, but most. 



The clients I see can pay for at least some therapy, but there are vast numbers out there who cannot...therefore my services are unavailable to them.



When I got out of massage school and was hit with the reality that it can take years to build a clientele even if you're the best in town, I did like most...and got hired on with a physical therapist and a chiropractor.  I needed them to feed me clients.  They were able to bill insurance for my clients and so I had more clients.  I've worked for a few chiropractors over the years...most recently I worked for one here in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Virginia when I moved here 3 years ago.  This one provided me with the most lucrative income.  I learned a ton of things while working there.  It also provided me with yet another experience of horrible ethics...and I found that I was compromising my values in order to have that income.



A big dilemma that I faced was that if I quit, the clients I had been seeing and helping would not be able to afford to pay for my services outside the clinic because their insurance was paying for my services.  But then I thought about that and I realized that in TRUTH, most of them really COULD afford to pay me out of pocket.  Although there were a few who really were destitute, most really weren't...and they only had other priorities.  The insurance was, actually, a bit of a free ride. 



So then it became a bit of a curiosity for me, to see how many of my faithful clients...who told me repeatedly that I had helped them so much and that if I ever left they'd be lost without me...and would track me down no matter what.....would actually make the effort to find me and pay me out of pocket. 



I quit that job for MANY reasons - most of them ethics.  That was just over a year ago.  I quit that job fully knowing that I was also completely separating from my (ex) husband and going to lose ALL financial support from him.  Because I'm not stupid, I spent several months before that financial change happened educating myself in BUSINESS.  There is a ton of material out there available that is very affordable (it's worth paying for) and it helped me tremendously.  I also went out and started getting into the heads of various business owners and managers in the area so I could find out what it takes to be successful.  I noted the ones who struggled, and noted the ones who are doing quite well....including small businesses AND large ones like Home Depot, etc. 



What I found was that ALL - and I do mean ALL - successful businesses are following very specific principles and practices WHICH ARE THE CORE ESSANCES OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL SPIRITUAL PRACTICES TODAY...which are found all over the world.



With that knowledge and with the education that I had given myself, I set out to start my life over.  I needed an office to rent, but when I looked at available places, they were absolutely unaffordable.  (I have to pay rent in this gorgeous place I've lived for 3 years now as well...and I do some work out of the house too.)  So I applied the spiritual principles I learned and out of nowhere I found the most incredible office space in the most incredible location for a price so unheard of low that I almost didn't go look at it when the ad appeared.  Then I found that the relationships I had cultivated as I explored successful business practices began to feed me clients.  Opportunities have come and come and come and continue. 



What of all those 'faithful' clients from the chiro office that swore they'd track me down?  A few followed me.  Who?  THE ONES WHO VALUED MY WORK, and valued me as a person and therapist.  In fact, one that I've worked with for quite a long time now was working on her dissertation over the past year.  She finished it this spring and the subject was:  The meaning of VALUE in the workplace.  I have a copy.  It is a treasure!



As I looked back and pondered the clients who didn't follow me (when you go out on a limb and you need money...you really really want clients to follow you!  ha!) I was glad that I knew who truly valued my work...and me.  It shined a new light on the MANY new clients that I have in my practice/my life now, and it really feels wonderful to know that these people are truly my clients.  They truly value my work and they get the most out of it.  They really WANT what I have to offer, they refer their friends and family, and it's a very pure, healthy and wonderful relationship.



I opened my new business entity in February of this year.  I really went out on a huge limb and put all the SPIRITUAL practices I knew into practice in an effort to make it work, so that I could support myself and make it financially on my own.  And I'm making it.  I don't have extra money at this point...  I need more clients.  But to have built this business in a city with too many MT's and to be making it in less than a year is virtually unheard of. 



Some keys that worked for me were:



I DID NOT COMPROMISE ON PRICE  -  this I learned over many years watching new therapists attempting to start their practices and undercut other therapists...and to 'help the poor.'  I learned that AS I VALUE MY OWN SELF AND MY OWN SKILLS, I ATTRACT clients who HAVE the resources to pay for my services, and they VALUE MY OFFERINGS!  I set my price and trusted that the right people would be attracted to my business.



I NEVER FOCUS ON WHAT I DO NOT WANT.  I ask (Divinity) for what I want/need and trust that it's available.  Often things come last minute, in ways that are totally unexpected.  I do NOT worry about finances.  The situation is what it is.  I focus on what I want and of course, am continuously seeking ways to increase my business through networking and marketing.  There are lots of ways to market that costs little or no money, and learning how to cut expenses can allow me to transfer $ to marketing stuff.    And BTW, I also do not focus on the people who need my services and cannot afford them.  I've found that when something becomes a priority (this applies to me and everyone) a person will find a way to get it.  Do you know that people who DO have healthy income are usually wary of things that are underpriced?  Why?  Because people with healthy attitudes about money are WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE FOR QUALITY.  (It's not just a monetary price they are willing to pay either...It's effort they are willing to expend.)



This is already too long.  My point is:  (and my opinion)

     Mystress, you have built something of TREMENDOUS VALUE. 

     Put a price on it.  How much is it really worth?  How much INCOME are you WORTHY of receiving?

     Let go of the feeling of responsibility for who pays that price.

     Expect the best.  It then becomes fun.



I'm no world expert on this stuff, but I've learned through experience that money is simply an exchange for value.  I want people in my life who VALUE me and the services that I provide.  The folks who were getting massage on the ticket of insurance...I found they really did NOT value my work.  They just wanted cheap/free massage.  They weren't growing into their own health and healing the way I knew they were capable of.  They wanted someone else to be responsible for the way they feel.  To me, that's flat. 



My clients today - I really value them.  They value me.  They are helping me to pay my rent and I am walking with them to their own health improvements.  It's fun.  Because there is an exchange of value, there is no guilt in taking their money, nor do they say 'ouch' when they pay me.  They LOVE to pay me!  It's a healthy, wonderful exchange.  It's very spiritual.  It's Goddess in motion.  It's love, it's Joy, and it's appropriate.



I value this course.  I value this message board!  I value YOU, Mystress.  And as my income increases I'll find a way to pay YOUR price.  If it comes that I am cancelled for a time until I can pay another renewal, then so be it....but because I value this Temple, I will gladly pay when I have the funds to do so. 



Blessings!

Eileen   

Disabled is a word with a lot of overtones and presuppositions connected to it. You obviously have some very wonderful skills and also the ability to present your theories in a structured and convincing way. Much of what you write is high quality work in so many ways. The way you use the word complete also appears as disempowering. Noting will ever be complete! I have issued about ten scientific books and many of them in several editions. But none of them is complete – not even in the fifth edition. The course might not be complete, but it is certainly great enough as it is.  Your first book does not have to be complete to be great either. Nor does it have to be 500 pages – 100 might be enough. And most of what should be in it is probably already written; maybe the core of you message to humanity or some important part of it. I wouldn't be surprised if you already have the material for quite a few best-selling books. A book might attract some business people who can help you. Actually many best selling books are written by two authors; one who knows the stuff and one who is a professional author, often a journalist. You don't need a co-author for you language, but for other things.

  Sounds cool.

   Are you volunteering to edit a book for me? Coz I am spread really thin already.

  Yes, 4g of email archives from 11 years kundalini counselling, I have several books already written if they could be edited together... but contacting the people I was writing to, to get their permission is nearly impossible because people change email addresses so often. Their comments would have to be paraphrased.

   I am not good at editing my own work, and the older the writing the harder it is, because I stop seeing the words, I skim from memory ... ADD again, always looking for the new thing, don't want to go over the old thing, don't want to repeat myself rewriting the old thing in new words...  That is why the FST update has taken 3 years and is not done yet. 

  Book writing is so difficult for me compared to web, that I even tried to trick myself, with the Kundalini-teacher.com site. It is a book in the form of a web site... and still incomplete. In fact, last time I looked at it in manuscript form I realized how massively incomplete it is.  The title is Kundalini Awakening: the manual.

  My biggest failing as a teacher is that some stuff that seems like common sense to me, isn't common at all. I assume people know stuff and go from there, and sometimes they just don't know at all! So the book has huge holes in it, where I make assumptions. 

  I have had people try to edit my work: either they are sensitive to the energy and get so blissed out they cannot think, or they are not sensitive and squash it flat trying to be concise and all that, as if I am writing news copy. 

  Other books I started writing: 

  Frog into Prince: a women's guide to the selection, care and training of husbands.
  Coping with Empathy.
  The Secret to Finding Your Self.
  A dating and personal care guide for men that doesn't have a title yet.
  plus, eventually a version of FST will be a book. Maybe even a DVD.

----------------------------

  So I took a break from writing and got a wierd idea... if I put up K teacher as a wiki on FST then maybe anyone interested could help edit it and point me where to fill in the blank spots?

  I am sorry if it seems I am being very emotional and difficult, ... the reason for that is in one line of the very first post.... "and one of them is now deceased." 

Mystress, I would love to edit a book for  you.  Just one at a time though - so it's not overwhelming.  Pick which one you'd have done first.  I'll work towards the idea of turning them all into one, if that's what you see happening.

I'm editing a policy manual at work currently, in microsoft word.  Since i'm familiar with that software it's what i'd like to use.  Please tell me more about what you have.  I'm thrilled at the prospect of doing this!  Let me know!  

Love,
Lady C

I tried writting a book using WORD once and it wasn't too fun. It was useless when it came to making chapter, indexes, table of contents, etc. I would suggest trying out Quark Xpress or anything else rather than WORD. I do use WORD for all my letter writting though.

Scott

Wow - i'm using those features and finding they are pretty easy, although there are a couple of quirks in the index i haven't resolved.  I don't know the Quark software but i'll check in to it.  thanks!

Publishers will prefer to see books written in Quark Xpress. Its the publishing industries standard.

Sounds like you had lots more luck with WORD than I did. Maybe I was using an older version than you are.

Scott K

  Thank you Lady C.  Kimberly G. has also offered to help edit. 

  Scott:  Publishing standards are set out by my chosen publishing company, Trafford Press in Victoria.
   http://www.trafford.com/
 

I would like some feedback (...) I am abandoning USD and the basic price of membership is increasing to $150. CDN  per year

From a business point of view that seems to me a very fair price.

From a spiritual point of view FST is invaluable, beyond price.

I have studied a lot of lessons. I have read each text at least three times, with high concentration and taking my time to chew on them, "pacing myself".
Now I have reached the "void" lesson and I have started to browse through the foregoing lessons to refresh my knowledge and to be prepared for whatever is going to come.
I then discovered so many "new" things in them - pearls of wisdom and fiery insights - that I had obviously missed during my first readings. I guess I had not been ready for them previously.

This made me decide to sit down and go through all of the lessons once again. From the beginning, but not as a beginner, reading, studying selectively, with great care, trying to illuminate the yet dark spots in my understanding that I stumble on on my way through. Time consuming, but worth it. Worth every minute and worth every cent.

That's why with all my heart I am happy to be able to try to make paypal work (should be with you within short time, please let me know, if not - I am not very experienced with paypal).
Garyg has put in words just perfectly what I am feeling too, therefore I like to cite:
Consider it an expression of support but more than that, appreciation. You've offered so much through your websites and your long history of support for K people.

Thank You

namaste

johannes

Sounds quite interesting Mystress. And they do seem to have published quite a few books who's category yours would fit into. As long as they are able to distribute your books to the proper retailers then you got er made! Publishing is only half the battle, the other half is selling it, and thats where a good distributor comes in. I wonder how good their other books sell? Just to be on the safe side, one should do a search on Amazon and see where their published books are rated in sales.

Scott K

  Thank you, Scott.

  I actually selected Trafford several years ago, spoke with the owner about my various book ideas, and have kept up with their amazing growth since then.  Their "bestseller" package includes distribution and some promotion; sending thousands of press releases to a huge list of booksellers, buyers, as well as arranging sales on Amazon and Chapters, sorting the IBSN and Library of Canada stuff, putting up a web page for online orders of hard copy or ebooks. Print on demand, no storing thousands of volumes in a warehouse...   For that matter, Chapters and other stores can print copies on demand right in the store.  No wasting gas shipping them. I keep my copyrights too. 

  I have a sample of their work because a pagan friend recently published his 600+ page reference book of Heremetic magic there, and gave me a copy.  Nice quality. I think they use pdf files, actually.  They have options, to give them a print-ready version or hire them to do layout.  It is an excellent service, and Canadian!

  I'm sorry I have not been able to respond to all the posts to this thread. I am very grateful for the support~! 

  I really did not intend to get into all about my disability etc when I mentioned the price increase...

  Percyval died. Sept 27.  I've been trying to write a memorial. I have too many feelings for words, and too many words when I try to express my feelings.  he was such a huge supporter of this course and my work, and of me! Not just financially but also hours and years of work he put in. These past few years his condition had deteriorated to where he couldn't help with the web work or post to the tea room anymore so  most new students didn't know him and that is a pity because he was an amazing man and an inspiration to everyone he met... but he was still an emotional support to me, a very dear friend for eleven years, and a member of my Tribe. An explanation by way of apology if it seems I am being very inconsistent, contrary and difficult.

  Actually I am, inconsitent, contrary and difficult, but usually it is not so obvious...    I was doing ok with my grieving until PMS hit and turned me stormy in the middle of this thread.   

Gustaf wrote: 
I know for sure I can contribute by pushing to get those videos done.  Selling DVDs could be a great boost, too.  And why not distribute some of those audio meditations?  They could be very helpful.  Spiritual traditions everywhere sell them.  Same thing goes with that book you wanted to finish. Kimberly is still available to assist with that. Maybe it's time to get some stuff out on Amazon and places like that.   Since you've cut down so much on the sessions, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to start distribute material that contain guidance but doesn't require you to do sessions all the time? 

The problem is, I am already spread too thin.  As my druid would say, I am too busy treading water, to build a boat. 

  Students and list members see the tip of the iceberg, the actual posts I send, and not all of those because some posts never get finished and sent. Dozens per month.  I bet very few students visit the Kundalini-teacher.com board, but I drop in to maintain it and read new posts every day, even if I don't respond. Deleting spammers, checking for upgrades. I set it up because I could not keep up with the mail coming to that site, and making it public meant my healer trainees and others could see the mail to respond... but, they don't.  The Kundalini-gateway.org site went down for a week, earlier this month.  Hillary noticed it missing and it took me a few days to sort the problem and get it up again, in between doing other things. The list was not affected but something is up with that too because some posts are not getting into the archives.  Domin8rex went down for the same reason because they are now on the same host but I had no time to fix it.. it seems to be up again miraculously.  Changes the web host made to the server at this FST host  have sabotaged my elementary security system for FST three times this month.  Usernames that were added, disappear mysteriously and I get emails from members to do tech support.  It should be a simple thing, for the course and tearoom to use the same password file, but it has crashed repeatedly due to control panel upgrades at the server level which are beyond my control. The final tech support from the host was a no-go... so now instead of inputting new users by hand once, I have to do it twice... and I am still not 100% sure if the userlists match, or if some members are locked out of the tearoom.
   Last week some idiot was mail bombing the K-moderators list, sending threats insisting there was some conspiracy to keep him subscribed to the K-list... but he was not subscribed by the address he was posting from, and thought we should magically know which of 700 addresses was his.  I try to keep the stress off Hillary because I really need her to stay interested in co-moderating the K-list and not burn out on me, so I am the "heavy" who tells him his threats are illegal.  I actually took time out to create the 2005 & 6 K-list archives in Sept but not quite finished enough to upload them.  I also discovered why I have never been able to find some wonderful posts from the early years I remembered... because they ended up in a different folder in my personal archives so there is more repair to do there, than I thought before.   
  Since August 31 I have recieved 35 notices of a error, where the tearoom cannot connect to its mysql files.  Another day back and forth with tech support, uselessly because nothing can be done.  I've spent weeks, on and off looking for a membership management/payment processor system that will work with SMF, paypal and multiple folders/usergroups so adding new members can be automated... especially because emails is increasingly, an unreliable medium and sometimes member registrations or paypal notifications don't reach me.  Do you think I can find one that accepts honour system as renewal?  Reminding people but not deleting them?  I haven't found one, in months of looking.  It looks like I may end up converting the whole site to a CMS (content management system) which probably means throwing away the pretty design for the update that I/we spent so much time on. 
   People are still sending me tummo payments because I have not found all the pages on K teacher to update them with my retirement. For that matter, I haven't even updated the pages from last year's tour to say it is over, it doesn't specify a year so people think it is current.  Now I am going to be off to Australia and New Zealand in Jan so it will have to be updated.  Yeah... Now I am planning another tour and that is a whole other thing of a things to do list... possibly several tours for next year.
    I had a limit, I thought I had to wait to get a book published before I could travel to teach... and it would make promotion easier but damn the torpedoes. 

  Well, if just reading that wore you out, welcome to my mind.

  Yes, I have some volunteers, but that requires volunteer management and you know what my orbit is like, you are on the helpers list. I will be hyperfocused on something for a week or a month and people are amazed at the organizational powerhouse of creativity ... until I burn out or get distracted by something comes up, some fire to put out and then another fire and where was I?  If I get interrupted, I almost have to start over to remember where I left off... and if I burn out, I might not find the attention for a project again, for years, if ever, even assuming I remember what I was doing before. ADD means a lot of unfinished projects, because there is always the new creative idea that comes along with more energy than remains to finish the old... and a nasty perfectionist streak.   

  Take a look at the links on the left of this screen. Jim and I got the tea room converted, and I made an attempt at customizing the chat room before I had to turn my attention to other things... and they may stay broken like that, for years unless somebody else steps in to make pages for them. I ran outa ooomph and have other stuff on my plate... like, making sure members actually can access the board!!

   A few years ago I made a site for someone else, and then she posted to her list that the three of them could not keep up with the traffic... and I laughed!! Three of them? Tiny little new website?  My power chakra said rrrr.    Took me two months to figure out that rrr meant, they were normal and I was doing the work of at least a dozen people, and had been for years... and no wonder my back is messed up!!

    I used to know a woman, a wee grandmother who had a paper route, and I could see it was wearing her to the bone... she finally got married and moved, quit... it took eight people to replace her.  She just didn't know it wasn't normal to work that hard. 

   Gustaf, go ahead and make the meditations into a CD. Package it, sell it, send me royalties... because otherwise it may never get done. That is ADD for ya.


garyg wrote:
As far as price increases, right now your only getting 1.70 A WEEK for the FST course. Less than a good cup of coffee! As far as I'm concerned you don't need to justify a price increase. What you offer is priceless!

This has been the busiest year to date.  I remember adding up time, writing the course and tending to it for the first two years, and the gross came to $7. month I got paid.   I was pretty depressed until a good friend pointed out, that I had a business that was in the black, and considering the lack of advertising and the tiny niche market, I was actually doing amazing. So I decided to think of FST as a hobby, and appreciate that my students were also session clients.   

garyg wrote:
Then there are the gross misrepresentations that people project on to you. That doesn't help attract potential clients. I saw an instance of that this week which you know about by now.

  I don't know much actually, and while I am a little curious, I think it is perhaps better I don't know.  One of the messages of losing hearing in one ear, was to not be hearing the useless detractors, getting sidetracked into defense postures is not a good use of time and energy.
   
   I responded to a post, titled "a concern".. I'll share some of what was in it.


The most ironic thing about the folks who slander me with their
issues, is they don't realize that by projecting their karma onto me,
they are making me be Guru for them. I really don't want any part of
being a Guru, but ... I have to wonder, why are they giving power
away to me like that? I am sure that consciously, they do not
realize the implications, but they are Goddess too, and there are no
accidents... So, what is up with that, eh?
I have come to the conclusion that these people with issues, are
not my problem unless I choose to make them my problem... and why
would I want to do that?? LOL!
They are entitled to their opinion. Freedom of speech, they have
a right to share it if they wish to. People can choose to believe
them, or to think for themselves.
I am not a spiritual kindergarden teacher. I prefer to work with
mature people, who can think for themselves, and if the slander
discourages the immature folks looking for a mommy guru from
contacting me, then the noise is a benefit to me. Prioritizing one's
use of time and focus is one of the bigger challenges of ADD... I
appreciate the end result, they help to reduce my distractions.

-----
I am open about what I do, but nevertheless I am
massively misunderstood by people who have issues with my sexual
orientation. However I have mostly given up arguing with those types
since I hung up my "sexual freedom activist" hat and instead I have
come to appreciate the effect as a rather useful filter.. those folks
are not my students, and as time is a non-renewable resource it is
just as well they bounce off the work, and stay out of my face so I
can attend to the genuine, mature seekers that Goddess brings to me.
I am humbled, and honoured by the excellence and beauty of the
people who are drawn to my work. I cannot take credit for their
growing, Goddess did it... but being able to watch them growing is so
awesome!
Ya know, the funny thing, my search turned up an old email from
C from T's list, speculating my public image is all about
sensationalism. It isn't, except he makes it so...

In Hollywood they say, "any publicity is good publicity." I
would not have thought it true for spiritual teachers, but
surprisingly... There have been a few times I got new students
because somebody bitching about me on some list or board somewhere
made them curious to visit one of my sites, and they have a brain to
think for themselves, and liked what they saw... so, I guess it is true!
I recall when T was making the same noises... it puzzled me, I
thought.. "what is she talking about, using sex to sell? I don't get
clients from domin8rex.com, only Kundalini-teacher.com which doesn't
have my pic on anywhere. (at that time)
My very next phone session, at the end I asked my client how she
heard of me. Someone had sent her a link to grounding page on at
domin8rex! Then I asked her what she does for a living... She had a
Masters degree in transpersonal psychotherapy. Wow.


  I think I am going to start some new threads, for some responses.

Quote from: Mystress on Oct 23, 2007, 12:10:57 AM

The problem is, I am already spread too thin.  As my druid would say, I am too busy treading water, to build a boat. 

   Gustaf, go ahead and make the meditations into a CD. Package it, sell it, send me royalties... because otherwise it may never get done. That is ADD for ya.

I know what it's like to have a distracted mind. I'm an artist.   Not nearly the magnitude you are going through on your Shamanic journey. Yet, I can relate. Your mind becomes so incredibly powerful when it gets to a task, fueled with all that Shakti.  Yet with all those unfinished projects I can so understand you need some assistance.

I had a discussion with Kimberly regarding the meditation CD (s), what could be a good way to work it is if I manage the orders, and have them shipped.  Regarding how to charge for them it would probably be better if the payments go directly to you (paypal links etc)  Otherwise I may have to pay Swedish taxes and all sorts of annoying stuff that would mean much less money left. It can be really confusing to run small hobby projects like that here.

As things are right now I'd be happy to pay for the shipping when I send the CDs.    If it would result in more CDs than I can afford/handle to ship, we will work it out. It's probably not going to be that big in the beginning since they are just for FST students. (If I'm correct?)

Another possibility for the future if you need a lot of CDs, is that I could take care of the mastering and printing of a larger bulk and have them all ready-made sent to you. But that's for future reference if things got bigger.

Whatever works most smoothly!

Mystress, I would love to help you out with site stuff. Which we've already talked about during the summer.

Though it seems not a very good time right now as the sites/servers I'm already responsible of keep crashing on me when ever I start feeling good about work. Though a lot has happened since my last post regarding that, it seems I still have some stuff to do there.

Mystress,

had just an inspiration, that i might be of help in editing one of Your books, preferably one of the more popular ones, since i'm still not firm enough in the core Kundanlini stuff..
Not for the language style, beware!... but maybe for the passages where You presuppose what could overwhelm the one or other reader.
As i found in the Stonehenge section of Your Eu 06 gallery, You are a natural Center, and i'd love to share this insight with a much greater bunch of people than already have the pleasure

Let the world have a taste of Your unbelievable ADD

Cheers,

juergen

Quote from: Mystress on Oct 23, 2007, 12:10:57 AM

garyg wrote:
Then there are the gross misrepresentations that people project on to you. That doesn't help attract potential clients. I saw an instance of that this week which you know about by now.

  I don't know much actually, and while I am a little curious, I think it is perhaps better I don't know.  One of the messages of losing hearing in one ear, was to not be hearing the useless detractors, getting sidetracked into defense postures is not a good use of time and energy.
   
 

I agree and the situation resolved itself anyway. I sent you a PM.

g.

Gustaf wrote:

As things are right now I'd be happy to pay for the shipping when I send the CDs.    If it would result in more CDs than I can afford/handle to ship, we will work it out. It's probably not going to be that big in the beginning since they are just for FST students. (If I'm correct?)


    Not just for FST.  I had thought to put some of them in the meditations section of Kundalini teacher, and that would be a good place for a paypal link.

   Aside from the Void journey most of them are K teacher meditations.  Your beautiful chakra sounds are for the chakras section of K teacher, but go ahead and put them on the same CD if you want...   

   I think it is wonderful you are willing to do the meditation CDs, but I don't want you to be out of pocket for it.  I'd rather set up a win/win, where you get paid for what you do and I just get a royalty for my copyright. That way you stay motivated and don't burn out on charity work. 

    I am ok with it going through my account as long as I don't have to do too much accounting.     I can create a paypal link with a unique email address that is set to CC: you a copy of payment notices, and you can send me an invoice for shipping  and expenses every so often... or I'll just take a small percentage of the total and send you the rest, so long as you will keep track of the accounting and tell me how much to send. 

  One of the payment processing/membership management systems I am looking at, also handles "affiliate sales" which is paying the salesperson their commission on a sale, automatically.   I am hoping it can be configured to automate stuff like paying my lineage healer trainees for their solo sessions, minus the % I am getting for training and promoting them. 

   I don't mind you making some money for selling CDs, in fact I want you to succeed, and benefit.   Whatever royalties I get from your doing it,  is like free money.  I'm never going to get it done anyway so it is better for us both to benefit. 

 The Goddess is a Goddess of abundance and doing Goddess work should be rewarding on all levels for everyone involved. 

    Those are the kind of partnerships I like to set up with people.  As a writer and an artist I am very prolific.  I am the goose who lays golden eggs every day, but what use is gold to a goose?  I'd give them away for a nice duck pond, a warm henhouse, some lunch and a chance to enjoy the beauty that is wrought of them. 

   If partners can package the stuff and make a profit, sending it out to the world so people who might find it useful get the opportunity to benefit,  then I am happy to let them get on with it, and getting a commission for something I created that I do not have time or ability to finish, package and sell myself is like free money.   

   Eh? A successful artist creates a lot of employment for other people just by doing what they love, what they are best at.  Without those other people (agents, managers, promoters, manufacturers) to both support, and themselves benefit from supporting the artist,  an artist is a starving artist.    

Regarding the CDs...

The payment/affiliate system sounds great!  The money would come to the right places, without the money reaching you having passed through swedish taxes first (that are quite heavy)  If the income is very small, there is no taxing, but if it grows, it would mean double taxes for you. To start out, a paypal link that goes directly to you, and cc information to me for ordering and shipping would definitely work fine.  I can also keep track of the costs of shipping and all that so you can send me money.  But honestly, I don't want you to only have a small % of it. Like you mentioned before, the abundance should go both ways!   We can take the details in private.

What I would also like to look into is that people can pay for downloadable files. They go to the paypal link, and then receive an email with a link to the download site with the password. Most people use mp3 players these days, we can have a lower price, and it's better for the environment (and less shipping/handling work) Of course still have CDs available when needed, but files are more convenient.  Unfortunately in practice you have to pay license fees to distritute mp3 or wma sound files, so the best format is ogg vorbis, which any computer (and most modern mp3 players) can play back without problems. It's opensource and completely free to distribute. You can distribute mp3 files for free however, without any license fees.

Most of the meditations are ready, but the chakra sounds need some editing (ascending and descending) etc. Might wanna redo some of the recordings for them since I have better mics and sounds (the singing bowls we recorded at your visit are great for this)  Not sure if everything fits on the same CD, I can find out when I check the lengths of all the files.

Anyway, the details of this is nothing you need to keep track of!  I am just making sure to give you all the information in case you want to change anything or disagree with it.

After our big Halloween party this weekend, I will take a closer look at all of this stuff and figure something out that works out well.

Namaste
Gustaf