Art of Living DC Center - Growth Initiative
Two Stories of Transformation
Sarah, 28, a nonprofit worker in Dupont Circle, had seen Art of Living on the Sattva app and heard friends mention it—but never took the step. Then she attended an intro session we hosted at Busboys & Poets. Warm atmosphere, relatable instructors, no pressure. That human connection made the difference. Within three months, she became an ambassador bringing her coworkers.
Peter, 32, a McKinsey consultant, had visited our center once but felt out of place—the people there didn't look like him. Then we brought meditation to his building's rooftop terrace. Professional presentation, research citations, volunteers who looked like his peers. He saw himself in the community. He registered that night.
Two paths. Two barriers overcome. One outcome: community.
→ Read the full Board Proposal
The Vision
Transform Art of Living DC from <200 yearly registrations into a recognized wellness hub with 400+ registrations and sustainable community growth.
How: Run high-impact campaigns while building professional infrastructure in parallel.
| What | Goal |
|---|---|
| World Meditation Day (Dec 21) | 100+ new contacts |
| "New Year, New YOU!" Mega Course (Jan 23-25) | 50+ registrations, momentum for future courses |
| 6-Month Target | Professional systems, sustainable volunteer engagement |
Current Mega Course: Art of Living Part 1 with Ajay Tejasvi & Chris Smythe Registration: tiny.cc/SKYDC2026
Current Focus
| Initiative | Timeline | Status |
|---|---|---|
| World Meditation Day | Dec 21, 2025 | Active |
| Mega Course January | Jan 23-25, 2026 | Active |
| Communication Streamlining | Now | In Progress |
| Neighborhood Presence | Parallel | High Priority |
Mega Course Campaign Docs
| Doc | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Campaign Plan | Jan 23-25 specifics, webinar, funnels |
| Events Calendar | Booth & outreach opportunities |
| General Playbook | Repeatable strategy for all courses |
Navigate by Role
| You Are | Start Here |
|---|---|
| Board / Leadership | North Star Vision → Board Proposal |
| Campaign Lead | WMD Playbook → Mega Course |
| Volunteer Coordinator | Volunteer Engagement → Messaging Templates |
| IT Team | Communication Systems → Technical Setup |
| Outreach Team | Neighborhood Presence → Contacts Directory |
| New Volunteer | Glossary → Priorities |
Documentation Layers
AoL-DC-Center/
│
├── _META/ → Governance: assumptions, priorities, glossary, ideas
│
├── 1-STRATEGY/ → WHY: Vision, board materials, market positioning
│
├── 2-CAMPAIGNS/ → WHAT NOW: Active event playbooks
│
├── 3-FOUNDATIONS/ → WHAT'S BUILDING: Infrastructure in parallel
│
├── 4-REFERENCE/ → HOW: Templates, contacts, execution guides
│
└── 5-ARCHIVE/ → HISTORY: Old versions for reference
Expand: Full File Index
_META/ - Governance
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
| assumptions.md | What we know and don't know |
| priorities.md | What's now, next, backlogged |
| glossary.md | Terminology definitions |
| ideas-backlog.md | Future possibilities |
| operational-resources.md | Rooms, assets, roles, budgets |
| it-wishlist.md | IT feature requests & automation roadmap |
1-STRATEGY/ - Vision
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
| north-star.md | Vision: Now → 6 Months → Future |
| board-presentation.md | Board proposal with stories |
| domain-brief.md | Market research & positioning |
2-CAMPAIGNS/ - Active Events
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
| world-meditation-day.md | WMD Dec 21 playbook |
| mega-course-january.md | January course strategy |
3-FOUNDATIONS/ - Infrastructure
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
| communication-systems.md | Channels & tools |
| neighborhood-presence.md | Community outreach |
| center-operations.md | Materials, branding, operations |
| center-design.md | Garden, entrance, kiosk vision |
| volunteer-engagement.md | Roles & activation |
4-REFERENCE/ - Execution Details
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Mega-Course-Strategy-General.md | Repeatable playbook for monthly courses |
| Webinar-Strategy-DC-Adaptation.md | Current campaign (Jan 23-25) specifics |
| Events-Calendar-Outreach.md | Local events & booth opportunities |
| Messaging-Templates.md | Email, SMS, WhatsApp scripts |
| Contacts-Directory.md | Partners & venues |
| Metrics-Framework.md | Success criteria |
| Technical-Setup.md | IT team reference |
| 48HR-Retention-Flow.md | Follow-up process |
| Sprint-Execution-Plan.md | Sprint actions |
5-ARCHIVE/ - Historical
Superseded documents. Preserved for reconciliation and context.
Key Principles
Sattva in Action — Purity and harmony in every interaction. Human connection first.
Core Journey — Intro Session → SKY Course → Sahaj Samadhi → Silent Retreat
Wellness Positioning — Lead with stress relief and science. Spiritual depth emerges through practice.
Diverse Representation — People need to see themselves in the community.
IT Philosophy — IT team builds tools; volunteers use familiar interfaces (Sheets, WhatsApp, Slack).
Quick Links
- What's the priority right now?
- What do these terms mean?
- I have an idea to add
- What assumptions are we making?
Living repository for co-creation. Update as plans evolve.