2026 Calendar Planning
Month-by-Month Strategy for Art of Living DC Center
Recurring Rhythms (Always On)
| Cadence | Activity | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (Sunday) | Long Kriya (10:30am) → Knowledge in Action (noon) | volunteer-engagement.md |
| Weekly (Sunday) | Yoga & Bliss (free yoga) | tiny.cc/YogaDC |
| Monthly | Full Moon Meditation | tiny.cc/FullMoonDC |
| Monthly | Part 1 Course (target: 12/year) | Rotating teachers |
| Quarterly | Board Review | Present results, plan next phase |
January 2026: "New Year Wellness Resolution"
Buzz Strategy: 21-Day Wellness Challenge
Concept: Free January Wellness Challenge leading into Mega Course - Daily breathing/meditation prompts - Community accountability via WhatsApp group - Culminates in Jan 23-25 Mega Course
Calendar
| Date | Event | Type | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1-21 | 21-Day Wellness Challenge | Online + in-person | Build momentum, warm leads |
| Jan 3 (Sat) | Full Moon Meditation | Community | Retention touchpoint |
| Jan 4 (Sun) | Yoga & Bliss | Weekly | Pipeline |
| Jan 11 (Sun) | Breath, Reset & Sip Hot Chocolate | Special event | Conversion |
| Jan 13-17 | Webinar (Chris & Ajay) | Online | Final push |
| Jan 15-19 | Interfusion Festival Booth | Outreach | Top priority |
| Jan 23-25 | MEGA COURSE | Main event | 50+ registrations |
| Jan 26+ | 48hr retention flow | Follow-up | Graduate engagement |
Decisions Needed
- [ ] Course #2 date and teacher (decide by Jan 15)
- [ ] Sahaj Samadhi date for Jan graduates
February 2026: "Meet Our Teachers"
Buzz Strategy: Teacher Interview Series
Concept: Social media series featuring DC teachers - Short video interviews (2-3 min each) - "Why I teach" / "What SKY changed for me" - Volunteer amplification — each volunteer shares to their network - Timed release: 1 teacher per week leading to Feb course
Calendar
| Date | Event | Type | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1 (Sun) | Full Moon Meditation | Community | Retention |
| Weekly | Yoga & Bliss | Weekly | Pipeline |
| Week 1 | Teacher Interview #1 release | Social | Awareness |
| Week 2 | Teacher Interview #2 release | Social | Awareness |
| Feb 14 | Valentine's "Meditation Date Night"? | Special event | Couples outreach |
| Week 3 | Teacher Interview #3 release | Social | Awareness |
| Feb TBD | Part 1 Course #2 | Main event | 30+ registrations |
| Feb TBD | Sahaj Samadhi (for Jan grads) | Advanced | Retention |
Decisions Needed
- [ ] Confirm Feb course date and teacher
- [ ] Film teacher interviews (Jan)
- [ ] Valentine's event — yes/no?
March 2026: "Spring Into Wellness"
Buzz Strategy: Corporate Wellness Pilots
Concept: Launch workplace meditation offerings - Partner with 2-3 local companies for lunch-hour sessions - Case study development for future corporate outreach - Tie to "stress awareness" / spring renewal
Calendar
| Date | Event | Type | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar TBD | Full Moon Meditation | Community | Retention |
| Weekly | Yoga & Bliss | Weekly | Pipeline |
| Mar TBD | Corporate pilot session #1 | Outreach | New channel |
| Mar TBD | Part 1 Course #3 | Main event | 30+ registrations |
| Mar 20 | Spring Equinox meditation? | Special event | Seasonal hook |
Decisions Needed
- [ ] Corporate partner targets
- [ ] Spring Equinox event — yes/no?
April 2026: "Stress Awareness Month"
Buzz Strategy: Stress Research Campaign
Concept: Lead with research and credibility - Social campaign highlighting 100+ studies - Partner with local therapists / healthcare for referrals - "Science of Breath" messaging - April = Stress Awareness Month nationally
Calendar
| Date | Event | Type | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr TBD | Full Moon Meditation | Community | Retention |
| Weekly | Yoga & Bliss | Weekly | Pipeline |
| Apr TBD | "Science of Breath" webinar | Online | Credibility |
| Apr TBD | Part 1 Course #4 | Main event | 30+ registrations |
| Apr 22 | Earth Day — park meditation? | Special event | Community visibility |
Decisions Needed
- [ ] Research campaign assets
- [ ] Healthcare/therapist partnership targets
May 2026: "Garden Launch"
Buzz Strategy: Pocket Park Grand Opening
Concept: Official launch of "Nature Does Yoga" garden - Community event with ribbon cutting - Photo opportunity, press release - Outdoor yoga session in the garden - Neighborhood invitation
Calendar
| Date | Event | Type | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| May TBD | Full Moon Meditation | Community | Retention |
| Weekly | Yoga & Bliss | Weekly | Pipeline |
| May TBD | Pocket Park Grand Opening | Special event | Visibility |
| May TBD | Part 1 Course #5 | Main event | 30+ registrations |
| May TBD | Memorial Day weekend event? | Community | Engagement |
Decisions Needed
- [ ] Garden construction timeline
- [ ] Press/media outreach plan
June 2026: "Summer Solstice"
Buzz Strategy: Outdoor Meditation Series
Concept: Take meditation outside - Sessions in Meridian Hill Park - Solstice sunrise meditation - "Meditation in the Park" series (weather permitting)
Calendar
| Date | Event | Type | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 20/21 | Summer Solstice sunrise meditation | Special event | Community |
| Weekly | Outdoor yoga in garden | Weekly | Pipeline |
| Jun TBD | Part 1 Course #6 | Main event | 30+ registrations |
July-August 2026: "Summer Slow Down"
Buzz Strategy: Retreat Promotion
Concept: Promote Silent Retreat for deeper practitioners - Summer often slower for courses — lean into retreats - "Go deeper" messaging for graduates - Sahaj Samadhi push
Calendar
| Date | Event | Type | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | Full Moon Meditation | Community | Retention |
| Weekly | Yoga & Bliss (outdoor?) | Weekly | Pipeline |
| Jul/Aug | Part 1 Courses #7-8 | Main event | 25+ each |
| Aug TBD | Silent Retreat promotion | Advanced | Graduate retention |
September 2026: "Back to Balance"
Buzz Strategy: "New School Year" Energy
Concept: Capture "fresh start" energy - Target parents, teachers, students - Partner with schools/PTAs? - "Back to Balance" messaging
Calendar
| Date | Event | Type | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 22 | Fall Equinox meditation | Special event | Seasonal |
| Sep TBD | Part 1 Course #9 | Main event | 35+ registrations |
October 2026: "Spooky Stress Relief"
Buzz Strategy: Halloween-Adjacent Wellness
Concept: Playful approach to stress - "Scare Away Stress" messaging - Partner with costume/fall events for visibility - Pumpkin meditation? (tasteful, not cheesy)
November 2026: "Gratitude Month"
Buzz Strategy: Gratitude Challenge
Concept: Daily gratitude practice leading to Thanksgiving - 21-day gratitude challenge - Volunteer appreciation event - "Give Thanks, Find Peace" messaging
December 2026: "World Meditation Day 2.0"
Buzz Strategy: Build on 2025 WMD
Concept: Bigger, better WMD - Apply lessons from 2025 - More venues, more volunteers - Pipeline into Jan 2027 course
Summary: Monthly Buzz Strategies
| Month | Theme | Buzz Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| January | New Year Resolution | 21-Day Wellness Challenge |
| February | Meet Our Teachers | Teacher Interview Series |
| March | Spring Into Wellness | Corporate Wellness Pilots |
| April | Stress Awareness | Research/Science Campaign |
| May | Garden Launch | Pocket Park Grand Opening |
| June | Summer Solstice | Outdoor Meditation Series |
| July-Aug | Summer Slow Down | Retreat Promotion |
| September | Back to Balance | School Year Energy |
| October | Spooky Stress Relief | Halloween-Adjacent Fun |
| November | Gratitude Month | Gratitude Challenge |
| December | World Meditation Day | WMD 2.0 |
Annual Targets
| Metric | 2025 (Baseline) | 2026 Target |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 Course Registrations | <200 | 400+ |
| Part 1 Courses | ~6 | 12 |
| Active Volunteers | ~20 | 60+ |
| Venues for Intro Talks | 1 | 6-8 |
| Graduate Ambassadors | Few | 30+ |
Quarterly Review Checkpoints
| Quarter | Review Focus |
|---|---|
| Q1 (Apr) | Jan-Mar results, course cadence working?, teacher pipeline |
| Q2 (Jul) | Apr-Jun results, garden launch success?, corporate pilots |
| Q3 (Oct) | Jul-Sep results, summer performance, fall momentum |
| Q4 (Jan '27) | Full year review, WMD results, 2027 planning |
Assumptions
- [A1] Monthly Part 1 course cadence is sustainable with teacher rotation
- [A2] Each buzz strategy requires 2-4 weeks lead time for content creation
- [A3] Volunteer amplification can 2-3x social reach
- [A4] Garden/pocket park will be ready by May (depends on construction)
- [A5] Corporate pilots require dedicated volunteer/lead
See assumptions.md for project-wide assumptions
Related Documents
- North Star Vision — Where this fits in the journey
- Mega Course January — First campaign of 2026
- Priorities — Current focus areas
This calendar is a living document. Update monthly at Leads Sync.
Last updated: 2025-12-23