Build a Better Business (and a Better You)  with Yoga! 

Most business persons understand the value of proper nutrition and staying physically fit but many do not dedicate as much time and attention to their mental well being. It has been proven that practicing yoga on a regular basis allows you to step back from the daily stresses of running a business, balance personal and professional life, and recharge overall energy.

The term “yoga” derives from the Sanskrit word for “yoke.” Just as two oxen yoked together can pull a heavy load, yoga joins together mind and body to increase one’s capabilities; this leads to greater health, longevity and sense of fulfillment.

Here are a few specific ways that practicing yoga can benefit you as a business owner, entrepreneur or employee:

• Reduces need for control. If your yoga practice can include attending a group class, you’ll have the experience of somebody else setting the rules and feeling what it’s like to relinquish control and be led. Appreciating how it feels to be a participant rather than a leader can increase your empathy with your employees and build trust in your managers when it’s their time to manage a project.

• Keeps you in the “here and now”. Business owners have a tendency to constantly ponder about how to improve products, systems and outcomes. While this may ultimately result in success, it can also cause mental and physical drain. Let yoga be a place where you merely acknowledge where you are in your current physical and mental state, without judgment… and accept it.

• Quiets your mind. Most entrepreneurs have never ending to-do lists which can overwhelm or paralyze them. During yoga practice, when something pops into your head, you’ll learn simply to acknowledge it and move on… that there is nothing you can do about it at that moment… which is extremely liberating.

• Encourages patience. In yoga, as in business, progress is made slowly. Neither one immediately reaches full potential, so it is essential to be patient. Yoga teaches us to step back and appreciate this without criticizing ourselves for our pace.

• Incorporates “you” time. Accept that you don’t have to remain connected to your business 24/7. Your yoga practice can be a short daily escape that, once scheduled into your routine, will train people with the understanding that you can’t be reached during that time.