Yoga For The Small Business Owner

Just when you think you are ready to enter your home office the phone starts to ring. You already sent your kids off to day camp but as you pick up the home phone, you notice your dog is sitting patiently by the door, waiting for his morning walk. At the same time, your stomach starts grumbling……….sound familiar?

Along with the rest of the household chores and paperwork that needs to be filed, owning a small business can be challenging as time is scarce in this fast-paced lifestyle that we lead. Amidst this stress and pace, there is one thing that can help to promote more balance, stillness and awareness in our daily lives………………..YOGA.

The abundant styles of yoga can seem overwhelming to someone just starting out. To drop the confusion, one needs to know the core of all yoga styles remain the same and consist of:

• Breathing
• Postures
• Meditation

Benefits

Developing a yoga practice brings many benefits to both your personal and business life such as:

• Stress reduction
• Improvement in mental clarity, focus and concentration
• Increased flexibility and creativity to achieve goals
• The ability to face challenges with ease
• Improved muscular endurance for energy and stamina

You can take away from your place of practice many of the above benefits and incorporate them into your everyday business operations. Yoga makes you become aware of weaknesses in your body and helps you gently strengthen that specific area. You learn proper alignment and then attempt the yoga posture. Likewise in business, you discover what your weaknesses are and seek ways to strengthen them.

For instance, my strength is creativity and hands-on product development but I needed to acquire new skills and knowledge in other areas such as marketing. In this case, yoga taught me to step back and become more aware of all the individual components that make a successful business, just like there are many small components that make a balanced yoga posture. Some of these yoga components include proper body alignment, muscular contraction and softening and executing a specific order of movements in both entering and exiting the pose. In business, such components may include product development, inventory, packaging, pricing, marketing and advertising. If any of these parts are missing, your business and your yoga posture may fall short of a successful outcome. Yoga clears your mind so you can ‘see’ and focus on the direction you want your business to take. Thus you can use the intuition that you learn on the mat, apply it to your work experience and focus on modifying your business strategies to attain your goals.

Breathing

The entire yoga practice is focused on the breath and it’s important role in moving from one posture to the next with ease and grace. How often do you stop and take a deep breath during your hectic schedule? Several times during your business day, try to stop for one minute and take a few deep, attentive breaths to maintain calmness, refocus and oxygenate your body to increase your energy level. You will notice how just this simple breathing practice enhances your day. This in itself, is a form of meditation; becoming aware of your inhale breath and your exhale breath. It allows us to flow with a more calm and organized approach in your business venture.

Where do you start?

Check your local area for health clubs and yoga studios for their beginner class schedule. If there is more than one teacher, try them all and find the one you are most comfortable with. The class should be small so the instructor can have a close eye on each individual’s movements to ensure a safe practice. One-on-one yoga sessions may be an option if you desire more individual attention or you can start a home practice by purchasing a yoga dvd (see resources below). There is also a deep philosophy rooted in the practice of yoga. Anyone interested in further knowledge on this subject should read “The Wisdom of Yoga” by Stephen Cope.

Yoga has enhanced my life in many areas and I hope it does the same for you. I strive to keep balance in my life and yoga helps me do that. Give it a try and see where your journey of self-discovery leads you.

Essential Oils for Yoga and Meditation

Although there are many essential oils I love, the top three that I think of for yoga and meditation are Sandalwood, Frankincense and Myrrh.

Sandalwood: Sandalwood has been used for over 4,000 years and is one of the oldest known scents used in perfumery. It has a deep, sweet, earthy aroma. Sandalwood helps to soothe aggression, relieve stress and serves as a sleep aid. It is also well known as a meditation aid. You can add 3-4 drops of sandalwood to 10 ml of a carrier oil such as jojoba or sweet almond oil and dab this mixture on your wrists or inhale the scent right from the bottle to prepare for meditation or when you just need to relax.

Frankincense: Frankincense is a perfect essential oil for contemplation and maintaining a clear mind. Frankincense has been used for years in religious ceremonies and rituals for purification. It is excellent for meditation as it is known to 'slow the breath'. This also makes it perfect for the 6th Chakra, also called the 'third eye', assisting with clairvoyance.

Myrrh: Myrrh is a very centering essential oil and brings issues you usually hide from out in the open to explore and work on. It’s scent is deep, earthy and warm with a slight medicinal quality; an easily recognized essential oil due to this unique aroma. Myrrh has been highly used in religious ceremonials, perfumes and healing ointments for over 3,000 years.

Prior to yoga or meditation, you can inhale these essential oils right from the bottle or use 3-5 drops of one (or be creative and combine all three totaling 3-5 drops) in 10 ml of carrier oil such as jojoba to place on your pulse points. Try these or use your favorite essential oils in combination with the three mentioned above to create your own unique meditative blend.

Inhale~Enjoy~Exhale,

Gina Rafkind

Resources

DVD:
VinyasaFlowYoga-Uniting Movement and Breath-Session One with Seane Corn

Aligning the Upper Body-Level 1: For Beginners with Lauren Mones

Yoga-Step by Step-The Total Guide to Managing Stress with Baxter Bell, MD

Always consult your physician before starting your yoga practice especially if you have any medical conditions or concerns and/or physical limitations.