spiritual harmony in your yoga business

By: Carenna Willmont

9 tips to bring harmony to your career life

This morning in yoga class a beautiful feeling came over me as I took a deep breath: I can be a leader, not be perfect and be part of an equal team with my co-workers and clients. This thought filled me with joy because I have fought the feeling that I needed to be “perfect,” that as a leader, I had to know everything. Not so anymore.

It brought to mind an inspiring speech given by Patricia Aburdene at a LOHAS Show. She gave clear statistics on the benefits of incorporating spiritual and socially responsible principles into business, demonstrating how doing this brings both greater financial profits for the business and greater fulfillment for workers. It was a wonderful surprise to hear since I had blindly created a business based on these ideals just because I wanted to bring the freedom and love I derive from doing yoga and meditation with me to my work. Patricia also cited research that shows that more people want to bring their personal, uplifting philosophies into yoga businesses. Hearing this made me realize that I am not alone. Remembering it helped to reinforce my decision to bring my conscious joyful values into my work life. 

The first value that I strive to bring into my work life is a very practical one:  cleanliness is close to godliness. I make an effort to keep my desk, files and floor clean and uncluttered. This feels so good.

The second joyful value is taking time to feel our feelings. When I am scared or uncertain about an upcoming business task, conversation or decision, instead of bottling it up, I can share my feelings, when appropriate, with a colleague or with those involved. No, work is not therapy;yet if I have mixed feelings about a contract, for example, I can acknowledge those feelings and get more information before making a decision.

Value three: making lists to stay on track. During yoga and meditation I get messages, so I have a pad of paper to write them down. My “to-do” lists also let me be present with myself while they lead me throughout my day to keep me on track. But of course there are days that demand the lists get modified or moved to the next day.

The fourth value: being present and exactly where I am. Although planning ahead is extremely important, too much future thinking doesn’t let me enjoy today. What feels more productive is to spend more time thinking about today and maybe two days forward for scheduling and prioritizing to dos.

Value five: building a strong team. I can’t do it all alone! Working with a team is a richer experience, an opportunity to offer a more diverse range of skills and more efficient service to my clients and, well, much more fun! I currently need to practice asking for more help.  Getting clear and asking for the right people is important.

Six: staying connected to my center throughout the work day, letting the universe lead, instead of me. Meditation after lunch works wondrously­””asking the Divine to help me rest my mind and listen to what I really need to be thinking about.

Seven: when I want something to happen in my yoga business, rather than complain to my friends, boyfriend, etc., I can share with my team; they are full of ideas and they are invested in the same environment and mission. It just makes more sense in terms of energetic efficiency. This is also new for me.

Eight: separate personal calls from business calls, just as I separate personal and business bank accounts. If I do take a personal call during my work time, I need to choose it. Honestly this one works better when co-workers are around.

Nine: always know where I am financially. Making decisions based on what is available keeps me grounded in reality””thank you Quicken and QuickBooks! I’m grateful for my bookkeeping background, which has made it so this doesn’t scare me like it used to.

These are some of the lessons that have been integral to my own path toward business success.

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