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Loading...By Kat Byles, Founder, True Business School
Traditional business still orientates around the head and gut. The heart is too often dismissed as airy-fairy, woo-woo, over-emotional, misguided, dangerous, or weak. But chasing profit, ahead of everything else, separates us from our true selves and from nature. However, when you take consistent business action inspired by your heart’s wisdom, you build structures that nourish and support you to thrive. Your business becomes a vehicle for creating win-win outcomes.
Image: 123RF
To get to this place, consider bringing the principles of yoga into your business. Yoga offers a way of being that unites us with our creative consciousness.
Connection
Start by connecting with your heart’s wisdom and learning to listen to what it has to tell you.
You can do this through meditation; or by being in nature—perhaps swimming in the ocean, or walking in the forest—or by journaling, painting, dancing, breathwork, movement, or playing with your children or pets. Find your preferred way.
Alignment
Now listen to your heart’s wisdom to build a practical business structure that is completely aligned with who you are and what you came here to do.
Listen to your heart’s wisdom to receive your purpose, and to discover your audience – the people your purpose naturally serves. What is the one thing you want to say to them, from your heart to theirs? What is your message? Where are you showing up to meet them and provide value?
Action
This gives you a clear pathway, which is unique and true to you. You are ready to take action that will take you forwards in the right direction enabling you to fulfill your purpose and bring you joy.
Any action taken without attachment to the outcome becomes skillful action, also called Karma Yoga. This opens a flow of opportunities that are a match for you and your business. What was previously challenging becomes inevitable.
Remember, it takes courage to trust the whisper of your heart – to let go of attachments and control. You may initially experience a panic, a fear that if you do let go nothing will happen, that the clients, the deal, and the money won’t come in! You may worry that your business will fail and tell yourself that you must get busy, and you must push! But, on the other side of surrender, you will experience release and relief.
Transformation from the heart leading the way
As I began sharing True Business with other creative visionaries, leaders, entrepreneurs, teachers, healers, artists, coaches and consultants, they also experienced this inspiration, liberation, and fulfillment.
Plant-based chef and founder of The Mindful Kitchen, Bex Shindler, was fearful of failing in business, leaving her stuck and unable to move forwards. Finally, she listened to her heart’s wisdom and opened up to the joy of alignment with her purpose and message. This gave her the courage to consistently show up and teach plant-based cooking to others via Facebook.
This experience of alignment is a very different one from the frozen fear of failing. She said: “I feel so grateful for exactly where I am. For creating the path of my dreams, the life I want, and for being in flow and aligned with my heart’s true purpose. I can feel the life force running through my veins. So connected with Source and at peace. I have everything I need at this moment.”
Nine months later she became the chef for the Black-Eyed Peas on their music retreat, who thanked her for her creativity and love of the food which had served their creativity. She produced a plant-based recipe book and was fully booked for a season of Ibiza retreats sharing compassionate food for a compassionate world.
Simon Haas, yoga philosopher, and author was seeking book reviews and articles, to sell more copies of The Book of Dharma, making enlightened choices and Yoga and the Dark Night of the Soul, a sacred journey to love.
Simon is an introvert, a scholar, and a writer so writing articles is an obvious logical call. However, his heart’s wisdom shared a vision and pathway to becoming an international speaker and reaching his soul family with ancient wisdom for the modern world.
Honoring his heart’s wisdom and dharma he said yes. Simon set off on a three-month, 12-location UK-speaking tour. Invitations to speak in Holland, France, and Lithuania followed. Two years later Simon was invited to speak at the United Nations International Day of Yoga in New York, followed by a yoga festival for thousands in Mexico. Simon was living his heart’s vision and dharma.
5 Yoga Poses for Business
To help you create connection, find alignment, and take action, there are five yoga poses I use myself and recommend for different aspects of the business.
1. Mountain Pose or Tadasana
Stillness. Stand tall like a mountain.
Stand upright, feet parallel, facing forward. Ankles, knees, and hips are stacked evenly above each other. Your tailbone is neutral. Shoulders are open and down. Arms are loose and long and your palms are slightly open.
This brings you to a still, grounded, presence. It’s a moment to check in with yourself and notice your breath, your feelings, and your needs. A time to turn from the outer world and ‘doing’, to your inner world and ‘being’. This is a movement away from giving and towards receiving. This pose will take you into peace, calm, and strength.
I choose this posture: Before I start the business day, anytime I need to check in with myself and bring a grounded presence before a meeting or presentation.
2. Goddess Pose or Utkata Konasana
Energize. Power up the feminine energy that created the universe.
Stand with your feet three feet apart, turned out 45 degrees, exhale, and power squat. Drop your shoulders. Bring your arms up and bend as you do for a wall angel. Keep your chest open and chin parallel to the floor. Breathe.
This is a power pose. It ignites your energy, grounds you on the earth, and fires up your fierceness so you are ready for anything. It leaves you feeling confident, focused, and plugged into your inner power and pleasure.
I choose this posture: For an energy boost, when doubts and fears arise, and when I need to take a stand for myself and my vision.
3. Warrior 2 Pose or Virabhadrasana II
Focus. Open up concentration, discernment and stamina.
Face the long side of your mat, arms stretched out, feet parallel in a wide stance. Turn your right foot towards the short end of the mat. Bend your right knee over your right ankle. Press down the outer edge of your back foot. Reach strongly through both arms and turn your gaze to look past your right fingertips. Repeat on the left.
This pose is named after Virabhadra, a warrior representing the destruction of evil, ignorance, and delusion. It opens your focus, concentration, stamina, and strength. It brings discernment to say yes to your purpose. Distractions fall away.
I choose this posture: When focus and urgency are required to meet a deadline, when I feel scattered or overwhelmed, or when I need to go the last 100 meters to complete a project.
4. Tree Pose or Vrksasana
Balance. Rooted, playful, flexibility and freedom to fall.
Begin in Mountain pose. Spread your toes, and press your left foot into the mat. Find your focus, a steady gazing spot in front of you. Place your hands on your hips and raise your right foot high onto your left thigh or shin. Stretch your arms overhead like branches reaching into the sun. Hold and breathe. Repeat on the other side.
This encourages you to feel rooted and reach tall. It challenges your balance. You may find yourself swaying or falling. Replace the need to get it right or perfect, by inviting in playfulness, the freedom to fall, and flexibility.
I choose this posture: When I need to restore the balance of being and doing, when I need to inject playful creativity into the day, and when I need a reminder that falling isn’t failing.
5. Corpse Pose or Shavasana
Surrender. Total relaxation. Give yourself to the earth.
Lie on the floor. Lengthen from your neck through your tailbone, open across your chest, and move your shoulder blades away from your spine. Let your entire body sink into the floor. Let go. Relax. Give yourself completely to the earth.
This complete relaxation allows you to release any tension, and to assimilate, integrate, restore, and surrender to the universal flow. Your mind starts to settle and your nervous system recalibrates and resets.
I choose this posture: After meetings where there’s a lot of information to assimilate and integrate, anytime I experience sensory overload, and to close the business day.
By bringing yoga off the mat and into your business, you will find that the business thrives without the need for long hours and constant activity. Your business becomes a true expression of who you are and what you are here for bringing you a wonderful combination of happiness, health, and wealth.
Kat Byles is the Founder of True Business School, working with creative, visionary and purpose driven leaders, entrepreneurs, teachers, healers, artists and coaches to unleash their heart’s wisdom and creativity on a happier, healthier, wealthier business and world.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post or content are those of the authors or the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.
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