Yoga isn’t just about the physical practice.
The physical practice happens to be what we are most familiar with here in the West and how I came to yoga, for sure. But the modern path of yoga involves 8 limbs, which all contribute to the life-changing nature of yoga.
My own yoga practice dates back to college – beginning with my first class in 1993. That class was a magical experience for me and was the beginning of a lifelong exploration of honoring my physicality, staying in my body, listening to, and trusting, myself, and not simply staying in my head all the time. It seems to be a continuous thread is woven through my life — the practice of integration and returning to wholeness — learning to embody and honor all of me.
Frankly, I’m not there and doubt I ever will be. I struggle more often than I’d like to pay attention to my body and my breath, though it gets easier all the time. I am still learning to trust ALL of myself and stop compartmentalizing the different parts of myself and my life. I’m learning how to own my full power in a conscious, compassionate way – to be a peaceful warrior.
I’ve been contemplating how the 8-fold path of yoga impacts the way that I approach my life and my business — and how anyone can take their love of yoga off the mat and into their venture. How running a solo-business is such an opportunity to become fully aligned with who we are meant to be — to embrace the challenges and overwhelm as a great teacher.
Taking our yoga practice off the mat and into our lives is about consistent actions (or non-actions) that lead to skilled behavior. The 8-limbed path of yoga is a solid (yet flexible and kind) foundation that leads us to align our energy with our highest potential, which naturally leads us to right action.
Aiming for this kind of alignment– is the path to success.
The eight-fold path of yoga includes do’s and don’ts for yoginis (yamas and niyamas), the physical practice of yoga (asana), breath-work (pranayama), withdrawl of the senses (pratyahara), full presence and concentration (dharana), accessing “the watcher” through meditation (dhyana), and finally, wholeness (samadhi).
Maybe you are a long-time yogini and you know what all of this means, or maybe you are new to this whole yoga business and have no clue what I’m talking about. Either way, I am going on an exploration of integrating yogini-ness with business — and I hope you will come.
At the heart, really, of yoga are the yogini’s do’s and don’ts. There are 10 of them and they are a powerful practice to help you align your actions. Next up is the physical practice of yoga — my intent is to recommend resources for home practice and provide you with some simple videos of poses you can do, at your desk, to stay connected with your powerhouse of wisdom — the body. I’m sure you’ve noticed that it’s impossible to stay aligned to your wisdom and power when you are slumped mindlessly in front of your laptop.
I will suggest that you breathe (pranayama) — deeply and fully to oxygenate your blood and enliven your body and mind. And we will talk about the meditative aspects of yoga and their deep significance for those who want to lead by action, not by reaction. To get more info on the how meditation benefits entrepreneurs, you can listen in:
Are you interested in the path of integrating yogini-ness with business? Subscribe to the blog and join the conversation. More is coming.
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