When I told my corporate team I was quitting to move to California and start a business & teach yoga, they all looked at me like I had lost my marbles.
“It’s temporary right?”
“You’ll look for a *real* job once you get there?”
“I admire your ability to pursue passion over wealth.”
Little did they know, my consistent yoga practice had not only made me prepared for this big life change, but it equipped me with many necessary skills to be a better professional, for both corporate & entrepreneurial ventures.
These skills are not unique to the individual, but to the practice of yoga. Meaning that these benefits are available to all (yes – you too!) if you prioritize your practice & stay consistent over-time.
#1 Improved Communication
If you’ve tried yoga before, I’m sure you can resonate with the nerves you feel walking into your first class. How do I know what to do? What if I look stupid?
It’s this nervous energy and hyper-awareness that enables you to listen to each and every cue, each and every word the instructor says.
Imagine if we translated this level of awareness to each and every work meeting?
Active listening is a skill that has weaned for society as a whole over-time. In modern times, we have a constant & overwhelming stream of info, content, etc. thrown at us through the radio, television, and of-course, the cell phone. It was necessary for our survival to learn how to filter information, but this has also led to shorter attention spans, increased brain fog, and yes… poor listening.
Active listening is part of the equation, but what about speaking?
From the instructor’s perspective, I can be honest that my first class was a train wreck made very apparent by the variety of poses & variations all over the room after I’d given an instruction.
Had I done my job well, my students would’ve known exactly where to go. Where to place their feet, how to align their body, even where to turn their gaze.
I learned very quickly to clean-up my cues & work on my communication overall. I removed the fluff, spoke directly, and created my cues from the beginner perspective. The improvement in my classes was immediate and I’ve seen these improvement percolate into other areas of my life.
Cooking dinner with my partner is smoother, talking to customer service less frustrating, and communicating with my clients seamless.
(p.s. If you’re interested in becoming a yoga teacher, read my blog post about getting certified online!)
#2 Decision Making
When you walk into a yoga studio as a new member, the first thing you’ll do is sign a liability waiver. Something along the lines of “I realize that my instructor is not a doctor, I’m in control of my health & practice, and I waive liability in the case of injury.”
In my classes, I further clarify with a pre-flow chat asking my students to listen to their body, not do anything that doesn’t feel good, and reminding them that everything I say is simply a suggestion & they’re free to make their practice what they want.
I like to empower my students to make their own decisions for their body & practice.
Each pose has several variations, several modifications, and several advancements. The body changes daily, and it’s important to tune-in and ask yourself, how would I like to proceed today? What would feel good today?
Sometimes I try something new, sometimes I don’t, and sometimes I try something new and think “woah woah woah, that doesn’t feel right, let’s go here instead.”
Prior to yoga, decisions used to paralyze me. I never knew what was correct or what was the better option.
Through yoga I learned that decisions are seldom inherently bad or good. They’re just decisions.
You check-in with yourself, see how you feel, make a decision, and repeat the process.
Decisions aren’t concrete, they’re iterative. The only thing stagnant would be simply not making a decision at all.
My former boss once told me, “it’s okay if you fail, but fail quickly.” Aka in the fast-paced world that is corporate, making a decision, any decision, to push forward is better than being paralyzed.
#3 Learning to Read the Room
Presence is a common theme in yoga. When you step on your mat, be on your mat. Let the outside world melt away, and tune in to your breath, your body, your energy.
And if you’re rolling your eyes right now about the mention of the woo-woo concept of “energy,” I can promise you that it’s real.
Have you ever walked into a room and just knew people were talking about you? Or knew there was an awkward argument occurring? Or walked into a party and knew it was going to be a wild night?
You’re tapping into the energy of the room.
It’s a gift to be able to feel these intangible messages that clue you into the collective. And when you make the time to be present & read the energy, like you would with a consistent yoga practice, you’ll get a lot better at it.
Why is this important?
It’d be useful to read the energy when you ask your boss for a favor, approach a customer with a sales pitch, or crack a joke during a team meeting.
Read the room – timing is everything.
#4 Follow Your Work with Rest
In today’s world, burnout is as common (comparably more?) than the seasonal flu. It plagues thousands each & every day, and that’s unsurprising when you consider our society’s reward system is productivity based. We’re measured on our ability to do, work, and achieve which silently implicates our periods of rest as failed periods.
*Enter burnout stage left*
In yoga, it’s common to have *at least* a 5 minute savasana at the end of every 1 hour class. Savasana is a sanskrit word that translates to “corpse pose” in English. This pose is exactly as it sounds. You lie on your back, eyes closed, arms & feet splayed wide, with no tension in the body. You allow yourself several minutes of complete and utter stillness after an hour of movement.
And while it might not be appropriate to lay on the ground in the office, arms & feet splayed wide, after a big meeting, presentation, or focused hour, it’s important to provide yourself the rest your body craves in other ways.
Boundaries are essential.
Leave your work at the office, silence off-hour work notifications, and take your PTO – you literally get paid to do so.
Stop running on empty, and give yourself a savasana.
#5 Be Humble & Leave Your Ego at the Door
The meaning of the word yoga directly translates to unity. Union of the mind, body, and soul. Union between your human self & your spiritual self. Union between you & others. Yoga is all about union – closing the gap between separateness and duality. Me and you. Good and bad. Right and wrong.
Yoga is an equalizer.
Every now & then when I learn a new trick, a new arm balance, or “advanced” posture that makes me look (and most definitely feel cool!) my ego can get a bit carried away.
It’s easy to feel like I’m a “better” yogi for having practiced so long, or “superior” yogi for teaching & understanding the philosophy behind the practice. When these thoughts get the best of me, my practice suffers.
My body might thrive, but if my egoic mind takes control, my yoga practice declines. My practice is no longer in unity, no longer in balance. I miss the point. I no longer get it.
On your mat, you can’t hide. Your thoughts come naturally, and in the moments I experienced this ego overload, it felt scarily similar to some moments of past corporate me.
I would feel great about the status that comes after a promotion, the money that comes with a salary bonus or bump, or the praise I receive after a project.
Status, money, and praise are all founded in the ego. They are founded in separateness & duality, and they fall away after you die. They aren’t what’s important in life.
And when I think back to what used to stress me out about work it was climbing the ladder, earning a bonus, or receiving praise from my superiors. All things that aren’t important in life.
Adding value & contribution to the world is more important.
My advice is to approach each & every day with humility. Stay connected to your why and how you can serve the world with your talents.
Because to be quite honest, there’s no faster way to pass up a promotion than coming off cocky to your boss by thinking you’re too good for it.
There you have it! The lessons that gave me confidence when everyone thought I had lost my marbles after my career decision.
Thoughts, questions, comments?
Come join the party on Instagram & let me know how yoga has made you a better professional! My DM’s are always open.
Love & Light,
Tori
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