By: Elizabeth Gordon
As a seeker of solitude in my busy entrepreneurial workday, I use yoga, Pilates, a good old-fashioned run in the park, and anything else I can think of to calm my nerves and keep my head clear and focused. I have worked hard to keep my body fit and my business running smoothly. I have also found that the same principles used in the meditation practiced during yoga can be used to strengthen my business.
While meditating during a yoga class several years ago, the instructor told us to feel that every movement is a new beginning. This made me think of my own business, which was just a fledgling startup at the time. In my day to day struggle as an entrepreneur, every project and each new contact could potentially take my business in a new direction. After making this connection, I knew that meditation had a lot to teach me about business. Since then, I’ve learned to apply some of the basic principles of meditation to my business and you can do it, too.
Start employing meditation principles in your work life by viewing your business as a living being. Each direction the being goes in is, in fact, a new beginning. View this positively since life, just like business, is ever-changing and accepting that is a necessary part of enjoying your life and your business.
It is also important to pause throughout your day and really feel your body. When you are stressed out at work or you feel your shoulders or back stiffening after a tense meeting or an especially taxing day, take the time to make yourself physically comfortable. Yoga has taught me to sit erect, with my spine straight, my feet planted firmly on the floor, and my hands relaxed in my lap and that I should breathe diaphragmatically. When I have had a rough day or when I need a break, but cannot leave my office, I take a deep breath and count to four. I breathe in and out counting four or five times to quiet my mind. I keep remembering to breathe normally. I try to relax and let the thoughts come and then let them go. As you practice, the interference you feel at first will subside and you will be able to experience only that moment fully. I must also remind myself to be patient. Many times using these simple acts during the day can clear my mind and keep me focused longer while reducing the physical strain that comes with sitting at my desk for hours on end.
While there is a lot more to meditation than just learning the techniques and motions, I find that employing what I learn at my gym easily transfers into my work life. Meditation is an entire state of mind and a whole different way of looking at the world and the role you play in it. To help you understand this better, try taking a yoga class during the week. The cost (which might seem considerable for an entrepreneur with a strained budget) is worth it when you weigh the mental, physical and spiritual benefits. For more information about how you can renew and revive your business, visit www.flourishingbusiness.com.
Elizabeth W. Gordon, founder and President of The Flourishing Business, LLC, is a visionary leader who has a passion for helping others achieve their entrepreneurial dreams and enjoy more of the best in life.