Originally published on entrepreneursbreak.com.
Most of us understand that being physically fit is a great way to ensure that you have a better quality of life. What many ignore, unfortunately, is the mental aspect of performance. Especially as a business owner, taking the time to strengthen your mental fortitude is as important as being physically fit. However, most entrepreneurs often struggle to find the time to work on the mental side of things.
But there’s a way to kill two birds with one stone — yoga. Yoga is a discipline that allows you to hone your body and the mind simultaneously. As a self-development and stress management tool, yoga is invaluable to entrepreneurs. In this article, Torrance-based fitness trainer, Ken Inoue, dives deeper into such benefits.
1 It helps you with letting go
As a business owner, your waking hours are filled with thoughts of work and business-related things. Yoga offers you an opportunity where you can let someone else call the shots, and you just have to follow along.
Allowing yourself to be the student instead of the leader is an experience that will help you understand your employees better. It will also help you trust that your employees will do their jobs well when you delegate responsibilities to them.
2 It allows you to relinquish judgment
As an entrepreneur, you are continually trying to improve yourself, your team, and your product. This dedication is crucial to your business’s success but can also drain you mentally and physically.
Yoga allows you to be mindful of the state of your body and mind without judging it in any way. Practicing acceptance is a great way to recharge your batteries for another stress-filled day at the office.
3 It makes you more patient
If you’ve ever tried yoga before, you’ll know that it is a lot harder than it seems at first glance. You might go into it expecting a leisurely stretching session, but when your limbs are quaking as you try to maintain a pose, you’ll quickly learn to appreciate the practice. In yoga, progress happens slowly. The act of accepting that a significant change takes time to happen will help you tremendously with your business. You will be able to let ideas grow and breathe before you pull the plug on them.
4 Yoga allows you some much needed ‘me-time’
As entrepreneurs, we are constantly inundated with phone calls, emails, and work-related requests. Yoga allows you the chance to disconnect from all of your business worries for a short period of time. It will also allow you to meet people other than those you work with.
You can use your yoga practice as a sanctuary that you can retreat to, where you are completely isolated from anything related to your company. During your practice, whenever you find yourself thinking about something work-related, you can practice acknowledging the thoughts and then letting them go.
Yoga is a practice that several entrepreneurs swear by, and for a good reason. It’s a gym for your body and your mind. Also, there are so many different asanas, disciplines, and routines to learn that you will never get bored. If you don’t have the time to join a class, just search for some Yoga videos on YouTube and get started.
Ken Inoue | Torrance Personal Trainer 