Here is an article written by Michael Hess for CBS MoneyWatch, the CBS Interactive Business Network. To check out an abundance of valuable resources and obtain a free subscription to one or more of the website’s newsletters, please click here.
Image by Flickr user Liz West
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(MoneyWatch) Yoga has become a pretty big deal in my life: Since taking up the practice several years ago I’ve lost 40 pounds, and at 47, am in the best physical shape of my adult life, and at least as importantly, better mental shape. I still have a long way to go on the latter, but anyone who knew the “before” model knows — and I think appreciates — the dramatic differences. Yoga has become such an important part of my life that I even started a little yoga-related side venture that’s looking promising. And it doesn’t hurt that my wife is a yoga teacher — keeps me on the path.
No, you’re not in the wrong section of the CBS site; This is a business column, I promise.
Yoga is big on teaching, learning, awareness and introspection: Whether it involves emotions and attitudes, relationships, health and well-being, or even life’s big questions, there are good lessons and life/business skills to be learned, and you don’t have to be the least bit earthy-crunchy (I am the furthest thing from it) to benefit from them. Here are what I consider to be the five big ones:
[Here are the first two.]
Equanimity: This one has done the most for me in recent years. Equanimity is a state of calm and balance that flattens out the extreme mental/emotional sine wave of business, which for many people — especially small business owners — is reactive and counterproductive. Everyone knows that rule number one in a crisis is to remain calm, and there’s a reason for that: Calmness always leads to better decisions and a better ability to work with people. To be equanimous is, in more current parlance, to be “chill.”
Focus: Both the physical and mental components of yoga are best served by trying to maintain an uninterrupted state of focus, whether it is on breathing, balance, moving or not moving, thinking or not thinking. For many entrepreneurial-types (including me), it is extraordinarily difficult to stay in a narrow band of attention for extended lengths of time. But when it comes to critical business priorities, it is important to try. A scattered brain may be a font of creativity, but it usually isn’t the best problem-solving tool.
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These centuries-old lessons can serve you no matter what your personality type, background or beliefs. And though I happened to pick them up through yoga, you certainly don’t have to unroll a mat to benefit from them. You don’t need to be able to touch your toes, or be flexible in any way, other than in the way you think.
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To read the complete article, please click here.
Michael Hess is founder and CEO of Skooba Design. He is also a public speaker and advisor, obsessed with customer service, communication, and culture. Read the philosophies that make Michael tick by clicking here, and visit his website and new Facebook page for information on speaking engagements and more. To view all articles by him on CBS MoneyWatch, please click here.