Ancient Wisdom for the Work We Do

Although I have served as a crisis communication, strategic planning, and marketing consultant for over twenty-five years, and an adjunct instructor for various undergraduate and MBA programs, my passion-driven side hustle is serving as a yoga teacher. At first glance, my “real” jobs may seem very different from my gig work, but they are all very similar. Self-awareness is the key to navigating a crisis, teaching business, building a strategic plan, or assembling a marketing program. To be truly effective, you must understand your audience, key messages, and the current environment.

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Teaching yoga is no different. When teaching a general population yoga class, it is essential to be prepared for various needs and abilities and to adapt your teaching approach to accommodate different learning styles.

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In all my roles, my greatest joy is helping cultivate a sense of awareness in those with whom I work and assisting them in using this awareness to achieve their goals.

 

This book was born out of a desire to cultivate awareness in business. Most yoga certification programs focus on much more than physical postures (asanas) and breathwork (pranayama) than one might expect. In my opinion, a good program also focuses on the mind stuff—the chiite rita—and that often includes the Yoga Sutras. Written by Patañjali, the Yoga Sutras are a collection of 196 Sanskrit sutras (stanzas) that address the theory and practice of yoga.

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Yoga is defined as yoking, or union. While the term yoga likely conjures images of fit individuals performing flexible poses, it would be more accurate to think of yoga as the union of the mind, body, and breath. Contained within the Sutras is a section that imparts knowledge related to navigating the world (Yamas) and guiding our behavior (Niyamas). Simply put, they serve as foundational principles for leading a harmonious and fulfilling life. The lessons I learned in those Sutras not only helped me become a more grounded mother, a better friend, and a fairly decent yoga teacher, but also improved my skills in business.

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I would love to say that some spiritual journey or business quest led me to yoga, but I connected with it as a burned-out marathon runner, business owner, community volunteer, and dedicated single mother (at the time) of two sons. Only when I entered a yoga teacher training school did the lessons on my mat influence my business decisions and skills. Fast forward a few years, and I became a registered yoga teacher, going on to launch a yoga teacher training school. While I did learn to stand on my head, yoga has never been about the physical practice for me, but rather the spiritual and emotional lessons that occur in our daily lives as humans, business owners, and employees.

 

Although the Yamas and Niyamas are deeply rooted in the eight-limb path of yoga enlightenment, as outlined in the ancient Yoga Sutras text, their lessons are easily applied to business, whether you have a strong yoga practice or have never stepped on your mat.

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I share my experiences in this book with great humility. I do not have all the answers nor believe I have lived up to the fullest meaning of these principles. I do know that applying the Yamas and Niyamas has helped me make tough choices, served as a moral compass, and guided my behavior with others, which, in my opinion, is the most challenging part of business. I am not the first and certainly won’t be the last to write about the Yamas and Niyamas. However, I wanted to tackle these lessons from a different perspective—the work we do. Our quest to do better—to be better—shouldn’t stop at our desk or the office door.​