Ancient Wisdom for our Modern Work
The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali is a classic guide to the philosophy and practice of yoga, comprising 196 sutras or aphorisms. They were compiled by Patañjali sometime between 200 BCE and 400 CE, organizing earlier yogic ideas into a clear system focused on concentration, practice, spiritual powers, and ultimate freedom. For centuries, the text was passed down in Sanskrit. Although the text fell into relative obscurity from the twelfth to the nineteenth century, it made a comeback in the late nineteenth century due to the efforts of Swami Vivekananda, the Theosophical Society, and others.
Atha yoga anushasanam>
Now, the teachings of yoga.
– Yoga Sutra 1.1
And now, it is time to study yoga. So let us begin.
Throughout Yamas and Niyamas for Business, I use the term business in generic terms. Whether you work for a corporate entity or a non-profit, serve in the military, are running a household, volunteer, or have just started your career as a teacher, think of business as the work you do to serve others.
One of the biggest challenges with reading a business book, attending a workshop, or training is applying the concepts when you return to your desk. The email inbox is full, the phone rings, and the demands are real. The intentions you set as you explored the concepts quickly get replaced by deadlines and constant interruptions. To address this reality, I included questions at the end of each chapter for you and your team to consider. Explore them in a manner that makes sense for you and, perhaps, for your team.
Stories are another vital way to inspire change by making remembering concepts easier. I share many examples from real-life scenarios, yet be assured, nothing shared is directly linked to any organization or people I have worked with during my various careers. So, if you know me or worked with me, please do not read into the characters portrayed and assign names or draw connections to real situations! Any similarities in people or scenarios are simply coincidental.
At the end of the book, I created a fictitious yet realistic case study featuring the also-fictional Concrete Home Trade Association. The elements explored are drawn from my experience in a leadership or marketing role with more than seventy-five different organizations in the design and construction industry.