5 ways yoga can improve your business

Integrate these simple yoga tips to get more fulfilment out of your working and professional life. By Danielle Timms

Did you know that yoga can improve your work life or business?

If you are self-employed and in search of some motivation or need to boost your employee morale then this is for you! Yoga can increase productivity and efficiency in the workplace by making you feel more awake, relaxed and energised.

"We live in a society where people are always looking for the next sports drink, energy bar, or cup of coffee that will give them the extra edge to get through the day," says researcher Tim Puetz, PhD, also of UGA.

"But it may be that lacing up your tennis shoes and getting out and doing some physical activity every morning can provide that spark of energy that people are looking for."

When we do any form of exercise our body relaxes and our brains feel more awake. This is because exercise or physical activity gets the heart rate up and the blood flowing and releases endorphins, which raises your energy level. Results show that this can reduce fatigue and increase energy.

Yoga has the ability to wake up all our senses through breath and movement. Meditation can relax the mind, breath work can wake us up with oxygen and asana movements can activate our bodies by getting our blood flowing. It can also make us feel more aligned and positive, ready to face the day.

Here are five ways yoga can improve your business:

1. Focus

Have you been feeling tired or drained? Yoga allows you to become more clear headed to focus on work and the task at hand, without being distracted. When we are more awake, we are more focused, we have the energy to operate more effectively.

2. Decision Making

Yoga can relax you, creating peace of mind that will help you become more clear on what decisions to make. As you become more more aligned and trust your judgement (with situations, not people), you will become more confident in your choices.

3. Creativity

When your brain is energised, it becomes more active and allows creativity to flow. We can become problem solvers and think of solutions easier, with a positive outlook. Thinking that the cup is half full, rather then half empty, will allow you to look at things from a different perspective and generate new ideas and innovative thinking.

4. Overcome Setbacks

With a clearer mind we can take a step back, look at the bigger picture and put things into perspective, and know that one or two setbacks will not hold us back from reaching our goal. In fact, it might be part of the process; some of the best things come about inadvertently or accidentally. Critical thinking is necessary in all aspects of business as it allows you to analyse situations to discover what is working and what isn't working for you.

5. Connections

When we feel more awake and alive, we are more friendly and happier at work, which will allow us to connect better with our customers, employees and colleagues.

This, overall, will help to generate a better work environment for everyone.

Yoga can also improve your mental state generally, which will help you become more aligned with yourself and the work that you do, helping you to find a job or create a business that you feel passionate about.

Finally, yoga helps us to look inwards and focus on our truth to create peace of mind. Once we discover our passion, we will discover our purpose.