B
ig business and yoga might seem like strange
companions. But the clarity of purpose and a
commitment to ethics and authenticity — seen at the
heart of authentic yoga studios — have driven some
of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, from the
Cadbury family to Steve Jobs.
In a sense, we shouldn’t be surprised that the only book on
Jobs’ iPad at the time of his passing was, ‘The Autobiography of
a Yogi’ by Paramhansa Yogananda. It was a book that guided hisLet your yoga career provide both financial and spiritual abundance. Michelle Nicklin
explains how these concepts are not mutually exclusive
Spiritual & successful
Te acher zone
life from his teenage years onwards and he read it once a year
until he died.
Today, we see businesspeople such as Richard Branson
championing philanthropy and a movement towards ‘better business’
as a creator of value, not just wealth. As seminal thinker Simon Sinek
says: “profit is a by product of any purpose, not the reason why we
get out of bed in the morning.”
The ancient yoga teachings of seeking emotional, physical and
spiritual abundance underpin both my own 30-year yoga practice
and my more recent journey as a yoga entrepreneur and the launch
of the UK’s first yoga and pilates studio franchise, Sandstone.
Far from being mutually exclusive, they are a powerful
combination and a force for good. Yogic thinking destroys the
life-limiting beliefs which can hold so many of us back, whether in
our professional or personal lives. And the practice of asana and
meditation gives us the clarity and focus which made those like Jobs
so successful. They also help us to navigate the ethical dilemmas
that characterise any business which, at the end of the day, has to
make money to survive and to employ others.“Your success in life does not altogether
depend on ability and training. It also
depends on your determination to grasp
opportunities that are presented to you.
Opportunities in life come by creation,
not by chance” Paramhansa Yogananda