How an Ayurvedic Lifestyle helped me be a better business owner
For me, having my own business is the American dream come true!
It’s my Black American father’s dream come true!
I’m extremely proud to be a female business owner and I’m proud of all the women out there doing the same.
And more and more of us are jumping in the entrepreneurial wagon.
According to a report from the American Express 2019 State of Women-Owned Business, since 2014, the number of women-owned business grew by 21%. An estimated 1,817 new businesses a day were started by women. Women own 42% of all companies in the U.S.
“Over the last 15 years, women have stepped into entrepreneurship in significantly greater numbers than men at a rate that’s 1.5 times the national average.” ~ Sage Lavine
The report also showed the influence of companies owned by women of color, which now accounts for one-third of all women-owned businesses in the United States.
Yay sister!
However, as exciting being an entrepreneur is, it also has its fallouts.
The fallouts of being a female entrepreneur
The sacrifices female entrepreneurs make to succeed have disastrous effects on their health and their weight.
Trust me I know!
I see it in my clients who are in majority business owners.
Health issues and symptoms like weight gain in female entrepreneurs result from sacrificing their needs for the success of their business.
Being an entrepreneur is hard work!
Until my business was able to sustain itself, I worked late nights and started early in the morning.
I had no social life.
Every penny I earned for the first 5 years of my business was invested back into the business.
That includes working with business coaches and investing in my Ayurvedic education.
Whatever free time I may have had was spent taking care of my business.
Many women entrepreneurs spend the rest of their time holding a second full time job: taking care of your family.
Taking care of yourself ends up at the bottom of your list.
Many of us think, “When I have this amount of clients, I’ll rest.”
Or “When I make this much money, I’ll take care of myself.”
When you don’t eat well, sleep well and you stretch yourself thin, it takes a toll on your health.
And for many women, the result is often weight gain.
Weight gain, the tip of the iceberg
According to Ayurvedic Medicine, weight gain is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s symptomatic of an erratic lifestyle that can lead to anxiety, overwhelm, burnout and depression, as well as hypertension, high cholesterol, digestive problems and insomnia.
It can also lead to chronic back and neck pain.
When you don’t feel good in your body, self-doubts start creeping up and you lose confidence in yourself.
When you don’t feel good in your own body, it’s hard to show up excited! And it’s hard to care for your clients/customers’ needs when your own needs aren’t met!
“Contrary to popular opinion, the purpose of your business is NOT to stress you out or burn you out, the purpose of your business is actually to JUICE you up.” ~ Sage Lavine
Is your business JUICING you up?!
A Lifestyle that supports your business and a business that supports your life
You’re the foundation on which your business is built and a foundation has to be strong.
Make it an Ayurvedic Lifestyle!
Ayurveda is the world’s oldest system of natural and holistic medicine.
So to say that it’s tried, true and tested is an understatement!
It teaches what specific lifestyle routines and food choices that are going to work for you and your individual nature, needs and tendencies.
When you follow an Ayurvedic Lifestyle you keep weight gain, stress and disease at bay.
Here are my 4 best recommendations!
# 1: Care for your body with good food
Prepare nourishing meals for yourself.
I prefer to spend my “free” time preparing my meals.
Every week, I get a box of fresh vegetables from the CSA, a Community Supported Agriculture farm, I belong to.
The food is fresh and nutritious since it hasn’t traveled from the other side of the continent or the world to get to my plate.
Another benefit is that I don’t have to wonder what to make, I cook what I have!
Whole, fresh and constitutionally appropriate foods make us feel happy and strong.
I spend a little time chopping all the food in advance, which in the long run SAVES me time, which I’ll save in individual containers.
When it’s time to cook something up, I just have to throw things in my wok and voila! Ready in 15 minutes or less!
You can also use a Food Kit Delivery Company that gives you a choice of foods that are right for you and then cook your delicious meals, adding your favorite spices!
# 2: Get regular healing work, like a massage and yoga
Stress creates tension in our neck, shoulders and back.
In turns it can trigger neck, shoulder and back pain as well as migraines, headaches and mental stress like anxiety, anger and depression.
I like to do 30 minutes of yoga stretching or Sun Salutations before taking a shower.
It may not be much but it makes me feel grounded, awake and alive!
And on the weekend, I give myself an Ayurvedic self-massage, called abhyanga, with warm coconut oil. Followed by a hot shower! Hmmm…
# 3: Care for your body and mind with regular movement
Ayurveda doesn’t recommend strenuous workouts as these can create more physical stress.
However, it does recommend that whatever exercise you do, do it regularly.
3 times a week, I walk for 30-45 minutes. And the other days, I practice pilates or another weight-bearing exercise.
# 4: Take mental health breaks throughout the day
I like to call them “islands of serenity”.
It can be taking 5 minutes to do abdominal breathing which helps turn the sympathetic nervous system (fight and flight) response down and the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) response on.
I like to do 15 minutes of Yoga Nidra before lunch.
Afterwards I feel refreshed physically and mentally too!
I don’t get the afternoon slumps.
Yoga Nidra is a technique used to create deep physical, mental and emotional relaxation without falling asleep.
It’s fundamental to learn when to engage and when to let go when you own your own business.
YOU are your business, so taking care of you is as much business savvy as taking care of your business!
And the time is now, not when you’re too burnout, sick and tired to do it!
Take the next step, grab my ebook, 3 Dieting Mistakes Sabotaging Your Weight, and the simple, ancient system that is finally going to work.
Great reminder to make time to visit “Islands of Serenity” and take care of the whole self.
Thank you Chrissy!
Nice article and it makes me see all of my progress over the past year.
Yay!!
Wonderful article! Thank you for the tips and motivation 🙏
You’re so welcome Elizabeth!