I would like introduce you to Shanel Scott, a yoga teacher at De La Sol Yoga in Hamilton Ontario.
Shanel was once like many of you who spent long days working and over reaching your energy levels. Just like you Chanel also found a way to release all those over whelming stress factors into positive energy levels. Here is Shanel Scott’s approach to creating positive energy levels as a way to balance your
How to Balance Stress with Yoga
My own desire to create work-life balance brought me to where I am today. Almost 6 years ago, I quit my stable government job to follow my dreams of fully stepping into being an entrepreneur.
This was possible due to one of my passions – yoga. Yoga has been a long term go-to for toning my body when it felt broken from teaching dance and chasing my own children, as well as finding a connection to myself.
Each time I came to my mat to practice whether at home or in a class, I noticed this instant sigh of relief my body took. This unconscious knowing, I was there to be present for some deep selfcare. Wanting to give this gift to others, I became a yoga teacher in 2014.
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There are many misconceptions regarding yoga, such as you have to be flexible, that yoga is a religion, guys don’t do yoga, or that yoga always involves movement, which stops people from exploring its’ benefits. But the reality is yoga is for everybody, you just need to figure out the type or style of yoga that fits your needs, as the benefits far outweigh the excuses for not exploring something new.
Yoga reminds us to step into the practice with body, mind and soul. From the moment you step on your mat it is an opportunity to get present with yourself. To acknowledge your physical body and how it feels in the moment. Where are you holding tension or stress? Do you have pain?
Can you modify what you are doing to relieve those things? Pushing yourself forward when you feel you need for a little more or stepping back taking a gentle practice when you are injured or need rest. Being able to listen to what your body needs, is a skill. One that with practice will become a way for you to check in not only during your practice but also with other aspects of your life and business.
The Benefits of Physical Training
The other benefit physically is the practice tends to be all encompassing often using the majority of muscle groups to get an all over tone and full workout without pounding stress on the joints. If you are like me and have old injuries from days of not listening to your body, this is a practice that helps to keep things in check.
Structurally focusing on the core and the alignment of the body around that. Core stability is a basic function of many poses keeping the back and spine aligned and strong. Poses stretch the body giving relief to tense muscles while creating patterns of good alignment that will carry over into the rest of your movement done in your day to day life.
We all know exercise can keep our bodies physically healthy and help to reduce stress, but yoga takes this one step further. Part of the practice is the mind and soul connections we tap into when coming to our mat. Becoming present in our body, also allows us to be present in our mind, in turn creating a connection to our soul or the mind/body as a whole.
Discovery as the whole or soul, opens us up to seeing the world in a different light. Something that in the world of business can open new doors of possibility.
We do this through mindfulness. I often refer to yoga as a moving meditation while guiding my students to become present and relax, in other words becoming mindful. Most teachers will bring in a theme to meditate on during your practice, something to occupy the mind other than what you brought with you into class with you aka stress, worry, your to do list that you did or did not complete, deadlines or what you have to accomplish tomorrow or after class.
This theme often resonates back to the many philosophies of yoga or to selfcare. This is meant to take the mind inward instead of to the outward distractions. It is meant to reflect, a simple act of giving permission to the mind to wander into something thought provoking without the need to dissect, diagnose, or pass judgement.
Importance of Mental Health in Business
When we move away the distractions it allows for clearer thinking getting us out of our own way, to step out of the box. It teaches the mind to be open to possibilities without judging them as wrong before exploring them. It guides us to who to reach out to for support or other avenues to get us to where we want to ultimately be.
This is a big part of the mental aspect of work life balance. As this same mindfulness that can create growth in business, also reminds us when it is time to turn that part off. When we listen, we can acknowledge when we need a break or rest which is key to avoiding burn out. As business owners we have a drive to succeed which can get in the way of the need to take care of ourselves.
Coming to your mat is self care. It is an opportunity to nurture the body, mind and soul. Our mat is a place of awareness in which we discover more about who we are. We deepen our knowledge of what is inside of us. The things that hide within; holding answers, and messages to our own personal growth.
Yoga can awaken self discovery while teaching the body to relax, to find peace. Whether this serenity only last for the length of your class or into your week, it is one that nourishes the balance we crave between life and work.
About Shanel Scott:
Teaches at De La Sol Yoga Studios
Online Yoga Class can be booked
Shanel enjoys teaching flow classes allowing the inspiration of dance and her love of movement guide her. As well, Shanel is a Reiki Master Teacher who loves to bring her passion for the healing arts together with asana in a Reiki Flow.
