Stay Strong and Prosper

I’ve been working out consistently about four times a week for the last ten years. These days I do yoga three times a week and lift weights three times a week. After years of just working out in the gym, I find that yoga and weight lifting are a perfect compliment to each other.

Everyone knows that being active has lots of health benefits and can make you more productive in general. The benefits go much deeper than that though. Working out builds character and trains you to be a better entrepreneur.

Whatever you endeavor to do, it’s likely you’ll encounter some challenges along the way. Elon Musk, quite possibly one of the greatest entrepreneurs alive today, says that “being an entrepreneur is like eating glass and staring into the abyss of death.” Overcoming the impossible is part of the entrepreneurial job description.

When you struggle with a physical challenge you have an opportunity to rise above your limitations and focus your mind. Whether you’re squatting 225 lbs, maintaining a warrior 3 yoga pose, or just trying to get yourself out of bed to go to the gym, pushing through those obstacles on a regular basis teaches you discipline and helps your train your resolve. You clear your head and accomplish something positive and tangible every day – even when the rest of your life may be ambiguous and crazy.

Every time I want to quit a workout I think to my work life goals and question whether I’d give them up as easily. I use the same psychology the other way around as well. Every time I feel overwhelmed and just want to give up, I think back to some of the grueling workouts I’ve pushed myself though and realize that nothing can stop me. Stay strong and prosper.

Sometimes the Simple is the Most Profound with Keith Borden

Keith Borden is co-director and teacher at Laughing Lotus yoga in San Francisco. We got together to talk about his devotional approach to teaching and his unique musical talents. Check out his amazing performance at the end of the video.

When someone asks, “What kind of yoga do you teach?” Keith responds, “Yoga.” It’s a multi-layered practice that includes chanting, a creative playfulness, and careful attention of the breath.

It all comes together with the concept of Bhakti, or devotion. Think of devotion as a type of gratitude – it’s a way of making your practice spiritual by saying thank you to yourself, to others, to the world, to everything around you.

Devotion is a type of love. Not in the sense of “boyfriend / girlfriend” love, but a more heart centered, spiritual love. Look inside first, be grateful for what you see. Cultivate a sense of deep inner gratitude for yourself, expand that gratitude from the inside and radiate it in every direction so that you become the sense of gratitude, you become the thank you.

If you do just one thing…. find time to express gratitude to those around you. The most important mantra that you can offer to anyone, including yourself, is a simple thank you or an I love you. Even if you don’t directly say it, act as if your actions are saying it. Gratitude starts from within. Open up to being grateful to yourself and that gratitude will radiate through your practice in to your every day life.

Love is All Around

Conflict is often bred from insecurity. People not willing to be their true selves engaging in preemptive defensiveness to avoid getting hurt. A negative output inevitably attracts the same response.

Ghandi said you must be the change you want to see in the world. This starts with a willingness to be vulnerable, an openness to your environment.

Success itself is manifested by a willingness to fail and be open to people who know how to do things better than you so that you can learn from them. Being willing to be vulnerable is, in fact, the greatest position of strength.

You cannot increase the level of love in the world.  Everything is already love. However, you can encourage people to see the love that is around them. Encourage them to be open to receiving and giving love – even to strangers. Take the first step and open your heart to other people so that love can be the channel of communication between everyone.

Do Less Harm with Pete Guinosso

As a reformed corporate warrior and athlete turned yogi, Pete Guinosso stands out as a teacher with a unique background. We talked about his classes at Yoga Tree Valencia and the concept of ahimsa – doing less harm and having more compassion for yourself and others.