The term ‘yoga’ often brings to mind the practice of asanas or yoga poses but it is so much more. It includes the art of breathing properly, mindfulness and meditation, good works, self-love, and more. The connection of mind-body-spirit and bringing all these into harmony are what yogis strive for.

If there is one thing that most of us realize after two years into this pandemic, it is that wellness is not only about staying healthy but also about looking after our financial well-being. One cannot be balanced or experience harmony in life when one’s financial situation is not in order.

Since yoga mirrors life itself, it is no surprise that yoga can teach us a lot of things beyond the discipline of the mind and body.  We can draw lessons that can also improve our financial wellness. Here are a few examples.

Have a regular practice

A regular yoga practice is what makes you progress in your yoga practice. It helps you stay centered, focused and connected to the real source of your energy.

You need to have the same focus and intention when building a healthy financial nest. Make it a habit to regularly set money aside for savings and investment. Developing a habit of saving also means better discipline when it comes to spending.

Set your intention

Setting an intention before doing yoga helps you focus on the “Why” of your practice.

Knowing “Why” you are building up your financial nest also makes it easier for you to decide where to put your money. Items you normally spend on require a liquid account like a savings account. To earn higher interest while still being able to easily turn it into liquid funds, look into time deposits and investment vehicles that allow you to pre-terminate without penalty. Extra money that you do not intend to touch for a long time allows you to park it in even higher interest-bearing investment products such as mutual funds or bonds.

Stay flexible

When we think of ‘flexibility’, we normally think of how it applies to yoga poses. But when yoga studios closed down during the pandemic, those who managed to thrive adapted early on by switching to online classes. The flexibility to see opportunity in a crisis allowed them to continue teaching via conferencing platforms.

In a way, the explosion of online yoga classes became a boon. Many newly minted yoga teachers were able to market their online classes through their social media accounts and gain students without having to compete with seasoned teachers. The earnings went directly and in full to the teachers.

Practice mindfulness

A discipline that we yogis try to imbibe in our day-to-day life is mindfulness — the ability to be fully present and fully aware of where we are and what we are doing. Attitudes associated with mindfulness include being non-judgmental, patient, having a beginner’s mind, trusting, non-striving, accepting, letting go, gratitude, and generosity.

Mindfulness helps build financial wellness. Be mindful when choosing what to spend on, where to invest, or borrowing money with ease. Every decision can either enhance or deplete your financial wellness. Incurring debt sometimes cannot be helped but when that happens, be mindful that loans need to be paid on time so you maintain a good credit reputation (helpful if you are thinking of putting up a business, need a credit line, or borrow larger sums).

Expand and modify

Expand your chest. Expand your back. Breathe from your diaphragm. Modify your pose to avoid injury instead of forcing yourself in an asana.

Many yoga teachers also expanded and modified their income streams during the pandemic by using skills that they never thought of using for business. Vegetarians and vegans monetized their personal recipes by offering online food service. Others went into baking, soap making, essential oils, and even mental health coaching.

What skills do you have? Can they be monetized? You can also take short courses that can propel you towards a new business. If you are a yoga teacher, consider packaging your yoga knowledge into short courses that you can offer on-demand online.

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Start today by assessing where you are. Like yoga, progress is gained through baby steps. Maybe today you can barely touch your toes in forward bends but months from now, you surprise yourself by suddenly feeling your toes as you bend.

When you first start saving and investing, you may get impatient with the results but I encourage you to keep at it. Time is on your side. As you build the principal of your savings/investments, the compounded interest effect will eventually show up and you will see your financial nest grow before your eyes.