

This improved focus isn't just a result of relieving stress and settling your mind. It can actually change the way your brain works. According to University Health News, researchers have found that yoga can greatly affect neural patterns in the brain, improving your ability to concentrate and focus. The next time you find yourself stuck on a problem or unable to concentrate on a project or proposal, take a few minutes to do a quick yoga flow or five-minute meditation. 3. Enhance leadership skills To be an effective and inspiring leader, it takes more than smarts. Great business executives and managers must also have high emotional intelligence (EI), that is, the ability to monitor your own and others' feelings and emotions and use that information to guide your decisions. While some people are naturally gifted with EI, you can build this skill and improve your leadership skills through mindfulness practices. According to a study published in the IIMB Management Review Journal, practicing yoga and yogic meditation can enhance someone's EI and improve managerial performance. Add yoga and meditation to your managerial toolbox and see how improving your EI changes your managerial style and positively impacts your projects and team members. Start or deepen your practice to thrive These are just three of the many benefits of yoga and meditation. By investing in your mental and emotional health through yoga and meditation, you can become a more effective business leader while balancing your work and personal life. Whether you're new to yoga and meditation or want to deepen your practice, check out the teachings of practitioners like Keiko Aikawa's Himalayan Siddha Meditation workshop. Aikawa is known as the "Yogmata," a supreme Himalayan saint who has reached the final stage of yoga and meditation called "samadhi" (equivalent to nirvana in Buddhism). She is the first female saint in history to reach samadhi. Her books "108 Teachings," "Empty Your Mind and Achieve Your Dreams," and "The Road to Enlightenment" are great resources for developing and deepening your yoga and meditation practices. You can also attend her upcoming workshop in New York and learn her teachings and breathwork firsthand. To learn more, visit yogmata.net/en_darshan.