What can be more relaxing than a yoga class at the end of a busy day? The integration of body, mind, and soul—combined with breathing and stretching—creates the perfect way to unwind especially if your mind starts to wonder how you can incorporate the benefits of yoga into building your brand story.
I cannot resist the urge to pull a comparison between everything I do with building your brand story and this is my conclusion on the comparison between yoga and building a brand story:
1. Mind-Body Connection
Life is a rush. You rush to fit all your appointments into one day. You rush to the yoga class just to be confronted with the serenity of the atmosphere. No loud noises. No need for excuses about being late. The entire vibe says: “This is the place to be calm and in control of yourself.” In yoga, the mind-body connection is crucial for balance and harmony. You don’t have a choice but to be still and in harmony.
Similarly, in branding, aligning your brand identity (mind) with your deliverables (body) ensures a brand story in cohesion with your energy and life truths. You cannot build a solid brand story if you are trying to rush everything over. Yes, you need energy, but you also need mindfulness and control.
2. Breathing Life into Your Story
In yoga, breathing is essential for life and energy. Similarly, infusing your brand story with passion and authenticity can breathe life into your business, making it more relatable and engaging.
When we take a deep breath and concentrate on our breathing – in and out, in and out – our heart rates slow and the stresses of daily life begin to melt away. That is when we can create our very best work and be creative, fresh and inspiring.
3. Focus and Intentionality
Yoga requires focus and intention in each pose. (Yes, I know you are not supposed to think of business while doing your pose.) Being focused and intentional with your brand-building story helps to deliver a clear and strong message to your audience.
4. Authenticity and Alignment
Yoga emphasises authenticity and alignment with one’s values. Brands should also align their stories with core values to build trust and authenticity. If bottom-line is your only concern, you are likely to cut a corner or two. In the end cutting corners vs staying authentic will bite you in the back.
I come from a background where long-term relationships are key to long-term success. Who wants to be a fly-by-night if you can build a legacy?
5. Balance and Harmony
Yoga seeks balance and harmony in practice. Brands must balance various elements like messaging, visuals, and tone to create a harmonious brand narrative.
I know what burnout looks, feels, smells, and sounds like, and I can tell you that you need balance and harmony for yourself and your brand. Yes, you will have your ups and downs. Achieving constant balance and harmony can be a sign that nothing is happening in your company, but at the end of the day, you need to be able to switch off at the point of balance and harmony unless you plan to knock off this planet sooner rather than later.
6. Alignment and Consistency
Just as yoga emphasises proper alignment in poses, your brand story should align with your values and mission consistently across all platforms. This helps maintain a strong and recognisable brand identity which in the end helps you to stick it out much longer than you have anticipated and would have without the alignment and consistency.
7. Encourage Self-Discipline & Patience
I am not too bad with self-discipline, but patience is a totally different ballgame! Yoga inherently requires a commitment to regular practice, which develops self-discipline. By setting aside time for yoga daily, practitioners develop consistency and prioritise their well-being. This routine not only enhances physical health but also cultivates mental discipline, leading to improved focus and clarity in other life areas.
If you have mental clarity, you can develop the most insane brand stories in line with all the brand planning markers. Without the clarity, your brand will be all over the place, just as your yoga poses will be if you are not self-disciplined.
8. Flexibility and Adaptability
The world is changing on a constant basis, whether we like it or not. What has worked yesterday does not work today: not in yoga and not in brand building. Yoga involves flexibility and adapting to different poses. Similarly, your brand story should be flexible enough to evolve with changes in your business or market, while remaining true to its core.
9. Mindfulness and Intention
Yoga is about being mindful and intentional in every movement. Your brand story should reflect mindfulness in how you communicate your mission and values, ensuring that every message is intentional and meaningful.
10. Connection and Community
Yoga often fosters a sense of community among practitioners. Your brand story can create a similar connection with your audience by sharing values and experiences that resonate with them.
The reality is that there are an unlimited amount of ways to flex your brand’s story in whichever way you want to bend. As with anything in life you can over stretch or you can get the stretch just right.
If you want to know how to get that perfect stretch, I suggest you join our club of entrepreneurs today.
From as little as R295 per month you can stay as long a you want. For a month, for a year of for however long you which to stay. If you have ANY questions whatsoever, you are welcome to drop me a note at christel@businessadventures.co.za today.
