As I build my business as a yoga therapist, it’s important for me to have daily routines, predictable rhythms to counteract the unpredictable moments that may pop-up as I navigate my way forward. Though I come in and out of some routine activities as anyone else might, there are certain tools I keep front and center each morning to be clear, sharp, compassionate and authentic for work:

• Boiled water
• A timer
• A belly dance coin scarf
• A yellow journal

Starting with the Basics: Boiled Water

Before standing in the morning, I’ll sit at the edge of my bed and drink a few sips of water. Sitting taps into the rest and digest system, whereas standing, especially right as we wake up, puts our body into the fight-or-flight response. The night before, I’ll have boiled at least 20 ounces and poured it into a steel tumbler, allowing it to become room temperature overnight. The act of boiling water changes its form and allows nutrients to be absorbed quicker into the tissues. For this reason, I often boil water throughout the day and sip on it. It reassures me that I’m getting pure hydration. When we drink coffee, orange juice – even tea- we aren’t receiving the benefits of pure water. In many cases, we wake up already dry only to become more dehydrated.

I’ve noticed that if I don’t have this water before meeting a client via zoom, my vocalization feels off – my tone and inflection may not go where I need them to go and sometimes my voice just breaks. As someone sitting with compassion, it worries me when my voice sounds like it doesn’t match my intention of being sincere, supportive, and clear. When I’ve had some sips, not only do I communicate smoother, but I find a steady pace and feel less rushed. Sipping is a great reminder that emptying the tumbler doesn’t mean I’ve finished the race of taking care of myself, it’s a constant process and a process that supports others.

Breathing and Belly Dance Tools

Once a bit more hydrated, as well as washed up, I return to sitting and set a timer for five minutes. The timer, as with the water, will follow me for other activities as well. As I watch the timer, I practice my coherent breath- a breathing technique to synchronize all of my body’s systems and to optimize heart rate variability (HRV). Someone with high HRV can manage stress and recover after workouts in a more flexible manner than someone with low HRV.

Inhaling for five seconds and exhaling for five seconds through the nose invites a sense of mental calm for me and yet I become slightly more energized as I grow curious about physical sensations: Am I pushing my belly out on an inhale or is it an easeful movement outward? Do I feel my pelvic floor or ribs move with the breath? Curiosity about where and how our body is is one of the gentlest ways to wake ourselves up. If I’m having trouble staying focused on the phases of breath, I’ll double-knot a belly dance coin scarf around my ribs and belly as a reminder to stay with belly movements for the five minutes. This sensory input is another gentle way of waking up the mind and body more.

Sometimes, I don’t wait for morning to visit the coherent breath, especially if a future meeting is keeping me up. I’ll mentally rehearse how the meeting will go, acknowledging the part of my brain that is worrying, then sit up in bed and sense into the phases of breath for a few minutes to quiet the worries. I train myself to sense into what is physically felt under my fingers and leave what I can’t feel- the worries.

The Value of Movement

As the timer goes off, I lean over to sip more water, stand and head toward doing some cardio for 10 or 15 minutes. This looks different from day-to-day: I may belly dance, play with the “Cupid Shuffle” and “Cha Cha Slide” or visit my indoor rowing machine. Regardless of how I’m moving, predictability is present as I pump the major joints from bottom to top. The pumping allows the lymph system to drain toxins. It’s also another way to drain any leftover worries or creative blockages. Within this timeframe, the belly dance coins may show their value in a different context: I may wear the coin scarf as I “dance” an area of my body that compensates, such as the neck. When I feel tension starting in the neck or when I see or hear the coins move there, I move slower until I don’t see or feel the tension. Ironically, this is how we use the coins in therapy sessions. I make the time to practice what I teach.

These are easily some of my favorite activities to do and because they’re my favorite, I feel free to be my goofy self, whispering “Cupid Shuffle” or smiling at myself in the mirror. This authenticity follows me into the rest of the day as I meet with new networking partners or potential clients. Often, we end up talking about how belly dance tools can be therapeutically applied for different health situations. It’s simultaneously a business, educational, and passionate discussion.

Trust Fall Writing

After cardio, I nurse some water in my office and open my yellow journal for some Trust Fall Writing. This kind of writing has its roots in Wild Writing, created by writer/artist Laurie Wagner. I’ll listen to a poem, start writing from a “jump-off line” that moves me or piques my curiosity and handwrite nonstop for 15 minutes. If I get stuck, I return to the jump-off line. Writing fast bypasses our inner critic. As I write, I let anything and everything “trust fall” onto the page – catching parts of my story, thoughts, imperfections, and even worries. To get a baseline of how I’m doing, I may knot the coin scarf around my chest and ribcage and breathe before and after writing. I can tune into if I’m only breathing from secondary muscles or if I’m synchronizing my chest with belly breathing.

This is another way to “drain” worries and/or blockages. This, as with using the coin scarf, is another tool used in my therapy sessions with clients that I also practice with. There are several ways in which I don’t “power over” my clients, I am curious and play just as they do to meet a goal.

Trust Fall Writing also reminds me to stay in the non-judgmental lane. Of course, this is beneficial for the therapist in me, but also for how I see and treat myself. Self-Permission comes easier if there’s a morning where I need to skip cardio or don’t drink as much water. For someone who can easily tell her clients/students “Honor what your body needs and where you are,” it takes more effort to meet myself where I am, and writing as a mental check-in helps.

Conclusion

As I constantly do only a handful of activities, it takes less effort over time to meet myself where I am and treat myself with kindness. Routine helps me to trust the process of building my business. The most challenging thing I come up against is knowing that there are times where I don’t have clients or enough people interested in workshops to hold them. Instead of going into the thought pattern of “I’m not enough,” or “I’m not succeeding,” I keep hydrating, dancing, and writing so that when a workshop does happen or the next potential client finds me, I’ve taken care of myself as best as possible and can then be there for the people who need my support, tools, and guidance.

At the surface of my routine is practicing time management and self-regulation. Beneath this, I am creating my own safety so that there can be co-regulation with clients, students, and referral partners. And I’ve learned that as we build any business legacy, we may not be making income every hour of every day, but we are still successful as a personal routine helps us maintain the qualities and values we hold in our areas of expertise.

Your Turn:

I invite you, dear reader, to choose an activity to explore – maybe from above or not – and see how it contributes to the success of your own business. Feel free to share observations, “mhm” or “aha” moments. We can continue learning from each other!

This is a contributed blog post written by Brittany Capozzi. To find out more about how Brittany supports women who are ready to unhide through belly dance, breathing, guided-rest and writing visit her here or follow her on Facebook or YouTube.