Begin with little things daily and one day you will be doing things that months back you would have thought impossible. ~Swami Satchidananda
Meditation and yoga have gone hand in hand for millennia. It was only when yoga came to the West that it got reduced to the calming and healthy physical practice most of us know it as today. But as meditation starts to catch up with yoga as an accepted and mainstream wellness practice, that’s changing.
Increasingly, hatha yoga (the physical version of yoga) is becoming a gateway for people to discover the benefits of a regular meditation practice.
An Entrepreneur in the Ashram
That was exactly what happened to business author and entrepreneur Sonia Thompson. After taking yoga classes for a few months at her local gym, she found herself yearning for something deeper. Through her own research and through a good friend, she started to learn more about meditation.
Compelled by what she learned, Sonia spent a week on retreat at Yogaville—a yoga and meditation ashram where people can experience the transformative breadth of yogic philosophy and practice.
Over the course of five days on retreat at Yogaville, Sonia discovered that illusive feeling that was missing from her physical yoga practice. She found it in the depths of meditation.
Meditation As A Habit
Sonia refers to herself as a reformed corporate junkie. And before her current incarnation as an entrepreneur, she spent more than a decade as a marketer and business leader growing brands around the world for large healthcare companies like Johnson & Johnson. She also wrote the book Delight Inside: Build your dream business that keeps your customers coming back for more.
In this episode of The OneMind Podcast, Sonia and I explore the experience she had while on retreat at Yogaville. We also dive into the incredible power of habits and the value of relating to meditation as a keystone habit. Finally, Sonia shares her own reflections on why meditation is so important for entrepreneurs.
I think you’re going to love this episode. If you’re a yoga fanatic but haven’t made the leap into a daily meditation practice yet, this interview might inspire to cross that divide.
In this episode of The OneMind Podcast, Sonia and I discuss:
- The relationship between yoga and meditation
- What happens when you attend a retreat at a yoga ashram
- The transformative experience Sonia had in meditation
- Why she meditates first thing every morning
- The power of meditation as a keystone habit
- Why she thinks meditation is essential for entrepreneurs
Show Notes
- Connect with Sonia at her website TryBusinessSchool
- Learn more about the Yogaville Ashram
- Listen to How To Turn Meditation Into A Keystone Habit
- Read The One Thing by Gary Kellar
Want to learn meditation in 5 easy lessons? Register for our free How To Meditate Mini Course
Guud Stuuf, Morgan! $onia’$ my $piritual-guru. I signed up for the About Meditation course before hearing the podcast interview. There was something said about a stressed-out exec. whose friend he confided in, recommended he meditate for thirty minutes. “Thirty minutes??? I don’t have time to meditate for thirty minutes!” His friend said, “Then you should meditate for an hour”.
I’ve never heard of an ashram but the the anagramaster in me instantly saw “marsha”. So she’s my new meditation-guide. O.ne M.ind, initials spell “OM”. Was that intentional or just how the Universe works? “No tension but with effort”? I’ve got to meditate on that. Sounds like something Master Po would’ve taught “Grasshopper” on the show “Kung fu”.
I meditate every morning & evening. I used to complain of not being able to, “get off the ground”, so I meditated on being grounded. I used deep-breathing to help me quit smoking for the seventy-twelfth time–8 yrs. ago, now & running. Alternating nostrils! I tried to pass but got caught in the wake of a semi on the freeway & did donuts 10 or 12 feet in front of oncoming cars. I belly-flopped on the side of the road & immediately did alternate nostril-breathing! Take me to my sweet spot, the aye, eye, I of the storm.
The One Thing! Remember Curly from “City Slickers”? Didn’t he speak of finding that One Thing? I believe Mark Twain said, “The two most important days of your life are, the day you were born & the day you discover why”. I know what I want to do but I have to meditate on the most efficient ways, how. So many moving parts, full ‘spinning’ plates. First things next, I mean.. The Chinese said, “Man who chases two rabbits loses both”. I’ve added, “and you know how fast they multiply”.
Deep breath, “One Mind–OM”
Thank you Dwayne! What a response – thanks! That’s quite a story about the auto accident and alternate nostril breathing. WOW. Great to receive your feedback and reflections on the show with Sonia. She rocks. I love that Mark Twain quote :-). Thank you for sharing that. And yes, the OM behind One Mind was intentional.
This was perfect for me this morning. I’m not in work this morning, so got up later and pottered around instead of focusing on my practice. The whole time, feeling out of sorts. I knew what I should be doing. Sonias outlook on meditation being her keystone habit has really helped me to work through my thoughts with this.
Thanks Morgan, great insights and support, as always,
Karen xx
Awesome Karen. I’m so glad you found this helpful and thanks so much for sharing your own process with this. I think a lot of us can relate to what you’re describing here.
This is perfect! Didn’t know that having this as a habit would be useful. I’ll share this to my clients and friends. Thanks Morgan.
Thank YOU Lola.