Street shoes & bare feet
6 lessons from mat to boardroom
I might never have survived the transition from working in bare feet to corporate footwear were it not for the pandemic ushering casual street shoes from home to the office. But I did. Survive that it is. When I tell people I made the shift from full-time yoga teacher to a Big Four employee, I’m often met with a slight jaw drop and raised brow. Most people leave the daily grind for the mat, not the other way around. And because people’s follow-up question is usually the same, here’s six sweet lessons learned from my studio-to-corporate pivot.
Beat pressure by staying professional and present. It doesn't matter which industry you work in; pressure exists in different guises. Sometimes you’re trying to nail a presentation, other times it’s a set sequence. Maybe you’re attempting to please the boss by hitting KPIs or the studio owner by securing more bums on mats. Either way, remaining professional and practicing presence works across both worlds. Often at the same time. Like a positive feedback loop that doesn’t end at savasana or the last slide.
Remain calm with mental flexibility. While mental flexibility in yoga comes from working with your own body on the mat, in the boardroom, you learn it from collaborating with teammates, timelines, and ambiguity. We can’t control a lot of what happens in the office, or the job market, or the economy, or life, or even inside our own bodies. But we can control our breath and where we choose to place our focus. There are those in the corporate world who have the mental flexibility of mindful gymnasts, who can step back, take a breath, and see all shades of grey without leaping to conclusions. These are the people who wear their power suits on the inside post-pandemic and shut down drama with one raised brow. Even if they've never set foot on a mat in their life, their mental yoga skills are ninja-level. Respect.
Invest in your work by spending time on your health. All those hours at the office really have an impact. Hips tighten, lower backs get stiff, and the dreaded tech neck creeps in. Whether you’re feeling it all after being back in that first downward-facing dog or discovering just how tight your body is for the first time, keep going back to the mat. Think of it as time spent investing in both your health and work. Physical movement lowers stress and boosts immunity, which not only makes living life easier, but it makes work more productive .
Create balance by lowering the bar: Much like the breath, balance is always in motion. Unless you’re in an extreme environment like an underwater free diver or a mountain top retreat, it’s pretty tough to maintain equilibrium. For most us living the day-to-day work-life-mat commute, balance will flex according to priorities. Throw in family, friends, world events, and you’ve added more fire to the mix. Whether you get through five emails or five minutes of yoga, some days you gotta call it a win and move on.
Survive in any environment through awareness: In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, become aware of your beliefs because they become your words, your actions, your habits, your values, and your destiny. If you’re aware of your beliefs in the boardroom and on the mat, you’re three steps away from shaping your destiny. Mic drop.
Practice happiness through conscious connection: Whether you’re connecting with yourself through body and breath, or your teammates through coffee runs and monthly projects, you’ll be happier in the studio and the office if you keep it conscious. Be respectful, speak kindly, and drop the ego for a moment to see the person in front of you—even if that person is you, sweating through your first hot yoga class or the new hire perspiring through team introductions. Either way, everyone deserves a smile.
Ultimately, this pivot taught me that no matter what environment you work in, we’re all human and trying to balance it all — whether we’re in bare feet or wearing street shoes.
