We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ahoo Sarab a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ahoo, we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?
It took a long time for me to know exactly what I need to keep stable in my life. A lot of people depend on me for their livelihood and in order for me to meet those expectations, I have to always make sure I am living authentically and taking care of me first. This means knowing when I can pull back and when I need to dive in and work harder. I don’t complicate my life with problems. I’ve cultivated a habit of dealing with things as they arise. If I cannot give anything more to a particular problem or situation, it cycles to the back of my thinking, where it waits until the next step presents itself. This means I am not always running my to-do list through my mind and that my mind doesn’t stay full with busyness. I can be more present and find the joy in simply being.
I also exercise and meditate most every single day. It’s always been a part of my daily routine. I keep an exercise calendar, and it is non-negotiable. All meetings and activities are built around my exercise calendar. I know that the moment I go too long without any form of self-care, I will begin to spiral into an anxious and depressed state of being. This serves neither me nor anyone else in my life who depends on my keeping it together. I also keep any type of indulging to a minimum. This includes dining out, shopping, drinking, socializing, etc. If I partake in too much excess, I lose myself. I’ve learned how to say no, unapologetically. This one word has helped me so many times along the way.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I own yoga studios. I started practicing yoga 30+ years ago. After living overseas for a long time, I returned to America and opened my first studio, Korsi Yoga. This was ten years ago. Soon after this, I went into a partnership to own my second studio, Still Hot Yoga. Yoga has been a way of life for me since my teen years. I love being able to share this amazing practice with others. Our community is my favorite part about our studios. We get to meet and work with wonderful and inspiring people everyday. For 2024, we are bringing a juice bar into one of our locations. We are very excited about the opportunity to offer healthy post class snacks and meals for our students.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Take Risks: The simple act of opening a small business is a risky venture. You will end up making a lot of decisions that you aren’t always prepared for. Make them anyway and know that if you made the wrong decision, there’s no harm in correcting course and starting again. Be bold enough to make moves in a direction that stays true to your business and to yourself.
Mission Statement: It’s crucial to have a mission statement that you can refer back to when you lose your way. One of the challenges of opening a small business is finding the “voice” of the business. It will morph a few times. And as more and more people become involved, it can feel you’ve lost direction or your initial reason for opening. It’s important to always come back to the why of you starting. This keeps you on track and you true to your business.
Faith: Not only faith in your product and business but faith in yourself. It’s important to believe in what you are offering and to have the passion and drive to keep it running, especially when you feel overwhelmed or run down. A small business is a daily job. You are molding an image and brand. Believing in your business helps keep you driving towards your end goal.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I step away. This may seem counter-intuitive, but I’ve learned that when I am overwhelmed, I’m not thinking straight. I have to step back to see the full picture and to know the next move. And when I can give the problem a little space, the solution usually shows up right away. If I spend my time overthinking or over-stressing, i’m stuck in the energy of the problem. My mind is shut down. What I ultimately need is to be in the flow of a solution. So, i give it breathing room. I make sure I have done everything possible that needs to be done, in that moment, and I leave the rest, until the path opens. I go outside, get fresh air, exercise and work to keep my mind clear. I try not to discuss the issues with others, because that keeps me in the problem. I simply let it go, which is cultivated from my yoga practice, the art of staying in the moment.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.korsiyoga.com/
- Instagram: korsihotyoga
- Facebook: korsihotyoga
- Linkedin: ahoo sarab
- Youtube: korsiyoga
Image Credits
Kaley Lackey photo
