On the New Economy: part 2

** This post is a follow up to the previous article I wrote on the topic that you can read here:  https://emmychahal.com/blog/f/on-the-new-economy-part-1

This time of coronavirus has inspired me to visualize and step more deeply into a new paradigm of business and life that comes from the heart.  There is a wiser way to work that is not solely profit driven, we can all win. For me there is so much power in a diversity of leadership approaches, in taking the time to value different ways of thinking and working.  An open mind and an open heart lead to a better chance at thriving.  When everything we once knew as normal no longer stands, what kind of normal are we going to step into from here?  

I believe there is a way that business and the economy can nurture our health and well-being, the health of the planet, where we can all contribute our deepest gifts and be compensated well, where we can access resources and not be perpetually in survival mode.  We can share more, we can learn more from each other, we can flatten the hierarchy just as we flatten the curve.  These are not just words, I believe the most progressive companies (such as the tech companies that are my clients) are already stepping into more holistic frameworks and more humane and flexible approaches that honour human beings instead of imagining humans are machines that just need to work harder and harder.

I believe all human beings are inherently worthy of living a good life.  We all make choices that define our path but we all deserve to have sign posts, resources, and road maps - maybe even a companion or two to help us navigate the rough times.  When I bring wellness into workplaces, it is because I believe that yoga, mindfulness and energy healing are some of the first steps towards inner transformation.

When people take time to feel better, to acknowledge their bodies and their hearts, to balance their lives from a place of honesty and self-inquiry - everyone wins.  Healthier, happier people do better on teams.  Leaders are more empowered to think clearly and make better decisions.  People bond on a human level, instead of just with their minds.  Stress responses are  better adapted and less harmful to our health and more than anything - we learn together.  We learn about ourselves, each other, and even sometimes during particularly transcendent moments in yoga and meditation - we can learn about the nature of life and the universe.

In my last blog post on this topic I wrote about the old paradigm of business that I don't necessarily subscribe to, and the history of my family as immigrant entrepreneurs.  I want to continue the story there, thinking about migrants, displaced peoples, marginalized folks and those that are often overlooked, dismissed, or underestimated in our current economic system.

So many immigrants every day buckle up their shoes and just keep going. Because that is what we do. We want to feed our families, live a better life and create a healthier world. Marginalized people don't often get a chance at an education, but they are so grateful when they do. They know what wealth is because they also know back breaking poverty.  

There's a certain determination for people outside of the mainstream dominant ethnicity or background.  Without the social capital of growing up in the dominant, more privileged social location - they have to work harder to get where they want to go. They  aren't taken seriously for promotions but work twice as hard and too often, they don't truly get to live their dreams (especially women)  because they are in survival mode.

We live in a system that worked tirelessly to keep the rich rich and to keep the poor oppressed.

A healthier work environment doesn't happen by never sleeping, pushing yourself to the limit, following some online marketing guru, getting 10 million followers, tricking people into paying extortionate prices, or basically working in a way devoid of ethics. That's the same wolf wearing different clothes.  New paradigm approaches to business have to stem from the heart.  Our own humanity and our connection to all life as being an interdependent system where everyone has something to give and receive.

Our climate crisis and our current health pandemic are reflective of our societal overconsumption and perpetual hungryness here in 'North America.' We are hungry for more than huge houses and fast cars, hungry for more than toilet paper and the fanciest most overpriced gluten free organic food.  We are hungry for meaning. Hungry for community. Hungry for wellness. Hungry for feeling appreciated and loved. Hungry to share our innate deepest gifts. We are hungry for emotional connectivity. For embodiment. For reciprocity from the heart. For prosperity from the soul.

We are also hungry to be connected to our ancestors and to know our roots deeper.  Many of us have not been told the truth about the horrific and violent ways that this land was colonized and the blood stained soil below us that resulted in the deaths and trauma of indigenous people.  This trauma continues today and if you benefit from the North American economic system, you also benefit from the history of colonization and the ongoing ways that this oppression and racist ideology continues.

I thank my lucky stars each and every day that I can feed people in one way through these soul nourishing systems like yoga, meditation and energy healing. I thank my ancestors for teaching me yoga, holistic medicine and how to earn an honest living. I am really practising  doing my best walking the walk, instead of just talking the talk - I'm not perfect but I show up every day because I believe in the light in each soul and I work to grow and expand the light and be a beacon for healing and new wellness possibilities.  I have walked a very challenging journey through some very dark times to emerge stronger, and those that helped me on my journey will always have a special place in my heart. It is an honour to work with my clients and to be a part of their journey.

Healers, teachers, creatives, and heart centered workers are those that are building the new economy, they are helping to construct a new framework centered in love and not fear. This is a courageous and at times, harrowing, act.

I am ready for a new kind of workplace and help others architect that vision through meaningful health & wellness programs that are focused on igniting our purpose within and as a team. =What if workplaces were balanced?  What if they were places that balanced doing with being, productivity with vision, down time with effective focus? What if workplaces considered our physical, emotional and mental health  equally? What if opportunities for enjoyment and relaxation were woven into our day as much as creating and serving others?

I work on crafting preventative wellness systems for companies so that they are resilient, compassionate and connected groups of people working toward a common goal.

I teach classes, facilitate workshops, bring in speakers, and  provide consulting to help others on their healing journey so that they can access this deepest wisdom within. I have the best job in the world and I am ready to take it to the next level. As I collaborate with other out of the box thinkers, intuitively led wisdom keepers, experts in human connection and communication I am putting together full spectrum wellness services for progressive and forward thinking tech companies.  I hope to launch this second level of my business focusing specifically on corporate wellness in the next 6-8 months.

If you or your workplace could benefit from weekly yoga and meditation classes, wellness consulting, embodiment coaching, empowering lunch and learn workshops, energy healing, intuitive coaching, leadership training and more, please reach out. These services enhance all aspects of business from your employees health to the bottom line.  A holistic approach to business and life is not a luxury, it is a necessity to adapt to a world that is outgrowing old patriarchal systems.

If you are a fabulous facilitator, a skilled wellness or self growth professional, I would love to collaborate, please reach out. Together, we are stronger. Together we can create a new economy based on holistic and unity oriented abundance and prosperity. Abundance is knowing we have the capacity to rework our resources so that everyone is better off. The compassion of this time is an indicator of wide scale change that is possible...

When this is over we can open up and bloom in ways we never even considered. We can have businesses with heart. Business with soul. Businesses centered around love for all sentient beings. Frankly, in my opinion, it's the only way forward in this rapidly changing world.