Enjoy this week’s guest post by Anna Strahs Watts, Financial Advisor
From Your Mat to the Market – Your Yoga Practice Has Power: So Does Your
Investment Portfolio.
Yoga teaches us non-judgement – we know nothing is perfect, which is why we have a
lifelong practice. We know our body isn’t the body that’s on the mat next to us – we
know we aren’t supposed to compare physical practices, because everyone’s body is
different, everyone has a different style and history of practice.
Money is the same way. Our finances are different from our neighbor’s – everyone has
different jobs, different family inheritances, situations, and lifestyles. As a yoga teacher I
tell my students not to be worried about what someone else is doing in class, and as a
Financial Advisor I tell you that what’s most important is what’s happening with your
accounts and with your financial practices – and to not let the idea of what someone else
practices with their finances, make you feel “less than.”
Just like a yoga teacher, a Financial Advisor keeps your best interests at heart, and
understands that advice, like yoga poses, must be specific to you and your situation.
The “postures” recommended to you will help you meet your goals and be your best
self. There’s a lot of conversations and work that happens between an advisor and a
client that has, at face value, not a whole lot to do with money – very similar to how a lot
of conversations in a yoga studio have nothing to do with yoga. It’s really about support,
and helping you and your practice (or accounts) grow.
A Financial Plan is like your mat & pranayama (breath)
Your financial plan, like your mat, is a starting point – a structure in which to launch from,
come back to, and receive support from. The details of this plan, like your pranayama
practice, are steady, deepen over time, and are modified to fully accommodate your
capacity as you grow. Why is a plan important? Basically – if you don’t have a goal, how
can you reach it? Drawing up a plan with manageable steps makes the magic happen.
Insurance is like meditation: Flexibility, strength and space
Insurance is there for you when you need it. Like meditation, it’s hard to feel the positive
gain from it at first, but the benefits kick in when you’re under pressure. Making sure you
have the right amount ensures it’s waiting to support you when needed.
A savings plan is like tapas (self discipline): Mindfulness – mindful about
decisions, mindful about finance Like a 6am yoga practice or other early morning workout, self discipline (self care) isn’t
easy – but we know it’s worth it. Creating a realistic, sustainable savings plan is self care
– because self care includes paying yourself first and making your future self a priority.
It’s kind of like when you’re on an airplane, and the oxygen mask drops down – the flight
attendant tells you to put on your mask before helping others. You have to be the best
version of yourself if you want to be there when other people need your support, and if
you want your future self to be supported properly.
In yoga, we refer to the interconnectedness of mind, body and spirit. In money, it’s also
all connected – while we all likely understand that money isn’t who we are, it certainly
touches all aspects of our lives – including our security and sense of self worth.
This is why it’s important to add intention behind spending, saving, and investing. How
do you FEEL when you spend or save money, and how do you feel after? Do you feel
happy while buying, then stressed after? Do you feel awesome about saving, and
excited when you look at your retirement account? Are you feeling panicked about your
accounts because you’re not really sure where they are or how they are being handled?
Would talking about it with someone help? What changes can you make so your
finances feel like an extension of self care – both before, during, and after purchasing
and budgeting?
Try to take the “I deserve” out of material purchases – “I worked hard this week, I
deserve a new phone.” What if you switched that to, “I worked hard this week, I deserve
an hour with my favorite book.” Or, “I worked hard this week, I’m proud of myself, and
I’m going to tell my best friend all about over coffee.”
Let’s take a minute to apply this to your life directly – when is the last time you
remember having a feeling about something to do with money? What was that feeling?
Was it positive or negative? If negative, is there a way to turn it around? Are there
changes you can make so you feel better about it?
There is something to be said for just showing up. For just doing the thing.
When you don’t want to practice, that is when you need it the most. Some of my most
rewarding times on the mat have come from when I had to drag myself there.
Checking your savings plan and allocations, consolidating accounts, creating and
starting a plan – knowing what a months worth of your expenses are, knowing what six
months of expenses are, knowing what’s in your emergency fund and if you can cover
unforeseen expenses – having an idea of how much you’d like to spend in retirement –
these are all the things that, once thought about and set in motion, people say, “Yeah,
I’m so glad I did that!”
How it looks or where you’re going is not always the end goal – sometimes, in the
moment, you just need to practice. Even if you think you’ll never get the headstand, or
never have enough money to meet your goals, just practice.
But… how? How to practice, how to invest?
There is no one answer that suits everyone. The way I think about it in terms of from
mat to market is by prioritizing sustainability. The goal is to bring the money stuff into
alignment with your priorities and values. While there are never guarantees when it
comes to the market, research shows that sustainable investing does not have to equal
sacrificed returns.
It feels good to invest in companies whose practices align with what’s important to you,
and your values. Sustainable investing covers a wide range of Environmental, Social
and Governance issues, which is why it’s commonly referred to as ESG Investing. ESG
investing is about mitigating risks, making a positive impact, aligning investments with
values, and prioritizing long-term performance.
Over the past four years, sustainable investing is up almost 40%, or over $12 trillion
dollars. Over 350 funds are marked sustainable by Morningstar, and tax credit funds
and sustainable bonds surpassed $250 billion in 2018.
While money isn’t who you are, it does touch all aspects of our lives – including your
security and sense of self worth. You are not the numbers of your finances – the amount
of figures in your accounts does not define who you are as a human being.
Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of the strategy selected. Utilizing an ESG investment strategy may result in investment terms that may be lower or higher than if decisions were based solely on investment considerations. Any opinions are those of the author and not necessarily those of Raymond James.
Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC
951 E. Byrd Street, Ste. 903
Richmond, VA 23219
804-225-1138
raymondjames.com/annastrahswatts
After founding, operating, and selling annaB’s gluten free bakery, I spent some time in
non-profit management – where I worked to make few resources go a long way. This
kind of ‘make it work’ thinking led to the financial world. Having studied yoga in India
and taught meditation in Cambodia, the yoga teacher in me believes that your yoga
practice has power, and so does your investment portfolio. My passion is building
financial security with a mat to market mindset, that includes investing with integrity and
enjoying the rewards of your practice from savasana to retirement.
FB: Anna Strahs Watts, Financial Advisor
LinkedIn: Anna Strahs Watts, AAMS®
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