What A Yoga Lesson Taught Me About Financial Modelling

In July, I attended my first weekend retreat.

The retreat focused on self-development. Topics covered included meditation, yoga, habits, and mentality. The venue was a rural house in the middle of Sierra de Gredos, in Avila, Spain, far from everything, with limited mobile coverage.

A weekend dedicated to full disconnection from external distractions and connection with the self.

The first day started at 6am, with a cold shower.

This was followed by an hour of meditation.

Then came one and a half hours of yoga.

My very first yoga lesson. Ever.

Before that, I was one of those who looked down on yoga, thinking it was a thing for monks, trending girls on Instagram, and stressed-out executives. I even thought it was just an older version of Pilates.

But after my first yoga class, I had to think again.

Wow, it was hard! I hadn't realized my body was so rusty. With every stretch I felt my joints were going to give out.

That was just the first day.

I was scared of the next yoga lesson.

It was quite different, however.

It was easier and we did it outside, while the sun was rising.

We began with something called "Surya Namaskars," which is a fancy way of saying "sun salutations." A 12-posture sequence of flowing movements, intended to warm up and stretch the whole body.

We began by reaching up to the sky with our hands together, stretching the arms until it was a bit uncomfortable. Then we stretched them a tiny bit more, trying to reach a few millimeters higher with our fingers into the sky.

and held it,

held it...

held it……

held it………

After some seconds, my brain was begging to move onto the next thing. It was really uncomfortable.

Then, the instructor said something I'll never forget:

"Your minds might be pleading to move onto the next move. Don't listen. Focus on the discomfort. Feel it. What can you learn from it?"

"By staying in the discomfort, you'll learn about your body. If you hold the pose for just one more second, you'll conquer your mind. You'll learn that you can break through your limits. And it will feel great."

"That's how you rise to the next level".

"That's how growth happens".

Something dawned on me.

Yoga isn't just about moving your body. It's about finding discomfort and sitting with it to break your mental barriers because that's when you're ready to grow.

To rise to the next level.

This reminded me of something else I do - financial modelling.

How many times have I got stuck with a financial model, struggling because I couldn't get it right? Suffering because I felt I wasn't skilled enough to make it work? Wishing to find a quick solution and move on to the next item?

That's not the right approach.

Instead, pay attention to why it's hard. Think about what's making you struggle.

And learn from it.

What do you need to keep practicing? What new methods could you add to your toolbox? What's the best way to tackle challenges?

Once you focus on these answers, you're ready to rise to the next level.

It's an endless loop of improvement.

And that's how you become a master.

Hey, it's okay if you're not interested in financial modeling. Maybe there's something else you want to get better at.

If that's the case, let me deal with the tough financial models while you tackle your own challenges. And we can grow together.

Financial modelling services.

P.S. The retreat I attended was hosted by a guy named Antonio, from Ricos y Libres.