The Power of “No” (A somatic wisdom story)

Your body speaks long before your words do. That gnawing tension in your shoulders, the 3 AM thought spirals, the overwhelm, the headaches, these aren’t random. They’re your body whispering, then shouting: “NO.”

I learned this lesson through repeated cycles of burnout. My business was growing, but something else was shrinking: my capacity to actually enjoy what I’d built.

There I was, trapped on the content treadmill: filming, editing, marketing, posting, repeating—feeling like I HAD TO keep running or everything would collapse. Meanwhile, my creativity (the very heart of my business) was quietly suffocating under the weight of all those “shoulds.”

The irony wasn’t lost on me. I was teaching yoga while ignoring the most basic yogic principle: listening to my body.

Here’s what nobody tells you about burnout: it’s not just exhaustion. It’s your system’s emergency brake being pulled after you’ve ignored all the previous warning signals.

So I made the decision that terrified me: I scaled back. I told my team I was doing less. I got off the constant content treadmill. I built sustainability into every business decision.

Did the sky fall? No. Did my business collapse? Quite the opposite.

By honoring my NO, I created space for more authentic YES moments. My business became more simple and sustainable, and we’re seeing real growth within the sustainability. The constraints are actually a relief for my team, instead of an endless world of possibility, we’re focused on what we like, what we know, what we’re good at, and more importantly, we have space to enjoy ourselves and what we’re building.

If you’re caught in the burnout cycle, ask yourself:
• What physical sensations arise when you think about your commitments?
• Where are you overriding your body’s signals?
• What story are you telling yourself about what “has to” happen?
• What would change if you trusted your NO as much as your YES?

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is less. Sometimes the bravest business decision is a boundary. Sometimes your body’s wisdom far exceeds your strategic plans.

Your NO is sacred. Start listening.