Embodied Business Practices: A Success Guide for Women in Business and Leadership

Are you looking to grow your influence and make a deeper impact in business and life? Success isn’t just about mastering technical skills or strategies—it’s about how you show up, lead, and navigate challenges. That’s where embodied business practices come into play.

Can you relate to Amanda’s story?

Amanda had spent the past 15 years as a corporate manager, guiding teams, solving problems, and mentoring colleagues. But now, she was at a crossroads. The idea of launching her own coaching practice had been simmering in her mind for months, but every time she thought about taking the leap, doubts crept in.

She wanted to create a business that helps women like her navigate the challenges of work and life. Yet, as confident as she was in her coaching skills, the prospect of running her own business felt daunting. How would she manage the daily stress? Could she handle the ups and downs of entrepreneurship without burning out? Most of all, could she lead a business that felt fully aligned with her values?

Amanda knew she needed more than strategies and to-do lists to succeed. She needed to approach her business from a place of inner strength, intuition, and presence. She needed to be fully embodied in her work. Amanda was about to discover that business success comes from what you do AND how you show up.

What Is Embodiment?
Embodiment means being fully present in your body and using somatic signals like physical sensations, posture, and breath to guide your thoughts and actions. Embodying your core values can transform your business and life. For business leaders, embodiment is about integrating mindfulness into your daily work life, bringing authenticity and confidence to your interactions.

Why Embodied Business Practices Make a Difference 

Embracing somatic awareness and mindfulness can help you thrive in the areas of:

1. Clear Communication — In challenging situations—whether you’re presenting to a group or delivering difficult news—embodiment helps you stay grounded. When you’re physically and emotionally present, your communication is more impactful. Others sense your authenticity and confidence, which leads to better trust and collaboration.

2. Resourceful Stress Management — Embodiment allows you to regulate stress responses by tuning into your body’s signals. When you’re aware of your breath and posture, you can prevent burnout before it starts. This heightened awareness helps you lead from a place of calm and resilience, even in high-pressure situations.

3. Productive Conflict Resolution — Embodiment gives you tools to approach a conflict with compassion and assertiveness. Grounding yourself in the present moment, allows you to respond rather than react. When you’re embodied, you display a calm that defuses tension and promotes mutual understanding.

4. Enhanced Decision-Making — Embodiment helps you tune into emotional intelligence, making it easier to sense when something feels off or when an opportunity aligns with your values. By staying connected to your body’s wisdom, you can make decisions with more clarity and confidence.

5. Cohesive Team Building — When you model presence, authenticity, and empathy, your team will follow suit. Teams that communicate through embodied practices—like mindful listening and honest, open feedback—are more innovative and effective.

6. Increased Assertiveness, Authenticity, and Creativity — Embodied leaders naturally radiate assertiveness rooted in self-awareness and emotional regulation. They lead with authenticity because their actions are in line with their values. Embodiment also taps into creativity and innovation, giving leaders the freedom to think outside the box and inspire others to do the same.

These are just a few of the embodied business practices you can master. My Embodied Leadership training helps you deepen your ability to listen and respond to your innate body wisdom so you can follow your passion… wherever that leads you. 

How to Embody Core Values in Your Business

Your core values define your leadership and set the foundation for your business’s success. But embodying these values means living and breathing them every day. Put your values into action by:

Defining and establishing core values .Clarify what your business stands for. Are integrity, innovation, and collaboration at the heart of your mission? Officially establish them as your guiding principles. As your business evolves, your core values will become more refined.

Working with people who reflect your values.  Choose employees, partners, and collaborators who respect and reflect your values. 

Incorporating core values Into your business operating manual. Make your core values part of your company’s official documentation to ensure that every employee understands and aligns with your standards.

Showcasing values to your clients. Whether it’s through your marketing materials, customer service approach, or public statements, let the world know what your business stands for.

Living and breathing your culture. Practice the values you preach by embodying them in every decision, conversation, and action and, thereby, inspire others to do the same.

“Dream Big, Start Small” here’s the one thing you can do today.

Practice the Centering Breath Exercise to help you connect with your body, calm your mind, and become more grounded before facing challenges like decision-making, difficult conversations, or big presentations.

1. Find a Quiet Space: Sit comfortably in a chair or stand with your feet firmly on the ground. Let your hands rest gently in your lap or by your sides.
2. Focus on Your Breath: Close your eyes (if comfortable) and take a deep, slow breath in through your nose, allowing your belly to expand. Hold for a moment, then slowly exhale through your mouth. Let your exhale be longer than your inhale.
3. Feel Your Body: As you breathe, pay attention to the physical sensations in your body. Notice your feet grounding into the floor, the sensation of your spine being supported, and how the air feels as it enters and exits your lungs. Imagine that with each inhale, you are drawing strength and clarity into your body, and with each exhale, you are releasing stress and tension.
4. Scan Your Body: After a few breaths, scan your body from head to toe. Are there areas that feel tight or tense? Breathe into those areas, allowing your body to soften with each exhale.
5. Set an Intention: Once you feel grounded, set a simple intention for how you want to show up in the next task or meeting. For example, “I will lead with calm and clarity” or “I will be fully present in this conversation.”

Anytime throughout the day, when you feel overwhelmed or ungrounded, return to this breathing exercise to center yourself.

Embodied Leadership for Business Growth

The secret to sustainable business success is in how you, as a leader, show up every day. By embracing embodied business practices, you’ll enhance your communication, reduce stress, and create a thriving environment for innovation and collaboration. You’ll lead with intuition, integrity, and authenticity, transforming your business from the inside out.

Embodied leadership is a practice, not a one-time action. As a motivated woman in business, you have the power to lead with embodiment and create a legacy that’s not just successful, but meaningful. If you’re tired of working for someone else and want to start your own practice, I’m here to guide you through the baby steps that get you to where you want to be in the easiest possible way. My Embodied Leadership training cuts through the noise and keeps you from chasing distracting “shiny objects”.

 

Photo by Brooke Lark, JESHOOTS.COM,  and Valentina Aleksandrovna.