Yoga and money sounds like an unlikely mix. But if you constantly make spending decisions that get in the way of a manageable, enjoyable life—anything from buying an expensive gift that you can’t afford to the “creep” of small purchases that become big debt—then you and your money are out of balance.

The ancient Sanskrit term yoga literally means “to unite” and to “to control.” The different yoga disciplines are all designed to create a union between the mind, body, and spirit. Money problems are common when these three areas are out of balance. A healthy financial attitude is not about an excessive attachment to money, and nor does it require a vow of poverty. At either end of the spectrum, you still put more energy into thinking about money than into the relationships and actions that create your true happiness.

Yoga asanas combine meditation with physical postures designed to balance the body’s energy centers (called chakras). Each chakra is associated with different aspects of emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. While many people sign up for a yoga class in search of physical health, the mental and emotional benefits soon become obvious. The power of yoga to harmonize the “wheel” of energy circuits gives the physical and mental strength required to make the tough changes in your attitude and actions around money.

The Root (Muladhara) chakra, at the base of the spine, regulates self-preservation instincts. If the habit of overspending makes it tough to pay rent, utility bills, or buy groceries -- the Root chakra is out of balance. The shopping buzz plunges quickly into guilty worry leading to another feel-good splurge and more debt -- until the anxiety is almost unbearable. When the Root chakra is balanced, you have the stability to meet your basic needs and enjoy luxuries from a position of financial health. The Mountain and Yoga Squat asanas align and open the energy of the Root chakra. Practicing these poses grounds you, enabling you to begin the most basic (and hated) element of money sanity—the budget.

Part 2 of this article shows how to easily create and stick to a budget.

Previous articles in this series the emotional and physical stress that can act as barriers to financial wellness. Now it is time to discuss how balancing the throat chakra (vissudha) can help with making a will and communicating its contents to family members.

The throat chakra is involved purely with mental and spiritual energy. Ancient yogis believed that it channeled the vibration of creation. The more balanced this energy center, the clearer our thoughts and communications. When people’s throat chakras are too active, others find them poor listeners—because the imbalance produces a constant flow of talk with none of the pauses that allow true back and forth sharing of thought. Those with a weak, inactive throat chakra have difficulty voicing their needs and thoughts. They may simply choose to withdraw and become isolated, or they may bottle everything up until it bursts forth with an anger disproportionate to the interaction that triggered it.

The Yoga postures (asanas) that help balance the throat chakra are designed to develop acceptance and release.

The seated leg-raise of the pavana-mukta-asana (wind release) literally refers to the fact that it releases the pressure and pain caused by intestinal gas. The shava-asana (corpse) sounds less scary by its other name, yoga nidra (yogic sleep). This deeply relaxing pose simply involves lying on the back with upturned palms and breathing normally. Both postures foster the harmonious energy flow required for open, loving conversation.

When this chakra is balanced, life becomes much easier because communication is so clear. Conversation becomes a pleasure, and even conflict is not a problem, simply an opportunity to discover how different sets of needs can be best met for all concerned. Balance creates fearless sharing in both directions. It removes the shame that prevents many people saying, “I’d love to spend time with you, but let’s do it a coffee house, or take a walk, because my budget doesn’t allow me to go out to fancy restaurant except on very special occasions.” Stifle too many of these conversations and the credit card debt goes up while savings remain a distant dream. Balance gives spouses the courage to talk about money, and it gives them the ears to hear what their partners are saying.