April is Stress Awareness Month — a month-long event to raise awareness of the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic. As entrepreneurs, there's an enormous pressure to work non-stop and the hustle culture has not made it any easier for us.

We hope that by sharing the stories of three inspiring women entrepreneurs, we inspire you to find your own ways of alleviating stress, establishing boundaries and taking care of yourself.

Second on our guest lineup is Dewi Chen of Terra Luna Yoga.

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I facilitate yoga so I guess it comes as no surprise that my self-practice helps me cope with the stresses of being in business.But what perhaps is surprising is how through my bodywork offerings I seem to be able to find a different kind of inner peace even though I am working and tending to another.

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Maria: Please tell us more about you and what you do.

Dewi: I am a yoga teacher, bodyworker and doula. As the founder of Terra Luna Yoga, a women-focused and trauma aware yoga and therapy space in Singapore, I advocate for more awareness in health and social issues that affect women, and sees yoga as a tool of social justice that can empower women beyond measure. 

I am drawn to breath, movement and mindfulness in all its manifestations - whether it is through my yoga, cycling commutes, walks in the park or in the births I attend to. My classes - whether it’s a power, flow, yin or meditation class - are thoughtfully sequenced with inclusivity and creativity as cornerstones, and always grounded with my love for embodied anatomy. I have one daughter and I’m unafraid to admit the cliche of wanting to build a better world for her.

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M: What's the most challenging or stressful thing about becoming an entrepreneur?

D: I'm not sure if I can be called an entrepreneur in the truest sense! But I guess one of the facets or qualities I can connect to is the stubbornness to follow your heart in spite of the risks before you. In this light, perhaps the most challenging thing is balancing what your mind tells you with what your heart is saying - especially during this pandemic.

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M: How do you manage these situations?

D: I'm a mind mapper so I need to map everything out. Once I know the pathways before me, I will take some time to be present with it. I have a very close knit network of people I lean into in such times and they usually help me arrive at a decision I can be at peace with.

If it's something that really requires more presence, I will take time off. Deep breathing exercises, Yoga Nidra, long nature walks (okay not that long, maybe 4 hours max) and switching off from socials (this is the hardest because I run a business!). Two weeks off work to really tend to what it is I'm challenged by and I am not ashamed to let people know that I need the time off. I recognise my privilege in being able to do that; not many are as fortunate.

So I try my best to be the support others need - I encourage my team to take breaks and not feel guilty about needing to be away from responsibilities. I invite open and frank conversations about their welfare and if their needs are being met. I can definitely do better - for now I am trying. Someone just told me today that being in that 'trying' space is a good place to be (thank you for that, A).

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M: What habits or practices do you do to alleviate the stress and pressure of being an entrepreneur?

D: I definitely am still figuring out what habits I'd like to retain, invite and throw out for 2022. But I think writing down affirmations has been something that I've kept with over the years. I often find myself needing to write something down just to get by the week or month. For this year, I seem to have been writing a lot of reminders on 'the bigger picture', centering or circling back to 'why am I doing this?' and 'who does this serve'?. It isn't always so introspective or profound. Sometimes it can be as simple as 'drink more ginger tea' or 'soak feet today'.

I facilitate yoga so I guess it comes as no surprise that my self-practice helps me cope with the stresses of being in business. But what perhaps is surprising is how through my bodywork offerings I seem to be able to find a different kind of inner peace even though I am working and tending to another. I find it rather therapeutic to be able to have my hands do the reading and asking, instead of just processing questions via the brain and verbalising my thoughts in my other realms. Does that make sense?

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M: What one piece of advice can you give to other women who are starting or running their own businesses?

D: I have three:

Remember the 'why'.

Welcome failure and have fun with it.

Your foremothers are smiling down on you, always.

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Find out more about Terra Luna Yoga on their website or follow them on Instagram.

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