The 6 Samurai Practices That Built My Self-Mastery And Made Me Unstoppable In Business
Timeless wisdom for mastering your mind, regulating your nervous system, and achieving unstoppable flow in business.
Like most people, I’ve always been totally mesmerized by the samurai. There’s just something magnetic about their laser-sharp discipline, their calm intensity, and that unshakable sense of purpose that seems to hum in their veins. My fascination turned into a full-blown obsession, and I spent years diving into how these warriors lived, what fueled them, and how they managed to conquer not only their enemies but their own minds. Somewhere along the way, I realized their principles weren’t just about the battlefield. They were a masterclass in how to win at life and business.
The life of a samurai was anything but easy. Every morning they woke up knowing that death might be waiting before nightfall. Their biggest battles weren’t just fought with swords, but inside their own heads, against fear, doubt, exhaustion, and distraction. They had to master their minds before they could even think about mastering a blade. And when I really sat with that, I realized the same truth applies to entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurship is its own kind of battlefield. The enemies are invisible but fierce—fear of failure, perfectionism, the endless noise trying to yank us off course. Just like the samurai, our most powerful victories come from mastering ourselves, not our circumstances. And when your inner world is aligned, success is no longer random, it has to happen.
That’s why today I’m sharing the 6 samurai practices I’ve woven into my business, the ones that helped me master myself and, in turn, feel absolutely unstoppable.
Practice 1: Ikigai, The Alignment of Purpose
Most people chase success without ever stopping to ask if what they’re doing to get there actually lights them up. We do things for recognition, validation, or just to survive, not to feel fulfilled. Then we wonder why our motivation evaporates the second things get hard.
The samurai had it figured out. Every single day, they moved with awareness of Ikigai—their reason for being. It was their invisible fuel, the thread that connected discipline to devotion. Every action, even the smallest one, had meaning because it served something bigger than themselves.
I learned this the hard way in my own life and business. For years, I ran on pure ambition instead of alignment, measuring success by how much I did instead of how alive I felt. Surprise, surprise… it led straight to burnout and feeling totally disconnected. Finding my Ikigai again brought me back to myself and reminded me what actually matters.
This is why Ikigai lives at the heart of the S in my SOFT Method (See It). Through Human Design and astrology, I help my clients see why their soul incarnated in this lifetime—what their life path, destiny, and larger mission truly are. When they reconnect with that purpose, they often experience a clear sense of direction or even make subtle pivots that bring their business back into alignment. From this clarity, action feels natural, devotion replaces pressure, and purpose becomes the compass that keeps them steady. When you remember what your life and work are really for, motivation becomes effortless and the nervous system relaxes into knowing it is exactly where it’s meant to be.
Neuroscience proof: Research in motivation psychology shows that intrinsic goals, the ones tied to personal meaning and values, light up your brain’s reward centers way more than external rewards do. This creates lasting motivation and resilience even during setbacks. Basically, purpose doesn’t only motivate you, it literally sustains you.
Practice 2: Wu Wei, The Art of Effortless Alignment
In Taoist philosophy, Wu Wei means “effortless action” or “non-forcing.” It’s not about doing nothing though, it’s about doing only what’s aligned. The samurai understood this flow well. They acted with precision, never rushing, never hesitating. Every move came from awareness, not effort. So Wu Wei was their way of letting intuition, not control, take the lead.
This principle mirrors how I teach alignment through Human Design and feminine embodiment. True creation doesn’t come from constant striving, but rather from the harmony between your energy and your desires. When we operate from our Design, honoring our natural rhythms, responding to life rather than forcing outcomes, we step into Wu Wei. We enter the feminine way of achieving, where softness meets precision and the doing arises naturally from being.
Wu Wei is also at the heart of manifestation. When we connect to our heart and our true desires, we become clear on the end we wish to experience. From that vision, inspired action naturally unfolds. We don’t need to think about the how, the how reveals itself. We are led by inner pull, not by external pressure. And that’s when manifestation feels both magical and grounded… the Universe moves you instead of you trying to shove it into motion.
I guide my clients to experience this through embodiment and energy alignment practices. We visualize, regulate the nervous system, and align the body with the frequency of what’s already done. From that state, action feels inevitable, not effortful. The difference is profound… one path drains energy, and the other multiplies it.
Neuroscience proof: Research on intuition and flow shows that when the prefrontal cortex relaxes and the body is in coherence, when heart, breath, and brain are synchronized, we gain access to higher creativity, problem-solving, and effortless decision making. In other words, Wu Wei isn’t mystical… it’s the science of alignment.
Practice 3: Mushin, The No-Mind State
Mushin, meaning “no-mind”, is the state where thought, emotion, and action merge into one effortless flow. The samurai trained relentlessly for this state because too much thinking in battle could literally cost them their lives. Mushin was their way of dropping the noise, the fear, the overanalysis, and stepping into total awareness, where instinct took over and calm precision ruled every move.
I see the exact same thing happen in entrepreneurship and creativity. The moment we start overthinking our next post, overplanning a launch, or obsessing over what people might think, we slam the door on flow. We get stiff, disconnected, and totally wrapped up in strategy with zero soul. That’s why I teach my clients to create from their body, not just their brain. Breathwork, grounding, and presence rituals help them reconnect with their natural rhythm… their personal version of Mushin.
When we drop into the heart and out of the mind, we activate the feminine energy within us, the source of creation and flow itself. From that space, ideas move through you like lightning, decisions feel easy, and words just spill out. But the moment you start asking “how?” or trying to control every step, boom, logic takes over and the magic shuts off. Flow stalls, creativity tightens, and what once felt divine starts feeling like a chore. Your nervous system contracts where it was once open, and what once felt like a transmission starts to feel like a task.
Neuroscience proof: Research on flow states shows that during periods of deep immersion, the prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain responsible for self-criticism and overthinking) temporarily quiets down. This reduces inner resistance and heightens creativity, speed, and accuracy by up to 500%. Mushin, in modern terms, is the science of being in flow.
Practice 4: Fudoshin, The Immovable Mind
Fudoshin is all about staying grounded when the world around you feels like it’s spinning out of control. The samurai mastered this state because chaos wasn’t a maybe for them, it was a guarantee. On the battlefield, fear, pain, and uncertainty came at them nonstop. Fudoshin didn’t mean they were emotionless robots though… it meant they could feel everything deeply without letting their emotions drive the ship. Their calm wasn’t the absence of emotion, it was mastery over it.
In today’s world, the storms look different. We’re not dodging arrows, but we’re navigating rejection, criticism, algorithm changes, and unpredictable results. The nervous system still interprets these moments as threats. The body floods with adrenaline, the mind spins with doubt, and emotional reactivity takes over. That’s why cultivating Fudoshin is so essential, since power lies in how we respond, not in what happens.
This is a cornerstone of both my coaching and my personal practice. Through EFT tapping and breathwork, I help clients release emotional charge and bring their nervous systems back into balance so they can return to calm no matter what’s happening around them. When emotions move through instead of getting stuck, stillness becomes natural. From that neutral space, decisions get clearer, leadership gets stronger, and confidence becomes unshakeable.
Neuroscience proof: Science shows that the parasympathetic state (the body’s calm, resourceful mode) is where creativity, clarity, and grounded decision making thrive. It can be activated most effectively through simple yet powerful somatic practices like EFT tapping and breathwork. Research indicates that EFT tapping can reduce cortisol levels by up to 43% and significantly lower anxiety and heart rate, while breathwork can reduce stress markers and lower cortisol within minutes—shifting the body from stress to balance. Together, these tools calm the nervous system, deactivate the fear-driven amygdala, and strengthen the prefrontal cortex, allowing us to think, lead, and create from stability instead of survival.
Practice 5: Yamato Damashi, The Spirit of Resilience
Yamato Damashi translates to the indomitable spirit, the quiet strength that endures, adapts, and rises. For the samurai, this principle meant the ability to remain steady and dignified even when circumstances turned brutal. Their power wasn’t found in suppressing emotion, but in expanding their capacity to hold extreme emotions. They trained their nervous systems to stay regulated through pain, uncertainty, and loss so they could keep moving no matter what was unfolding.
Similarly, being an entrepreneur requires constantly pushing the boundaries of our comfort zone and expanding our growth edge. Every new level of visibility, leadership, or success asks us to stretch beyond what feels safe. Naturally, that expansion triggers resistance and our nervous system interprets it as danger, activating the fight, flight, or freeze response. Yet this reaction isn’t proof that something’s wrong... it’s evidence that growth is happening. The samurai didn’t avoid that edge, they leaned into it, trusting that the discomfort itself was the forge that built mastery.
In my coaching, through EFT tapping and somatic work, I help clients expand their nervous system’s capacity to hold more growth, success, visibility, and wealth without burning out. The secret sauce is titration and pendulation—gently moving between challenge and safety, contraction and expansion. This trains the body to understand that it’s safe to hold more energy and success without collapsing under the weight of it.
Neuroscience proof: Research on nervous system regulation shows that titration and pendulation (aka alternating between manageable doses of discomfort and periods of calm) expand the body’s capacity for stress without overwhelm. This rhythmic exposure strengthens the vagal tone, lowers cortisol, and increases heart rate variability, all of which are markers of real resilience. Over time, your nervous system literally rewires itself to stay grounded and powerful under pressure. You become the kind of person who can hold more energy, more emotion, and more challenge without slipping into panic or shutdown. That’s what true strength looks like.
Practice 6: Kaizen, The Daily Refinement
We live in a world addicted to instant results. Everyone wants the glow-up, the breakthrough, the overnight transformation. Then reality hits, and they burn out before consistency even has a chance to kick in. The samurai knew better. Their practice of Kaizen, which means continuous improvement, wasn’t about chasing perfection, it was about getting a little better every single day. One breath, one move, one small tweak at a time. They weren’t rushing the process, they were honoring it. And over time, those small refinements built unshakable mastery.
As a Manifesting Generator, I’ve never been immune to the urge to skip ahead. I used to pile on changes, convinced that if I just did more, I’d get there faster. Spoiler alert, it never worked. I ended up exhausted, frustrated, and quitting the very things that were supposed to help me thrive. Turning to Kaizen changed everything. It grounded me, slowed me down, and reminded me that tiny, steady refinement beats massive overhaul every single time.
This is the heartbeat of the T in my SOFT Method (Tweak It). This is where I guide clients to refine and realign both their inner and outer worlds, making micro-adjustments to their strategies, habits, and creative process until the work feels genuinely pleasurable. As a Manifesting Generator, I prioritise satisfaction in all I do, which is why I continuously tweak things with new findings that make my business more satisfying instead of stressful. When your actions feel natural and supportive to your nervous system, consistency stops being a battle and becomes your rhythm. What once felt like discipline begins to feel like flow, and progress compounds quietly but powerfully.
Neuroscience proof: Research shows that when actions feel pleasurable and aligned, the brain releases dopamine and serotonin, which reduce internal resistance and increase the desire to repeat the behavior. Each enjoyable, consistent action strengthens neural pathways faster than intense effort alone, transforming what once required willpower into an effortless rhythm. The nervous system begins to associate these aligned actions with safety and satisfaction, making progress sustainable. In other words, the more we enjoy the process, the more likely we are to continue it, and the more mastery we build.
The samurai didn’t fight for victory, they became victory. They didn’t seek to control the battle; they mastered themselves. Every ritual, every practice, every breath was devoted to one thing: alignment between body, mind, and mission. That’s what made them unstoppable.
This is exactly what I help my clients embody. They don’t just build 6 or 7-figure businesses… they build nervous systems, identities, and strategies that make success peaceful, pleasurable, and permanent.
And when you’re ready to stop operating from pressure and shift into pleasure, presence and peace, book a SOFT Pathway Call with me and I’ll share how you can grow your business to $20k+ months in alignment with your Design.
