从瑜伽中汲取投资智慧

When the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a new record this past March, Brent Kessel awoke at 3:30 a.m.

在今年3月份道琼斯指数触及纪录新高的那一天，布伦特•凯塞尔(Brent Kessel)凌晨三点半就醒来了。

But the financial adviser, who co-founded a firm that manages more than $800 million, wasn't up early because he was giddy about the market. He was hopping on a motor scooter in Mysore, India, to stand on one leg with the other leg behind his head and chant in Sanskrit at the school where a branch of modern yoga has its origins.

但这位财务顾问（他是一家财务管理公司的联合创始人，该公司管理着逾八亿美元资产）这么早醒来并不是因为市况让他激动得忘乎所以。凯塞尔当时是在印度迈索尔(Mysore)的一所学校里（现代瑜伽的一个分支源自这里），他骑在一辆踏板摩托车上，一条腿站立，另一条腿放在脑后，一边用梵语吟唱着。

Mr. Kessel, who devoted himself to responding to emails from his clients and colleagues later that day, shrugs off the bull market.

凯塞尔当天晚些时候忙于回复来自客户和同事的电子邮件。他没有理会当日的牛市。

'Everything is impermanent, especially the market's level,' says Mr. Kessel, whose firm is Abacus Wealth Partners in Santa Monica, Calif.

凯塞尔说：“任何东西都是暂时的，尤其是市场价位。”凯塞尔的公司名为Abacus Wealth Partners，位于加州圣莫尼卡(Santa Monica)。

Spencer Sherman, Abacus's other founder, teaches his clients a breathing technique called 'the Money Breath,' to get through tough financial situations: clients typically inhale for three counts, hold the breath for one count, and exhale for six counts.

Abacus的另一位创始人斯潘塞•舍曼(Spencer Sherman)向客户传授一种名为“理财呼吸法”(the Money Breath)的呼吸技巧，以帮助他们度过财务难关：一般先吸气，数三下，接着屏住呼吸，数一下，然后再吐气，数六下。

Non-clients can buy 'the Money and Spirit Workshop' home study course from the duo, available for $66.97 on a website that sells New Age products.

如果不是该公司的客户，可以从两人手中购买名为“金钱和灵魂工作坊”(the Money and Spirit Workshop)的自学课程，该课程在一个出售新时代运动(New Age)相关产品的网站上有售，售价66.96美元。

Some clients come to the firm through its advertisements in Yoga Journal, which in its April 2001 issue featured a bare-chested Mr. Kessel on the cover balancing on his hands with his legs tucked behind his arms in a perfectly executed 'crow' pose.

一些客户是看了《瑜伽》杂志(Yoga Journal)上刊登的广告后找上门来的。《瑜伽》2001年4月号封面上刊登了凯塞尔的照片，他上身裸露，双手撑地保持平衡，双腿蜷曲在手臂后面，摆出了一个完美的瑜伽“乌鸦式”。

'I think the very common reaction, even 15 years ago, would have been, 'These guys are California quack jobs,'' says Mr. Kessel. 'But if you actually came in and were a client, you'd find that we're much more disciplined than a lot of the firms out there.'

凯塞尔说：“我觉得人们很常见的反应是（即使在15年前也是一样），‘这帮家伙是加州的江湖骗子’。但如果你真正走进我们公司，成为我们的客户，你会发现我们比许多公司都要自律得多。”

He is one of a breed of financial advisers who are taking yoga and meditation out of the ashram and putting them into Excel spreadsheets. The values and teachings of these Eastern-inspired traditions, proponents say, impart a special kind of financial wisdom that, among other benefits, allows them to stay calm in crises and make holistic financial plans for clients.

像凯塞尔这样的财务顾问还有很多，他们把瑜伽和冥想从静修处带出来，把它们与Excel电子表格结合在了一起。支持此道的人称，这些源于东方的传统所传达的价值观和教义赋予他们一种特殊的财务智慧，这种智慧带来的好处之一是使他们能够在危机中保持冷静，为客户制订整体理念的财务规划。

George Kinder, a certified financial planner and Buddhist teacher who spends his time in Maui, Hawaii, London and Littleton, Mass., is widely considered the guru of this financial 'mindfulness' movement, which has guided financial advisers seeking to add a spiritual element to their practices.

乔治•金德(George Kinder)是一名注册财务规划师兼佛学教师，他的身影活跃在毛伊岛(Maui)、夏威夷、伦敦和马萨诸塞州利特尔顿(Littleton)。他被普遍视为财务“正念”运动领袖。该运动为寻求在业务实践中加入心灵元素的财务顾问提供了指导。

Mr. Kinder's 1999 book, 'The Seven Stages of Money Maturity,' applies ancient Buddhist principles known as the Six Perfections, which include patience and generosity, to contemporary money management, among other things. Mr. Kinder later developed 'financial life planner' training, which teaches advisers to focus on the client's life goals and use empathic listening skills when working with them.

金德1999年撰写的《通往财务成熟的七个阶段》(The Seven Stages of Money Maturity)一书将佛教中的“六度”(Six Perfections，其中包括忍辱和布施)应用到了现代财务管理等领域。金德之后又创立了“财务人生规划师”培训，教导财务顾问关注客户的人生目标，在与客户沟通时将心比心地倾听。

The tradition is older than it might appear. The integration of yoga and money is seen in Eastern history, says Mark Singleton, who wrote his Ph.D. thesis at the University of Cambridge on the history of modern yoga.

这一传统比人们想象的要古老。马克•辛格尔顿(Mark Singleton)曾在剑桥大学(University of Cambridge)撰写过关于现代瑜伽史的博士论文，他说，东方历史上有过瑜伽与金钱的融合。

While many ancient yogis renounced material possessions, others used yoga to gain money and influence. 'They were the power brokers of medieval India because of these powers you can accumulate by doing yoga,' says Mr. Singleton.

尽管古代许多瑜伽修行者弃绝物质财产，但也有一些人用瑜伽谋取金钱和势力。辛格尔顿说：“他们是印度中世纪的权力掮客，因为你能够通过修炼瑜伽来积聚这些权力。”

The number of planners who have gone through at least one of Mr. Kinder's programs, which always include a group meditation, has more than doubled in the past five years to more than 2,000, he says. So far, 307 have obtained the top 'Registered Life Planner' designation, up from about 100 five years ago.

他说，在过去五年里，至少参加过金德的一个培训项目（任何项目都有一次集体冥想）的规划师人数增加了逾一倍，达到2,000人以上。到目前为止，已有307人获得顶级的“注册人生规划师”称号，而五年前只有约100人获得这一称号。

'People leave our training exhilarated,' says Mr. Kinder. 'That's very similar to a very deep yoga or meditative retreat. You go so deep inside yourself you're sparkling.'

金德说：“人们参加过我们的训练后会精神振奋，这与完成非常深入的瑜伽或冥想静修后的感觉非常相似。你会走进自己的内心深处，会精神焕发。”

Messrs. Kessel and Sherman use a Kinder-influenced financial-planning approach at Abacus, and say they buy stocks and bonds based on research instead of 'emotions and hot tips.' They typically prefer passive index funds to actively managed ones, and unlike panicked investors who fled equities during the financial crisis, they say they bought stocks the day the market hit its bottom in 2009, a move the firm attributes to disciplined rebalancing.

凯塞尔和舍曼在Abacus采取的财务规划方式受到了金德的影响，两人表示，他们根据研究，而非“情绪和热门建议”来购买股票和债券。他们一般更喜欢被动型指数基金，而非积极管理型基金。他们也不像恐慌的投资者那样在金融危机时逃离股市，两人表示，他们在2009年股市触底当天买进了股票，该公司将此举归因于有序再平衡策略。

Jeff Bogart, like Messrs. Kessel and Sherman a Kinder disciple, launched Yogic Investing, a yoga-inspired branch of his Cleveland-area financial-advisory firm last year. 'George Kinder's stuff is groundbreaking and fascinating. Sometimes it makes me aware if people are stuck in the root chakra with their money issues,' says Mr. Bogart. The root chakra, an energy point located at the base of the spine, is associated with primitive survival needs, he says.

与凯塞尔和舍曼一样，杰夫•博加特(Jeff Bogart)也是金德的门徒。博加特去年创建了Yogic Investing，这是他位于克利夫兰(Cleveland)地区的财务顾问公司的分部，是受瑜伽思想启发而建立的。博加特说：“金德的东西有突破性，令人着迷，有时候能让我认识到人们在金钱方面是否卡在了海底轮上。”他说，海底轮是位于脊椎底部的能量点，与原始生存需求相关。

Those interested fill out a brief questionnaire online to 'find out if you are a yogic investor!' He presented a workshop on yoga and money at the Finger Lakes Yoga Festival in New York state last summer.

有兴趣的人可以在线填写一份简短的问卷，以“了解你是否是瑜伽型投资者”。去年夏季，博加特在纽约州芬格湖群瑜伽节(Finger Lakes Yoga Festival)上推出了一个有关瑜伽和理财的工作坊。

Some financial advisers revel in yoga's revelations.

一些财务顾问着迷于瑜伽所带来的启示。

While standing on one leg and attempting to lift his other leg perpendicular to the ground, Rick Salmeron, a certified financial planner who is president of Salmeron Financial in Dallas and who practices Bikram yoga, a type of yoga traditionally practiced in 105-degree heat, says, 'I'm thinking of my clients who can't help but be attracted to Apple at $600 a share or oil at $140 a barrel.'

注册财务规划师、达拉斯的财务管理公司Salmeron Financial的总裁里克•萨尔梅龙(Rick Salmeron)练习比克拉姆瑜伽(Bikram)，这种瑜伽传统上是在105华氏度（约合41摄氏度）的高温下练习的。他说：“我想到了我那些被600美元一股的苹果公司(Apple)股票或者140美元一桶的石油吸引的客户。”说这番话时，他正单腿站立，并尝试将另一条腿抬起来，与地面垂直。

Mr. Salmeron recently considered holding a Bikram class for his clients, though only a fraction of them are regular yoga practitioners. 'Investing is very emotional. Yoga keeps it all balanced,' he says.

萨尔梅龙最近在考虑为他的客户举办比克拉姆热瑜伽训练班，虽然只有一部分客户经常练瑜伽。他说：“投资是非常情绪化的，瑜伽能够让一切保持平衡。”

He recommends Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Paschimotthanasana, a pose in which he stands with legs spread wide and grabs his feet in an effort to pull his head to the floor. 'It gives my brain a tourniquet effect. It clears out a lot of the dead brain cells,' Mr. Salmeron says.

他建议采取分腿站立伸展式(Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Paschimotthanasana)，这种姿势是两腿张开站立，抓住双脚，努力把头靠向地面。萨尔梅龙说：“这一姿势就像头脑的止血带。它清除了许多死亡的脑细胞。”

Other advisers try to be discreet about the New Age influence on their work. Nicholas Lee of Worcester, England, who trained with Mr. Kinder, meditates and faithfully uses a notepad with 'Breathe in' printed on top of the pages and 'Breathe out' at the bottom.

还有一些顾问在谈到新时代运动对他们工作的影响时持谨慎态度。英国伍斯特(Worcester)的尼古拉斯•李(Nicholas Lee)曾接受过金德的培训，他做冥想，还一直使用一个页面顶端印着“吸气”，底部印着“吐气”的记事本。

Still, he says, 'you can't put a sign outside your office that says, 'Hello, I'm a financial life planner. I do yoga and meditation.' I'm always a little bit cautious talking about it. You can very quickly appear flaky.'

但他说：“你不能在办公室门外贴一个标志，说：‘你好，我是一名财务人生规划师。我做瑜伽和冥想。’谈这方面的事情我一直是比较谨慎的，因为很容易给人留下不靠谱的印象。”