Yoga for better managers,  better business  

The International Day of Yoga was celebrated with great enthusiasm and hope in more than 150 countries around the globe on June 21. From the Times Square in New York to the Great Wall of China to science expedition centres in the Antarctica, millions practiced Yogic asanas and meditation techniques not just for  personal well  being but for overall welfare of today‘s stressed and strife-torn  society.

Work-related stress is causing burnout in the corporate world

Contrary to popular perception, Yoga does much more than healing physical ailments and mental problems. The Sanskrit word  ‘Yoga‘ means union. But union with what? Yoga  unites us  with our inner being. It facilitates  self-actualisation or self-realisation. It makes us  better humans who are  not easily rocked by the excesses of success and failure and who see ‘self‘ in everybody else. The bonding this creates among all living beings  is the real purpose of Yoga and, certainly, the need of the day when religious bigotry, hate campaigns and terrorism are hogging the headlines every day. The United Nations Organisation recognised the healing and uplifting attributes of the science of Yoga and celebrated the first International Day of Yoga on June 21, 2015, with the support of 177 countries. And the tradition continues despite opposition from some religious extremists who refuse to acknowledge the scientific core of Yoga. They demonise the ancient tradition as a means to propagate what they call Hinduism. However, their bluff has been called by medical doctors, biochemists, psychologists and other science experts from different countries whose extensive research has established the scientific fundamentals of Yoga. More and more people are embracing Yoga, particularly in the advanced and relatively higher educated Western world. No wonder, the International Day of Yoga 2016 turned out to be a unique secular celebration involving millions of human beings irrespective of nationality, religion, caste, creed and ideology. Yoga is becoming a way of life – for all. While the grand success of the June 21 celebrations was widely reported what escaped the media‘s radar was the corporate world‘s active involvement in the event. In fact, the business world has been the most eager and active practitioner of Yoga and that too for years. Reason is the  work-related stress that  has become an integral part of modern corporate life. Competition has intensified. Constant change has become a norm. Most business executives operate in an environment of ambiguity. The realm of certainty is history. And so is the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well  being of the typical globalised manager. The higher he rises, greater are challenges he faces. All this takes a toll on his physical and mental health.  Personal burnouts occur all too often. Productivity suffers. Company bottom lines take a hit. Industries bear the brunt. The economy trundles downhill. All victims of stress, the silent killer! And how it maims managers and businesses. Here is some statistics gleaned from US research reports on work-related stress.

1. More than $ 300 billion a year are spent to take care of stress-linked ailments among corporate rank and  file.
2. Close to 80 % people in offices are regularly experiencing physical malfunctions. Absenteeism is rising.
3. Three-fourth of the employees are battling with psychological issues. Anxiety, panic, depression, sleeplessness,  mental breakdown, etc. are the most common symptoms. One third complain of extreme stress. Decision-making gets impaired. Unhappy workers are 10 % less productive.
4. Almost 48 % employees feel stress has increased over the last five years. Constant pressure to achieve success is grievously hurting even the most robust of minds.
5. Family bonds are taking a hit. Relationships are failing as business is taking precedence over personal commitments. Divorces are increasing. Children caught in this vicious cycle are getting traumatised for life. Generations are paying the price for corporate stress.

A very recent report in The Times of India states, "Employee meltdowns are hemorrhaging cash and India Inc. has realised it‘s cost effective to invest in health and wellness of workforce.” The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) focused on IT/ITeS, banking/finance and travel & hospitality industries in India in the study which  revealed that a banking/finance company, with an average employee base of 5,000, takes a hit of about INR 100 crore in productivity losses due to stressed manpower. "For an IT/ITeS company, with an average employee base of 10,000, the loss is about Rs. 50 crore. And for a company with an average employee base of 2,000 operating in the travel and hospitality space, it‘s just over Rs. 10 crore. The productivity losses escalate as one moves to high stress sectors,” the report added. Melissa Thompson, an independent producer for CNN who has been propagating benefits of incorporating Yoga in the corporate world, points out that many companies like Forbes, GE, Apple, Google, GM, Chase Manhattan Bank, HBO, GM, Nike, etc. have adopted Yoga. Thompson asserts that Yoga increases energy/reduces fatigue; alleviates physical ailments like aches or pains associated with traumatic brain injury, carpal tunnel, neck strain, shoulder stiffness, arthritis, etc.; relieves mental and emotional stress which account for 90 % of all visits to doctors and which, if left unaddressed, are known to lead to diabetes, cancer and heart conditions; improves concentration and focus, enabling managers to deal better with stressful deadlines, back-to-back and never ending meetings and the general corporate chaos; helps with creativity thus facilitating out-of-the-box solutions; and increases productivity and morale. The Harvard Mental Health letter too has documented many findings of successful impact of Yoga, including Sudarshan Kriya, on anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Low cost and effective recipe for happy and more productive managers, indeed!

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Basant Chaudhary is a Poet, Writer, The Chairman of BLC and Basant Chaudhary Foundation. ([email protected])