Businessman Vimal Shah (right) participating in yoga at University of Nairobi grounds on June 21, 2015. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL |
NATION MEDIA GROUP
By BONIFACE NGAHU
In Summary
- For those in business and other time-consuming engagements, yoga ensures that you have time for meditation which keeps you alert while reorganising your brain cells to boost memory.
The world marked the first International Day of Yoga
on June 21 following a declaration by the United Nations General
Assembly on December 11, 2014.
In Kenya, the day was marked by a launch at the UN Complex
in Gigiri where First Lady Margaret Kenyatta asked more Kenyan to take
up yoga for its mental and physical wellness benefits. At the same time
there was a celebration at University of Nairobi grounds where over
5,000 people practised yoga poses while being reminded of its relevance.
I have been going for Bikram Yoga for some time
which made the day special. Bikram Yoga is done in a heated room using
traditional yoga postures. It is a favourite of many celebrity sportsmen
and women such as David Beckam, Serena Williams and the Australian
rugby team.
It can prolong one’s sports career by preventing
injuries, and ensuring healthy muscles and micro muscles. It also
improves athletic performance by supporting the yogi in doing their
best.
By exercising micro muscles that are not normally
touched in normal exercises, yoga ensures a holistic exercise for the
body and mind. HH Sri Sri Shankar, founder of the Art of Living,
observed that yoga makes you feel like a child again where there is no
lack, impurity, ignorance and injustice. This means that it can help
free the world from misery, making it more harmonious.
For those in business and other time-consuming
engagements, yoga ensures that you have time for meditation which keeps
you alert while reorganising your brain cells to boost memory.
It also keeps away stress which can really affect
productivity. There are many times I have come out of a yoga studio
thinking about important but small details that would have been
forgotten. That clarity and alertness of mind is something that any
person needs, in life and business.
Since there is a lot of sweating in Bikram Yoga,
one is required to take a lot of water throughout the day to avoid
dehydration. This creates a good water drinking habit for the yogi which
among other things also helps you to control calorie intake thus
supporting weight management strategy. Water also energises muscles
ensuring the best performance.
Yoga is also good for the heart and it can help
keep many lifestyle diseases away. Someone said that you can tell a
healthy person by the number of stairs they can climb and not by the
number of pills they pop.
AAR Insurance recently launched a reward system for
active living among its members. This means that health and life
insurance companies should direct their members to yoga classes to keep
health bills down and help them live longer.
In a past Market Talk, I highlighted how sitting
down all day kills more people than smoking. I received a mail from a HR
manager who was faced with a situation where some staff were worried of
dying because of the nature of their work after reading my article.
Active living by the workforce is another reason
why businesses should encourage their employees to embrace yoga. It will
lead to greater motivation, higher productivity, less stress, flowing
creativity, positive attitude and a high energy working environment.
Ngahu is the marketing director of SBO Research. Email: bngahu@sboresearch.co.ke, Twitter @bngahu
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