STAY FIT AT WORK
Long hours at a desk can lead to stress, stiffness, and mental fatigue. This International Yoga Day 2025, incorporate a few simple yoga poses into your workday, which can help you reset, re-energise, and stay focused. Credit : PEXELS
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Hindustan Times
24 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
International Yoga Day 2025: Experts share benefits of yoga at workplace and 5 strategies to include it in daily routine
International Yoga Day 2025: Stress is so common in the workplace that it is often overlooked, brushed off as just a part of the daily hustle. But the strain from work responsibilities, long hours of sitting at the desk, staring at the screen, chasing deadlines relentlessly, and back-to-back meetings all add up, chipping away at productivity, focus, and overall health over time. Yoga at the workplace helps to calm down from high-pressure situations.(Shutterstock) On International Yoga Day, celebrated annually on June 21, it's time to take a pause and understand how yoga can be included in your weekdays. Often, yoga is squeezed into the small windows before or after the workday, but with work taking up the lion's share of our time and energy, those moments are easy to miss. HT Lifestyle reached out to experts to understand how yoga can support mental wellbeing at work and ways organisations can thoughtfully include the practice in their work culture. Mental benefits of introducing yoga at work Stress is high due to deadlines and work responsibilities. (Shutterstock) Yoga may help employees focus better. It acts like a practical tool, going beyond just a wellness trend. With the high pressure at work, managing all the work responsibilities, yoga may be an effective way to handle stress. Dr Ajit Dandekar, Head of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai, shared three key mental health benefits of introducing yoga at the workplace. He outlined three key benefits of introducing yoga in the workplace. Dr Dandekar added, 'The first impact of introducing yoga at the workplace is stress management. Research on Indian and global employees shows workplace yoga can reduce perceived-stress scores by almost two-thirds. Stress, being one of the common mental health issues among the working population, impact on this scale that is substantial. Yoga also uplifts mood significantly. And lastly, it deepens restorative sleep and overall quality of life, so we return to our desks fresher and more focused the next morning.' Strategies to bring yoga into the workplace. The right strategies make yoga a part of work culture.(Shutterstock) While yoga is making the rounds, with everyone offering their two cents on incorporating it into daily life, the practical application often remains out of reach. But a grounded, actionable approach helps move yoga beyond just a trend, making it more than an annual duty on Yoga Day. Shruti Swaroop, Founder of Embrace Consulting and Co-Founder of the International Inclusion Alliance, shared with HT Lifestyle that adding yoga at work doesn't require grand setups or lengthy sessions. With the right intention, even small sessions may boost focus and foster a healthy work culture. She said, 'As a founder committed to building mindful, resilient teams, I've witnessed firsthand how even small, consistent integration of yoga into daily work life can create a lasting impact. And no, it doesn't require elaborate studios or hour-long routines. It requires intention, policy support, and human-centred design. Workplace yoga has been found through studies to improve focus, reduce stress, and create improved posture, lower absenteeism, and higher employee morale. Yoga in the workplace needs to shift from being a one-time thing per year to a facet of the company ecosystem. Not everyone needs to do yoga, it just means that everyone needs to be given the option to, without guilt or exclusion." Shruti shared 5 actionable strategies on how to include yoga into everyday work culture: 1. Micro-yoga breaks during work Adopt brief, guided yoga breaks, 10 minutes, twice daily, for stretches and breathing exercises that can be performed at the desk. These do not involve changing clothes or special equipment, making them accessible and inclusive. HR's role: Arrange virtual or in-office facilitators; invite team leads to participate. Arrange virtual or in-office facilitators; invite team leads to participate. Employee tip: Even on their own, mindful breathing or shoulder and neck stretches can relieve physical tension and mental exhaustion. 2. Wellness wednesdays or weekly yoga rituals A weekly mid-week yoga session of 30 minutes helps shatter the cycle of stress. Consistent timing facilitates habit-forming and increases participation. HR's role: Collaborate with certified trainers and gain managerial support. Collaborate with certified trainers and gain managerial support. Employee tip: Approach this time as non-negotiable self-preservation. Consistency is more important than intensity. 3. Committed wellness corners and policy flexibility Carve out a serene area in the office for meditation or yoga. Offer mats, wellness books, or access to guided videos. Break policy flexibility also enables employees to participate without fear of judgment. HR's responsibility: Make policies supportive of a wellness-first culture. Make policies supportive of a wellness-first culture. Employee tip: Utilise brief breaks wisely, even five minutes of quiet can refresh attention. 4. Bringing yoga into company culture Make yoga a part of employee orientation - familiarize them with resources, wellness challenges, and live sessions. When yoga is part of the onboarding story, it conveys that wellness is a central organisational value. HR's role: Add wellness guides, access to yoga apps, and getting-started workshops. Employee tip: Create micro-practices - a few breaths before meetings, or loosening up during lunch. 5. Leadership role modelling and normalisation Leadership role modelling and normalisation occur when leaders get involved. When founders and managers attend yoga class or discuss openly its positive impacts, it facilitates natural adoption throughout the organisation. HR's role: Emphasise leadership involvement in wellness programs. Emphasise leadership involvement in wellness programs. Employee tip: Start peer wellness circles or buddy systems for mutual accountability. ALSO READ: Yoga Day 2025: 5 desk yoga stretches for busy professionals to focus better and beat work stress Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
Time of India
27 minutes ago
- Time of India
Yoga taught me the quiet discipline of showing up every day: Nikhat Zareen
Nikhat Zareen In a sport defined by power and speed, Nikhat Zareen finds stillness on the yoga mat. 'For me, it's not just a ritual that I turn to occasionally. I do yoga daily as part of my training,' says the two-time world champion, adding, 'It gives you balance and strength. It's really helpful for mental health. It calms the nerves and supports overall well-being.' As the world celebrates International Yoga Day , Nikhat reflects on how yoga has become the quiet, steady force that keeps her grounded in the high-intensity world of boxing. 'Beyond the physical benefits, yoga gives me mental clarity' Nikhat, who began boxing in eighth grade, says yoga was added to her routine once her training became more competitive and structured. 'It was introduced to help improve flexibility, breath control, and mental clarity. Over the years, yoga has helped me stay injury-free and definitely improved my flexibility. But beyond the physical, it helps me reset mentally, especially during intense training phases,' she says. Nikhat Zareen 'Pranayama is a big part of my mental routine' Between rounds in a boxing match, there's only a minute to recover — a brief pause in the middle of the chaos. For Nikhat, how she uses those 60 seconds can make all the difference. 'During the one-minute break in a bout, breath control becomes very important,' she says. 'I usually take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds, and then slowly exhale. It helps me stay composed.' Outside the ring, she turns to breathwork to stay centred. 'Pranayama is a big part of my mental routine, especially alternate nostril breathing. It really helps calm my nerves and keep my mind clear before a fight,' she says. Nikhat Zareen 'I'd tell every youngster to adopt yoga' Nikhat believes yoga can be a valuable tool that can help youngsters cope with the pressures of modern life. 'Yoga is a great way to stay grounded, healthy, and confident. I'd tell youngsters to adopt it not just for fitness, but for their overall well-being,' she says. Each year on International Yoga Day, she marks the occasion with a guided group session. But for her, the real value of yoga lies in everyday effort. 'It's the consistency, the quiet discipline of showing up every day, that makes yoga meaningful. Whether I'm in camp, travelling or gearing up for a fight, yoga is always part of my day,' she concludes. – Biswajit Talukdar
The Hindu
32 minutes ago
- The Hindu
International Yoga Day celebrated in Kanniyakumari and Thoothukudi
As per this year's theme 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health', the International Yoga Day was observed with great enthusiasm in Kanniyakumari and Thoothukudi districts on Saturday. In Kanniyakumari, Minister of Dairy Development T. Mano Thangaraj participated in the event organised by the District's Yoga and Naturopathy Department under the Department of Indian Medicine and Homeopathy. The Minister performed yoga alongside students and other participants at the yoga session. More than 300 individuals took part in the event. In Thoothukudi, the International Yoga Day event was held at the Thoothukudi Government Medical College and Hospital (TKGMCH). G. Sivakumar, Dean of TKGMCH, attended the programme as chief guest. Around 200 participants, including doctors and medical students, took part in the event. The doctors of TKGMCH including R. Padmanabhan, Medical Superintendent, V. Kalaivani, Vice Principal, Silas Jeyamani, Resident Medical Officer, and A.R. Arun Saravanan, NSS Programme officer, were also present on the occasion. Similarly, TNFJU-Fisheries College and Research Institute, Thoothukudi, celebrated the International Yoga Day with an event organised by the college's physical education and NSS units B. Ahilan, Dean of the institution, presided over the event. At the event he explained the origin of yoga in India and urged staff and students to practice yoga regularly. More than 250 students and staff participated in the event and practiced common yoga protocol on the occasion. V. O. Chidambaranar Port celebrated the 11th International Yoga Day at the port's community hall. Professional yoga trainers from 'Art of Living' emphasized the yoga's vital role in enhancing both personal wellness and collective harmony. Susantha Kumar Purohit, IRSEE and Chairperson of V. O. Chidambaranar Port Authority, in his message conveyed that yoga was essential for a healthy body, mind and overall well being. He stressed the importance of dedicating at least one hour each day to practice yoga. He also announced that yoga sessions will be conducted at least thrice a week for the port employees and staff under the supervision of the port's sports council.
