Yoga in The Workplace

Who has the time for exercise? While research has shown that benefits from yoga range from curing ailments and improving muscle tone and flexibility to reducing stress and tension, today’s extended office hours, long commutes, and family obligations mean that not all of us can keep to a fitness schedule.

But, in Yoga in the Workplace, acclaimed yoga practitioner Shameem Akthar has come up with a simple and efficient way of using yoga practices at the work station, even as you work. These adapted yogic practices- which can be neatly integrated into the office environment- demand very little in terms of time, yet promise to infuse you with health, both mentally and physically. Although primarily developed for a workaholic who is committed to his or her cubicle, the book works just as well for a home-mark or a divan-loving grandparent. Even people who exercise regularly will find this book useful: studies have proven that exercise relegated entirely to one part of the rest of the day is spent largely in a passive manner. This book fills that lacuna. Clear, lucid instruction accompanied by easy-to-follow illustrations make this book an effective companion for those of us who have to juggle several roles in a seamlessly.

Shameem Akthar is a certified yogacharya trained with the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta center, Kerala. A columnist with several prestigious publications like Mid-day, India abroad, Rediff. Com, Savvy and Life positive, she teaches and holds workshops related to yogain Mumbai where shelives with her husband seisuresh Sivaswamy and daughter Jahnavi Sherif.

Ancient texts describe yoga as a union between the divine soul and the ordinary self. Today we know it simply as the coordination between our body and our mind. We no longer need to think of yoga as some thing exclusively by those who reside in the caves of the Himalayas. Our ancient yogis had created such a powerful tool that it could be, and is still being used effectively to deal with modern-day stress and strain, emanating from demanding jobs and hectic lifestyles.

Yoga teaches us the ability to delve deeper into our minds to examine our reactions to life's challenges. This clarity helps us take on the pounding of daily life, so that we are able to remain positive and optimistic, come whay may.

Stress is not just a create of the mind. Often, it is created by lifestyle changes: a sedentary job, excessive dependence on gadgets, continuous exposure to electromagnetic radiation and artificial lighting, awkward meal timings, late or irregular hours of work, excessive travelling or committing, and even from one’s inability to allot time for exercise. All or any of these factors can wreak havoc on our health.

Taking all the above factors into consideration, my student shameem Akthar has come up with a simple and efficient way of using yogic practices wherever you are-at the work station or in your kitchen. This adapted yogic practice can be neatly integrated into your work and family environment. They demand very little in terms of time, yet promise to in fuse you with health, both mentally and physically.

I consider this book an effective companion for both the officer-goer and the home maker, it comes in handy for all those who have to juggle both these roles seamlessly in today’s times.