StartupTalky

Tag: International Yoga Day

  • Saurabh Bothra Talks About Combining His Passion for Yoga with Business to Promote Healthier Habits and Supportive Communities

    In this exclusive interview, StartupTalky talks with Saurabh Bothra, CEO and Certified Yoga Instructor at Habuild. Saurabh combines his passion for yoga with business to help people develop healthier habits and create supportive communities.

    Through Habuild, his goal is to make yoga accessible to everyone and promote sustainable living. Join us as Saurabh shares his journey, the challenges he faced, and his vision for a healthier world on this International Yoga Day.

    StartupTalky: What inspired you to combine your passion for yoga with entrepreneurship to create Habuild?

    Mr. Bothra: Habuild wasn’t intentional – it was born from a realisation.

    The lockdown was an eye-opener for me. Watching my mom tirelessly manage the household made me wonder if she ever took a moment for herself. I realised many women, like my mom, mistakenly see household chores as sufficient exercise. This was our ‘eureka’ moment at Habuild.

    But I instantly realised that the only way to encourage more people to practise yoga is to help them cultivate the habit and not quit. Yoga is a medium to reach out to the community, but our bigger goal will always be around helping them stick with whatever they start.

    StartupTalky: Could you share a highlight from your journey as a certified Yoga instructor that significantly shaped your approach to wellness?

    Mr. Bothra: One key realisation has significantly shaped my approach to wellness – motivation is not enough!

    People are aware of the benefits of taking certain actions for their health, and these benefits often increase motivation. However, while the focus is too much on the results, one extremely important thing goes unnoticed – THE POWER OF CONSISTENCY.

    That’s when I understood that building habits is more important than just having motivation. This insight shaped my approach to wellness, focusing on helping people create lasting habits rather than just short-term goals.

    Saurabh Bothra Certified Yoga Instructor and CEO, Habuild
    Saurabh Bothra Certified Yoga Instructor and CEO, Habuild

    StartupTalky: How did you start the initiative to connect 2.4 million people to yoga for 21 days, and what impact did it have?

    Mr. Bothra: Connecting 2.4 million people to yoga for 21 days was never our initial aim. Initially, we offered only free sessions, which later transitioned into paid ones. During the second week of COVID, we went back to offering free sessions before switching to paid again. This approach worked exceptionally well in terms of referrals and reaching more people.

    We realised that in India, the freemium model is incredibly effective. The principle of “pehle istemal karo fir vishwas karo” builds trust. In India, people need to experience something before they understand its value.

    StartupTalky: How does Habuild approach habit-building through yoga and meditation, and what strategies have you found most effective?

    Mr. Bothra: I talk about habits in three simple terms:

    • Make it Simple: Break down routines into manageable steps.
    • Create a Support System: Surround yourself with a supportive community.
    • Trust in Yourself:  This is extremely important if you seek lasting change.

    By focusing on these three simple steps, we’ve found that our approach to habit-building resonates deeply with our community. It makes yoga and meditation easier and helps everyone feel more confident and accomplished.

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    StartupTalky: Can you explain Habuild’s commitment to environmental sustainability, such as the tree-planting initiative based on referrals?

    Mr. Bothra: In 2024, the world witnessed one of the most intense and longest heat waves in the past 100-120 years. At Habuild, we believe that a healthy planet is essential for our well-being. This is why sustainability is at the heart of our mission. We asked our participants to invite 5 friends and we will plant a tree on their behalf. 

    While planting 50,000 trees may not directly impact us, it’s about each of us doing our part, no matter how big or small, to create positive change and inspire others to do the same.

    StartupTalky: What are the common challenges people face in sticking to wellness routines, and how can they overcome them?

    Mr. Bothra: A common issue people face is going all in at once or doing nothing at all. 

    While motivation is great, it needs to be paired with consistency. It’s essential to take things one step at a time and not rely solely on motivation. Start on a day when you’re least motivated and do as much as you are capable of. When you commit to doing a small amount consistently every day, you will see the results. This approach helps build lasting habits and ensures steady progress.

    StartupTalky: How does Habuild’s program for diabetes use yoga and lifestyle changes to tackle health issues in India?

    Mr. Bothra: Diabetes is a lifestyle issue. While many rely on medications which suppress symptoms, it’s crucial to tackle the root cause. At Habuild, we focus on improving lifestyles, starting with yoga. It’s not just about poses – yoga is a way of living that aims for a balanced lifestyle.

    Once your diet is in place, your metabolism is better, your mind is healthy – you will develop a potential to tackle or manage lifestyle disorders like diabetes.

    Additionally, we also offer resistance training, Habuild Kitchen, and diabetic-friendly recipes to support diabetes management.

    StartupTalky: As both an entrepreneur and a wellness advocate, how do you balance these two roles? What lessons have you learned from integrating wellness into a business model?

    Mr. Bothra: Balancing these two roles is something I haven’t done before – everything’s been new to me.

    And starting afresh brings stress, discomfort, and quite a lot of challenges. But I believe it’s a learning journey. I handle difficulties by practising what I preach.

    Yoga has been my rock – it keeps me grounded and resilient. Balancing business and wellness is easier when I stay true to my yoga lifestyle. I always tell my students to focus on the process, not the results. The same rule applies to me – it makes the journey less challenging and more rewarding.

    StartupTalky: What are your future plans and goals for Habuild, particularly in expanding its impact in wellness and yoga?

    Mr. Bothra: Our goal at Habuild is simple –  do as much as we can. I often repeat during our sessions, ‘jitna ho sake karte raho’ – it’s our mantra. This applies to both me and our organisation. We’re committed to making a difference in people’s lives.

    Our focus is not solely on achieving specific milestones or targets but on consistently taking action to positively impact people’s lives. The milestones we achieve along the way are considered to be the by-products of sustained efforts and dedication.

    StartupTalky: Can you share a personal story that shaped your perspective on the power of yoga and wellness in entrepreneurship?

    Mr. Bothra: As a yogi, I’ve learned the importance of having a balanced life and a flexible approach. Applying this to my business, I strive to maintain a balance between ambition and playfulness at work. It’s one thing to be flexible on a yoga mat, but the benefits of yoga extend far beyond physical flexibility. Yoga has taught me to be mentally flexible, better preparing me for the plot twists in this journey. 

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  • How to Implement a Corporate Yoga Program to Improve Workplace Culture

    This article has been contributed by Dr. Dharmesh Shah, Founder of Holistica World.

    In many Indian firms, where the environment is fast-paced and most often stressful, a corporate yoga program could add to enhancing workplace culture. Yoga at work aids in lowering stress levels, improving mental clarity, and creating oneness among employees. Here’s an entire guide to designing a successful yoga program tailored to the Indian workplace.

    Learning the Benefits of Yoga

    Yoga offers numerous advantages, all of which have direct implications for workplace culture and employee wellness:

    • Reduction of Stress: This is the part where yoga helps, using relaxation to reduce cortisol in the body and to yield a mind that is peaceful and alert.
    • Enhanced Physical Health: Regular practice enhances flexibility and posture and reduces common workplace complaints like back pain.
    • Improved Mental Sharpness: Yoga and meditation improve the power of attention and decision-making.
    • Higher Morale Among Employees: The workers will have more job satisfaction, job retention, and morale if they feel that their management is concerned about them.
    • Better Team Cohesion: Group yoga sessions build camaraderie and improve communication among colleagues.
    • Improved Oxygenation Through Right Breathing: Correct breathing techniques in yoga increase oxygen flow throughout the body, enhancing overall vitality and performance.
    • Enhanced Immunity: Yoga boosts the immune system, helping employees fight against diseases and remain disease-free.
    • Laughter Yoga: Incorporating laughter yoga can further reduce stress, elevate mood, and enhance team bonding through shared positive experiences.

    Yoga Program Planning

    • Identify the objectives: What are you looking to achieve from the yoga program? Is it stress reduction, improved physical health, or better team bonding?
    • Budget and Resources: Allocate a budget to recruit qualified yoga instructors, purchase the required number of mats, and possibly coordinate a space provision.
    • Scheduling: Decide how often classes will occur and when they will start. This may mean offering morning, lunchtime, or late afternoon classes so a range of employees can attend.
    • Type of Yoga: There are various forms of yoga that can be adopted, depending upon the requirements of employees. Some of these are chair yoga, desk yoga, and traditional floor yoga. Each one of these is suitable for differing physical capacities and settings at offices.

    Create Supportive Environments

    • Program Promotion: Share the information about the Yoga program through internal communication sources. Outline the benefits and, if available, share the success stories of other organizations.
    • Encouragement and Incentives: Encouraging employees to participate by providing free sessions and wellness points or mentioning them in organizational communications.
    • Feedback Loop: Regularly seek feedback from participants to keep improving the sessions. This would help mold the program so that it fits the most with what the employees need and assures further engagement.

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    Integration of Yoga into the Daily Corporate Work Life

    • Yoga Spaces: Designate a comfortable and quiet space for yoga practice. In case of insufficient space, use multi-purpose ones or even plan outdoors.
    • Flexible Options: Yoga poses that are desk-based, standing, and chair allow adaptable classes and suit all settings and physical ability levels.
    • Regular Practice: The key lies in being consistent. It is better to try including yoga as part of the routine work schedule than seeing it as a sporadic activity. Most of these effects can only get regular when practicing at least weekly or bi-weekly to establish and consolidate.

    Types of Yoga Practices Appropriate for the Workplace

    • Chair Yoga: Chair yoga means practicing yoga poses sitting in a chair. This works out just fine for people challenged with mobility or work in an office most of the time. It helps with better posture, reduction of tension in the neck and shoulders, and increased flexibility.
    • Desk Yoga: Desk yoga involves a series of yoga postures at one’s desk. It provides a chance for employees to take part who have no time to attend an entire yoga class or provide a room where they can perform yoga. It will reduce stiffness in the neck, shoulders, and back and increase circulation and energy levels.
    • Standing Yoga: This is doing yoga poses from a standing posture. Since this does not require any specific type of equipment and takes quite a lot of space, standing yoga can be easily fitted into the workplace. Standing yoga can improve one’s balance, strengthen one’s legs and core, and increase one’s circulation.
    • Breathing Exercises: An easy-to-perform yoga practice that includes breathing. Deep breathing from yoga leads to a decrease in stress and anxiety, enhanced attention and concentration, and enables peace and relaxation.

    Promoting and Encouraging Participation

    It is essential to create awareness and interest in the yoga program. The following strategies are to be applied for promoting the program:

    • Informational Sessions: Perform introduction sessions in which you outline how yoga can improve one’s professional and personal life.
    • Company Newsletters: Articles and success stories about the Yoga program run periodically in the company newsletter.
    • Incentive Programs: Reward employees for regularly coming to practice yoga. These can be in the form of wellness points, gift vouchers, or public acknowledgment.

    Addressing Common Challenges

    A yoga program has its challenges. Here’s how to deal with them:

    • Lack of Participation: In order to battle the menace of low levels of participation, make sure that the program is thoroughly advertised and, in fact, showcases benefits through real success stories coming from inside the organization.
    • Space Constraints: In case space is a problem, think about virtual yoga sessions or desk-based yoga practices, which require absolutely no space and can be executed at the level of a personal workstation.
    • Scheduling Conflicts: Include varied session timing for people who may be busy due to other priorities. Early morning, during lunch breaks, and late afternoon sessions can help maximize the participation of employees.

    To Sum It Up

    It is possible to bring a healthy, vibrant, and collaborative culture into the workplace with a well-planned corporate yoga program, well-promoted, and investment in experienced instructors. The introduction of yoga into one’s daily routine can work wonders with an emphasis on employee well-being for a productive company. By following these measures, your company can go ahead and effectively put in place a yoga program that will enhance employee morale and support organizational success.

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