Yoga: The Secret Weapon for Stronger Leaders and More United Teams – News18

Businesses today are racing against time, and professionals are no strangers to tension and stress, especially in high-stakes environments that demand constant alertness, rapid decision-making, and steady focus. Besides, heavy workloads, long commutes, little autonomy and long work hours can cause chronic stress, making it difficult to separate emotions from work.

According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2024 Report, 41 per cent of employees across the globe are experiencing rising stress, which is causing a rapid increase in incivility at work. In India, 32 per cent of employees are feeling stressed while 35 per cent of them are angry as compared to the global average of 21 per cent. Interestingly, not only employees but leaders as well are highly susceptible to stress, as they ensure business continuity and workplace safety while managing their emotions as well as their teams.

In the face of these mounting challenges, yoga emerges as a powerful tool for stress management, offering tangible benefits that extend to individual well-being and team dynamics.

Yoga for Stress Management in High-Pressure Settings

Understanding and managing stress is crucial for effective leadership and professional success since chronic stress affects not only mental clarity but also physical health, leading to a drop in productivity. Coupled with meditation, yoga provides a framework that is holistic and hence, an effective solution. The benefits of yoga for stress reduction are well-documented. Practices such as deep breathing (pranayama), physical postures (asanas), and meditation, can help regulate the body’s stress response.

Research shows that regular yoga practice leads to increased activation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) which may counteract detrimental effects of stress on the brain. It also impacts the activity of the amygdala, a part of the brain involved in processing emotions. Yoga may also increase the volume of the hippocampus, another part that regulates memory and learning but decreases in size with age. It also positively affects brain networks that may interfere with cognitive function and increase resilience and adaptability.

A regular yoga routine promotes relaxation and mental clarity, enabling leaders to navigate high-pressure situations with greater ease and composure. Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, credits meditation and mindfulness, which are integral to yoga, for his ability to maintain focus and manage stress acquired from a previous workplace. Similarly, companies like General Mills and Target have incorporated yoga, meditation and mindfulness practices into their routines for more than a decade now. Companies that have embraced these policies and integrated yoga into their wellness programs have seen substantial benefits.

Aetna, a US insurance giant, introduced mindfulness and yoga programs for its employees, resulting in a significant reduction in healthcare costs and an increase in productivity. Employees reported lower stress levels, better sleep, and a higher overall sense of well-being, translating into tangible business benefits.

Yoga Together for Stronger, Resilient Teams

Lowering stress levels through yoga not only benefits individuals but also strengthens team dynamics. Stress often hampers communication and collaboration, critical components of effective teamwork. By reducing stress, yoga practices foster emotional intelligence, enhance empathy and understanding among team members and help create a more harmonious and productive team environment. Group yoga sessions, in particular, can serve as team-building activities, promoting a sense of unity and mutual support. This enhanced emotional connectivity leads to better cooperation and more resilient teams.

A study conducted by Awaris and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) demonstrated that mindfulness fosters collective intelligence. 31 teams that participated in a ten-week mindfulness program showed an average increase of 13 per cent in collective intelligence, validating the significant impact of mindfulness on emotional intelligence, an essential component for increasing collective intelligence. Tapping into this collective intelligence creates an enormous opportunity for companies to build resilient teams who can find solutions to complex problems.

Resilient teams can adapt to changes, overcome setbacks, and thrive in the face of adversity. Yoga contributes to building this resilience by fostering mindfulness and promoting a calm and focused mindset. The mental discipline fostered by yoga encourages a mindset of acceptance and adaptability, essential qualities for navigating uncertainty, and enables individuals to stay composed under pressure and unexpected challenges.

Policies that Corporates Can Benefit From

Recognising the health benefits of yoga, the government has implemented policies to promote its practice in workplaces. The concept of yoga breaks, also known as Y-Breaks, is a case in point. The Y-Break App, aimed at working professionals, was introduced by the Ministry of AYUSH in 2021. The app is a five-minute yoga protocol comprising asanas, pranayama, and dhyana for office goers to help them de-stress, refresh and refocus at their workplace and increase their productivity. Last year, the Haryana government made yoga breaks mandatory in government and private universities, colleges, and offices.

The Ministry of AYUSH actively promotes yoga through various initiatives, offering resources and support to organisations that wish to implement yoga programs. Such government backing not only encourages a healthier workforce but also presents a cost-effective way for companies to reduce healthcare expenses and improve employee morale.

Incorporating yoga into the daily routine of leaders and teams offers numerous benefits, from stress reduction and enhanced team dynamics to increased resilience. Companies that adopt yoga-related wellness programs can foster healthier, more productive work environments. As the business landscape continues to evolve, the integration of holistic practices like yoga will be increasingly vital for sustaining high performance and navigating unforeseen challenges.

By embracing yoga, leaders can not only manage their stress more effectively but also build stronger, more resilient teams poised to thrive in any situation.

Sayantani De is Founding Partner, Peak IX Consulting. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.