In a bid to comprehend the relationship between entrepreneurship and mental illness, the University of California conducted a survey which revealed that around 49 percent of the entrepreneurs were coping with at least one mental illness. For someone who has been sparing no effort to pursue his/her dreams and handle a business −something that is inherently risky, the journey of an entrepreneur can be rocky, including mental distress. This is why, for entrepreneurs, good health is crucial and is one of the strongest assets they can have.
Amidst the endless appointments and meetings, it is imperative to take care of your health as well and yoga is one such way that can help you stay physically fit all the while helping you deal with your day-to-day stress. The fact that yoga is being highly touted by both established and emerging entrepreneurs alike across various industries. corroborates its ‘healing power’. PoojaDuggal, nutritionist and founder of HealthHunt said, “I have practised yoga for over 20 years now and from experience I can tell you that between being a new mother and the founder of one of Asia’s foremost wellness discovery platforms called Healthhunt, I would’ve lost my sanity long time ago if it wasn’t for yoga.”On the other hand, RajatKhare, yogi entrevestor and founder of the Luxembourg-based investment firm − Boundary Holding said that yoga has greatly helped him in his business decision-making process.
Like business, yoga too requires time and patience. It teaches us to take a step back and appreciate the entire process of growth and transformation without criticising ourselves for our pace. Most of all, it also teaches us to accept and embrace the fact that everything takes time to succeed. In this regard, one of Rajat Khare quotes that also draws a parallel between yoga and entrepreneurship is quite relevant. He says, “In yoga, you purposely entangle yourself in poses or postures many times, where in order to come out of those postures it requires you to act more flexibly than your body has ever done. This increases your flexibility and strength and advances you considerably. In a business, successful businessmen purposely entangle themselves in situations where to come out, they have to go beyond their strength and flexibility and success is the only way out.”
With that said, for businesspeople, the daily to-do list is never-ending and at times, just the thought of it can be mentally overwhelming. Yoga exercises as simple as pranayama can help you pull your mind away from your tangled thoughts and in fact, enable you to acknowledge them, giving you your own slice of tranquillity.
