Canadian Apparel Giant Lululemon Expands to India with Tech-Fueled, Community-Centric Wellness Gear

In a strategic move poised to reshape India’s premium athleisure landscape, Canadian apparel giant Lululemon Athletica is set to enter the Indian market through a landmark partnership with Tata CLiQ. The brand will open its first physical stores and launch e-commerce operations in the second half of 2026.

Retail Rollout: High-End Meets Hyperlocal

The expansion includes:

• Brick-and-mortar stores in major metros, beginning in 2026
• Digital presence on Tata CLiQ Luxury and Tata CLiQ Fashion
• Product portfolio spanning athletic wear, footwear, and accessories, tailored for yoga, golf, tennis, and training enthusiasts

With wellness and fitness gaining momentum across urban India, Lululemon plans to tap into local sensibilities through curated experiences, wellness events, and community activations.

Lululemon Athletica’s global headquarters is located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, at 1818 Cornwall Avenue,. This iconic location isn’t just a corporate office—it also houses their research and development lab, Whitespace, where scientists and physiologists work on fabric innovation and product design.

Lululemon stands apart from its competitors both in India and globally by blending technical innovation, community-driven branding, and a premium wellness lifestyle.

Lululemon was ranked the best yoga wear brand among Chinese luxury consumers by Hurun Research Institute in 2023. Image: Lululemon

Unlike most competitors, Lululemon invests in neuroscience, biomechanics, and motion capture to design apparel that adapts to individual movement. Moreover, instead of celebrity endorsements, Lululemon builds brand loyalty through local ambassadors and immersive wellness events.

Financial Highlights: Growth Amid Shifting Markets

Lululemon’s Q1 FY2025 performance reflects its global ambitions:

• Net revenue surged to $2.4 billion, a 7% YoY increase
• International markets contributed a robust 19% growth, compensating for a 2% dip in the Americas
• Gross margin improved to 58.3%, with profits totaling $1.4 billion
• Global footprint expanded to 770 stores, with further growth planned

Strategic Synergy: Bengaluru Tech Hub Fuels Global Operations

India’s importance to Lululemon’s global strategy isn’t new—the brand already operates a tech hub in Bengaluru, its first outside North America. The center leverages AI and machine learning for inventory planning and digital optimization.

This localized tech-first approach is expected to power its India retail strategy, supporting its ambitious goal to double net revenue to $12.5 billion by 2026.

Market Outlook: Disruption Ahead for Indian Athleisure

As competition intensifies among global players entering India’s premium fashion ecosystem, Lululemon’s community-focused model and emphasis on wellness could offer a differentiating edge. With Tata CLiQ’s robust retail infrastructure and Lululemon’s aspirational brand equity, the partnership could ignite new trends in the country’s evolving athleisure culture.

YOG, Not YOGA: Reclaiming the Essence of an Ancient Science

Let’s get one thing straight at the outset—it's Yog (योग), not Yoga. The westernized suffix “-a” might roll off global tongues easily, but it subtly distorts the deep, rooted philosophy that Yog truly represents. In Sanskrit, “Yog” comes from the root “yuj,” meaning union—of mind, body, and consciousness—not just a sequence of postures on a mat.

Here’s a glimpse into Yog as a holistic system:

• Yama: Ethical disciplines (non-violence, truthfulness, restraint)
• Niyama: Personal observances (cleanliness, contentment, self-discipline)
• Asana: Physical postures for bodily stability and readiness
• Pranayama: Breath control, seen as life-force regulation
• Pratyahara: Withdrawal of the senses
• Dharana: Concentration of the mind
• Dhyana: Meditation
• Samadhi: Ultimate absorption or enlightenment

To reduce Yog to just stretching or stress relief is like calling the ocean a puddle. It’s a living science—adaptable yet timeless—designed to help individuals align their inner rhythm with the cosmic one.

In reclaiming the pronunciation, we also reclaim its integrity. Names carry essence. Just as we honor original pronunciations in classical music or scientific discoveries, Yog too deserves its true sonic identity—precise, powerful, and purposeful.

Ashtanga Yog: The Eightfold Path According to Patanjali

1. Yama – Ethical restraints
   • Ahimsa (non-violence)
   • Satya (truthfulness)
   • Asteya (non-stealing)
   • Brahmacharya (moderation or celibacy)
   • Aparigraha (non-possessiveness)
2. Niyama – Personal observances
   • Shaucha (cleanliness)
   • Santosha (contentment)
   • Tapas (discipline)
   • Svadhyaya (self-study)
   • Ishvarapranidhana (surrender to the divine)
3. Asana – Posture
   • Cultivating stillness and comfort in the body to support meditation
4. Pranayama – Breath control
   • Regulated breathing to master the life force and bridge body with mind
5. Pratyahara – Withdrawal of senses
   • Turning attention inward, away from external distractions
6. Dharana – Concentration
   • Fixing the mind on a single object or idea to train steadiness
7. Dhyana – Meditation
   • A continuous and effortless flow of concentration leading to deep absorption
8. Samadhi – Liberation or absorption
• Merging with the object of meditation, transcending ego and duality

Image above is of Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, one of the most important gurus of modern yog, and is often called "Father of Modern Yog" for his wide influence on the development of postural yog.

Role of Sports & Yoga in Maintaining Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is the state of having equal time and priority for your career and personal life. It involves minimizing work-related stress and establishing a sustainable way to work while maintaining health and well-being. A healthy work-life balance can drive engagement, productivity, and retention.

Sports play a significant role in achieving a healthy work-life balance. They offer numerous benefits that can enhance both personal well-being and professional productivity. Here are some key ways sports contribute to balancing work and life:

1. Encourages Discipline and Team Bonding: Sports instill values such as discipline and cooperation. They push individuals out of their comfort zones and combine work-related pressure with fun, fostering strong bonds among colleagues. 

2. Improves Judgment and Management Skills: Engaging in sports helps employees to better assess situations and manage resources effectively. The strategic thinking and problem-solving skills developed in sports can translate to improved performance in the Workplace. 

3. Boosts Employee Engagement: Sports activities can increase the emotional investment of employees in their workplace. The physical activity involved in sports releases endorphins, reducing stress hormones and improving mental health, which in turn can lead to higher job satisfaction and Productivity. 

4.  Achieving Health and Fitness Goals: Regular participation in sports can help employees meet their health and fitness objectives, contributing to overall well-being and energy levels that support work performance.

5. Gracefully Accepting Failures: Sports teach how to handle losses and setbacks gracefully, a skill that is valuable in the corporate environment where challenges and failures are inevitable. 

6. Helps in De-stressing from Work: Physical activity is a natural stress reliever. By engaging in sports, employees can alleviate stress and return to work with a refreshed mind and body. 

In a brief, incorporating sports into one's routine can lead to a more energized, productive, and fulfilling professional and personal life. Organizations that promote sports and wellness programs often see a positive impact on their employees

Yoga 

Yoga offers a holistic approach to maintaining work-life balance by addressing physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

By integrating yoga into daily routines, individuals/employees can experience relief from physical tension caused by prolonged sitting or repetitive tasks, and cultivate mindfulness that helps establish clear boundaries between work and personal life. This can prevent overworking and burnout, fostering a healthier relationship with one's career and personal responsibilities. 

Here are some ways yoga can help:

1. Increased Energy: Yoga can combat the sedentary lifestyle that often accompanies office work, providing a boost in energy that can improve overall productivity. 

2. Reduced Stress: The practice of yoga is known for its stress-reducing benefits. Long hours at work can be stressful, and yoga can help alleviate this, leading to a more balanced life. 

3. Improved Posture: Many work environments lead to poor posture, which can cause discomfort and health issues. Yoga helps improve posture, which can reduce pain and increase comfort both at work and at home. Yoga also includes the 'Mudras', which are different hand gestures using fingers & thumb when used properly works as an incredible self-healing method.

4. Better Immunity: Regular yoga practice can strengthen the immune system, leading to fewer sick days and a healthier life both in and out of the workplace. 

5. Increased Focus: Yoga can enhance concentration and mental clarity, leading to better performance on work tasks. 

6. Improved Breathing: Proper breathing techniques are a core part of yoga, and they can help improve lung capacity and oxygen flow to the brain, which is beneficial for maintaining high levels of cognitive function during work hours. 

7. Increased Morale: A regular yoga practice can improve mood and increase workplace satisfaction, creating a more positive work environment.

KPC LYFE Acquires Bikram Yoga

LOS ANGELES, March 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- KPC Group is excited to announce the expansion of its healthcare offerings to include KPC LYFE. KPC LYFE, the KPC Group's holistic health initiative, has acquired the widely recognized and internationally famous Bikram Yoga. This acquisition of Bikram Yoga provides an unparalleled opportunity for the KPC Group to add this iconic brand, with an extremely loyal following, to its health and wellness programs offered to its patients and local communities.

KPC Group is a diversified, multifaceted, and integrated company, which has incorporated life-enhancing healthcare services for over two decades. Its healthcare services are structured with hospital chains, medical groups, as well as pre-and post-acute care facilities across the USA and India. KPC Group stands heavily behind the motto, prevention is better than cure.

In March 2022, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, Northern Division, approved the sale of the intellectual property assets associated with the Bikram Yoga brand to Dr. Kali P. Chaudhuri or his designee. Dr. Chaudhuri designated KPC LYFE as the assignee for the intellectual property assets. The Bikram Yoga intellectual property assets include all the domain names, trademarks, and copyrights (including copyrights for the course curriculum for the very popular Bikram Yoga teacher training).

Bikram Yoga is the original hot yoga sequence devised by yoga guru and innovator, Bikram Choudhury, and it is among the best known. Bikram Yoga has been taught in the United States since 1973. Every class lasts for 90 minutes and consists of a unique fixed sequence of 26 yoga postures and 2 breathing exercises. At its peak, there were approximately 1,650 Bikram Yoga studios in 40 countries.

About KPC Group

KPC Group, headquartered in Corona, California, is a global leader in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, education, engineering and real estate. Originally founded by world- renowned orthopedic surgeon and entrepreneur, Dr. Kali Chaudhuri, the KPC Group has amassed over $10 billion in assets, including hospitals, clinics, schools, commercial real estate properties, and agricultural research centers. The KPC Group's healthcare division, KPC Health, primarily owns and operates a multi-specialty hospital chain in Southern California with 17 hospitals worldwide. KPC Health has successfully established a group of integrated healthcare delivery systems consisting of acute care hospitals, Independent Physician Associations, medical groups, urgent care facilities, and various fully integrated multi- specialty medical facilities throughout the Western United States.

Yoga Protocol App 'Y Break' Launched by Ayush Ministry; Especially Designed for Working Professionals

Yesterday, Union Minister of Ayush Sarbanand Sonowal has launched the ‘Y-Break’ mobile application in an event at Vigyan Bhawan. 

Thoughtfully designed & developed by Ministry of Ayush, the Y Break mobile application is a 5-minute Yoga protocol, especially designed for working professionals to de-stress, refresh and re-focus at their workplace to increase their productivity, consists of Asanas, Pranayam and Dhyana.

Y Break Mobile App Screenshots

Listing the benefits of Yoga, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal said, "We know that the corporate professionals often experience stress and also physical problems due to their occupation. Of course, the other professions are also not exempted from such problems. Keeping in view the working population this Y-break has been developed, which will give the employees some solace at the workplace. This Y-break, if practiced sincerely, is going to play a major role in the maintenance of the health of the people."

The Yoga protocol in the Y-Break application comprises of a few simple Yogic practices as follows:

1. Tadasana - Urdhva-hastottanasana - Tadasana
2. Skandha chakra- Uttanamandukasana -- Kati Chakrasana
3. Ardhachakrasana - PrasaritaPadottanasana - Deep Breathing
4. Nadishodhana Pranayama
5. Bhramari Pranayama - Dhyana

Further, each minute is a carefully designed component, with details as follows :

1. In the first minute, the practitioner starts in a standing position with Urdhva-hastottanasana (lateral bending) followed by Tadasana (upward stretch)
2. In the second minute, practice Skandhachalana (shoulder rotation) followed by Uttanamandukasana (shoulder stretch).
3. In the third minute, Ardhachakrasana (backward bend) is followed by Padottanasana (forward bend).
4. The fourth minute is dedicated to Nadishodhana pranayama (alternate nostril breathing).
5. In the fifth minute, Bhramari pranayama (humming bee breathing) followed by Dhyana (meditation).

The 'Y-Break' app launch event was also attended by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (I/c) Science &Technology and Earth Science. He said --- 

We are using digital technology in promoting Yoga is really worth appreciating. I urge Union Law Minister to enact a law on Yoga for 5 minutes at the workplace so that people can take advantage of it.

Tennis Ace Sania Mirza Conducts Masterclass on Fitness and Yoga for 8 Lakh Students at Lead Powered Schools

Mumbai, August 04, 2021: EdTech major in K-12 segment, LEAD initiated its second MasterClass for over 8 lakh students of its partner schools pan India, with Padma Bhushan awardee Sania Mirza motivating students to adopt a healthy lifestyle through Fitness and Yoga. The Tennis champion highlighted the importance of physical and mental exercises for students to combat limited physical activity and anxieties.

With MasterClass, LEAD has launched an industry first initiative to provide school children with an exposure to overall development and growth by partnering with renowned experts to share their knowledge and experience. Prior to the initiative, students from small towns & cities didn’t have access to such opportunities. The first MasterClass on creative writing was held with eminent author Chetan Bhagat.

The MasterClass on ‘Fitness and Yoga’ with the sports icon was enriching for the students and their parents as Sania shared her mantra of ‘building inner core and muscle strengthen to remain fit’. A believer of achieving dreams at any cost, she explained the role of discipline in life to students by sharing anecdotes on how she managed both, sports and academics.

Sania chatted with mothers on their role in supporting their children in remaining mentally and physically strong during the pandemic while also taking care of their own health by indulging in fitness activities.

Sania Mirza taking the second LEAD Masterclass

Padma Bhushan awardee Sania Mirza said,

The pandemic must never come in the way of our commitment to pursue our dreams. Fitness and Yoga is a great way for children today to build on their mental and physical strength. A healthy body and mind is central to overall growth and learning and in the present context it is important that schools provide these opportunities to students.

LEAD Co-founder & CEO Sumeet Mehta said, "MasterClass provides access to an exclusive world that is otherwise unavailable to students and schools from small towns. Our mission is to make excellent education accessible and affordable to every child. Where would children otherwise have a chance to attend a live class from Chetan Bhagat or Sania Mirza? LEAD brings this to them because we believe that children from small towns, if given access and opportunity, can shine as bright as students from metros. And with successful celebrities such as Sania Mirza, students will get a dose of inspiration to take fitness and health seriously in life. Because a fit mind lives in a fit body. In future, we will bring more such Masterclasses to students of LEAD powered schools!”

Each month, LEAD’s MasterClass has skill-based themes such as Yoga, Public Speaking, Mental Maths etc. Every session will be power-packed with inspiring stories, live Q&A sessions with celebrities and instructors, engagement in the form of quizzes, discussion sessions, live fun activities and take-home assignments.

About LEAD

LEAD is promoted by Leadership Boulevard, one of the fastest growing EdTech companies in India. It combines technology, curriculum and pedagogy into an integrated system of teaching and learning, thus improving student learning and teacher performance in schools across the country. LEAD partners with 2000+ schools with an estimated 8 lakh+ students in more than 400 cities, including tier 2 to tier 4 cities, in 20 States.

Yoga & Wellness platform, SARVA, reinforces its commitment to health and fitness; makes two senior appointments

Mumbai, 25th May 2021: SARVA, one of India’s leading yoga-based digital platforms, announces the appointment of Nam Le as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Janhavi Saraf as Vice President & Head of Content. These two strategic appointments will help drive technical innovation and content diversification at SARVA.

Launched in April 2020 in the middle of an emerging pandemic, SARVA’s digital offering promotes holistic health through its purely goal-based online yoga platform. The content is primarily aimed at and customised to five primary health goals, namely, weight loss, pain management & therapy, stress, sleep, and overall health and immunity.

Talking about this, Sarvesh Shashi, Founder, SARVA, said,

The pandemic has made our lives so much more challenging. You have to remain away from the office, your kids can’t go to school and there is literally no outdoor activity. In such a situation, if one doesn’t get the right support and guidance, it could make them physically or mentally sick. We at SARVA are trying to overcome this situation by introducing people to yoga’s benefits. Our digital platform helps them access the best in class content and interactive yoga sessions within their homes. SARVA has already touched so many lives and we are on a mission to help the world breathe, relax, get some sleep and stay physically & mentally fit and healthy.

Nam Le, CTO, SARVA, added, “After having spent more than 25 years working for giants like Sapient and CA Technologies in the Silicon Valley area, and launching a number of start-ups all over the world, I am now keen to use my knowledge in the health and wellness sector. I headed the product engineering team at The Cusp, a company that offered at-home hormone tests to women in peri-menopausal and menopausal stages as well expert care telemedicine services. Now, my aim is to help SARVA evolve into a major digital platform for learning yoga and mindfulness. I believe that technology empowers us in novel ways every day and the culmination of wellness and technology is at its peak during this period”.

Janhavi Saraf, Vice President, Head Content for SARVA, said --

I am excited to get an opportunity to strategize and create content that will genuinely move mind sets and wellness graphs in the positive direction. At SARVA, we’re literally revolutionising lives. This is the right time to bring out the potential of genuine yoga and ancient Indian meditation practices when the world is in need of these tried and tested solutions. I am looking forward to seeing SARVA continually evolve as a brand, redefining and augmenting the journey of our users towards wellness.

Having delivered over four billion minutes of live classes and instructions completed on its dynamic digital platforms, SARVA’s ecosystem of curated and premium, and exclusive content comprises:

A) 650,000 + installs from over 97 countries in the last 12 months.
B) 35,000+ paid users
C) More than 25+ Corporate partnerships
D) 1500 hours of yoga and meditation content created and diversified into audio, video and textual guides.
E) Launched content in six different languages.
F) An avg rating of over 8.6 for every goal based program.

Over and above this SARVA is also dedicated towards helping communities thrive and heal through this difficult time which includes a lot of digital content comprising of Yoga and yogic habits that are being offered free of cost across their platforms.

SARVA aims to drive the mission of promoting holistic wellness through yoga and creating new technological features such as personalisation, gamification, in addition to content that will enhance its multi-cross generational appeal. SARVA is also working towards achieving a target of $1mn MRR by March 2022.

SARVA is backed by celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, Mark Mastrov – often known as the Steve Jobs of Fitness, Malaika Arora, Director, and Producer Aishwaryaa R Dhanush, Shahid, and Mira Kapoor among others. They have also received funding from US-based VC Fund Mantra Capital, the Patni Family office, Fireside Ventures, and the Cutting Edge Group (CEG).

Science of Yoga To Masses As Book on "Yoga Mudras" Released in English, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu Languages

'Prana' Yoga Mudra

In an attempt to bring the Science of Yoga close to the common people, 79 years old Yoga Guru, Scholar, Teacher, Philanthropist, Dr. Aasoori Rangaraja Iyengar brought out a book, "The Essential Yoga Mudras for Healing", which the author terms as the need of the hour especially in these trying times.

Mudras is a hand gesture when used properly works as an incredible self-healing method.

An effort has been made to research and bring a book with three hundred Mudras. This book has 15 Mudras, very prominent, useful and highly effective Mudras that can heal the most common ailments.

The purpose of the book, the author says, is to highlight effective Mudras for most common problems, which the author calls Drugless, Harmless, Healing Mudras.

Each finger is impregnated with potential energies that can heal diseases of body and mind Dr. Rangarajan Iyengar writes in a 44 pager book published by Hyderabad based Saranga Publishing

English Cover

Priced at Rs 149/-, the book is in English. It is also translated into many other languages, the highlight of which is Urdu. The other languages include Telugu, Tamil. It is soon going to be published in Persian language. It is written so simply and easily to follow. Every page has a Mudra, a hand position captured in a captivating photograph and an explanation is given on the opposite page. It explains the Mudra, the hand position, the philosophy behind it, how to practice it and its benefits. On the whole 15 Mudras are presented in the book.

These 15 Mudras published in the book include 1. Jnana Mudra--Knowledge Mudra; 2. Prithvi Mudra--Mudra of Balance; 3. Apanja Mudra---Elimination and Excretion; 4. Prana Mudra--Vital Energy Mudra; 5. Vayu Mudra--The Air Mudra; 6. Akasha Mudra--The Mudra of Space; 7. Shunya Mudra --The Infinite Mudra; 8. Varuna Mudra--Mudra of Water; 9. Jalodamshaka Mudra or Jalodhar Nashak Mudra---Mudra for Water Control; 8. Apana Vayu Mudra--Mudra of Heart; 11. Dhyana Mudra--Mudra of Meditation; 12. Vyana Mudra --Circulation Mudra; 13. Linga Mudra--Thumb Mudra; 14. Shankha Mudra--The Conch Mudra and 15. Yoni Mudra--Womb Gesture

In the olden day’s health used to be in our hands. And now, it is in the hands of doctors'. The creator has given us an inbuilt sacred and secret science, our fingers. Through various postures of our fingers we can cure, heal, avoid diseases and boost our health, says the Author.

Urdu Cover

Did you know when you touch the tip of your index finger with your thumb it reduces anger and heals headaches?

Did you know when you touch the tip of the middle finger with a ring finger, it controls vomiting?

Did you know when you touch the tip of the ring finger with a little finger, it removes leg cramps?

Linga Mudra

These and many more magic tips of touching fingertips revealed in a just-released book Yoga Mudras.

Mudras are called “Drugless-Healing". But, unfortunately, these Yoga Mudras are long forgotten and are not taught or practised in recent times.

The book is available for order online on www.sarangapublishing.com. It is also available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.in/Essential-Yoga-Mudras-Healing/dp/8195067301, Flipkart: https://bit.ly/33u0TIg

To Monitor Effect of Yogic Techniques on COVID-19, Health-Tech Firm Dozee Collaborates with CCRYN, Ministry of Ayush

• The Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy (CCRYN) wing of Ministry of Ayush
• Over 40 devices are planned to be setup across Rajiv Gandhi Multispeciality Hospital, AIIMS Rishikesh,AIIMS  Delhi and PGI Chandigarh

Dozee has collaborated with the research arm i.e. CCRYN of Ministry of Ayush (i.e. Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) to provide contactless health monitors across hospitals such as Rajiv Gandhi Hospital, AIIMS Rishikesh, AIIMS Delhi and PGI Chandigarh for their research study on using Yoga interventions in management of covid 19 patients.

In current times of pandemic when the world is looking for solutions to improve immunity, the Ministry of Ayush is combining the power of breathing techniques, herbs and meditation to help beat the virus. CCRYN will use these devices to monitor how Covid-19 patients’ health is improving from different yogic techniques in these hospitals located in Delhi, Chandigarh and Rishikesh. 

Dozee helps in providing data on various parameters such as respiration, Oxygen saturation,  heart rate, sleep and stress-recovery through heart rate variability monitoring. It is the only contactless health monitor that tracks health parameters and provides it remotely to doctors and experts. The aim of the activity is to have patients practise different breathing techniques along with following a special diet aimed at boosting immunity. The CCRYN will appoint Yoga teachers at each hospital to provide live sessions as well as providing sessions through Dozee’s mobile app. The healthcare startup, Dozee will help CCRYN in monitoring how the health of  mildly positive symptomatic and asymptomatic patients is improving with such techniques. 

As our medical system is working relentlessly to find a solution to this sudden outbreak, Dozee aims to ease their burden and risk by providing a non-intrusive solution to monitoring vital signs. These natural solutions can help provide a dependable way to improve the health of these patients. One can monitor the stress levels of patients before practice and guage how much relaxation they have achieved after each yoga session. It will also help us understand which kind of practices are useful.  

Mr Mudit Dandwate, Co-Founder, Dozee, quotes, “We are honoured to be associated with the research council  (CCRYN) of the Ministry of Ayush to contribute towards fighting this battle with the pandemic. We hope that we can empower our medical fraternity while they work tirelessly. This contactless device will share continuous quantitative data with doctors and flag any health deterioration of patients. We hope to be catalysts in fighting the battle with Covid19. We are humbled to be identified by CCRYN from the Ministry of Ayush and are eager to work alongside their healthcare initiatives.” 

Dr Raghvendra Rao, Director of Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy (CCYRN), Ministry of Ayush, states, “ We are thrilled that startups like Dozee can help out to combat the pandemic. While the medical community is strained with the increasing numbers, the data provided by Dozee on a real time basis will aid remote health monitoring by doctors and reduce their burden. It will also create a step down ICU for the hospitals battling shortage of beds. We hope to work in unison with Dozee for other hospitals too in the future integrating our yoga solutions along with real time monitoring.” 

Launched in mid-2019, Dozee is available on both Amazon.in & its website. Dozee has also been backed by reputed companies like Qualcomm and Department of Biotechnology – Govt of India–BIRAC and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for product development and acceleration. This Bengaluru based healthcare startup is the brainchild of Mr. Mudit Dandwate and Mr. Gaurav Parchani, both IIT alumni. 

About Dozee: Dozee, a part of the Turtle Shell Technologies Pvt Ltd is a company registered in India in 2015 based out of Bengaluru – Karnataka.  The company was founded by Mudit Dandawate from IIT Mumbai and Gaurav Parchani from IIT Indore. TST is one of the most promising and looked upon Indian health- tech companies which is the first one to launch a contactless health companion under the brand Dozee in India. Dozee uses Ballistocardiography as the underlying technology where a thin sensor sheet is placed below the mattress (any mattress up to 18 inches) of the user to capture the data on micro-vibrations in the human body. This data of micro-vibration is further analyzed using advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms to create health data about the user.  Dozee is used for proactive health monitoring of health for preventive health care, stress management, sleep improvement, and athlete performance management. TST also provided its technology for smart mattresses. Dozee was awarded Best Healthcare Startup at Bioasia 2019 and Best Tech Innovation at Assocham 2019. They have developed their technology in close collaboration with NIMHANS, Jayadeva Institute of Cardiac Sciences.  

Shikhar Dhawan Invests in Leading Indian Yoga Brand - SARVA

This is the first-of-its-kind investment by a sportsperson into the brand that has earlier received funding from prominent names including Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez

SARVA, India’s fastest growing yoga based wellness ecosystem has raised funding from ace cricketer and entrepreneur Shikhar Dhawan. Being a sportsman and fitness enthusiast himself, Shikhar has been practicing yoga for a long time and it also aided his recuperation from a recent injury. His investment into the venture aligns with his belief that yoga can help achieve emotional, spiritual and physical fitness. He also believes that Yoga is India's gift to the world.

SARVA till date has raised over $8 million in funding from an illustrious list of global investors including David Giampaolo, noted entrepreneur in the global health and fitness sector; Mark Mastrov, an entrepreneur hailed as the ‘Steve jobs of Fitness’; Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, Zumba, Fireside Ventures & Mantra Capital. Bollywood celebrities Malaika Arora, Aishwaryaa R Dhanush, Shahid and Mira Kapoor also back the venture. The brand aims to connect 7 billion breaths through yoga and mindfulness, showcasing it as a seamless part of various lifestyles, individuals, and professionals and how it has changed them.

Speaking about the investment, Sarvesh Shashi, Founder SARVA, and Co-founder DIVA Yoga, said, “We are very happy to have Shikhar Dhawan on board as an investor and partner. Sports and fitness go hand in hand and Shikhar aligned completely with SARVA’s philosophy of holistic health and well-being, which is a must for a fast-paced game like cricket. His involvement will help us rebrand yoga as authentic yet modern and inclusive yet transformative-- a positioning that yoga has never had in India”.

Shikhar Dhawan and Sarvesh Shashi

Speaking about this, Shikhar Dhawan, said, “SARVA is doing great work towards empowering people with tools to lead better lives and I am thrilled to join their mission of connecting seven billion breaths. My personal journey with fitness and wellness began when I entered the world of cricket. I have first-hand benefited from yoga, be it while recovering from an injury, getting back into shape, building stamina or staying focused before a game. For me yoga is a holistic workout that helps me achieve a perfect blend of physical fitness, mental strength, agility, and peace of mind. This is why when I met Sarvesh, I connected to his vision for SARVA instantly.”

SARVA and its women-centric brand DIVA Yoga have grown aggressively since its inception in 2016 and now have an integrated offline and online offering. The newly launched SARVA Yoga App is currently divided into 2 categories: Body, that hosts video on demand, LIVE and an interactive offering which is currently under progress; Mind - a collection of authentic Indian stories for Sleep, Meditation and Mindfulness. The 3rd category to be launched soon is called Nourish, which will host healthy recipes, skin-care tips and more.

“Today Yoga has become ubiquitous in the world of sports with many players having discovered the benefits of this practice in combination with their regular workouts. We at SARVA have been working closely with many athletes including those from the fields of cricket, badminton, Golf, boxing, swimming and tennis over the last few years”, added Sarvesh Shashi.

One of the finest players in the Indian cricket team and a trendsetter, Shikhar Dhawan’s yoga routine starts with a Surya Namaskar, followed by Sarvangasana and Halasana to activate his back and core and ends his practice with pranayama. This regime opens up his body and relaxes him mentally as well. It also lets him balance out other aspects of life including his recent stint as an entrepreneur – something that requires a lot of focus.

SARVA and DIVA Yoga have a global digital reach of over 200 million. The brands have set out to help people across different countries connect with this holistic practice and achieve the associated benefits. For more information or to join the live classes, people can log on to live.sarva.com or Download the Sarva app on Appstore and iOS. You can also access live yoga sessions at @thedivayoga.

BIGO LIVE: Building and Nurturing the Community through Virtual Fitness Classes for Free

The coronavirus pandemic prompted a nation-wide stay-at-home order forcing adjustments to all our routines. Being confined to our houses 24/7 not only takes a physical but also a mental toll on people. To keep the users engaged and stress free during this pandemic, BIGO LIVE, a product of BIGO Technology a Singapore based technology giant and a leading live streaming platform is bringing virtual fitness sessions under their initiative, 'Get Fit with BIGO' with professional instructors for free of cost.

This initiative aims to promote a healthy and fit lifestyle by providing live fitness sessions to all BIGO LIVE users enabling a transition of gyms into virtual fitness classes. Users can choose the fitness class of their choice from diverse options that include Zumba, yoga, Acroyoga, female fitness, right way to do cardio and Desi fitness, which can be done at home without any fancy gym equipment's. The introduction of fitness will encourage people to lead a healthy lifestyle. It will also help disrupt the monotony of the quarantine life and bring a sense of commitment and achievement in their lives.



While the web is flooded with free workout videos, the advantage of practicing fitness from BIGO LIVE is that the BIGO fitness experts can offer specific training to individuals or group of users as per their requirement through its various features and keep changing the workout according to their clients' fitness level. The BIGO LIVE users can also get real time feedback from the instructors on their performance and raise queries on the topics related to health and fitness and get them resolved instantly during or after the live session. You can also keep updating the level of your workout as per your progress. These sessions do not require any expenditure. All you need is a yoga mat and you are good to go.

The users can also have a Q&A session with the fitness experts and get customized routines and advice as per their concerns. This initiative not only benefits the users but also the fitness hosts and coaches to have a source of income while widening their reach and gaining more audiences. The platform will also keep updating the fitness schedule while adding new fitness hosts every week. This will help widen the options for the users and bring in more activity and vigour in the platform.

"The idea behind 'Get Fit with BIGO LIVE' is to provide our users with means to partake in healthy living practices and get over the humdrum caused by the pandemic. These virtual sessions will be open to all our users free of cost. There are various categories under workout that people can avail as per their liking. Our main aim through this initiative is to promote a healthy and active lifestyle. We are looking forward to active participation from people and will bring on board more health gurus as hosts to guide people. We wish to make it a lively campaign and hope more and more people join these live sessions and encourage their friends and family members to adopt this kind of lifestyle as well. I strongly believe that this is a wonderful way to still feel a sense of community while joining our hands together to promote physical and mental well-being and also give opportunity to lots of fitness experts to earn through this platform which makes it a win-win situation for content creators as well as viewers," Nagesh Banga, Deputy Country Head of BIGO LIVE commented on the occasion.

Riya Singh who is a Yoga instructor and a BIGO LIVE Fitness Host remarked that, "This COVID-19 outbreak has taken a toll on all of us. There are growing levels of anxiety among people because of the pandemic and in order to maintain normality during lockdown, a workout regime can be very helpful. BIGO LIVE's 'Get Fit with BIGO' initiative is a wonderful opportunity for all to keep yourselves in shape and work on your mental and physical health. It is also a great way to connect with other people and support one another to sail through this pandemic. Hence, I am using my fitness expertise to work towards a healthy and a fit lifestyle and reach out to my fans through these virtual fitness classes."

About Bigo Technology

BIGO is a fast-growing Singapore technology company established in 2014. BIGO operates products and services in more than 150 countries in the world. BIGOs products include BIGO LIVE (global live streaming platform), Likee (global short video creation platform) and imo (global video communication platform). BIGOs headquarters and regional centres are focused on building Artificial Intelligence capabilities and enhancements specifically for localization and country specific requirements. At present, BIGO has seven R&D centers, in Singapore, U.S., Middle East, India, and China, and over 20 offices around the globe. BIGO aims to provide their users with a world class experience through their cutting-edge technology. Building a global and inspiring social community based on video service. BIGO encourages people to share their creativity, passion and happiness in life and make the world a better place.

Visit BIGO's www.bigo.sg for more information on their brand and products.

"The Mindfulness Movement" Film from Executive Producers Deepak Chopra & Jewel, has Worldwide Digital Release on April 10

THE MINDFULNESS MOVEMENT from Executive Producers Deepak Chopra and Jewel to pivot from national theatrical to worldwide digital release.

• The film will be available in multiple languages on April 10.


• Available to rent or purchase at - TheMindfulnessMovement.com


• In the spirit of a global release, they have subtitles in at least five languages (Spanish, French, German, Portuguese for Brazil, and Hindi).

The film was initially going to be in over 50 theaters across the US and Canada but due to concerns about the coronavirus, they accelerated their plans for a global online release. The film is available to rent or purchase at - TheMindfulnessMovement.com it has subtitles in at least five languages.

The upcoming documentary THE MINDFULNESS MOVEMENT Produced and Directed by Rob Beemer, Executive Produced by Deepak Chopra and Jewel, is a feature documentary that examines the growing number of people throughout society who believe mindfulness - a peaceful quality of attention anyone can develop by simply focusing on the present moment in a non-judgmental way - is the key to creating a healthier, happier world. The documentary also offers an interactive element, giving viewers the chance to close their eyes and practice during brief guided meditations led by well-known mindfulness teachers.



Abramorama's Richard Abramowitz (CEO) and Karol Martesko-Fenster (COO) said, "This film's value has increased exponentially in the past few weeks so we've worked with Rob Beemer to ensure that it would be broadly available when it is most needed. Mindfulness: if not now, when"

Producer and Director Rob Beemer added, "We're shifting gears as quickly as possible to the worldwide online release and will be providing viewers with additional content from some of our experts who will explain how mindfulness can reduce fear and anxiety during this global health crisis and provide simple mindfulness techniques to help people to cope."

[tnm_video layout="mnmd-post-media-wide"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUrxD7BF5gM[/tnm_video]

Deepak Chopra and Jewel have been speaking out about the importance of mental health during the crisis, including their recent appearances on CNN. Deepak has been reminding people that as they take care of their physical hygiene to slow the spread of the virus, "It's also important to practice mental hygiene because stress weakens our immune systems, which is why the film can be a valuable resource." He said, "The Mindfulness Movement is a must-see film, especially for our challenging times."

In addition to promoting various fundraisers, Deepak has been conducting free online guided meditations, including a recent live global meditation that was so popular that the live stream crashed.

Jewel has been sharing the mindfulness techniques that helped her escape homelessness, which she offers for free at JewelNeverBroken.com, and raising over $550,000 for mental health resources during her recent "Live From San Quarantine" concert from her bedroom. She said, "Mindfulness can help reduce the pandemic's silent symptoms of anxiety, fear and depression."

Chopra has also been working to raise awareness for suicide prevention and mental wellbeing through a global movement called "Never Alone" and a film "The Offering".

He is doing this in partnership with actress and humanitarian, Gabriella Wright, director and meditation teacher Michel Pascal, and Social Entrepreneur Poonacha Machaiah.

Poonacha is an Indian origin global thought leader and has recently launched the Warrior MonkTM brand targeted at creating a positive societal shift through the compassionate transformation of humankind. It is dedicated to empower everyone to be more resilient in the body and mind through unique compelling online training programs to master resilience, and products for reducing inflammation in the body, enhancing motivation, energy, mood, memory, focus and overall cognitive processing.

These tools are all the need of the hour right now. People need aids through these tough times for the mind body and soul.

THE MINDFULNESS MOVEMENT follows the emotionally compelling stories of four main characters (Jewel, Dan Harris, Sharon Salzberg and George Mumford) who reveal their personal hardships and explain how mindfulness transformed their lives. Woven between these journeys are profiles of the leaders, history and science behind the movement, as well as looks at the many places where mindfulness is already helping to improve society, including schools (from inner-cities to Harvard Business School), Fortune 500 companies, police forces, prisons, network newsrooms, neuroscience laboratories, therapist offices, sports teams, military veterans groups and the health care industry.

THE MINDFULNESS MOVEMENT features experts in the field including Dan Harris (ABC News correspondent & GMA weekend co-host, author of "10% Happier"), Sharon Salzberg (Author and Co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society), Jon Kabat-Zinn (author and Founder of the UMASS Center for Mindfulness), Daniel Goleman (Psychologist and Author of "Emotional Intelligence"), Fleet Maull (Founder of Prison Mindfulness Institute), Diana Winston (Author and Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center), George Mumford (teacher and author of "The Mindful Athlete"), Tim Ryan (US Congressman, Ohio and Author of "A Mindful Nation"), Bill George (Senior Fellow at Harvard Business School, former Fortune 500 CEO, and author), Leigh Koechner (Speaker, Podcaster, Parenting Expert & Spiritual Teacher), Richard Davidson (Neuroscientist and Founder of the UW-Madison's Center For Healthy Minds.

It is interesting to note that the film was funded through donations to its non-profit fiscal sponsor, The International Documentary Association. So many people who were aligned with the cause got a chance to get associated with the film.

Nina Kler Wellbeing Crusader and Writer from New Delhi, India is the key contributor for the film by virtue of her contribution. She has been on the forefront of the Mindfulness Movement in India thanks to her stint at BW Businessworld as Editorial Lead of Wellbeing.

She has in the past interviewed, engaged and learned from many of these International luminaries.

She shares that this movie couldn't have come out at a better time for people. "While life 'Pre-COVID' was probably hectic enough, 'Post-COVID' the only way to stay sane and centered is to practice mindfulness."

About Abramorama

Abramorama is the preeminent global theatrical distribution, marketing and rights management partner for documentary and music films today and is recognized for the consistent high quality of its work on award winning feature films. A partner to record labels, artists, managers, filmmakers and IP owners, Abramorama is recognized as an innovator in the focused, personalized form of film distribution and event cinema, providing invaluable alternatives to filmmakers and content owners. Abramorama continues to trail-blaze exciting new pathways for filmmakers to find their audience. Over the course of nearly 20 years, Abramorama has successfully distributed and marketed hundreds of films, and recently launched its music-centric film fund focused on the global release of iconic music documentaries, alongside numerous live integrated special theatrical events.

For more information, please visit abramorama.com.

About Mangurama

Mangurama, a partnership between Abramorama and Giancarlo Canavesio's aspects of human existence. The company distributes and invests in the completion of paradigm challenging Mangusta Productions, brings films that celebrate "consciousness" to the big, medium, and small screen.

Mangurama's films and episodic programs, are the next generation of mind, body, spirit documentaries, covering not only spirituality, eastern philosophy, yoga and meditation, but also economics, politics, philosophy, sexuality and other and consciousness expanding visual content. Released and upcoming feature documentaries and episodic series include Tyler Chandler and Nick Meyer's Dosed, Tom Cronin and Jacqui Fifer's The Portal, Rob Beemer's The Mindfulness Movement, Abby Epstein and Ricki Lake's award-winning Weed The People, Adam Schomer's The Road To Dharma - Riders of The Himalayas, Randall Wright's Summer In The Forest, Bruce Parry's TAWAI - A Voice From The Forest, Raz Degan & Appian Way's presentation The Last Shaman, and Tao Ruspoli's Monogamish. New paradigm docs on DMT, channeling indigenous wisdom, the metaphysics of Blockchain, and new conscious capitalism are in various stages of development and production for release in 2020.

Mumbai-based Yoga Startup SARVA Raises $6 Mn from Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez and Others

Mumbai-based yoga and wellness startup, SARVA has raised a $6-million seed funding round from celebrities from fitness and music industry including superstar Jennifer Lopez and her fiance, baseball legend Alex Rodriguez, marking the duo's very first investment in an Indian venture.

SARVA, which has some 55,000 members across 70 yoga studios in 35 cities, offer a varied range of engaging and customized yoga services drawn from the best of ancient and modern techniques.

The startup has so far raised a total of $8 million in two rounds including this one. SARVA also counts Bollywood entertainer Malaika Arora and India's largest chain of health clubs, Talwalkars, as its investors.



The Yoga Startup, which has also roped in a stellar supporting cast of US corporate executives as backers, plans to raise $15-20 million in institutional funding over the course of the current calendar year.

Lopez, who is widely perceived as one of the world's top ranking entertainers across movie and music industries, and Rodriguez, commonly acknowledged to be one of the greatest short stops ever to step onto a baseball diamond, were introduced to SARVA by Mark Mastrov, who is Rodriguez's partner in other ventures.

Rodriguez primarily invests through his firm A-Rod Corp, which he founded in 2003 to invest across a broad array of industries, including real estate, sports and wellness, media, entertainment and social responsibility.

SARVA has also raised money from Bill Roedy, former chairman and chief executive of MTV Networks International, Mark Mastrov, founder of 24 Hour Fitness Worldwide, David Giampaolo, CEO of Pi Capital, and Zumba Fitness, the largest branded fitness programme in the world.

Founded by Sarvesh Shashi, 27, a former aspiring cricketer, SARVA has developed 25 unique and comprehensive forms of Yoga, which it teach to its students in its diligently designed studios to maximise the effectiveness of Yoga routine.

The startup, which counts Google, Yahoo, Amazon and Tata as its clients, has also curated a set of 12 workshops for corporates, each of either 45 minutes or a 75 minutes duration, that deals with day-to-day challenges of an employee.

In addition to corporate employees, SARVA also has easy-to-practice 15-20-minute workstation modules -- Desktop yoga, Chair Yoga, Partner Yoga, Dance Yoga, Brain Engagement Yoga and so on, that do not require the employee from moving away from their workstation.

Via ~ Economic Times

5 Tips For Entrepreneurs To Stay Healthy This Summer Season

An entrepreneur has to go through a lot things on a daily basis in order to take his/her business off the ground and pressure of breaking even out entrepreneurs in to high stress, both mentally and physically. In all this, it is imperative to take care of one's health to alleviate the strain and cope with the extra weight on your shoulders.

However in India, the problem begins when Indians largely remain immune to ways to secure the sound health and often prey fall to one or the other diseases or meet with eventualities unexpectedly. Besides, there are fewer means available for Indians to plan their health security.

If we speak about extreme temperatures, like ongoing summer season in India, then scientifically speaking, your body’s thermostat resides in the hypothalamus, an important part in your brain. The hypothalamus signals the proper response to help regulate your temperature and achieve homeostasis. When it is too cold, or too hot, your body has to divert resources away from other tasks in order to restore balance.

Thus, it is AGAIN imperative to support your hypothalamus in taking take of your own health. Here are five things entrepreneurs can do to stay on top of their business AND their health.

Hydration

Nothing saves you in summer better than the rehydration drinks. Such drinks can help you sustain burning sun-rays, manage the skin glow, maintain the energy level, and ensure that you do not fall sick.

Therefore, keeping yourself hydrated with water, fresh fruit juice, homemade smoothies, and fruits is the ideal way to keep a family healthy during summers.

Get Out, Work Out

Winter ensures that we remain behind the closed doors as much as possible and mostly under the blanket, so that, bacteria and virus cannot attack us. Although what happens in the summer is exactly the opposite. Summer is a good time to spend sometimes under cover of natural vitamin C in the early morning. Stretching yourself a bit would increase the stamina and adds flexibility to the body.

Related Reading - These 5 Yoga Apps Will Help You To Maintain Your Work Life Balance

Protection from Sun

Skin being right on the forefront becomes the victim of Sun’s fury and loses its charm, shine, smoothness, and complexion.

There are many cosmetics, and sunscreen lotions are available but, there is also a need for natural ingredients. Homemade beauty treatment may help you get the feel of the spa at the cost that may help you buy a spa in a couple of years.

Intercept Insect Bites

Usually, insects too remain under the shield throughout the winter. But with changing seasons, insects have their field day, sending many humans off the field. There are various kinds of bugs that surface during summers, especially mosquitoes. Keeping windows and doors protected with wire grills would do lots of good. Also, ensure to have a medical kit with antibiotics ready in case of bug bite.

Be Careful with Stored Foods

Hot weather is the greatest enemy of stored food, especially cooked meal. If you are storing food items after cooking, make sure they are well refrigerated. Check if the item is still eatable before consuming stored foods. Hot weather can cause cooked, stored food to grow stale quickly. Consuming such food can lead to food poisoning or worse.

Also, educate the kids to check their lunch before consumption and report to teachers if they feel any stomach ache after lunch.

Have a Health Insurance

Despite all the precautions what if you fall ill during the summers and must be hospitalised, keep health insurance handy. Although you should see the doctor for regular health checks, health insurance will cover you financially in more dire circumstances.

For people leading a sedentary lifestyle, caring for the heart is also important. While health insurance takes care of hospitalisation expenses, heart treatments may need extra financial resources. Therefore, you may also want to consider health and heart insurance plans along with comprehensive health policy.

Health and heart insurance, offers you lumpsum benefits in case of any severe, life-threatening illnesses, like heart ailment, cancer or renal failure.

How to Buy Health & Heart Insurance?

You can buy heart insurance plan online with just a few clicks, without having to visit a branch.

Your family is also better protected with health and heart insurance plans. This plan, instead of waiting for your medical bills pays a lump sum upon diagnosis of a covered illness. Such lumpsum payment is not only useful for the treatment but also to run the household without having to dig into your long-term investments.

There are perception conflicts in India. Insurances were never considered for a life cover or a risk cover, but always a financial tool to save the taxes. The very concept has bereft Indians of many health benefits health insurance brings.

Health insurance costs much cheaper compared to a medical emergency, hospitalisation, or diseases can cost. Besides, it sets you free from worries related to health or medical eventualities. So, if you wish to have a healthy family, make sure you follow the basics and cover your family adequately.

[Top Image - sadanews.ps]

5 Tips For Entrepreneurs To Stay Healthy This Summer Season

An entrepreneur has to go through a lot things on a daily basis in order to take his/her business off the ground and pressure of breaking even out entrepreneurs in to high stress, both mentally and physically. In all this, it is imperative to take care of one's health to alleviate the strain and cope with the extra weight on your shoulders.

However in India, the problem begins when Indians largely remain immune to ways to secure the sound health and often prey fall to one or the other diseases or meet with eventualities unexpectedly. Besides, there are fewer means available for Indians to plan their health security.

If we speak about extreme temperatures, like ongoing summer season in India, then scientifically speaking, your body’s thermostat resides in the hypothalamus, an important part in your brain. The hypothalamus signals the proper response to help regulate your temperature and achieve homeostasis. When it is too cold, or too hot, your body has to divert resources away from other tasks in order to restore balance.

Thus, it is AGAIN imperative to support your hypothalamus in taking take of your own health. Here are five things entrepreneurs can do to stay on top of their business AND their health.

Hydration

Nothing saves you in summer better than the rehydration drinks. Such drinks can help you sustain burning sun-rays, manage the skin glow, maintain the energy level, and ensure that you do not fall sick.

Therefore, keeping yourself hydrated with water, fresh fruit juice, homemade smoothies, and fruits is the ideal way to keep a family healthy during summers.

Get Out, Work Out

Winter ensures that we remain behind the closed doors as much as possible and mostly under the blanket, so that, bacteria and virus cannot attack us. Although what happens in the summer is exactly the opposite. Summer is a good time to spend sometimes under cover of natural vitamin C in the early morning. Stretching yourself a bit would increase the stamina and adds flexibility to the body.

Related Reading - These 5 Yoga Apps Will Help You To Maintain Your Work Life Balance

Besides, losing out the bad cholesterol from your blood is also essential to maintain healthy heart, skin and mind. Bad cholesterol is a result of bad fat that accumulates in your body & blood due to unhealthy lifestyle, junk food consumption or food that have trans-fats. To burn out the the bad-fat a.k.a bad-cholesterol, start intaking foods like walnuts, berries, juicy fruits, or out-of-the-box fat-burning smoothie to clear out the trans-fat out of your blood. The best however is to sweat-out, in a your own convenient way.

Protection from Sun

Skin being right on the forefront becomes the victim of Sun’s fury and loses its charm, shine, smoothness, and complexion.

There are many cosmetics, and sunscreen lotions are available but, there is also a need for natural ingredients. Homemade beauty treatment may help you get the feel of the spa at the cost that may help you buy a spa in a couple of years.

Intercept Insect Bites

Usually, insects too remain under the shield throughout the winter. But with changing seasons, insects have their field day, sending many humans off the field. There are various kinds of bugs that surface during summers, especially mosquitoes. Keeping windows and doors protected with wire grills would do lots of good. Also, ensure to have a medical kit with antibiotics ready in case of bug bite.

Be Careful with Stored Foods

Hot weather is the greatest enemy of stored food, especially cooked meal. If you are storing food items after cooking, make sure they are well refrigerated. Check if the item is still eatable before consuming stored foods. Hot weather can cause cooked, stored food to grow stale quickly. Consuming such food can lead to food poisoning or worse.

Also, educate the kids to check their lunch before consumption and report to teachers if they feel any stomach ache after lunch.

Have a Health Insurance

Despite all the precautions what if you fall ill during the summers and must be hospitalised, keep health insurance handy. Although you should see the doctor for regular health checks, health insurance will cover you financially in more dire circumstances.

For people leading a sedentary lifestyle, caring for the heart is also important. While health insurance takes care of hospitalisation expenses, heart treatments may need extra financial resources. Therefore, you may also want to consider health and heart insurance plans along with comprehensive health policy.

Health and heart insurance, offers you lumpsum benefits in case of any severe, life-threatening illnesses, like heart ailment, cancer or renal failure.

How to Buy Health & Heart Insurance?

You can buy heart insurance plan online with just a few clicks, without having to visit a branch.

Your family is also better protected with health and heart insurance plans. This plan, instead of waiting for your medical bills pays a lump sum upon diagnosis of a covered illness. Such lumpsum payment is not only useful for the treatment but also to run the household without having to dig into your long-term investments.

There are perception conflicts in India. Insurances were never considered for a life cover or a risk cover, but always a financial tool to save the taxes. The very concept has bereft Indians of many health benefits health insurance brings.

Health insurance costs much cheaper compared to a medical emergency, hospitalisation, or diseases can cost. Besides, it sets you free from worries related to health or medical eventualities. So, if you wish to have a healthy family, make sure you follow the basics and cover your family adequately.

[Top Image - sadanews.ps]

Health-Tech Startup CureFit Makes Its Third Acquisition, Buys Bangalore’s Yoga Brand a1000yoga

Cure.fit, India’s unique healthcare and wellness startup brand announced the acquisition of Bangalore’s leading yoga brand - a1000yoga. This acquisition consolidates Cure.fit’s offering in the fitness segment and is a leap towards establishing their existing brand Cult.fit as the largest, one-of-its-kind holistic fitness training facility in Bangalore by the end of this year. a1000yoga centres will be re-launched to incorporate the expansive offerings in the Cult.fit portfolio, while a1000yoga clients will get access to CULT’s workout offerings : Zumba, Strength and Conditioning, Yoga.

a1000yoga is Cure.fit’s third acquisition for their fitness vertical in less than a year after CULT and Tribe Fitness Centres, thereby complementing the brand’s philosophy of providing complete fitness through a combination of unique workouts without equipments. a1000yoga was established in 2011 by renowned yoga teacher Pradeep Sattwmaya with the aim of making high quality yoga education accessible and making a meaningful difference while delivering reliable and consistent quality of yogic and life affirming practices. The premier brand has centres across Indiranagar, Koramangala and Whitefield.

Commenting on the acquisition, Ankit Nagori, Founder, Cure.fit said, “We are excited to announce the acquisition of a1000yoga. Yoga is rising as one of the favored wellness choices amongst our key target group. This once thought traditional practice is now being embraced quickly as a contemporary form of wellness. a1000yoga’s depth of Yoga offerings and quality trainers will accentuate CULT’s offerings.”

Pradeep Sattwmaya, the founder of a1000yoga said “In the last 6 years, a1000yoga has built a reputation for itself in Bangalore thorough the professional and highly effective yoga service that we have provided. We are very happy to now partner with Cure.fit and take these quality offerings across India”

Founded in 2016 Cure.fit is establishing its mark as a holistic integrated healthcare platform that combines mind and body wellness in three critical dimensions - Eat.fit, Mind.fit and Cult.fit.

While Eat.fit is a subscription based, handcrafted, nutritive food delivery vertical, Cult.fit is a membership-oriented workout vertical that caters to consumers through its 10 brick and mortar centres along with do-it-yourself exercise app content. As part of its recent association with Hrithik Roshan, Cure.fit also offers HRX workouts under Cult.fit program. The third vertical Mind.fit comprises an app-based mental wellness programme that hosts expert driven stress prevention techniques.

These 5 Yoga Apps Will Help You To Maintain Your Work Life Balance

International Yoga Day is observed all over the world on 21 June to strengthen the ideals of peace among people and nations. No matter what your working hours are, or how stressful your job is or isn't, you really should take time out for maintaining your work-life balance. As entrepreneurs, you tend to have very hectic schedules which involve skipping meals, eating at the wrong time, dealing with stress a lot of times and long durations of travel. Yoga helps you to keep calm through situations like these and helps keep the body and mind running at their peak levels always.

"I have been practising yoga regularly for 6 years now. It mostly started around the time when startup life had started getting very stressful. I feel International Yoga Day was the step in the right direction towards popularizing this form of exercise to stay healthy. What I like about Yoga is not just how it positively affects the physical self but also gives me great peace of mind. My usual practise is in the morning and I practice it regularly, from asanas to control my weight to breathing exercises. I also practice Surya Namaskar which has been very effective for me.  Initially, it was tough to wake up in the mornings but after a few weeks, waking up in the morning at 6 am or before has become a habit without the alarm no, "says Vineet Rajan, co-founder, ScoutMyTrip. 

We at IndianWeb2 have penned down five apps which will make it easier for you to learn and practice yoga at your convenience to maintain your work life balanced.T hese apps are designed to make it easier to understand what the different asanas are for, and how to go about doing yoga which brings inner peace.

NexGTv’s Yoga app

If you have ever thought of learning yoga from the experts and doing it like a pro, then look no further! nexGTv, India’s largest subscription-led app, has announced the launch of the nexGTv Yoga app. The app will allow nexGTv users around the world to learn yoga techniques and practices on-the-go through videos by expert practitioners such as Baba Ramdev and Mukul Dev, as well as celeb coaches such as Shilpa Shetty and Bipasha Basu.

Daily Yoga App

Daily Yoga offers a big library of more than 50 yoga classes and 400 plus workouts. The app includes HD videos having soulful background music for an even better user experience. Daily Yoga comes with seven yoga plans geared towards beginners, and various other exercises duration and intensity based exercises too. The app also provides an advanced module.

Universal Breathing: Pranayama

Yoga focuses quite a lot on breathing patterns. And the Universal Breathing app is intended to help users master the same. It offers various exercises designed around the ‘Pranayama’ method of breath control. The app includes structured courses with short exercises that come with a timer and an animated guide. Users can also track their progress and learn more about Pranayama.

5-minute Yoga

The Yoga tools from Sadhguru app for Android and iOS will make sure you no longer give the excuse of not having enough time to dedicate practising Yoga. Designed by Sadhguru, this app is based on the science of Upa-Yoga which is focused on physical and psychological benefits derived from the discipline. All you got to do is take out only 5 minutes every day to practice from a set of seven 5 minute Upa-Yoga practices. The app also offers guidelines and explanatory videos to help you do the asanas right.

Yoga at Work

For those stuck with a sedentary work profile, the free for Android Office Yoga app by Guru Inc. offers simple, 10-minute yoga workout lessons which can be done midday or in between breaks. There is a cute little monkey who demonstrates the easy-to-do stretches and poses which will help you keep fit even at work without disturbing your colleagues. You will need to first install the free Yoga Guru app to access this plugin.

So, download these apps right away and maintain your work life balance with these Yoga apps on this #InternationalYogaDay.

#InternationalYogaDay- 13 Startup Founders Shares Why Yoga Is Must For Entrepreneurs

"I'll call you later, I'm in a meeting" is the response you get most of the times when you call an entrepreneur. But often, an entrepreneur's day is filled with decision making than just meetings and calls. Entrepreneurship is a high-powered, challenging, and electrifying atmosphere. Every entrepreneur is prone to anxiety, self-doubt, stress, depression and burnout at some point in time. While some resort to alcohol, caffeine or narcotics to ward off the helplessness, fitness is the choice of many an entrepreneur today, with gym-ing, aerobics, pilates and of course Yoga occupying the top rungs.

Derived from Sanskrit, the word ‘yoga’ means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness. The fitness-cum-spiritual practice which originated in ancient India is today being widely practised in various forms and continues to grow in popularity and revolutionize the lives of many people in our country. Besides batting for physical fitness, yoga also promotes mental awareness and spiritual awakening, which is always required by people who are looking for innovative ideas and leading businesses from the front.

“Entrepreneurial ventures and set-ups are facing almost equal pressure as corporates in today’s globalized world. Very often, in the pursuit of meeting a series of deadlines within a short span of time, entrepreneurs keep stretching themselves without taking rest and pushing to an extent which they shouldn’t. The dilemma of running a business and taking onus for its strengths and weaknesses can indeed turn out to be nerve-wracking; so much so, stress and anxiety can seem to get out of your control. In this context, practising Yoga can be your saviour,” says Dr Dharminder Nagar, Managing Director Paras Healthcare.

In the recent years, it has been established through various research that practising yoga helps in de-cluttering the mind, and can act as a positive boost for stress management in your professional life. No wonder dynamic corporates around the world are even nowadays embracing Yoga practice into their daily routine. But, one thing we often tend to miss out on is the importance of Yoga in the lives of entrepreneurs.

On the occasion of International Yoga Day, IndianWeb2 interacted with the entrepreneurs to know how Yoga is benefiting them in curbing their day to day stress.

Sahaj Nalgirkar- Makes You A Complete Entrepreneur

Founder - GetSetGig

“I have been following Sahaja Yoga since my childhood. Sahaja Yoga is a simple meditation programme that leads to a stress-free life. When I started my business, I realised I had to be more patient. The thing with doing meditation regularly is you can introspect very clearly. You get to know what is wrong with you and what you must do to improve. There are enormous benefits of doing meditation, you develop as a person, your creativity is sharpened, your senses get stronger and your decisions are more effective, all because you stay in the right mindset all the time. With these set of qualities you develop, I am sure you would foresee a problem and make right decisions to solve it before it arises. That makes you a complete entrepreneur,” says Sahaj Nalgirkar, Founder, GetSetGig, an online marketplace to hire live performing artists for any kind of event.

Brahma Mahesh Khaderbad- Yoga Is My Go-To For Meditative Relaxation

CEO/Co-Founder - FinMomenta

“Multifaceted in nature, Yoga is my go-to for meditative relaxation, whereas it can be someone else’ cardio workout. Like most other ambitious corporate professionals, I didn’t have the mindset or the time to focus on fitness and wellness while climbing up the corporate ladder. But when I gave Yoga a try, my attention spans drastically increased and I could feel an intuitive power surge.

Now, I begin my day with 45 minutes of Yoga split across, Suryanamaskar, select Asanas and Pranayam. This sets the pace for my entire day, and keeps me calm while I deal with situations, both favourable and unfavourable,” says Brahma Mahesh Khaderbad, CEO and Co-founder, FinMomenta.

Ravi Virmani- Yoga, Helps To Improve Self-awareness

Founder - Credihealth

“Entrepreneurs are always up to something big- all of the time and to have a vision, our minds and soul need to free up and clear of all negativity. That’s where mind-body exercises like meditation or yoga come in. Yoga helps to improve self-awareness, solve problems, promote a deep sense of inner peace, slow down ageing, reduce stress and enhance health. Yoga enhances the relaxation response which helps in insightful thinking,” express Ravi Virmani, Founder and Managing Director, Credihealth.

Mehul Jobanputra- Yoga Enables You To Think Clearer, Better & Out Of The Box

CEO/Founder - DesiDime

"Running a bootstrapped startup is all about thinking on your feet, innovating, getting creative with your resources, so that you can get the maximum out of whatever you have. However, creativity thrives in solitude, not when you are constantly discussing things, planning, worrying about numbers, networking. In this hyper-connected world, the one biggest gift you can give yourself as an entrepreneur is to totally disconnect yourself for one hour every day. Vipassana / yoga/meditation helps us do exactly that. It helps you get a fresh restart every day. To think clearer, better & Out of the Box,” says Mehul Jobanputra, CEO and Founder, DesiDime.com.

Ashish Shah- Yoga Gives Mental Clarity

Founder - Vertoz

“Indulgence in Yoga early morning can set the tone of the day and that can help you perform better at work. Consciousness augmenting activities helps us strengthening our intuition when coupled with our rational thinking helps us with better judgement for our own good. Yoga gives mental clarity, lots of great ideas come when you’re away from transactional work and when you’re at peace it affects your work in a very positive way. Hence, committing fraction amount of time to yourself doesn't do any harm.” says Ashish Shah, Founder & CEO, Vertoz.

Chaitanya- 15 Min Yoga Contributes Towards Your Mental Peace

CEO - Goodness

“Entrepreneurship is a long tough journey and requires one to be committed to the cause for a long haul. Staying physically fit is important but maintaining one's inner peace & mental semblance is even vital for an entrepreneur and this is where Yoga delivers like no other. My quick 15-min Yoga routine that I would like to suggest to everyone is 5-min of breathing exercise (Pranayama), 5-min of exercise (Suryanamaskar) 5-min of meditation!,” says Chaitanya, CEO, Goodness.

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Amin Rozani- An Activity Of Mind and Soul

Co-Founder - The Spartan Poker

“Yoga is the activity of the mind, body and soul. A fresh start to the day can only be achieved with a fresh mind. Surviving an entire day filled with challenges, an entrepreneur needs to have an alert, calm and active mind. A peaceful session of yoga once a day, plays a vital part in making one's vision clear and better, thereby helping one realise the beauty of life,” says Amin Rozani MD and co-founder, The Spartan Poker, an online Poker gaming portal.

Narayan Menon- A Comprehensive Mind Body Wellness Practice

Founder - WanderTrails.com

“Yoga, according to me, is a comprehensive mind-body wellness practice which should be a way of life. Entrepreneurs will relate to being stressed, physically and mentally, and the journey taking a toll on his/her health. This is where yoga helps. The key benefits of yoga include de-stressing, rejuvenation of mind and body through increased oxygen flow and being a catalyst to drive physical and mental health. A perfectly complementing match made in heaven, I would say,” says Narayan Menon, CMO and co-founder, Wandertrails.com.

Pooja Kedia- Yoga Keeps You Focused

Founder - SchoolWiser

“While I was in the midst of setting up SchoolWiser I did go through a bit of anxiety and living up to societal expectation initially. Like any other startup, the pressures and challenges were no less. Like Eric Paskel says "It's not about tightening your ass, it's about getting your head out of it", work does not bring any kind of stress, it’s the inability to cope with it that stresses us mentally. Yoga brought immense focus and calmness to my life. I practice Surya Namaskar every day to help me energize and get ready for my hectic day schedule,” says Pooja Kedia, Founder- SchoolWiser

Karthik Kittu- Makes You A Better Person

Co-Founder - Passion Connect

"Transitioning from the corporate world to entrepreneurship was difficult but regularly practising yoga has significantly transformed my way of thinking. It has also helped me decrease stress while boosting my mental state and follow my passion. Frankly, the more i delved into it, the more it percolated into other spheres of my life and helped me focus better. Not only that, the regular practice made me a better person. The practice of doing yoga 4-5 times a week gives me the opportunity to get away from the emotion tied up in decisions and allows me to gain perspective,” says Karthik Kittu, co-founder and CEO, Passion Connect.

Aradhana Dalmia- Activates Happy Hormones

Founder - The Artemist

"When you are a startup and especially the founder of one, there are no weekends and there are no fixed work hours so you work around the clock. This comes with a lot of stress, short notice and sleepless nights. The mind and body need to be fit to face all the challenges. A jog, workout, Pilates, yoga along with a few minutes of meditation in the morning gets my mind focused and activates the happy hormones to keep me motivated,” said Aradhana Dalmia, a young twenty-seven-year-old entrepreneur and the founder of The Artemist - an art consultancy firm.

Pooja Sachin Duggal- Counteracts Stress Like A Boss

CEO/Founder - Healthhunt

"I think that entrepreneurs need exercise more than anyone else in the world! So what do you do when you don't have time to go for a run? You take your yoga mat along everywhere! I know I do. I've been practising yoga since several years now, and it is what has kept me sane. Yoga improves flexibility, builds muscle strength, betters posture, boosts immunity, helps you focus, promotes sound sleep, and counteracts stress like a boss! Yoga will save your life," says Pooja Sachin Duggal, Founder and CEO, Healthhunt.

Teja Gudluru- Improves Patience And Concentration

CEO/Founder - UDO

“Two important aspects to any business owner. To be patience with how the market and business shapes up, be more focused on the deliverables and concentrate on day to day tasks. Yoga can help you connect with your true purpose and your goals by teaching you to quietly observe your mind and identify what you really want in life. Once you’ve found these, yoga can help you harness the power of your subconscious to help you make these a reality,” says Teja Gudluru, CEO and Founder, UDO.

So, these were the few entrepreneurs who shared their love for Yoga with us. If you also believe the same and practice Yoga every day do share your experience with us by mentioning it in the comment section below.

And if you are an entrepreneur gradually reeling under work pressure, in the lookout for a positive turnaround in your life, or in the hunt for one big idea, from today, start your mornings with a cup of coffee and Yoga, and soon Yoga may itself become your cup of tea/ coffee!