International Yoga Day: The Great Lakes Chapter

“To Join or to Unite”

If you search for “Life at a B-School” on the internet, you will find an array of adjectives such as “strenuous”, “arduous”, “tenacious”, and all in all, “difficult” showing up among search results. Well there’s no denying it. But like any curriculum, students tackle every challenge with utmost zeal. However, we do not give enough importance to fitness, especially in the form of Yoga, and are incapable of understanding how impactful it is for the body, mind and soul.

This International Yoga Day, on 21^st June, 2019, the Spartans (PGPM 2020) and Jaguars (PGDM 2020) of Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon, came one step closer to understanding the importance of Yoga. The International Yoga Day aims to raise awareness, worldwide, of the many benefits of practicing yoga. Being management students, our greatest battle is with time, stress, and meeting crucial deadlines. That one morning, with the sunshine falling lightly on our shoulders, the birds chirping and the gentle gush of the morning wind, there was a mist of calm and peace that touched us. We realized Yoga is a science, it’s a systematic process which gradually dissolves all illusions of the mind. Through this practice we can understand and experience the Supreme Truth that God resides within us. So, we have to offer something spiritual to our mind and soul, which otherwise might revolt. This ancient spiritual science offers a calmer, happier and more fulfilled life to a person.

The global popularity that Yoga has attained not only puts our country prominently on the map (among various other reasons), but also highlights the health-related benefits that are fruitful in every aspect of life. Yoga, an elixir that works on almost every new age predicament such as anxiety, depression and ill health, is a must for B-school students. The Yoga Camp at Great Lakes began at 6:30 AM and went on till 8:00 AM. The event started with a lot of enthusiasm, apparent from the fact that students came for the session even though they had classes till late the previous night. The students gathered around at the amphitheater by 6:15 AM, filled with energy and enthusiasm. The preparation for this event had started 8 days ago where 20 students collaborated and 5 teams were formed for specific tasks.

Yoga is a great source of power and energy, and in order to get the best out of it, one should “stretch” routinely before the Yoga exercises. Hence the yoga instructors started the morning with basic stretching exercises, followed by chanting Om and reciting the Gayatri Mantra as they help in improving concentration and in building focus. The day ended with performing the Surya Namaskar. This stimulates the nervous system, including the brain, lower plexus and the spinal cord.

Students appreciated the experience and also the broad knowledge which they were able to gain from the event. One of the PGPM students, Ankit Kaul, said, “The session conducted on International Yoga Day was more than just an exercise regime, it was a refreshing experience amidst the hustle of our daily routine.” All students cherished the event. A regular yoga practitioner Aveesh Bhatia (also a PGPM student) said, “It was a recreational session for the students, and we experienced inner peace after attending it. Simple and effective yoga is truly a gift to humanity.” The International Yoga Day at Great Lakes opened many eyes, educated us on the importance and effectiveness of Yoga and motivated us to strike a balance between work and life.

Contributors: Ankit Kaul, Arushi Kapur, Arun Shiv, Meghna Mittal, Ranjeeta Gupta, Shreya Gupta, Sidhanshi Sharma, Divya Gupta, Nikhil Dixit and Sunrita Sarkar

PGPM “Spartans” Class of 2020

Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon

4th International Yoga Day Celebrations @ Great Lakes, Gurgaon

It was just another Thursday morning at an ultra-modern B-school campus, but something was different about it. Students were seen marching out of their hostel rooms in pyjamas and t-shirts at dawn. Such enthusiasm wasn’t a daily occurrence for these future managers when it came to waking up early. So, what was the occasion?

This was how Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon celebrated the 4th International Yoga Day on 21^st June 2018. The event, spearheaded by Prof. S K Palhan, provided a glimpse of how traditional Indian values and practices still play an important role in our modern education system. Students gathered in numbers to attempt various Aasanas and realised the importance of a healthy body along with a healthy mind. Prof. S K Palhan addressed the students on how yoga can be instrumental in inculcating discipline in one’s life and how it could substantially improve individual productivity.

The initiative that started with Mr Narendra Modi delivering a speech at the United Nations General Assembly back in 2014, has become a revolution now. To quote Mr Modi, “Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. It embodies the unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not just a form of exercise but a lifestyle pattern to discover the sense of oneness with oneself, the world and nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help in our well-being. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day”. It garnered support from all around the globe and created history when a total of 177 nations co-sponsored the resolution, which is the highest number of co-sponsors ever for any United Nations proposition of such nature.

What does Yoga mean? It comes from a Sanskrit word ‘Yuja’, which means to bind and unify. Yoga embodies the concept of a consolidated entity. It suggests that one’s body and mind need to work in coordination to attain paramount intellect and spiritual strength. Scientific studies have further supported it by stating its effectiveness in curing diseases and ailments like cancer and arthritis. 21^st June is the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere and shares a special significance in many other parts of the world, hence it was termed apt to be named as something so important and symbolic to Indian tradition.

International Yoga Day every year is no less than a festival. We have witnessed people and leaders gathering in masses to uphold the movement and represent our ingenious values on an international platform. Educational Institutions, alike, have contributed to creating awareness amongst our youth who are going to be future leaders, hence it becomes even more important to include them in this movement. Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon, is amongst those institutions that believe in ‘holding on tight to your core values in the pursuit of excellence’ and hence, the institute never fails to make a valuable contribution to such indigenous initiatives.

The Yoga session was very well received by everyone. Students collectively agreed that they found the experience quite rejuvenating. Many students shared their experiences. Some of the students, who attempted Yoga for the first time exclaimed gleefully “Yoga se hi hoga”.  Provided the hectic college schedule, others admitted it as being the most peaceful experience in their last 1 month. Prof. Palhan seemed happy looking at the students sharing their exhilarating experiences. He said that yoga should be a part of everyone’s routine and not just a one-time thing. He called for students to imbibe it in their habit and witness the difference for themselves.

Author: Prateek Gupta

PGPM, Class of 2019, Great Lakes, Gurgaon

International Yoga Day 2017 – An Exhilarating & Rejuvenating Experience

 

“Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self and to the self”

      -Bhagavad Gita

Yoga provides a holistic workout wherein it helps us beat the stress and attain inner peace by relaxing the mind, making internal organs healthier and toning our body. Three years ago our Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, persuaded the United Nations to declare 21^st June as the International Yoga Day and the third edition of International Yoga Day was celebrated with full zest and enthusiasm by the Gladiators (PGPM batch 2017-18) at the Gurgaon campus of Great Lakes Institute of Management.

The day started with all the students geared up to take a step towards a better and healthier future. It was a time to recall the disciplines that originated in ancient India. Our entire batch of 120 students, along with our dear Prof. S K Palhan, did asana and pranayama to embark on the journey of a healthier and happy mind. The following meditation session was full of tranquillity and helped us eliminate all our anxiety and worries. Yoga session was followed by team games and nutritious breakfast comprising of detoxifying drink and fruits.

The ultimate purpose of International Yoga day is to promote Yoga and endeavour towards making it a part and parcel of everyone’s daily routine. Needless to say, the benefits of a yogic routine are numerous and keeping this in mind, we, as the future business leaders, pledged to practice yoga in our daily lives making the day truly successful.

 

Author: Sakshi Khurana

PGPM Class of 2018, Great Lakes, Gurgaon