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Yoga and Ayurveda Perspective on Workplace Well-Being (view source)
Revision as of 17:39, 15 September 2020
, 17:39, 15 September 2020→Implications of Yogic and Ayurvedic Practices on Workplace Well-being: Adding content, citation and editing
Considering that people spend a substantial amount of time at work, it is essential to note that whether the work they do and the related conditions enable them to enhance their well-being and further towards the state of flourishing.
Considering that people spend a substantial amount of time at work, it is essential to note that whether the work they do and the related conditions enable them to enhance their well-being and further towards the state of flourishing.
Relevance of workplace health and well-being can be seen from the fact that among the five domains comprising overall well-being, career well-being is regarded as the most important for most people.<ref>Rath T, Harter J (2010), Wellbeing: the five essential elements, New York: Simon and Schuster.</ref> It is also significant firstly because workplace represents a source of social and emotional involvement as a modern form of collective life,<ref>Gupta RK (1996), Is there a place for the sacred in organizations and their development, J Hum Value 2(2):149–158.</ref> thereby having a strong bearing on the relationships and associations people form. Secondly, work has become more than just a part of the life of an individual, that is to say, that even after leaving from the workplace, the work and its ancillaries still accompany the individual. Put alternatively, workplace well-being has trickle-down effects and connections with other domains of the life of people. And well-being has the potential to affect both workers and organizations in negative ways. Workers with poor well-being may be less productive, make hasty decisions, and be unprofessional towards work, which would be detrimental and diminish overall contributions to the organizations.<ref>Price RH, Hooijberg R (1992), Organizational exit pressures and role stress: impact on mental health, J Organ Behav 13(7):641–651.</ref>
Relevance of workplace health and well-being can be seen from the fact that among the five domains comprising overall well-being, career well-being is regarded as the most important for most people.<ref>Rath T, Harter J (2010), Wellbeing: the five essential elements, New York: Simon and Schuster.</ref> It is also significant firstly because workplace represents a source of social and emotional involvement as a modern form of collective life,<ref name=":15">Gupta RK (1996), Is there a place for the sacred in organizations and their development, J Hum Value 2(2):149–158.</ref> thereby having a strong bearing on the relationships and associations people form. Secondly, work has become more than just a part of the life of an individual, that is to say, that even after leaving from the workplace, the work and its ancillaries still accompany the individual. Put alternatively, workplace well-being has trickle-down effects and connections with other domains of the life of people. And well-being has the potential to affect both workers and organizations in negative ways. Workers with poor well-being may be less productive, make hasty decisions, and be unprofessional towards work, which would be detrimental and diminish overall contributions to the organizations.<ref>Price RH, Hooijberg R (1992), Organizational exit pressures and role stress: impact on mental health, J Organ Behav 13(7):641–651.</ref>
=== Meaning and Orientations Towards Work ===
=== Meaning and Orientations Towards Work ===
Work as a calling is seen as an opportunity to contribute to the greater good or a higher purpose and is marked by frequent experiences of flow and without any resentment to quit. It is the pursuit of the right goals that mark the essential part of conditions that contribute towards flourishing. Right goals concerning the work one undertakes offer the avenue to create the states of flow and engagement. These two states have been described as nutriments to joy, absorption, meaningfulness, and well-being of a person.<ref>Csikszentmihalyi M(1990), Flow: the psychology of optimal experience, New York: Harper & Row.</ref><ref>Nakamura J, Csikszentmihalyi M (2003), The construction of meaning through vital engagement, Keyes CL, Haidt J (eds), Flourishing: positive psychology and the life well-lived, Washington, DC : American Psychological Association, pp 83–104.</ref>
Work as a calling is seen as an opportunity to contribute to the greater good or a higher purpose and is marked by frequent experiences of flow and without any resentment to quit. It is the pursuit of the right goals that mark the essential part of conditions that contribute towards flourishing. Right goals concerning the work one undertakes offer the avenue to create the states of flow and engagement. These two states have been described as nutriments to joy, absorption, meaningfulness, and well-being of a person.<ref>Csikszentmihalyi M(1990), Flow: the psychology of optimal experience, New York: Harper & Row.</ref><ref>Nakamura J, Csikszentmihalyi M (2003), The construction of meaning through vital engagement, Keyes CL, Haidt J (eds), Flourishing: positive psychology and the life well-lived, Washington, DC : American Psychological Association, pp 83–104.</ref>
Through specific actions, such as strength-based work selection (via strength test<ref name=":9" />) and job-crafting by rethinking about the work from a broader perspective,<ref>Wrzesniewski A, Dutton JE (2001), Crafting a job: revisioning employees as active crafters of their work, Acad Manag Rev 26(2):179–201.</ref> people can aim to experience greater happiness, satisfaction, and meaning with respect to their work. For instance, a person who cleans office space could see his or her work in the broader perspective of preventing medical issues arising out of unhygienic conditions.
Through specific actions, such as strength-based work selection (via strength test<ref name=":9" />) and job-crafting by rethinking about the work from a broader perspective,<ref name=":16">Wrzesniewski A, Dutton JE (2001), Crafting a job: revisioning employees as active crafters of their work, Acad Manag Rev 26(2):179–201.</ref> people can aim to experience greater happiness, satisfaction, and meaning with respect to their work. For instance, a person who cleans office space could see his or her work in the broader perspective of preventing medical issues arising out of unhygienic conditions.
There is evidence in the form of research to support that well-being and job performance correlate positively at the individual level and some strong evidence to claim a causal effect between the two under specific circumstances.
There is evidence in the form of research to support that well-being and job performance correlate positively at the individual level and some strong evidence to claim a causal effect between the two under specific circumstances.
* Ayurveda also addresses social and spiritual well-being by emphasizing on relationships, i.e., the deep connections that exist between microcosm and macrocosm,<ref name=":13" /> and the prime significance of the transcendent.
* Ayurveda also addresses social and spiritual well-being by emphasizing on relationships, i.e., the deep connections that exist between microcosm and macrocosm,<ref name=":13" /> and the prime significance of the transcendent.
== Implications of Yogic and Ayurvedic Practices on Workplace Well-being ==
== Implications of Yogic and Ayurvedic Practices on Workplace Well-being<ref name=":0" /> ==
This section presents how the philosophy, the fundamental concepts and the underlying practices of Yoga and Ayurveda have crucial implications pertaining to the workplace well-being and the domain of management.
This section presents how the philosophy, the fundamental concepts and the underlying practices of Yoga and Ayurveda have crucial implications pertaining to the workplace well-being and the domain of management.
=== Business for Well-Being ===
=== Business for Well-Being ===
Milton Friedman had famously quoted <blockquote>''“There is one and only one social responsibility of business- to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game” (Friedman and Friedman 1962)'' </blockquote>Alternatively, the business of business is business. However, this idea turns a blind eye towards the fact that a business or any organization exists as an integral part of the society and the ecosystem at large, where it utilizes various resources (natural, human, economic, etc.) for its operations. As a consequence, a business has certain responsibilities towards the stakeholders and is expected to work for the betterment of all.
Milton Friedman had famously quoted <blockquote>''“There is one and only one social responsibility of business- to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game”''<ref>Friedman M, Friedman R (1962), Freedom and capitalism, Chicago: University of Chicago Press. </ref> </blockquote>Alternatively, the business of business is business. However, this idea turns a blind eye towards the fact that a business or any organization exists as an integral part of the society and the ecosystem at large, where it utilizes various resources (natural, human, economic, etc.) for its operations. As a consequence, a business has certain responsibilities towards the stakeholders and is expected to work for the betterment of all.
In Vedanta, the notion of dharma holds a central place and is also intrinsic to the philosophy of Yoga and Ayurveda. It is worthwhile to note the notions of
In Vedanta, the notion of dharma holds a central place and is also intrinsic to the philosophy of Yoga and Ayurveda. It is worthwhile to note the notions of
* sarvalokamhitam, i.e., well-being of all beings (Muniapan and Raj 2014);
* sarvalokamhitam, i.e. well-being of all beings<ref>Muniapan B, Raj SJ (2014), Corporate social responsibility communication from the Vedantic, Dharmic and karmic perspectives, Tench R, SunW, Jones B (eds) Communicating corporate social responsibility: perspectives and practice, vol 6. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Bingley, pp 337–354.</ref>
* sarve bhavantu sukhinah, i.e., welfare and happiness of all; and
* sarve bhavantu sukhinah, i.e., welfare and happiness of all
* shubhlabh, i.e., profit earned through ethical means (Sharma 2002).
* shubhlabh, i.e., profit earned through ethical means<ref>Sharma S (2002), Corporate rishi leadership model: an Indian model for corporate development & ethical leadership, Pareek U, Osman-Gani AM, Ramanarayan S, Rao TV (eds) Human resource development in Asia: trends & challenges. Oxford & IBH, New Delhi, pp 291–296</ref>
It would be fitting to say that dharma-oriented view of business posits that the business of business is not business, rather well-being for all. The practices underlying Yoga, namely, yama and niyama, lay down the ethical way of functioning that is applicable both at individual and entity levels. Similarly, the hitayu (positive life) perspective of life as per Ayurveda also entails the idea of establishing harmony and happiness individually and collectively in a society (Kapadia 2018).
It would be fitting to say that dharma-oriented view of business posits that the business of business is not business, rather well-being for all. The practices underlying Yoga, namely, yama and niyama, lay down the ethical way of functioning that is applicable both at individual and entity levels. Similarly, the hitayu (positive life) perspective of life as per Ayurveda also entails the idea of establishing harmony and happiness individually and collectively in a society.<ref>KapadiaM (2018), National policy on health creating good citizenship yn touth- insights from Vedas and Mahabharata, Jakhoria SK, Kulshrestha D (eds) Economic revival in India- issues and challenges. Manglam Publications, Delhi, pp 41–52.</ref>
=== Sacredness at the Workplace ===
=== Sacredness at Workplace ===
The process of modernization in organizations and society at large has restricted the sense of the sacred to the private lives of individuals. Moreover, organizations are more than mere instruments to produce goods and services and represent the new form of collective life which coexists with family and social life that has spiritual rooting. Thus, to pursue a meaningful life, it is imperative to include the essence of spirituality and sacredness in the organizations.<ref name=":15" /> It is crucial to observe that workplace serves two all-important purposes:
# It provides a platform for people to come together, coexist, and thrive.
# It offers a channel, i.e., job or work, to find meaning in one’s actions.
The collective (value orientation) and transcendental perspectives of well-being as described by Kiran Kumar<ref name=":17">Kiran Kumar SK (2003), An Indian conception of well-being, Henry J (ed) Proceedings of European positive psychology conference. British Psychological Society, Leicester, 2002. (Revised version of the paper presented in the conference)</ref> <ref name=":18">Kiran Kumar SK (2004), Perspectives on well-being in the Indian tradition, J Indian Psychol 22(2):63</ref> represent the two aspects of spirituality. These are constructive to discuss the role of Yogic and Ayurvedic practices in relation to well-being at the workplace.
* The collective perspective is socially oriented and is founded on the concept dharma. The term dharma fundamentally means to uphold, to sustain, and to hold together.<ref name=":19">Kiran Kumar SK (2006), Happiness and well-being in Indian tradition, Psychol Stud 51:105–112</ref> As mentioned earlier, the concept dharma refers to a code of conduct based on righteousness that governs the social affairs and moral life and that preserves the stability of society.<ref>Kuppuswamy B (1977), Dharma and society – a study in social values, Delhi: The Macmillan Co Operative of India Ltd.</ref> Both Yoga and Ayurvedic practices aim to develop the sattva guna and consequently the effects of the sattva guna, i.e., sattvik bhava dharma, jnana, vairagya, and aishvarya. In line with the collective perspective of well-being, the sattvic bhava will be instrumental in fostering high-quality connections at workplace that are life-giving.<ref>Dutton JE, Heaphy ED (2003), The power of high-quality connections, Cameron KS, Dutton JE, Quinn RE (eds) Positive organizational scholarship: foundations of a new discipline, San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, pp 263–278</ref> These in turn have real-time implications both at individual and organization levels for the conduct of actions at workplace, ethical outlook, organization citizenship behavior, collaboration and cooperation, consideration of all, and so on.
* The transcendental view is subjective, intrinsic, and holistic in nature furnishing an all-encompassing universal vision for the well-being of all.<ref name=":17" /><ref name=":19" /> The transcendental view involves an analysis of the nature and conditions underlying well-being. It involves understanding the limitations of specific goals artha (wealth) and kama (desires), experience of emotions, the role of temperament and personality in well-being, and the ideal state of well-being. Ananda and stitaprajnatva denote the defining characteristics of transcendent view of wellbeing.<ref name=":17" /><ref name=":18" /> In both Yoga and Ayurveda, the gunas and doshas determine the psycho-spiritual and psychophysiological aspects of an individual’s personality. Additionally, they both emphasize enhancing the vital essences (prana, tejas, ojas) and purifying the sheaths (koshas) to gain harmony and the state of ananda. A clear understanding of the psychophysiological and psycho-spiritual aspects of one’s personality can help one gain understanding of the job-role fit. Also, the practices to enhance the vital essences engender spiritual awakening and the courage to follow the path; one may obtain novel insights to derive meaning from one’s actions when seen from the broader perspective. The implications at the workplace can be seen in the context of striving for roles that synch with one’s personality, reperceiving and recrafting the job,<ref name=":16" /> and experiencing flow and engagement in one’s job and the consequent outcomes such as creativity, initiative taking, and overall performance.
=== Interaction with the Work Environment ===
=== Interaction with the Work Environment ===
Three general sets of factors ie. work setting, personal characteristics, and job factors have a bearing on the well-being of individuals at the workplace.<ref name=":10" /> This implies the existence of a complex and dynamic environment where individuals interact and strive to operate optimally.
As per Ayurveda, overall health and the general balance of an individual are outcomes of the interaction between the organism and the environment. This underlines the fact that health is not merely a biological phenomenon; it is also a cultural process that involves knowledge and the interaction with the environment to improve it.<ref>Kovacs J (1989), Concepts of health and disease, J Med Philos 14(3):261–267</ref> Similarly, mind-body practices such as Yoga encourage the cultivation of awareness of the body-mind-environment phenomenon in a nonjudgmental and nonreactive state<ref>Mehling WE, Wrubel J, Daubenmier JJ, Price CJ, Kerr CE, Silow T, Gopisetty V, Stewart AL (2011) Body awareness: a phenomenological inquiry into the common ground of mind-body therapies. Philos Ethics Humanit Med 6(1):6</ref> and is considered essential for self-regulation and well-being.<ref>Farb N, Daubenmier J, Price CJ, Gard T, Kerr C, Dunn BD, Klein AC, Paulus MP, Mehling WE (2015) Interoception, contemplative practice, and health. Front Psychol 6:763</ref>
Both Yoga and Ayurveda emphasize on following a healthy lifestyle encompassing all spheres of life, i.e., physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual facets. They place great importance on
* Achar (healthy activities such as exercises and Yoga practices)
* Vichar (right thoughts, attitudes, and behavior to create and maintain good relationships via yama and niyamas)
* Ahar (healthy, nourishing, and balanced sattvic diet)
* Vihar (right recreational activities such as regulating action-speech-thoughts to maintain quietude of mind and group activities to experience cohesion and collectiveness where one loses one’s sense of individuality).<ref name=":12" /><ref>Bhavanani AB (2017), Role of yoga in prevention and management of lifestyle disorders, Yoga Mimamsa 49(2):42</ref>
These lifestyle practices can prove to be instrumental in reassessing one’s relationship with respect to one’s body-mind and the environment, i.e., the workplace. And, further, this can result in desirable outcomes at the workplace at the individual, group, and organization level.
== Conclusion ==
== Conclusion ==
The ancient traditions of Yoga and Ayurveda emphasize the holistic well-being of an individual and encompass physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions. Both of these traditions posit a positive of health marked by high levels of well-being and lay down the path towards flourishing. In spiritual terms, they prescribe the practices to prepare an individual to tread the pathway to self-realization. Being holistic in orientation, the philosophy and the practices underlying Yoga and Ayurveda can offer a fresh perspective on well-being and have relevance at the workplace.
Better understanding of oneself via gunas and doshas to synch one’s activities effectively, enhancing the sattva gunas and the resulting bhavas, righteous behavior founded on dharma to benefit all, augmenting the vital essences (prana, tejas, and ojas) to unearth new insights aligned to spiritual dimension, and positive modification to one’s lifestyle (thoughts, actions, behavior, food) have crucial implications at the workplace. They can impact the way of operating, ethical orientation, depth of cooperation and collaboration, resolution of conflicts, consideration of best interests of all, aligning with the job, and the resulting well-being at the workplace.
To conclude, the perspective of well-being as per the traditions of Yoga and Ayurveda is relevant pertaining to the workplace and has future potential to be explored further.
== References ==
== References ==
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