Yoga isn't just about wellness anymore. It's about wisdom. In a time defined by rapid change and digital overload, the ability to remain grounded, intentional, and clear-headed is emerging as a distinct leadership advantage. Yoga is no longer the side note. It's becoming a lifestyle. What began as an ancient practice is finding new relevance in the boardrooms and daily lives of India's business leaders. Once confined to early morning routines and wellness retreats, yoga is now being embraced as a strategy for clarity, calm, and leadership resilience.
Studies have shown that yoga improves prefrontal cortex activity, enhancing executive functions like judgment, planning, and self-regulation. A Harvard Health report notes that yoga and meditation increase brain volume in areas related to attention and emotional control.
These findings echo Amitava Mukherjee's emphasis on intentionality and self-awareness as pillars of leadership. As the chairman and managing director of NMDC, Mukherjee sees yoga as a compass for leadership. "The principles of yoga—discipline, integrity, and self-reflection—are the guiding values that help in navigating complex challenges," he says. For Mukherjee, it isn't just about stress management or flexibility; yoga has helped him build "greater self-awareness, emotional balance, and intentionality." In a space often driven by metrics and speed, he believes mindful breathing and presence can make room for compassion and collaboration, qualities that don't always show up on a spreadsheet but shape the cultural backbone of any organization.
A report by Stanford Lifestyle Medicine explains that yoga helps regulate the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA), both of which are stress response systems. While stress is an inevitable and necessary part of life, prolonged and chronic stress can lead to dysfunction in these systems, potential negative physiological and physical consequences, and can even contribute to the development of mental health disorders.
Panckaj N Umrania, executive director at KND Steel, shares a similar perspective but brings a sense of rhythm to the role yoga plays in leadership. "Yoga has taught me stillness in motion," he reflects. Rising at 5 AM to begin each day with breathwork and mindful movement, Umrania finds that it allows him to make decisions with clarity rather than urgency. "It's how I run meetings, manage clients, teams, and handle pressure." He credits yoga for helping him slow down and sleep better; an antidote to the hyper-accelerated culture of corporate life. "Whether it's a family dinner or a boardroom presentation, I show up more present, grounded, and energized."
Yoga is no longer perceived as some ancient teachings but a science backed grounding ritual. One of the more known practices in yoga is Anulom Vilom – an alternate nostril breathing technique that significantly lowers blood pressure, slows heart rate, and is believed to activate the parasympathetic nervous system creating mental clarity and emotional stability.
This sentiment resonates with Dhruv Luthra, managing director, Luthra Group. For Dhruv, yoga isn't about twisting into complex poses. "For me, yoga has always been more about focus than flexibility," he explains. In his fast-paced professional life, a brief ten-minute yoga routine acts as a daily mental reset. "In a world that is always moving fast, it reminds me that calm can be just as powerful as speed." Dhruv's core practices—Anulom Vilom, Tadasana, and Vrikshasana—are deceptively simple but profoundly effective. They serve as practical tools to cut through mental clutter and carry physical benefits that make long meetings and unpredictable schedules more bearable.
What ties these varied perspectives together is the way yoga moves beyond being a physical discipline. It's not treated as a box to tick for wellness, but a toolkit for living and leading with more presence and less panic. Specific practices, be it Anulom Vilom, Vrikshasana, or Surya Namaskar, have become personal rituals with strategic value. They offer grounding in a world that spins fast, and clarity in situations that demand quick but thoughtful responses.
In fact, it's this shift from performance to presence, that yoga appears to be facilitating among today's leaders. Where corporate culture has often emphasized speed, scale, and multitasking, yoga brings in the missing ingredients: stillness, depth, and intention. It's no coincidence that those who lead from the front are increasingly turning inward to build resilience, emotional intelligence, and mental clarity.
This shift, from outcome-driven hustle to values-driven clarity, is at the core of yoga's rise as a lifestyle in the corporate world.
(The wirte up published in entrpreneur.com)
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
