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January 22, 2016 By Anusha Subramanian 3 Comments

Why is GOQii the best startup to work at?

Two years ago when I first walked into the 7th-floor office of GOQii to meet Vishal Gondal, the first sight was that of some youngsters playing loud music and doing Zumba. I was told it’s a regular routine at the office. If it’s not Zumba then its Tabata or skipping or indulging in some physical activity while at office. Then I saw some weights, exercise ball, kettle bell lying around. My first thought was it was a small startup, few people so it’s just one way to probably relax at work. But, the best part is this fun atmosphere continues even after 2 years of being in operation and with close to 100 odd employees.

No wonder that it is rated among the top 10 best startups that one should be looking at to work for in 2016 by a leading news website. The website rated it based on the new exciting business in the wearable space that GOQii is operating in. But, GOQii apart from the business that it operates is a cool startup to work at for varied reasons.

GOQii founded by gaming geek Vishal Gondal in 2013 with the basic premise to get people to follow a healthy lifestyle by making small changes in their life. GOQii which operates in the wearable space combines a fitness band with personalized coaching to help people lead a healthy lifestyle. This ideology was not meant only for their ‘Players’(customers) but, also to be practiced within the company. One of the values of the company is ‘Practice what we Preach’.

Being a startup there is pressure to perform and deliver but not at the cost of a bad work life balance. The company provides a work atmosphere that is lively and not monotonous. For all here at GOQii, the two main aspects that have attracted them or have kept them back is because it is a great learning place for one’s career and secondly, you can just be the person you are and do not have to change yourself to prove your abilities. It is one company that does not hire basis your degrees but hires basis your attitude and persona.

Says Gondal, CEO of GOQii “We hire people not for their degrees but for their passion. We want people to be themselves at work and have the same persona as their personal life.”

The coaches who are responsible for motivating and changing people’s lifestyle for the better say that they are motivated within the office and therefore are able to motivate their players. The one thing that strikes a chord with all coaches is the ethical practice followed by the company and that they are not focusing on weight loss but on leading a healthy and holistic lifestyle.

The learning curve at GOQii is fabulous, there are great mentors within the company who are approachable including Vishal who is the CEO. These Mentors may work in a completely different department but, you get unlimited, time with him/her to talk and understand any issue. The work culture is open and there is a lot of freedom for you to work your way while you bear in mind the ethical values of the company.

As one employee from the tech department says: “Two years at GOQii has been enriching for me. I being an IT professional have got an opportunity to learn beyond just technology. I have had the opportunity to work with various departments and in the process learned people management. GOQii has not limited me from doing anything.”

Apart from the work culture and the cool people working for the company, GOQii also takes care of its people. Being in the health industry, the company has been instrumental in getting its employees to lead a healthy lifestyle as well without imposing any rules or regulations on them.

“I had a bad work life balance but, I can vouch and say now that I am a much healthier person now. I eat well and sleep well. I am not stressed at work and I do not wake up thinking ‘Oh shit’ I need to get to work. But more eager to get to work daily,” says one woman employee who works in the HR department.

It’s not only about an open work culture, flexibility or ethical values at work, but also the fun things that happen within office- the regular workout sessions, Zumba session for fitness, work from wherever you want to as no specific desk space is allotted, work sitting on a beanbag or on an exercise ball so long as work is getting done.

I would be doing injustice if I do not talk of the healthy food that is served for lunch. Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays the employees get healthy organic food and Tuesday and Thursday is Vegan organic all free of cost. There are also regular outdoor activities such as runs, walks, hikes or treks conducted across India where players and coaches meet. Last but not the least, the karma culture is a part of GOQii Life where employees along with coaches and players are invited to volunteer with a social organization and do good for the society.

December 9, 2015 By Aaishwarya Haldule 2 Comments

Meditation and it’s healing powers

Meditation as we all know is one of the most ancient stress relieving and healing techniques used in India and now even in the Western world. It however has its roots buried in the centuries old science of medicine in India. Now one may think, meditation is only to sit with eyes closed and breathe, to be practiced by saints and yogis.

MEDITATION- the true meaning is to make peace with oneself mentally and physically.But, this is not easy as one may think and needs practice or even training for some period.

The term meditation refers to a variety of practices, such as techniques designed to promote relaxation and build internal energy or life force which is also PRANA in Sanskrit. This enables the individuals to develop love, compassion, patience, effortless single pointed concentration, thus enabling the person to enjoy the well being while engaging in any life activity.

In the recent times meditation is often suggested as a treatment to ease health concerns such as hypertension/ blood pressure, depression, anxiety, insomnia, fear and phobias, control emotions such as anger or hatred. Meditation has a calming effect on the body as well as mind. It directs awareness inward until pure awareness is achieved which is rightly described as “Being awake inside without being aware of anything except awareness itself”

Now one may ask how to achieve the state of awareness and peace? Here is how you can.

Sit comfortably wearing comfortable clothes.
Starting with your head working downwards feel the vibrations in your body.
Focus on your breath; follow the sensation of inhaling and exhaling. With each inhalation the tummy will blow out and with each exhalation the tummy will go back in.
Once you achieve this state, you will face thoughts, the key here is to not hold on to any thought. Instead make it a slide show, let all the thoughts come and go as if it is a photo gallery.
Once you are able to achieve this, you can begin with mantra repetition such as OM for 5- 6 times.

It has been proven that practicing meditation; has numerous benefits and accelerates the process of healing of many health conditions, as well as delay the ageing.

To highlight a few prominent benefits, let’s look further.

Increase immunity:

Relaxation appears to boost the immunity in recovering cancer patients. Progressive muscular relaxation when practiced daily has shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer and its recurrence. A study at Ohio state university has shown that practicing meditation and relaxation for a month boosted the immunity cells in the elderly giving them more resistance to viruses.

Emotional Balance:

As we discussed earlier, meditation helps to achieve control over emotions such as anger, hatred.

Emotional balance means to be free of ego. Though this is very difficult to achieve fully, meditation does help to lessen the outbursts due to ego. As the consciousness is cleansed of emotions and memories, one not only achieves a full freedom but also great balance in actions and words.

Increases fertility:

It has been found that women are more likely to conceive when emotionally balanced and stress free. Being stress free also helps improve male fertility in many ways.

Relieves Digestive ailments:

People who suffer anxiety related acidity, or other digestive complaints get great relief with regular meditation and breathing exercises.

Hence, it is widely recommended as an effective treatment.

Lowers blood pressure:

Similar to exercise meditation also helps to secrete “happiness hormones such as endorphins”, making the body less responsive to stress hormones. These effects are also seen with regular cardio exercise and blood pressure lowering medications as well.

Inflammation:

Stress; of all kinds’ leads to inflammation, which is widely related to heart disease, arthritis, asthma and many skin conditions. Practicing regular meditation can prevent and help in treating these conditions by reducing the stress response.

Calmness and sleep:

The simple difference between the people who meditate and those who do not, is that for a meditative mind the thought occurs is witnessed, while for an ordinary mind, the thought occurs and is governed by ego. In case in both minds, an upsetting thought occurs, but for those who meditate it is just another thought which is seen, allowed to blossom, and let go, while in a non meditating mind, such thoughts can instigates a storm which rages on and on. This can lead to sleep disturbances. Hence meditation helps to improve sleep.

In short, Meditation is a way to celebrate being at peace with oneself and celebrating it with silence.

Happy Meditating!

November 25, 2015 By Jyoti Sawant 16 Comments

Home remedies to remove dark circles under your eyes

Are you a workaholic, stressed out at work or due to other reasons and seldom sleep well at night? Then you must have also noticed dark patches under your eyes at times and wondered what are those dark patches and how can you get rid of them?

Dark circles occur when the skin under the eyes becomes discolored or dark. They are mainly caused due to insufficient sleep, genetics, stress and also aging. Dark circles can appear to both men and women, regardless of their age.

Although dark circles are not a serious problem, people find that it comes in the way of their looks. Of course the market has an abundance of expensive cosmetic products that promises to alleviate the problem but, the chemicals they contain can affect the delicate skin underneath your eyes in a negative way. In order to avoid these harsh chemical based cosmetics to cure the dark circles why don’t you try some simple and easy home remedies to get rid of those dark circles.

The causes of dark circles are:

* Lack of sleep

* Mental or physical stress

* Crying for long period of time

* Too much work on the computer

* Certain medications

Home Remedies for Dark Circles:

Tomato

Is a brilliant home remedy that can erase the dark circles under your eyes as it naturally helps in lightening the skin. Mix 1 teaspoon of tomato juice with a teaspoon of lemon juice and apply it under your eyes. After applying it, leave it on for about 10 minutes and wash it off with water. Repeat this remedy at least 2 times a day. You can also drink tomato juice mixed with some lemon juice and mint leaves in order to

D get rid of dark circles.

Cucumber

Is another home remedy that will not only help in removing the dark circles, but also acts as a soothing agent for the eyes. Cut 2 slices of a fresh cucumber and keep them in the refrigerator for a while. Then place the cucumber slices over your eyes for about 10-15 minutes. You can also mix cucumber juice and lemon juice and apply it under your eyes. It is a natural remedy that will help you get rid of dark circles.

Rose Water

Soak cotton pads in rose water and put them over your eyes and leave them there for some time. You can also use rose petals and milk to make a paste and apply it over the dark circles. Rose water is one of the best home remedies for quick removal of dark circles under the eyes as it lightens the skin and also acts as a natural soothing agent.

Potato:

Grate a raw potato, strain it and extract its juice. Soak a cotton ball in the juice and place it on your eyelids. Apply it properly so that it covers the dark area under your eyes. Leave it for about 15 minutes, and then wash it off with water. Potato is a natural bleaching agent, which makes it one of the best home remedies for reducing dark circles under the eye.

Mint leaves:

A paste made of Mint leaves and tomato juice is another good cure for dark circles. Apply this paste on the area under the eyes. This remedy will eliminate the dark patches of skin.

Orange

Who ever thought that orange juice can also do wonders to remove dark circles but it indeed does? Mix some orange juice with a few drops of glycerin and apply the mixture over the dark circles. It will diminish the dark circles and will also give a natural glow to the area around your eyes.

Turmeric Paste

Make a paste using pineapple juice and turmeric powder. Apply the paste on a regular basis to get rid of the dark circles fast.

Practice Yoga or Meditate

While, yoga and meditation can bring down the dark circles in your face, it also helps in rejuvenating our body and also brings a natural glow on your face while, at the same time, removing the dark circles under your eyes.

So instead of spending loads of money on expensive cosmetics to get rid of your dark circles try these easy home remedies and be rest assured that you will be back to looking beautiful in few days.

November 19, 2015 By Vrushali Athavle 1 Comment

Do you know about NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis)?

Are you one of those who know the importance of exercising but still give excuses for not working out regularly? Several research reports have indicated that like “Cigarette smoking is injurious to health”, there is a new saying in the health industry “Sitting is injurious to health” Sitting in one place for a long time can cause serious health issues.

Here is a quick fix for all the people who have sedentary lifestyle and job and do not get time to work out.
NEAT – also known as ‘Non-exercise activity thermogenesis’ include those activities which require to move the smallest muscle of the body due to which some energy expenditure occur. These exercises will not include very minimal movements like those while sleeping or eating and also will not include activities like sports where there is lot of calorie burning. Basically, it includes activities like walking to office, gardening, standing rather than sitting, gardening, doing household chores, carrying grocery bags in hand instead of using a trolley etc.
For more clarity on NEAT let’s take a peek into the various daily examples:

Brush to burn calories:

Instead of lazing around with a brush in your mouth stand near the wash basin with one leg lifted. This will help you strengthen your core and at the same time improve your concentration and balance.

Serve yourself:

Next thing which we usually do is to call out loud for tea/coffee or breakfast from the living room to the person in the kitchen. Instead, go ahead and serve yourself. This will ensure your sluggish metabolism is waking up slowing to burn more calories.

Catch up with some exercise on the way to office:

** Take the stair wherever possible and skip the elevators. This could be your building stairs or railway station stairs if you travel by train or walk up to the office in your building which is on the 7th or 8th floor. If climbing 7 floors seems tiring, climb 2 to 3 floors and take a lift for remaining. Climbing stairs is a great way to burn calories and strengthen your legs.”

** Sitting at the desk for long hours is the most dangerous thing as we just discussed in the beginning of this blog. Here is the solution- get up from your chair every 1 hour, do certain stretches, instead of asking the office boy to fill up your water bottle take a stroll and refill it yourself, talk to your friends and come back to your seat and continue with your work.

Stand up and stretch every time you hit ‘send’ on an e-mail.”

Use “Walk n talk method” i.e start walking while you are on long conversations on call.
(i) While sitting on a chair, raise one heel or both the heels then one leg and then both the legs while seated. This turn outs to be the best exercise for lower body, Similarly stretch out arms and do some free hand arm exercises or pick up water bottles and do some bicep curls which can be some good upper body workouts.
(ii) To strengthen the core, sit on a ball which forces you to balance yourself keeping your core engaged full time. If this is not possible in office, try out this ball method at home while watching television or eating dinner, playing video/mobile games or reading.

4) Get a Pedometer

Pedometer like GOQii band can be best used to motivate you by tracking the steps and kms everyday. To make this more interesting decide on certain weekly targets to completing steps target.
In a nutshell the above proves that there is no way you can say ‘I have a sedentary job’. NEAT exercises help you to shift your sedentary job to a bit active one with very simple efforts. Once you incorporate these activities, lot more will come to your mind.

Let me know “How do you squeeze extra activity into your day?”