The Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals (WEP) committee of the Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) organized an Open House and Networking session on Mind Body Soul at the ICCC headquarters on 16 September 2015. The program adopted a holistic approach to a stress free living by focusing on all the key aspects of nourishment – the mind, the body and the soul.

Sunita Mohan dwelled upon the importance of dietary discipline and emphasized that South Asians are particularly prone to specific aliments such as cardiovascular problems, diabetes and obesity. She said that it was important to develop a proper regime around diet and to take all the necessary precautions without compromising on one’s basic rights to enjoy life. In her short but emphatic presentation, she spoke about the significance of distinguishing between good and bad fats. She specializes in the healing properties of spices and Ayurvedic cooking.  She is currently working with Metabolic Balance to help her clients lose weight and eat according to their blood results.

Reema Sarin then spoke about the importance of balancing the mind through breathing exercises and meditation. She emphasized that there is a tendency to compartmentalize meditation and breathing exercises into specific time slots, which the practitioners do diligently, but forget them while doing other things. Reema emphasized that these exercises can be done everywhere and imparted basic and simple techniques and tools for implementing these at the workplace, too. She provided participants with the tools and strategies to respond to stressful situations in life; the tools that teach to use of breathing as an anchor to achieve calmness and reduce stress in your life.

Niharika Tugnait then spoke about Hatha Yoga, and how it can benefit an individual during their day-to-day activities. This particular yoga technique helps in concentration, increasing lung capacity, and stamina for a working individual. Hatha Yoga is a slower-paced form of Yoga, and focuses the practitioner’s attention on the synchronization of breath with the movements of body during asanas.

Speaking on the occasion, Ginni Sethi, Vice President and Director, WEP and Membership, said that the WEP Committee of the ICCC had thought it fit to organize the session despite the subject being distinctly out of the box because it is important to reflect upon the fundamental changes in ourselves and our surroundings.

"We are all so immersed in our professional and business routines that we are unable to find time to sit back and reflect upon certain crucial things that happen in our daily routine. From where your energy emanates, who control your thought which becomes your mighty will to succeed in every endeavor? What is source of creativity? We all are bogged down with routine which results in a slow buildup of stress, and stress kills productivity.”

Ms. Sethi also emphasized that when we focus on some crucial aspects of our lives, we will be able to succeed effortlessly in business and profession. Mind Body Soul teaches us how to reach your fullest potential for maximizing the dividend in your professional and business life.

The Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals committee has always attempted to provide its members with innovative programs that assist them in both their businesses and professions and also in their personal lives. The committee aims for both the professional and the personal because one can’t separate the two. This is because our lives cannot be compartmentalized into neat silos. It is in acknowledgement of this constant multitasking that we have called three experts this evening to help us understand the three most crucial parts of our beings – our minds, our bodies and our souls.

Sanjay Makkar, President, ICCC, presented the speakers with mementos, and lauded the efforts of the WEP committee. Other members of the board present at the program included Jagdish Bajaj, Vice President, and Kanwar Dhanjal, Director.