Bodhi helps bring harmony to corporate bodies

BY MARC LALONDE

marc.lalonde@transcontinental.ca

Bhaskar Goswami is taking yoga corporate.

He’s not slapping a suit and tie on statues of Buddha or anything, but Goswami and his new business Bodhi have already been recognized by the West Island Chamber of Commerce and the Quebec Entrepreneurship Contest.

Through Bodhi, Goswami is teaching corporations and their employees how to apply yoga principles in a business setting and in their everyday lives.

“Yoga is for everybody. That’s the entire philosophy on which it’s based,” said the 33-year-old, who was born in India and learned the art of yoga at his father’s knee and with a mentor in Kuwait. He moved to Canada

in 1999.

“Yoga is great for all kinds of things. It helps with insomnia, anxiety, breathing, relaxation techniques and the physical aspect helps as well. There’s a real, tangible benefit to the experience for business-

people,” he said.

The Chamber of Commerce agreed, awarding him an Accolade award for best Young Entrepreneur at a June gala, and the Quebec Young Entrepreneurship contest also cited his achievements as the top Montreal entrant last summer.

Not bad for a business that almost never got off the ground. When his son, Jai, was born about 18 months ago, Goswami, who had settled down in Pierrefonds, decided it was time to turn his passion for yoga into a sustainable business after a conversation he had with an acquaintance.

“We were talking about how children learn, and she said ‘if you don’t do what’s meaningful for you as a career, your son won’t either,’” he said. “I started putting the Bodhi project together that day.”

Today, Goswami’s business is flourishing, with a major contract from Groupe Desjardins to work with its head-office employees and other major corporations on board.

He also does private consulting, if that’s what you’re looking for.

So far, so good.

“(Clients) are really loving it. Through yoga, clients learn more about their breathing and relaxation. There’s a shift in consciousness as well. You breathe better and you feel better, in terms of your body, your mind and your emotions. You also become more self-aware. It’s a natural byproduct of the idea. You can’t help but be more self-aware when you’re tapped in to your body and its movements.”

It’s an idea that’s gaining steam and one that some sources claim works wonders on work peformance

“”We teach people how to adopt principles such as breathing, stretching and nutrition to revitalize their physical and mental energies, whether it’s at work or otherwise,” he said. “When you feel better, you work better.”

To contact Goswami, call Bodhi at 514-944-5346 or visit the company’s website at www.bodhiprinciple.com.