Wellness Programs combat rising Healthcare Costs

There is not a single company that is not affected by soaring costs of providing healthcare or health insurance premiums. While CFO’s and HR managers battle their heads to figure out ways to cut health insurance costs, uncertainty, change and competition have led to an exponential increase in workplace stress. Left unchecked, this can even convert many of the “low health risk” employees to high risk categories. Already, antidepressants are the number one prespcription medicine taken by many employees.

Realizing the dangers in this vicious cycle, some employers have taken the initiative and are running employee wellness programs that take a holistic view of the employee’s and their family’s health. However, many employers are on the sidelines watching how things will evolve. Warren Buffet, noted investor captures the thought succinctly:

“There’s no question that workplace wellness is worth it. The only question is whether you’re going to do it today or tomorrow. If you keep saying you’re going to do it tomorrow, you’ll never do it. You have to get on it today.”

For more information, visit www.plasmatraining.com

Inputs from Hari Subramanian, author of “Breathe your way to Success: The Plasma Personality” and founder of Plasma Training.

The Wellness – Success Relationship

Wellness – Whether a passing fad or the next revolution, it sure is catching on. But it seems to mean different things to different people. Most people think that Wellness is good health. But is it physical health or mental health or both? I would like to submit to you that Wellness is a way of life in which you learn to use tools such as fitness, yoga and meditation to attain physical, mental and spiritual health. I can hear you say “Ok, I understand that health is essential for success but I don’t see any obvious connection between the two”.

Let me explain the delicate connection between welllness and success with the “Success Pyramid” shown in figure 1. Physical health is the basic prerequisite for success. If you are not fit, your mind will also be sluggish and you can’t be agile. Beyond this, mental health is more important for success.

First and foremost, mental health requires inner peace. Once you obtain inner peace, you also need freedom from bondages and constraints. This is because of the fact that only when you learn to think freely, you discover new choices in life that you never even dreamt of before. You can say this is similar to “out of the box” thinking or creativity. When you breakaway from your constraints, you will be able to start a process of deep introspection and analyze your life. Now you will understand what your values are. Values are the principles that you would uphold in your life even at the cost of death. You may say, everyone understands their values as they grow up. While this is true, more often, the understanding of values is superficial. When you introspect more, you come to a totally new level of understanding about yourself and values can even change in this process or over time. Once you are clear on your values, you understand what is the purpose of your life. Without purpose, there is no success.

Success magazine’s 2006 poll on success in business revealed that 60% of respondents felt that it is all about adding value to the lives of other people and only less than 20% felt that it is about making money. In fact, achieving balance, happiness and fulfillment in life is success in itself! Most motivational speakers state that the difference between successful people and others is often purpose. If you derive your goals by connecting them with your purpose, you are way ahead of others and your journey is bound to be successful.

The face is the index of the mind.

How often have I come across this quote. I keep looking at the mirror and make faces, and it always tells me the way I feel today. Ecstatic. Everday.

Breathe Your Way to Success™

Hari Subramanian’s debut D-I-Y book on how to breathe your way to success, and the concept of the Plasma Personality will change your outlook towards Wellness and life forever. Hari brings a unique perspective towards wellness by blending his experience and learning from the eastern and western cultures.

Plasma Training offers Wellness advice, training programs and publishing services that are geared to deliver Health and Success in life. At present, our publishing services are for every one who wants to be successful.

For more details, visit www.plasmatraining.com

Health and Beauty Exhibition – August 2006, Chennai

If you are in Chennai during the first week of August 2006, you can visit the Chennai Trade Center at Nandambakkam (around 10 Kms from Chennai Airport) which is hosting the Health and Beauty exhibition on a grand scale. Apart from product companies, there are also Consultants, Advisors, Physicians and Beauticians to advice you on wellness and well-being. A must for the health, fitness and beauty conscious. Spring in a new life!

The Discovery of the Future

“It is possible to believe that all the past is but the beginning of a beginning, and that all that is and has been is but the twilight of the dawn. It is possible to believe that all the human mind has ever accomplished is but the dream before the awakening… A day will come, one day in the unending succession of days, when beings, beings who are now latent in our thoughts and hidden in our loins, shall stand upon the Earth as one stands upon a footstool and shall laugh and reach out their hands amidst the stars.”

- H. G. Wells, The Discovery of the Future (1902)