Bhava Communications.

This is a story of how a gym bag, an empty mason jar and a bit of sunshine encouraged a group of Bhavans to GET MOVIN’.

At our Last Day Without Outdoor Furniture Party in June, Bhavans were gifted a bright yellow gym bag (any excuse, right?) on our sunny balcony. Our fab new accessory got us thinking of all the activities we were looking forward to doing during the summer: hiking, swimming, running, surfing. This sparked the idea for an unofficial fitness challenge … and so the Bhava 60-Day Get Movin’ Challenge was born.

We kicked off the challenge at the start of July and wrapped it up at the end of August.

Here’s how it worked:

• • Participants added $1 to a mason jar kept at the office each time they completed a workout.

• • Workouts had to be a minimum of 45 minutes long. (Proof of completion was accepted in the forms of photos, SnapChats, Instagram posts and verbally with the use of a lie detector. Ok, maybe there wasn’t a lie detector — we just trust each other.)

• • The money collected was to be used in a celebratory lunch feast of epic caloric proportion.

• • Participants had to complete enough workouts to contribute a minimum of $28 to the lunch.

• • As for the workout fanatics, they were allowed to contribute a maximum of $40.

• • If any Bhavans participating didn’t reach the minimum amount, they were disqualified and their money was used to supersize the victors’ lunches.

You might be asking yourself, isn’t sweat and pain enough payment for a workout? Well, sometimes some of us need that extra nudge to remain committed to our fitness goals.

The fitness challenge was a testament to the awesome level of support Bhavans show one other. We brainstormed and collaborated on a way to achieve a common goal of overall fitness improvement and were completely open to new ideas and feedback. Throughout the challenge we pushed one another to be active through the tough times of below 70-degree weather (life’s rough here in California), post-workout soreness and unexplained cases of laziness. We not only gained better muscle definition, but also a sense of accomplishment and an even greater feeling of camaraderie.

Bhava has many perks that I’m very grateful for. We have a magical Google Doc where we can request our unlimited wish list of snacks. We have a fully equipped onsite gym and a yoga room where weekly yoga sessions are held. And, we also have tons of PARKING.

These are all great benefits to have at Bhava, and I would say that our culture is the one I cherish the most. Every day, I’m surrounded by positive, encouraging and wicked-smart people who are there to help me achieve my personal best. Whether I’m looking to add to my expertise in media relations, content creation or even creative lunch-making (it helps that we have a stocked fridge), there is always a Bhavan that’s open to helping. Bhavans continuously get me movin’ towards my goals.