What are the benefits of yoga in the workplace?
The changing work environment increasingly places demands and stress on employees. This work related stress leads to depression, drop in work performance, and anxiety. The pressure of the work environment has cost businesses billions of dollars a year in absentee-ism, reduced productivity, low morale, employee turnover, and accidents.
Searching for ways to deal with the stressful work environment, corporations are discovering the enormous benefits of yoga-based wellness programs.
Having mind-body programs like yoga on company grounds can help employees improve their productivity and mental clarity while reducing the number of their sick days.
When you are too sedentary, your mind and body fatigue faster, leaving you with less energy to give to your job and to your family. Having yoga in the workplace offers a convenient way for employees to have a balanced life and to fit a gentle workout in, without having to leave the premises.
One benefit of yoga is its ability to help you de-stress. Employees that are relaxed and productive are vital to a thriving workplace. Yoga helps you to focus on your breath and links that breath to your movement. By focusing on your breathing and the poses for anything up to an hour, you give your mind a rest from the pressures of reports and deadlines.
Corporate classes offered
Move and Stretch – 45mins
This class will be a general full body stretch class where you will start with a gentle warm up and move through a series of standing and seated poses that aim to stretch out the legs, hips, lower back and shoulders. Poses will be broken down to explain the alignment and benefits of each posture with focus and awareness on the breath.
Modifications will be given to suit all levels. Participants will need to wear comfortable clothes and bring a yoga mat or towel to practice on. No need to take a shower afterwards as this will be set at a gentle flowing pace.
Sit and Stretch – 20 mins
This will be a seated 20min express ‘time-out’ class that will not require changing clothes or the use of a yoga mat. Participants will be guided through a short meditation and visualisation practice, shown breathing techniques to alleviate stress and to calm and clear the mind. Then you will move through a series of seated stretches and movements to relieve tension in the neck, shoulders and lower back while bringing awareness to postural alignment. The perfect quick fix ‘yoga pit stop’ to break up the day leaving you feeling lighter and clear headed.
Read more about my philosophy on the benefits of yoga in the workplace in this SCMP article.
