Corporate Yoga can Change an Entire Business
Right now, there are over 15 million people practicing yoga in the U.S. alone. And it’s no surprise that yoga’s popularity continues to grow about 20 percent each year.
As more people are seeing the many personal benefits it has to offer, a new shift is happening: yoga in the workplace.
Maybe it’s the alarming amount of workplace stress and career dissatisfaction, but entrepreneurs are turning yoga to turn things around.
When everything typically runs on “go-mode”, more businesses are using yoga to help their employees unplug, recharge and perform better. Here’s how:
1. Re-focuses the Mind
As soon as the alarm clock goes off in the morning, we get up and trudge our way to an 8, 10, 12+ workday. Right at the door, we are greeted by a mountain of paperwork, deadlines and meetings. We sit long hours at our desks, cram in fast lunches—it’s no surprise that stress is on the rise.
Workplace yoga (often brought in and directed by nearby studios) gives all of that a break. Employees get to pause everything to meditate, stretch and focus on breathing. These few moments drastically clears the mind and allows refocusing. Clearing all the mental “muck” makes it easier to approach things with a better, fresh perspective.
2. Re-energizes the Body
Sitting for prolonged periods of time is bad for the body. Health studies link it to various cardiovascular issues (like high blood pressure, cholesterol and heart attacks) and even things like cancer. Most people don’t sit on an ergonomic chair…so even without all of the links to heart disease, etc., sitting makes the body feel stiff, achy and tired. Chiropractor, anyone?
Doing yoga at work allows the body to release tension. Getting up and stretching allows employees to work on their postures, flex their muscles and get their endorphins pumping. It beats a cup of coffee any old day.
3. Creates Workplace Unity
Yoga helps people become more self-aware and conscious of their surroundings/relationships with other people. So, workplace yoga can be a tool used for team-building. It provides the opportunity to embark on a united journey towards mental and physical growth.
When we feel better, we attribute those positive feelings to the people who surround us. A united front operates much better than a one-person army.
Sometimes it feels like the world orbits around the stress of big business deals and no-nonsense policies, but things are steadily changing. More companies are using workplace yoga to cater to their employee’s physical and mental wellness. A better, more centered work environment will improve virtually everything—from moral, physical/mental health to more tangible things like revenue.
From: The Yoga Blog