Yoga classes in the workplace boost productivity, reduce sick days, increase mental clarity, combat fatigue, improve memory, strengthen the muscles, fight stress and increase workplace satisfaction. “The effects of yoga, when you do it correctly, can be immediate,” says yoga company director, Daniel Harte. “Employees have come away saying their minds are more focused, their energy levels are boosted and they’ve combated stress.” Several types of corporate yoga programs are available.
Conference Room Yoga
Making use of existing space is one way companies are incorporating yoga classes in the workplace. Sarah Ogden, managing director of PR agency Midnight Communications, says she used the company’s basement to provide yoga classes to her staff three days a week. While it was tough to get people away from their desks initially, the classes gradually caught on. “PR can be particularly stressful and I’m a big fan of yoga because it has mental and physical benefits,” Ogden explains. Beth Superfin, AOL Media Networks senior manager, adds that she was skeptical of doing yoga in her conference rooms at first, but said she soon became hooked on the easy, free, hour-long classes with professional instructors. Other businesses use break rooms, storage areas or their lawns as yoga practice space.
Company Gym Yoga
At the Purchase, New York, PepsiCo headquarters, Pilates, yoga and spinning classes are offered at their $20-a-month gym. Senior legal counsel Megan Hurley says her inexpensive corporate gym membership has helped her stay in shape, despite her grueling schedule. Companies like Nike, HBO, Forbes, Google, MTV and IBM have gained media attention for offering gym memberships with yoga classes in the workplace. MoreySmith design practice director Linda Morey Smith says that fewer companies are installing their own gyms, as opposed to offering local membership deals.”However,” she adds, “the inclusion of showers and lockers… and a flexible space within the office that has the potential for yoga or Pilates are increasingly popular.”
Yoga Retreats
Before implementing yoga classes in the workplace, many employers send their staff to a yoga retreat to gauge interest and effectiveness. Sara Harris, a yoga instructor at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York, has taught employees from MTV, IBM, AT&T and NYNEX. It offers two-day corporate team-building retreats that include “active relaxation” yoga, as well as hikes, sports and croquet tournaments. One MTV staffer explains the benefits of yoga classes in the workplace, saying: “Life at work is full of distractions. Yoga gives me an opportunity to focus, since it’s rare that everything is so serene.”
From: The Houston Chronicle