Yoga AT Work

My yoga journey actually started at work, in a Corporate Office. We were fortunate to have a Yoga at Work program where local teachers taught on-site two days a week during lunch time. Fabulous! In theory, at least. I was so passionate about the program that I took on organizing it to try to get more people to sign up. I was so perplexed about the low participation, and I was convinced I could solve it. At most, we had 10 employees participating out of a building of 250 people. My company split the bill with employees who signed up, but it was still hard to get people to enroll.?(Spoiler alert - I never solved the problem, at least not for that company)

We practiced in a large meeting room that was available to all employees to book. As I imagine most Corporate Offices do, we had a calendar system that would show other employees if the room was booked. The calendar was the law; until it wasn’t…

In case you’re unfamiliar with Corporate America antics - If a business function is not obviously generating revenue, it is not viewed as important as those that are obviously generating revenue. I included ‘obviously’ twice on purpose.

As I mentioned, we practiced yoga during lunch time in a shared space that we booked on a shared calendar. On many occasions, there was a meeting running over in the shared space. My fellow yogis and I would stand outside the meeting room, in our yoga attire as plenty of coworkers passed us by on their way to lunch, trying to politely signal to the people in the room that we needed to start our practice. I would usually have to poke my head in the room and ask - as politely as possible - if they could wrap it up so we could take the class we paid for. In return, I would receive blatant eye rolls and even comments like, “God forbid we try to make the company money instead of doing yoga.” The friction also led to passive aggressive notes over tables not being put back in the correct place (we always did our best, I promise!).

I believe the Yoga at Work program began, before my time there, with support from the C-Suite, but that didn't seem to be the case anymore. Hourly employees had to clock out for yoga (in addition to their lunch break), and colleagues often booked meetings over our time we had blocked off on our personal calendars for yoga… the yoga that we paid for.

Now don’t get me wrong, I was still grateful for the program’s existence despite all of the issues that arose. And I totally get it - we all still had jobs to do, including those grumpy people that were using the meeting room before us. Yoga at Work was one of the best ways I was able to find a work/life balance. I looked forward to going to work on yoga days, I experienced lower stress levels, I felt more resilient for the ups and downs during the day, and I was able to focus on my work and actually be a more productive employee vs. when I wasn’t able to practice. It’s like it’s science or something!?

Speaking of science, “a study done by University of Bristol researchers found that employees who exercised before or during work hours were better equipped to handle whatever challenges they had to face that day. It also found that their general mood improved on days they worked out and were less calm on days they did not.” Furthermore, “Jo Coulson, Research Associate in the University’s Department of Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, said: ‘Critically, workers performed significantly better on exercise days and across all three areas we measured, known as mental-interpersonal, output and time demands.’”

Does a work perk HAVE to directly benefit the employer? Of course not. But we live in the United States where ROI is the law. If you need that proof to make your pitch for a Yoga AT Work program, here are some scientific facts.?

Proven benefits of Yoga at Work:

1. Alleviates Common Pain from Desk Jobs

• Think aches and pains in your neck, back, and hips. Gentle movement and breath work can alleviate a lot of those aches and pains, making us more productive and happy.?

2. Increases Energy & Reduced Fatigue

• Taking a healthy break is a great way to ward off burnout. Taking a break is actually better for productivity than powering through the day with no break at all. It’s also proven that mindful movement is a great way to improve circulation, blood flow, and oxygenation throughout the body to improve energy.?

3. Improves Concentration & Focus

• That increased blood flow and movement is also great for improving mental acuity, allowing us to properly manage multitasking and wearing all those hats.?

4. Promotes Team Spirit and Morale

• A cranky workplace is no fun. How great would it be if all of your coworkers were zen? It doesn’t have to be a fantasy, it can be a reality! The shared experience of a workplace yoga class can also be great for team building and bonding (hint hint, Yoga for All Humans provides private classes tailored to your employees).?

The bottom line - Yoga at Work is good for business, even if it’s not blatant.?

As you've read, a Yoga at Work program is most effective if everyone understands the importance of it. A solid communication plan and support from the top can help to avoid all of the issues I faced.

Tips for organizing a successful Yoga at Work program:

• Employer pays the bill
• Prioritize yoga time (i.e. Don’t pressure people to skip yoga for meetings)
• Consider different abilities and cater to them (e.g. Do you have employees in wheelchairs or with differing physical abilities?)
• Leadership needs to set the tone that Yoga at Work is a priority
• Consider it work time (i.e. Don’t make your hourly employees clock out)
• Provide a lunch break in addition to yoga

Yoga for All Humans can help you get your Yoga at Work program off the ground today! We offer group discounts on memberships as well as private class just for your employees in our package. If your team is remote like many are right now, we’re a virtual/online yoga studio, so we can always meet you online. If things ever return back to ‘normal’ and you want an on-site class for your employees, we’re a national company with teachers all over the country. If we don’t have a teacher in your area, we would be happy to find the perfect yoga teacher in your area to come to you!?Email [email protected] for more information or visit our LinkedIn page.