Yoga refers to the traditional physical and mental disciplines which originated in India and whose goals are to bring the body and mind into harmony using meditation, physical postures, breathing and exercise. Yoga is a discipline of stretching and toning the body through movements, breathing exercises, relaxation techniques and specific diet recommendations. The other half of the practice is to achieve control of both the body and the mind.
The practice of yoga is springing up in classes around the country. As the benefits of the practice are being researched and corroborated through clinical study, others are beginning to investigate more venues through which individuals may benefit from the practice of yoga. One such area is in the classroom and another is in corporate America. Yoga practiced in the classroom, has been demonstrated to improve concentration, homework compliance and emotional stability of the students. Yoga has also been found to decrease stress, anxiety, disruptive behavior and testing anxiety.
In corporate America, Yoga plays the same part. One of the most stressful areas of a person’s life is often their job and their move to rise through the corporate ladder. Insurance companies are well aware of the effects of stress places on the human body. In fact, 80% of the illnesses and diseases from which the average person suffers is a result of stress or inflammation. An increased level in stress in the body will also increase the amount of cortisol secreted by the adrenal glands. This cortisol can cause an inflammatory response in the body when it occurs on a chronic nature.
Stress-related and inflammatory diseases include such things as diabetes, lupus, heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, atherosclerosis, stroke and cancer.
By bringing a stress relieving exercise program to corporate office it makes it easier for employees to join, eliminates travel times to and from the studio and improves the productivity for the employee. Yoga classes can be offered both during lunch time and before or after work. This also eliminates the tendency to lose people during those times when they may be tempted to do errands or make extra stops.
The price of offering a yoga class in the office will depend upon the number of people who participate in the program as well as a number of programs per day or per week which the individual company would like to be able to offer. Most of the time it is not necessary for the employees to have experience doing yoga to be able to participate. Classes offered are often at the beginner level. However, interestingly, Yoga classes can accommodate individuals who practice at all levels, from beginner to advanced.
Many companies who offer running yoga classes at the corporate level will offer three to four classes on a trial run basis in order to gauge the response and feedback from the employees. Companies to offer yoga classes believe that the first class is generally a new experience. The second class individuals are still on a learning curve. Moving into the third and fourth classes employees will begin to see the benefits of decreased stress in the workplace and will be able to determine if offering these classes on a consistent basis will be best.
Some of the benefits of working with a yoga class or instructor include enhanced memory and focus, a stronger immune system, improved posture and immediate stress reduction. All of these benefits will help to improve productivity in the workplace and decrease health risks. These benefits make both the employer and the health insurance companies extremely happy.
During the yoga classes individuals often to learn easy postures with slow rhythmic breathing as well as techniques to reduce deep-seated stresses and relaxation techniques that have been researched. All of these postures and techniques can be used at home or during lunch hour when employees are feeling the stress of work.
Resources:
Huffington Post: The Face of Corporate Yoga
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melissa-nordin/face-of-corporate-yoga_b_1914795.html
MindBodyGreen: 11 Tips for Finding and Booking Corporate Yoga Classes
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4723/11-Tips-for-Finding-Booking-Corporate-Yoga-Classes.html
Vancouver Corporate Yoga: Yoga in the Workplace
http://www.vancouvercorporateyoga.com/corporate-yoga/about-yoga-in-the-workplace/
Inner Vision Yoga: Outreach and Yoga
http://www.innervisionyoga.com/classes/outreach-corporate-yoga/
Yoga Journal: Teaching Yoga in the Workplace
http://www.yogajournal.com/for_teachers/2091
Corporate Yoga Wellness
http://www.corporateyogawellness.com/
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