By Mike E Lee

Today’s corporate world is a stress infused ticking time bomb. The average corporate worker works almost 50 hours a week and suffers a wide range of stress induced physical health and mental health issues. Corporate yoga is becoming a popular way for the corporate world to heal itself. Yoga instructors can come to the workplace and conduct sessions to meet the needs and availability of each company. It is also an affordable way to improve the health and welfare of workers.

Yoga Basics

Yoga is the ancient practice of movement and stretching with meditative breathing to enhance calmness and flexibility. Through a series of asanas, or poses, flexibility and strength are improved. Holding each pose and breathing deeply and evenly help the internal systems function better. Everything from the digestive system, respiratory system and circulatory system improves. Mentally, the fluid movement and calming breaths provide peace and focus. Yoga has effectively helped people physically, mentally and emotionally for over two thousand years. Corporate yoga simply brings those ancient and proven techniques to the workplace.

Regardless of age or skill level, yoga in the workplace can be done. The most desirable aspect of yoga in the workplace is the realization that it is a low impact and moderately easy way to exercise. The poses and duration of session can be easily adjusted to meet any skill level. It is not intimidating or exhausting. As you try each pose and increase the time you can hold it, you improve and master yoga one asana at a time.

What Corporate Yoga Can Accomplish

Many man hours are lost due to stress. Work place stress causes disease, lost productivity, and negative energy. Most corporations have jobs which are highly sedentary. This leads to back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome. These all increase a company’s incidents of work related benefit expenses. It also leads to loss of employees. The corporate world is also highly competitive, sometimes pitting employees against each other. This leads to hostility and negative energy. This added pressure manifests itself physically and takes a harsh toll on a business over time. Corporate yoga in the workplace can combat all of this and more.

Yoga in the workplace improves overall employee health. By strengthening muscle tone and flexibility, employees are healthier and will naturally take better care of themselves. This translates to a decrease in sick time. The relaxing effects of yoga reduce stress and anxiety, making workers naturally happier and more productive. Yoga can combat the corporate stressors that cause insomnia and hypertension also. Corporate yoga cuts down on the tension that can lead to employee headaches and migraines, along with greater risk for heart problems. Yoga also increases mental alertness and combats fatigue, which takes a toll on productivity.

Having yoga in the workplace, whether after hours or during breaks and lunch times, shows employees they are valued and appreciated. They will feel like their individual mental and physical health matters to the company. This improves morale and the social workings of a company. This feeling of basic calm and happiness leads to more creative and innovative workers. It can work as a way to team build and improve interpersonal skills. Corporate yoga can bring a sense of balance to a company that only works to make it a stronger healthier place to work.

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