Bringing Yoga to the Office for Global Employee Health and Fitness Month!

If you subscribe to Christian Yoga Magazine, the last copies of the May issue are going out in the mail today! Inside, be sure to check out the issue by Dr. Andrea Tackore Cunard, Office Energy Boost.

by Tina Russo Lancey

May is Global Employee Health and Fitness Month. As we transition back to working in the office from working at home because of coronavirus, employers are more conscious than ever when it comes to employees health, both mental and physical. Yoga is one of the most affordable and universally beneficial employee health benefit that can be brought to the office!

When I went through my first Yoga Teacher Training in 2007-2008, I was living in Charlotte, NC. As part of our teacher training requirements, we had to teach a certain number of classes in order to graduate. I don’t remember HOW it happened, but I ended up teaching at Wachovia Bank (now Wells Fargo). Knowing the benefits of yoga for the workplace, Wachovia found value in having me come in and offer classes to anyone in several departments, who wished to participate. Soon the class was growing, and our four week series soon became a more permanent practice.

Why are companies eager to bring yoga into the workplace? Here are a few reasons:

• Stress Reduction
• Improved Focus
• Improved Creativity
• Increased Energy
• Increased Confidence
• Better Immunity
• Increased Morale
• Less Irritability and Aggression
• Fewer Absences from Illness
• Increased Productivity

With so many benefits, why WOULDN’T a company want to offer this to their employees?

Here are a few more perks of bringing yoga into the office:

• Affordable (It costs less than purchasing gym memberships for employees!)
• Requires No Special Equipment (some companies may even purchase mats)
• Time Flexibility (yoga classes can be 20 minutes or an hour)
• Classes can be tailored to the office environment (think chair yoga!)
• Meditation is also an option for long or short sessions.
• Sunshine! Depending on where you are located, you will have several months each year where the weather is warm enough to take the practice outside.
• Companies that offer yoga report fewer work-related accidents.
• The instructor can come on-site, or host the class through the web.

If you wish to have your company bring yoga into the office, here are a few tips:

• Have a yoga teacher in mind
• Know the price points for the teacher to come into the office
• Show how the minimal cost can benefit the company both emotionally and financially
• Approach HR with your plan (know if you want to use certain conference rooms, what times you will hold classes (such as a lunch hour)
• If your company resists, ask if you can just use the space and be prepared to pay out of pocket (or have those taking the classes pay per person) and offer the classes before or after work. It probably won’t take long for the company to see the benefits, and jump on board with bringing yoga into the workplace!