Corporate yoga is more than simply buying your employees yoga chair, it’s a form of corporate wellness that teaches yoga through simple yoga stretches and postures, breathing techniques, and meditation/mindfulness exercises to the staff of corporations. The main goal of corporate yoga is to enhance the mental/physical well-being of the workplace while saving the corporation money when it comes to employee-related expenses.
Through regular practice, yoga is known to increase ones energy and improve the health of their mind and body in countless ways. This, along with hundreds of other reasons are why companies are wanting yoga to be a part of their new/pre-existing wellness programs.
In my opinion, one of the main reasons to incorporate yoga in the workplace is the fact that yoga helps us develop an awareness of the effects of stress in our lives, and helps us learn how to manage/stop them from negatively impacting us. These benefits will naturally flow from the individuals to the workplace they are contributing to, which makes it even more appealing for employers.
Yoga is unlike most exercise routines because yoga is known to eradicate fatigue and generate energy instead of taking away energy, all of which lead to higher productivity and a boosted morale. In addition, yoga improves our cardiovascular health, it increases our strength and flexibility, builds concentration and a higher sense of self-worth, and reduces mental and physical stress and tension.
All in all, it’s a versatile practice that has countless benefits. For corporations, the stress-reduction is by far the most important aspect of yoga when it comes to creating a mentally healthy work culture and saving money on the stress-related employee costs that are listed above.
Corporate Yoga benefits-
* Lowered stress-related health care costs
* Less absenteeism and disability claims
* Higher productivity
* A more harmonious workplace
* Improved overall morale
* Better customer service
* Less employee turnover
Employee benefits-
* Improved concentration, decision-making skills and ability to handle large workloads
* A better sense of recognition, due to the conscious efforts of the upper management investing in their employee’s mental/physical well-being
* Better customer service
* More fulfillment from the work they produce
* Enhanced outlook and attitude towards work
* Increased well-being in the workplace
This benefit list could go on and on, literally. This is because the employees (along with all levels of management) will get the chance to relax and learn how to regulate their sympathetic nervous system, which is our messenger of stress response.