Have you ever experienced the stress reducing benefits of yoga? Discovering this amazing practice not only transformed my life, but also kept me sane during the most stressful time in my life. Yoga found me about 13 years ago and almost immediately I was drawn in to the calming yet energizing effect it had on my mind and body. After a long hard day in the office, going to my yoga class gave me the space to let go of all the tension I carried around in my body and brain throughout the day.
The most beneficial aspect of yoga is the deep breathing. We rarely think about our breath as it’s just an automatic process for most of us. But when you focus on taking a full deep breath in every yoga pose and filling your lungs completely with air, you are actually bringing 70% more oxygen into your body. This allows your blood to circulate faster and means that your heart doesn’t have to pump as hard. So deep breathing automatically slows down your heart rate and starts to lower your blood pressure… naturally. It also activates our parasympathetic nervous system, instantly calming the mind and taking us out of the “fight or flight” stress response. Lowering blood pressure and reducing stress are two extremely valuable benefits to a business.
The expectations for performance are very high in Corporate America. Employees are constantly taking on more responsibility and working incredibly long hours with all the pressure and stress that comes with it. We have all heard that stress is a killer, but most of us don’t even realize that we are already suffering from the effects of stress. Migraine headaches, digestive issues, insomnia, anxiety, depression, weight gain, high blood pressure, autoimmune disorders… sound familiar? All of these health problems are caused by stress hormones and they create expensive healthcare claims for employers to pay.
Bringing yoga classes onsite to the office has a multitude of benefits for a business. First of all, it immediately boosts morale, as it’s a great employee benefit that also attracts and retains top talent. Teamwork improves when employees are happy and more satisfied with their jobs. Reducing stress and increasing fitness creates a healthier environment at the office where employees can thrive and perform to their greatest potential. Clearing their minds in yoga improves concentration and productivity, while allowing for better decision making. It also connects employees to greater inspiration and more innovative ideas. When you couple all of those benefits with a reduction in healthcare claims, bringing yoga onsite to the office becomes a win-win-win situation for any business.
