We all know how important workplace morale is when it comes to employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention, but did you know that yoga can be a part of creating that environment? We have been programmed to believe that the workplace is only for getting projects completed, clocking in and clocking out. However, what research has shown is that employees who engage in regular wellness and social practices together feel more like a team, have better work-life balance, and are more likely to stay at their jobs longer than those who do not. Let’s dive in and highlight 3 ways yoga specifically can help take your workplace from dreadful to incredible!
Team building
Yoga is a form of exercise that can be done independently or in a group setting, however, the practice of yoga focuses heavily on the premise of community. Yoga teaches us that we are all part of a whole, each one of us existing and impacting those around us. It’s a beautiful and complex way to explain that age old adage “We’re all in this together”.
The workforce is a primary example of multiple persons working together towards a common goal, but work is still work and sometimes we need to engage with co-workers outside of work projects and deadlines. Or perhaps you work from home and you may only see co-workers through a screen during meetings. Technology has given us many advancements, but nothing quite compares to feeling another’s presence in the room with you to foster team building. Yoga is often a practice in vulnerability, and as Brené Brown so masterfully taught us, “Staying vulnerable is a risk we have to take if we want to experience connection.” Sharing in that experience can be very powerful for team building.
Employee health + wellness
Studies have shown that companies who encourage health and wellness for their employees, experience happier, healthier, and more productive teams. Offering your employees a yoga class as part of their workday is an exemplary way of showing them you are prioritizing their personal health and wellness! Yoga focuses on flexibility and pain relief, which is a common complaint of many employees, especially those who sit at a desk or even those with more physically demanding jobs.
Consider the full time employee at your local Newspaper. These writers and editors spend hours every day sitting at their desks, and usually curved over a laptop or computer. This position will always place stress on the spine and over time can lead to pain and immobility. Now take into consideration the factory line worker who is on their feet for an entire eight-hour shift pulling items from the line and repetitively reaching side to side or overhead to place them. These employees experience a different type of pain, but absolutely one that targeted poses and restorative yoga could lessen, if not diminish completely.
In both of the above examples, incorporating a weekly yoga practice can be beneficial to promoting the employee’s health and wellness by reducing their pain and introducing productive movement.
Employee retention
It’s simple math really, healthy employees typically live longer lives, and those who are happy in their workplace tend to stay within their company longer than those who work somewhere that is not supporting their mental and physical health. In fact, one study reviewed research spanning the years 2005-2011 and found: “Improved health-related and economic outcomes were associated with employer-sponsored wellness programs”. It’s like Elle Woods says in Legally Blonde, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t”…wait that’s a different issue.
Ignite Yoga Corporate Classes
Considering workplace yoga for your business? Interested in bringing the idea to your current employer? Try out our Corporate Sessions! Click here to learn more about what we have to offer!
