Heal Your Workplace Through Yoga
10th mug of coffee. 25th roll of tobacco gone up in smokes. Perspiration trickling down your forehead as you pace around frantically, looking for the best solution. Your lungs gape for air, but it seems impossible to breathe. Your head is constantly bubbling with ideas, but nothing seems too good.
Seems like a situation you know too well?
A 2014 survey by Monster.com, a popular online employment search site, found that a surprising 42% quit their jobs due to increasing levels of stress at workplace, as compared to the 35%who contemplated on doing so. The sample set of 7000, majorly comprised of working individuals associated with multinationals, dabbling in highly competitive and fast growing work environments.
The survey took companies by a storm. While most big corporates with stronger HR units looked at employee vacations as the cure, some others introduced their employees to a healthier lifestyle choice. Introducing Yoga and its different styles, fitness routines like Zumba, aerobics etc; corporates not only ensured the employees stayed fit on the outside, but also healthy on the inside.
Why Yoga?
Practicing Yoga regularly is found to have multiple benefits. The most common among them being an increase in confidence, concentration and efficiency, flexibility and agility, resistance to sickness and an active soul. It is known to reduce anxiety and stress thus enhancing productivity. It reinforces positive energy and minimalizes health risks,that would otherwise be common.
Yoga and the workplace:
Now realizing the value of yoga and the benefits it will bring to their workforce, many companies have incorporated it as a part of their stress reduction and corporate wellness program. While some designate particular time of the day for it, some opt for shorter sessions concentrating on focal points like meditation and breathing. According to Yoga Journal companies like Forbes, HBO, GE and some Fortune 500’s like Nike, Motorola, Google, Apple etc focus on bringing their employees a happier, healthier life through yoga- thus leading way for many others to follow suit.When Super– a matchmaking mobile application for jobs- launched their Bombay edition, they ensured their employees were introduced to yoga sessions thrice a week.
What is it about yoga that makes big corporates and start-ups take to it, alike?
The answer is simple. Yoga is known to be the most effective way to cleanse your body, spirit and mind. A good session would not only leave you energized but also infused with the right amount of confidence, calm and positivity. Exercising together builds bonds and fosters closer relationship between colleagues, thus creating a fortified workforce. It is common knowledge that people who like and understand each other, work better as a unit.
The other key benefit of yoga is good health. The Monster.com survey brought to light that 61% of its respondents believed that work related stress brought them illness. So now along with vectors, bacteria or viruses, corporates had stress to beware from. Every employer dreads those massive bunch of sick leaves that his/her employee may take, if at the brink of ill health. Yoga evades, (or atleast tries to) that possibility, thus reinforcing more output.
Regular practice of yoga also improves posture, body balance and confidence- all adding to your overall personality. Having a clear head is always great- be it professionally or personally. Employers usually love an employee who is confident, calm, energetic and motivated to work well- and thus encourage perks, raises and other key benefits for them. Happy workers lead to happy outputs, thus making the employers the happiest. As sensitization to the workers is increasing, taking care of their health, well- being and most importantly ‘happiness’ has become requisite.
With an increasing number of takers, corporate yoga aims to bring good health to people- something that they forget or overlook in their daily hectic life. Staying healthy is essential, not just to be a good worker but also to be able to lead your life to the fullest- even if this means being with the family, taking a vacation with friends or investing in a hobby. If your health fails you, there is very little you can do.
So jump on to the bandwagon of good health, and the next time stress hits you- your lungs will be feasting on Pranayamainstead of breathlessness!
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