Practice at Work

As businesses seek new strategies to reduce health care costs, boost productivity and support employee health, yoga and meditation are now entering the conversation. 

We can envision meditation at work. While there are many techniques to work with, sitting comfortably, closing the eyes or focusing on an object, and bringing the attention to the breath is a simple technique to clear the mind and create space for new ideas, new solutions and enhanced clarity and focus. Call it “Mental Flossing.”

But yoga at work? Seriously? Get on the floor? Turn ourselves into pretzels? I don’t think so.  But wait!

Using a chair and standing for stretching, breathing and movement, office yoga is a real possibility. As an integral part of a mindfulness practice, yoga works. And now, research out of the University of Illinois shows that a 20 minute yoga break is enough to significantly improve participants’ speed and accuracy on tests of working memory and inhibitory control, two measures of brain function associated with the ability to maintain focus and take in, retain and use new information.  In the study reported in Science News, mental performance significantly increased after the yoga.

Interested in exploring yoga or meditation Practice Sessions at your workplace? Contact us for more information and scheduling!