Workplace Wellness: The Benefits & Impact of Yoga for Your Team
With the nonstop energy of today’s busy corporate world, maintaining your employees’ wellbeing is crucial. When employees feel empowered to manage their stress and take care of their health, they’re more productive, creative, and engaged in their work. Prioritizing employee wellness can even reduce absenteeism, lower healthcare costs, and lead to better business outcomes and higher job satisfaction.
Yoga and meditation are a grounding, yet effective, way to help your team reduce stress, improve mental and physical health, and increase teamwork and camaraderie. ONEYOGAHOUSE (OYH) is proud to provide a range of corporate yoga offerings to help you create a healthier, happier, and more engaged workforce. Learn more below about your options and how yoga can benefit your team and business.
Yoga and meditation can reduce stress and improve mental health
A global survey found that 44% of employees experience high levels of stress at work, a significant increase compared to previous years. Unaddressed, this stress can lead to burnout, anxiety and depression, and trouble sleeping. Yoga and meditation sessions help manage excess stress by promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety.
Breathwork and meditation, too, calm the brain’s emotional center, and the benefits extend beyond immediate stress relief. Over time, regular meditation practice can lead to long-term improvements in emotional health and resilience, meaning employees are not only better equipped to handle daily stressors but also more prepared to face larger, unforeseen challenges with a calm and steady mindset.
Yoga is a rewarding, low-impact way to improve physical health
Many office workers suffer from back pain, neck stiffness, and poor posture due to sitting for extended amounts of time. Yoga offers a holistic approach to addressing these issues by enhancing flexibility and strength. Specific poses target the muscles responsible for maintaining proper posture, promoting a more aligned spine, reducing strain from sitting at a desk, and improving joint mobility and circulation. Regular practice can alleviate long term discomfort, reduce the risk of chronic health conditions like musculoskeletal disorders, and encourage a more active lifestyle.
Yoga can lead to higher productivity and focus at work
When employees are less stressed and physically healthier, their ability to focus and perform tasks efficiently greatly improves. Yoga is scientifically proven to enhance executive cognitive functions, such as memory, attention, and concentration — Harvard Medical School aptly calls yoga “weightlifting for the brain.” Plus, the mental clarity gained from yoga not only enhances individual performance but also fosters stronger team dynamics, since employees can bring heightened focus to collaborative efforts.
Group yoga can promote team-bonding and an inclusive culture
Group yoga sessions cultivate camaraderie and teamwork among employees by creating a safe, non-competitive space for mutual support and open communication. For beginners, trying a new physical activity can be intimidating, but the overriding feeling of “we’re all in this together” can strengthen workplace relationships, fostering a more unified, non-judgmental dynamic. By practicing and learning together, employees can build long-lasting connections that transcend beyond the mat.
Wellness programs enhance employee engagement and retention
Implementing wellness programs like yoga sessions showcases your company’s commitment to employee wellbeing. When employees feel valued and supported by leaders, they’re more likely to stay with their company, resulting in better retention of top talent—which saves you money from lower turnover costs. Wellness programs can also serve as a unique selling point in attracting candidates, highlighting your integrated approach to workplace health and happiness. Over time, your investment in your team’s health can build a positive organizational culture conducive to long-term financial success.
What are ONEYOGAHOUSE’s corporate yoga program offerings?
Anna Haddad, founder and CEO of ONEYOGAHOUSE, has previously curated corporate yoga and meditation events and experiences for a long list of clients including lululemon, TD Bank, Goldman Sachs, Sakara Life, Pinterest, Clase Azul, Standard Industries, Jack Taylor PR, H&M, NY Liberty, West Elm, and Meta. The studio has also facilitated events for non-profits like Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, Edible Schoolyards, Green-Wood, and Girls on the Run. Her team can closely collaborate with your head of programming, human resources, wellness teams, or employee resource and networking groups to provide tailored sessions and introduce purposeful movement and meditation to your employees.
A typical yoga session ranges from 45 to 90 minutes and can incorporate a hybrid of modalities, including yoga, Pilates mat, breathwork, sound therapy, meditation techniques, yin / restorative, chair yoga, therapeutics, or a hybrid of modalities. A qualified instructor leads the class, and all sessions can be customized with modifications to suit the group’s needs and skill levels. OYH offers a variety of shorter work-break sessions and longer workshops. We have even offered virtual yoga retreats and off-sites with our hospitality partners in NYC and the Hamptons.
In terms of location options, you can hold a class…
In person at ONEYOGAHOUSE
Host your staff at our physical space in Dumbo, Brooklyn, for an in-person class. The studio provides all necessary props, including yoga mats, blocks, straps, bolsters, blankets, sound instruments, towels, and beverages.
In person at your office
OYH is equipped to bring yoga classes to your office in Brooklyn, Manhattan, or the Hamptons. Participants will need to bring their own yoga mats and recommended props, or the OYH team can assist in purchasing mats and props at a discounted rate. They can even provide mat and props rentals.
Virtually via an online platform
Invite your staff to join a yoga class virtually through a sign-in link. Sound and video quality are ensured with a brief 10-minute connection check before the class begins.
At an off-site location
If you’re planning a wellness retreat, work conference, or any other kind of corporate outing, OYH can arrange sessions at your chosen off-site location or with our own hospitality partners, curating programs and themes to align with your goals for the event.
Participants of all capabilities and ages are always welcome, and modifications are available to accommodate those with injuries or sensitivities. The overall goal is to help your team perform their best during busy workdays and corporate events by teaching them the fundamental elements of yoga and meditation to slow down, ground, and breathe.
Incorporating yoga and meditation into your workplace is a powerful strategy for promoting employee wellbeing, and by partnering with ONEYOGAHOUSE, you can rest assured knowing your staff will be taken care of. For more information or to schedule a consultation, visit the ONEYOGAHOUSE corporate yoga page: Corporate Yoga | ONEYOGAHOUSE