Excerpt from the Yoga Journal Article:
Fortune 500 companies like Apple, HBO, IBM use yoga to increase productivity. Small & Mid-size companies too!
By Nancy Wolfson |   

Decrease workplace stress
At HBO in New York, employee health and fitness director Bill Boyle can't keep pace with the demand for yoga classes. He recently added a third class to the weekly schedule and would add more if he had room. Boyle attributes the boom in yoga at HBO to rising levels of workplace stress. "Everybody is under more stress now, and has to perform better, and work more hours per day. Yoga gives them a chance to take it all in stride." Boyle is convinced that the investment HBO is making to subsidize yoga classes for employees is well worth it. "The deep breathing and relaxation employees get from yoga help them to be more focused and less anxious. When they go back to work, they're in a position to make better decisions. You don't want people making business decisions when they're stressed." 

 It's not just large corporations with deep pockets like HBO that are bringing yoga into the workplace. 

Students who do yoga at the workplace often move swiftly in and out of a class scheduled between meetings and work commitments. But yoga helps them go back to work with a clearer head. It provides an opportunity to let everything go for one hour during the workday, to find quiet and stillness, focus on breathing, and allow for relaxation. "A freer body gives you a more open mind," says Theresa McCullough, who teaches at HBO. "How you feel physically is going to affect how you function mentally," she reasons.

In boardrooms from Manhattan to Silicon Valley, the mantra "let's do lunch" is being replaced by "let's do yoga."

By Nancy Wolfson (Yoga Journal)

Just after sunrise, I am lying on the floor of Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York. Next to me are 14 other students from the Market Development department at MTV Networks, here on a two-day corporate team-building retreat. The program includes sports, hikes, a croquet tournament, and this yoga class for "active relaxation."

"Your hands are like cosmic conductor cables," intones our instructor Sara Harris. "The hands bring energy into the body and they send healing energy out. Focus on your hands and the energy; then listen to your breathing and feel the echo of your heartbeat."

Harris, who has taught classes for NYNEX, IBM, and AT&T, uses business buzzwords like "systems" and "mind screen" to tap into the language of her students.

At the end of class, Harris has us lie on the floor and leads us in relaxation. She tiptoes around the room, placing an acorn at everyone's side. "In this little acorn there's a huge oak tree," she says softly. "Let this acorn be a reminder of how powerful your energy is. All you have to do is channel and focus it." Harris's metaphor resonates with everyone in the room. Afterward, I talk to one of the MTV staffers who tells me, "Life at work is full of distractions. Yoga gives me an opportunity to focus, since it's rare that everything is so serene."

This attitude may explain why yoga is catching on at corporations. Nike, HBO, Forbes, and Apple all offer on-site yoga classes for their employees. These and scores more Fortune 500 companies consider yoga important enough to offer classes as a regular employee benefit.

Ever notice how you can’t remember where your keys are when you’re stressed? (and maybe it’s getting harder to remember in general?!) The more frequently you activate your stress-response, the smaller your brain’s “hippocampus” becomes- a key area for forming explicit memories. Cortisol and related stress hormones weaken existing synaptic (brain) connections in the hippocampus and inhibit new ones!

Stress stops new neurons from being formed in the hippocampus and as new memories rely on new neurons in the hippocampus, the more stress we foster, the harder it is to form new memories. 

Now... what did I have for lunch???

"Every 21 seconds a child dies from lack of clean water. Every 21 seconds a child dies from lack of clean water. Every 21 seconds a child dies from lack of clean water. Every 21 seconds a child dies from lack of clean water. Every 21 seconds a child dies from lack of clean water. Every 21 seconds a child dies from lack of clean water. Every 21 seconds a child dies from lack of clean water. Every 21 seconds a child dies from lack of clean water. Every 21 seconds a child dies from lack of clean water. Every 21 seconds a child dies from lack of clean water. Every 21 seconds a child dies from lack of clean water. Every 21 seconds a child dies from lack of clean water. Every 21 seconds a child dies from lack of clean water. Every 21 seconds a child dies from lack of clean water. Every 21 seconds a child dies from lack of clean water. Every 21 seconds a child dies from lack of clean water. Every 21 seconds a child dies from lack of clean water... "

This was what I saw on the side of a Robson St. shop window. I had passed by this upscale beauty boutique 1000x since moving downtown Vancouver, but had I ever seen this frightening statistic? Would I have connected to it had I noticed it on another night? 

We grow up with rules, with ideas of how we’re supposed to be and supplement our selves with these falsities, with words and images grown from shadows of ideas, without ever carnally knowing the ideas themselves. 

I wanted to care, to care for, be cared for, and so moved toward the image of caring, and lost the capacity to feel its true essence growing more and more un-compassionate in the truth of it along the way. 

It seems to me we have two modes of compassion. Compassion to disconnect, and compassion to connect and feel. While I have told myself I was seeking feeling, I saw tonight how I had been fooling myself as I wore the shield of a compassionate image, without the substance of connection underneath. Grappling as if for life with the false image, I tried to feel through the only active tools I knew, not feeling, and in doing so grew righteous at moments, grew tense in most, and though with the the best of intentions, slowly my conscience moved out of reach as I connected to it less and less. Instead I connected to the image of compassion that I had drawn for myself. 


How on earth can I walk past 10 homeless people each day with little more than a nod over time, hoping they won’t look at me because it’s broken my heart to see their struggle? I’ve been too scared, too feeble, or too caught up in my life to stop and consider what my participation is in their struggle, but this fracture of seeing but not acting, of cutting off vs feeling is a mighty anesthetic, and a poison that kills our spirit and saps our life over time. It is FEELING the pain of their struggle as known through your own that creates the true beauty of life. It is seeing a sign, placed as strategic advertising and PR, and seeing past the beautiful products to the reality of the horror of a world where THREE TIMES EVERY MINUTE A CHILD DIES FROM UNCLEAN WATER. If we connect to that child, that family, that world that we have helped to create, the heartbreak is mighty, and human, and calls for action. 

It’s a beautiful gift to be human, to feel and consider, to plan and dream, but with these gifts comes the beautiful burden of feeling the responsibility of life, of connection, and of a global community that is no longer just a fairy tale, but is a real part of our lives every day. We are connected and through that connection can make the choice to act, or to willingly abide, but whether we choose to look or not, we are a part of these realities.

I’m not suggesting that we all start digging wells, that form of aid has many follies though done with good intentions, but that we connect to the life around us, to the beauty and the pain and embrace what it’s like to be human. To feel for someone else we must feel for ourselves and acknowledge our own. 


Let's give ourselves the space, and find within the strength to feel. From our connection to self, from the joy and the pain of being human we will see our path to change the world. 

May we start with ourselves.

Sourced from: http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2002/07/01/story7.html


"Prashanth Ponnachath was, like yoga, born in India, but the software engineer never bothered with the ancient art until he moved to the United States and found it offered for free four times a week by his employer.
Now he's a big fan. A year into the practice, Ponnachath says that Siebel Systems Inc.'s classes help him gain mental clarity and reduce the stress caused by staring at a computer all day in a hyper-competitive field. He has also noticed that his chronic allergies have abated -- and his wife likes him more.

"I'm a happier person, whereas I used to be stressed, with my mind chattering all of the time," Ponnachath said. "Yoga teaches you to breathe right. Stress is all mental, and when you get stressed you breathe very shallow, but if you control your breath, you can control your mind and body."

Bending over backwardsDespite general expense cutting and layoffs, yoga is on the rise. More than 15 million practiced it in the U.S. in 2001, double the number doing it in 1996. One of the places it's found greatest growth is in the workplace. It's cheap, requiring little equipment besides an instructor and a few enthusiastic employees. Five percent of companies provide yoga in the workplace, according to yogaforbusiness.com's CEO and Bruce Van Horn, author of the book "Yoga for Men."

Dublin-based Siebel has provided yoga to employees like Ponnachath for nearly five years, and other companies large and small are finding a way to squeeze yoga into limited budgets for its employees. It's a stress reducer, it may lower health care costs, and it's a cheap way to fill a gym that was built as a part of those corporate campus-type buildings.

"When the dot-com thing happened, there was dry-cleaning, dog walking and yoga," says San Ramon-based Claire Rudholm, a management consultant-turned yoga instructor. "It's about streamlining time."

Rudholm notes a growth in the number of yoga studios in Berkeley, an increase in private instruction and more corporate work as indicators of yoga's benefits.

Among those bending over to let their employees stretch are San Ramon-based ChevronTexaco, San Rafael-based Industrial Light and Magic, Cupertino-based Apple Computers, the San Ramon office of Toyota of America, Emeryville-based caterer Paula LeDuc and the blue-collar sales and delivery office of Hayward-based Airport Appliances.

"Other than the standard reasons that employers do anything for their employees, it's selfish," says Don Van Eeghen of Airport Appliances, whose $15 million company began paying for twice-weekly yoga sessions three months ago. "The healthier our employees are in mind and body, the better off we are for the portion of their life that they give to the workplace."

Van Eeghen, a 60-year-old self-described "type A" personality, doesn't look forward to the yoga, but 10 minutes into the session, he feels grateful; after an hour, he could do another 8-hour shift. At Airport, the group does sessions in one of the remodeled kitchen display showrooms, occasionally with shoppers still in the store. "We get some interesting comments, but they're all positive," said Van Eeghen.

A new positionMore than stretching out the kinks in one's body and untying the stressful knots in the neck, there is something to be said for having everyone put on their sweats.

Steven LaFrance began building LaFrance Associates in December 2000, and includes weekly yoga classes, spending about $1,000 a month to keep its 10 employees stretching toward goals and balancing work and life.

"I held yoga as a personal goal, both for physical work and for team-building," said LaFrance. "I needed to find a way to balance stress and include the physical activity."

His interest in having classes in a convenient space, say yoga instructors, is how a lot of workplace yoga practitioners get their exposure. Since starting the free classes for his employees, more than half attend the classes, and most have noticed definite benefits in both work and life.

The company, which has done research assessments for The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Delancey Street Foundation and the city of San Francisco, is on track to book $1.5 million in revenue this year. A big workload and a small staff often cause high tension. Yoga, says LaFrance, has helped.

"We drop the roles and it allows us to see each other outside our work relationships," said LaFrance. "This increases the communication and sense of community."

Yoga in fact helped set the tone for LaFrance Associates, which he formed with several former colleagues from another consulting firm. Some were concerned that the flavor of their former employer's work environment would take root in the new company.

So far it has not.

And it's a tone that a number of employees have continued after their initial exposure to yoga. Not only is their boss providing a free yoga class , but he's in there stretching as well, putting his knees on his elbows to stretch for "the crow" position or sitting lotus in his socks. "Participating in something other than work helps," said LaFrance. "The yoga is a constant, we root for each other to achieve their individual goals here."

Brendan Doherty covers biotechnology for the San Francisco Business Times." 

Read more: Company-sponsored yoga helps anxious workers breathe easier | San Francisco Business Times 

I'm so excited to be offering corporate yoga in downtown Vancouver... Here is yet another article showing yet again how beneficial yoga is to office productivity and health!

"Many people are surprised when they learn that you can increase productivity through yoga sessions. Yes, it's true. 

There are numerous companies in the corporate world that focus on conducting corporate yoga sessions in order to enhance the work productivity. It means that yoga gurus can help the corporate sector. Whether you own a small office or a huge enterprise, these yoga classes can help you gain a significant position in the corporate map.

In the past few years, the number of office workers has increased, with the introduction of the personal computer. Spending long hours in front of a computer machine can create a multitude of back, neck, shoulder, spine, hip, and wrist problems. These areas have muscle groups which respond with tension and a variety of long-term problems in case they are ignored by office workers and management.

According to a study conducted by The Medical Research Institute, New Zealand, it has been studied that office workers may be at a higher risk of developing blood clots. Believing on this belief and not jumping to conclusions, anyone who understands body structure would realize that this makes perfect sense.

Based on these various medical studies, today a large number of companies are now adopting this natural way to bring harmony among employees. A short corporate yoga session can help release muscle tension and alleviate the routine pains and aches, which often result from prolonged sitting. The companies which take pro-active measures, by installing corporate yoga programs, are taking positive action toward health solutions for employees – thus, increasing productivity, while decreasing sick time, tardiness, and medical leave.

Corporate yoga instigates an atmosphere of reduced anxiety, less stress, positive thinking, and increased morale. Nothing is more rewarding than feeling worthy and being treated with respect. It is pretty much easier for a small company to start corporate yoga sessions...."



Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/corporate-yoga-for-enhanced-productivity-4036248.html#ixzz1Ii3xTYsx 
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

Inner Truth Yoga now offers Corporate Yoga!
Read below for an article on the benefits...


You could say the popularity of yoga in the western world was slow in its growth. While yoga had been practiced in other parts of the world for thousands of years, its introduction and acceptance in the west is relatively recent. Today, yoga's health benefits are well pronounced and this is why they are integrated into new study methods such as corporate yoga sessions.

Corporate yoga revolves around the concept of a yoga teacher visiting a business or office setting with the purpose of conducting yoga sessions. Under a qualified teacher, corporate yoga classes can be effectively run and exceed all expectations.

These sessions are not mere distractions from one's day to day tasks. Rather, they are designed to improve both work performance as well as the overall health of those in the office.

Those only vaguely familiar with yoga may wonder how corporate yoga can improve the lives of those in the office. There are a lot of ways it can do so. Here are the prime ways yoga programs for corporate settings can benefit the participants:

Corporate yoga helps reduce stress. No matter how positive your job may be there will be instances where you have to deal with excess and unwanted stress. Such stress can undermine job performance dramatically. Conversely, if you reduce your stress levels you will discover the ability to live stress free - both at work and home -- is enhanced greatly.

There are improved physical benefits that can be gained from regular yoga sessions. Increased flexibility and a reduction in muscle tension can be among the common results. Those that have to sit at a desk or stand at a station for extended periods of time will find the physical benefits have long ranging positive results. Seriously, a healthy physical body will be much better primed to engage in the tasks of daily life. Corporate yoga sessions can help you attain such results.

Have you ever had "one of those days" at the office where you were tired, stressed out, and fatigued? We all have at some point. This does happen and we do not want it to happen with regularity. Yoga sessions will help reduce fatigue and boost energy levels. There are many different ways yoga can do this based upon the specific exercises that are performed.

A by-product of all this would be the enhanced concentration an unfettered mind and body possesses. Boosting concentration has all manner of multitudes of benefits associated with it. Again, these benefits would be evident in and out of the office. In the office, the fact that enhanced concentration reduces errors and boosts time management potential would be among the major positives.

Employees will also appreciate the initiative of a company that offers a corporative yoga program. It shows that the company does care about the employees. This enhances the ability to retain employees and the employees will be more productive as a result.

Simply put, there are many extraordinary benefits associated with corporate yoga sessions. Those in management are well advised to look into bring such instructors into the office.


Raghhav Sammrat is the Author of this Yoga Article and you can submit Yoga Business Profile to CompanyProfile.co.in

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Raghhav_C_Sammrat



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