Familiar with the feeling of pressure, tension, and “no air” during a stressful day of meetings, tasks and endless chores?

Modern life is filled with stress and anxiety, especially in our workplace, factors which can hinder our concentration and impair the quality and productivity at work.

Scientific research proves that practicing yoga on a regular basis in the workplace increases productivity and the quality of work.

Physical and mental benefits of yoga

Yoga in the workplace is a practice that is becoming increasingly popular as more employers recognize the benefits of promoting employee health and wellness.

On a physical level, yoga strengthens and tones the body, improves physical and mental flexibility, concentration, cardiovascular endurance, metabolism and relieves many aches, pains and stress.

On a spiritual level, yoga connects us to our inner strength, our inner peace and enables us to be calmer, more focused and balanced, overcome obstacles and function better in our daily lives.

(See article: “The Benefits of Yoga”)

Benefits of Regular Yoga Practice in the Workplace

1. Reduced stress:

Yoga can help reduce stress levels by calming the mind and promoting relaxation, leading to improved job satisfaction, increased productivity, and a happier, healthier workforce.

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Oslo (Bhutkar et al. (2016) found that a workplace yoga program led to significant reductions in perceived stress and anxiety levels among employees.

Hartfiel et al. (2011) found that yoga was effective in improving well-being and resilience to stress among employees in a range of workplaces.

2. Increased focus and concentration:

The meditative movement led by the breath during our yoga practice teaches us to breathe correctly, become aware of our breath and calm ourselves when we feel stress, anxiety and pressure in our daily breath. (See article “Yoga Breathing”).

Yoga poses and breathing exercises can help increase focus and concentration, making employees more alert and productive during the workday.

A study by Rocha et al. (2012) found that a yoga intervention improved cognitive performance, including attention, memory, and processing speed.

3. Improved physical health:

Yoga strengthens and tones the body, improves physical and mental flexibility, concentration, cardiovascular endurance, metabolism, concentration and relieves many aches, pains and stress.

Regular yoga practice in the workplace strengthens the body and mind, improve physical and mental flexibility, strength, and balance, which can reduce the risk of workplace injuries and improve overall physical health.

A study published in the Journal of Occupational Health (Cramer et al. (2013) found that implementing a regular yoga program in the workplace led to improvements in strength, endurance, focus, balance and flexibility and general health among employees who attended the classes.

4. Improved health, boosted morale, increased team building and collaboration:

Offering yoga classes in the workplace can help foster a sense of community and camaraderie among employees, boost morale, build stronger relationships and improve communication, promoting a more collaborative and cohesive workplace culture and improve job satisfaction.

A study published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology found that a workplace yoga program led to reductions in depressive symptoms and improvements in overall mental health among employees.

Kjaer et al. (2002) found that meditative yoga practice increased dopamine tone in the brain, leading to a positive change in consciousness and improved mood of the employees.

A study by Grover et al. (2018) found that a yoga intervention improved job satisfaction and reduced work-related stress among software professionals.

5. Reduced absenteeism:

Employees who practice yoga regularly are less likely to get sick or suffer from workplace injuries, which can reduce absenteeism and lower healthcare costs for employers.

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Birmingham found that employees who participated in a workplace yoga program had lower rates of absenteeism due to sickness or injury.

To incorporate yoga into the workplace, employers can offer yoga classes during lunch breaks or before or after work hours as well as incorporating yoga workshops/classes during a work retreat.

Scientific research shows that incorporating yoga into the workplace has numerous benefits for employee health and well-being, as well as for the productivity and bottom line of the organization.

Incorporating yoga into the workplace via regular weekly classes and/or yoga workshops during work trainings and retreats has numerous benefits for both employees and employers alike.