What a week of yoga did for me in the workplace

In the almost-year I've worked for Clearvision I've enjoyed an array of activities from charity days with the Blue Cross to monthly lunches and more.

Yoga

In the almost-year I’ve worked for Clearvision I’ve enjoyed an array of activities from charity days with the Blue Cross to monthly lunches, team days out and more; the positive energy that comes with working for Clearvision makes hard work seem effortless.

OUT OF THE MANY PERKS THAT COME WITH WORKING FOR A COMPANY AWARDED BY THE SUNDAY TIMES AS A 100 BEST SMALL COMPANY TO WORK FOR, ONE OF MY FAVOURITES WAS THE WEEK-LONG YOGA COURSE

Every morning of that week, yoga was made available on-site to all members of staff who signed up. Having practised yoga before, I decided to get involved in this meditation-focused course and found it to be not only relaxing but enlightening too.

The thought of participating in a yoga session before a full working day might put some people off — yoga after a full working day makes more sense surely? I can’t lie, that thought did cross my mind, however, I was surprised to learn that for me, taking part in a yoga/meditation session before work, set the tone for the rest of the working day.

The sessions were between forty-five minutes to an hour long and as those minutes progressed, so did the background noise, as people arrived at the office one after the other. To begin with, I found the noise somewhat distracting, but after a short while, I realised that by focusing on other aspects such as my breathing, I was able to reduce some of the background noise by merely focusing my mind on something else. Breathing was a focal point to the sessions, which I for one found very useful.

Staff Well Being

The techniques I learned from Marianne Hayes, who led the course, were new to me (in parts), in comparison to the other yoga classes I’d attended over the years, but that’s just one of the many things I enjoy about yoga. No two sessions are ever usually the same, especially when you’ve experienced different instructors, as you’ll find that they all have their own methods of teaching as most teachers do.

This was the first time Marianne had taught at a place of business, and she said she’d recommend it to other companies because, “Practising yoga on-site makes it easier for people who want to take part, it saves them the effort of having to go elsewhere for a session after work or even before.” She also went on to comment, “There’s a lot of pressure in offices, so for employees to be able to associate the place they come to experience that pressure, as a place where they can also relax, makes it less daunting.”

Marianne teaches many forms of yoga including, Hatha Yoga, Gentle Yoga and relaxation, Yoga and living with cancer, Pranayama, and meditation. She can deliver these on a one-to-one basis, or as group sessions. For more information on her services visit https://www.facebook.com/mariannehayesyogalite/ or www.yogalite.co.uk.

Other people who participated in the morning course said, “I have definitely found the sessions very helpful. I am now able to find a way to switch off and relax, and the exercises are helping with my flexibility and mobility.” – Sonia Elliott, HR.

Marketing Support Executive Daniel Ayling said, “I have found it extremely useful in relaxing my body and mind, creating a positive mental state before each working day, which enabled me to be more productive.”

Why not do something positive for your staff? Clearvision is always pulling something out of the bag for us; for inspiration on what you can do for your employees follow us on social media and keep up-to-date with our blogs.

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