Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Yoga in Corporate Environment

  In a corporate environment one of the things that makes a critical difference for employees is a relaxed congenial environment.  The headquarters of Google is one of the most productive places in the world and every idea that comes out of the Google thinking tank seems to be another winner, yet this is achieved in a building that is filled with slides, relaxation equipment, staff libraries, canteens and even beds.  The message is clear - we care about the results not about how long or hard you work.  Not surprisingly the results come and the staff are happy to work long hours in a relaxing environment knowing that they will not be harshly judged by their co-workers for taking a relaxation break.  In less ideal environments the opposite of this is often true with stress levels high because every decision, every move, everything could have the future of a company hanging on it.  Successful businesses recognize that this stress is not productive and that if it can be reduced the level of accomplishment will rise proportionately.  Google is the extreme of a trend that has been developing for a long time - providing recreation facilities inside corporate buildings.  One of the most successful and popular is a Yoga centre.

  The stress of the modern corporate world is usually a counterproductive thing, it puts people on a knife-edge and frequently leads to mistakes that a calmer more relaxed person would not make.  Yoga is known to be one of the most effective forms of stress relief.  Yoga is a special type of discipline that can be utilised on a number of different levels, places and situations.  A perfect example is the Yoga breathing exercises such as Anulem and Vinolum.  These are used to calm the thought process and allow you to maintain focus when overwhelmed with too much information or too many thoughts and problems at once.  And because they are merely a deep and focused way of breathing they can be performed sitting in a chair, standing in an elevator or even while driving a car.  Cramps and bad back posture are also often treated with nothing more than a steady breathing exercise with some quite spectacular results in some cases.

  The simplicity of being taught to breath properly may strike some corporates as strange.  Nobody teaches us to breath, or sit or even stand.  These are simple things that we spend our whole day doing, yet at no point in our lives are we actively taught them.  Incorrect posture when sitting is a very serious problem if you are in front of a monitor all day, but simply learning the correct way to breath can align your body properly and solve many of the problems associated with this bad posture.  If you take deep breathes and focus on them your body is pulled in to shape by this most natural of human movements.

  Where specific problems such as Obesity or joint pain are present, a Yoga class can be specially tailored to address them.  Blood pressure problems and ailments of the kidney can be treated with Yogic Kriyas.  Poor agility is a result of poor balance and this issue is frequently confronted and quickly overcome with a range of balance-enhancing Yoga exercises.  Some people who have reported daily occurrences of problems like anger, tension, hypertension, stress and headaches have achieved very good results simply from using Yoga to it's full potential.  The increased flexibility that Yoga provides is a godsend for people in sedentary job environments.

  The mental advantages of Yoga are also quite clear.  Yoga has an ability to redirect our thinking to a more positive frame.  The most common form of Yoga used in corporate stress management is Hatha Yoga because it is a particularly potent form of physiological and psychological cleansing.  In any environment stress is a normal occurrence, what differentiates a successful person from an unsuccessful one (and by extension a successful business from an unsuccessful one) is how we deal with that stress.  Hatha Yoga, and Yoga in general provide executives with the tools they need to deal with stress on a daily basis.

  Some businesses will go as far as getting a staff medical done and passing the results on to a Yoga instructor who will formulate a customized program for an individual based on their health needs.  Different Yoga techniques deal with different problems and a qualified instructor will be able to find those best suited to an individual's personal situation.  Through recognizing Yoga's ability to deal with the individual needs of employees and incorporating it into part of the daily work schedule businesses are creating a happier work environment and being rewarded by their employees by increased productivity and a greater loyalty and appreciation of their employer.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Benefits of Practicing Yoga for People Staying In Colder Climates - Upaya Yoga

Snuggling in your blanket with a warm cup of coffee is perhaps the most welcoming thought on a chilly winter morning. If you stay in especially colder climates, most times just the act of getting out of your warm bed could be a struggle, so how can you possibly even think of exercise, forget about a regular yoga practice. But surprise, yoga can actually give you the strength to see you through the cold and get along the daily chore with alacrity without letting the winter overwhelm you.
Helping You Keep Warm
Yoga Practice
The cold often magnifies the body rigidity. But it is surprising how a few rounds of Surya Namaskar or the Suksham Vyam or the warm up exercises can actually help you tackle this stiffness and get along with your day’s business with lot more energy and vigor. You will actually get the energy to perform better and even excel at whatever you are doing with the help of this renewed vigor. Yoga, in short, gives you the strength to tackle the extreme weather conditions and work effectively despite the challenging conditions.
Develop Better Immunity
Cold weather is also synonymous with ailments like cold, fever and the like. Regular yoga practice can actually help you develop better resistance to fight these diseases and live a relatively healthier life. Body immunity improves, gives strength to the body to fight bacteria/virus and enables a stronger response in the form of anti-body creation to keep these types of diseases at bay. Regular practice of pranayam doesn’t just strengthen your respiratory system but clears the nasal pipes and the chest of any possible congestion. Regular Surya Bhedan and Kapal Bhati also relieve body pain and give you the power to keep allergies that are quite common at bay.
Eat Without Guilt
The cold weather stirs up a healthy appetite amongst most individuals but are you constantly eating with a sense of guilt? Well not any more. Gorge yourself with as many winter delicacies as you wish and then burn it out every day with a regular yoga session. In fact it is as simple as it sounds in reality too. A comprehensive schedule comprising of Surya Namaskars, asanas for the abdominal region, stretches for the back and hamstring and exercises aimed at improving digestion coupled with a series of pranayam to wrap it up will ensure that you sweat out to the last t and burn very single bit of calorie that you consumed. 
Inner Wellness

A happy mind they say resides in a happy body. Thus, your physical health impacts your mental state as much as the weather. So if the cold weather is making you feel sad, low or just plain lethargic, yoga can be the best antidote to fight it off. It energizes you, fills you with vibrant energy that can help you go through the daily chores and keep a smile despite challenges. This inner wellness also lends you a positivity that acts as a catalyst for bigger achievements.