Booking a corporate yoga class is one thing. Making the most of it so it genuinely impacts health and productivity in your workplace is another.
I've spent the past few years teaching corporate yoga sessions to businesses all over the world and I've discovered vital elements that need to be in place for employers and employees to maximise the benefits.
Read on for expert advice to help you get the most out of your investment.
Book well in advance
Before you've even made it onto the mat, a key consideration is how far in advance you plan your session.
If you leave it too late, filling the class on the day can be challenging when you factor in busy schedules, hybrid working, and breaks. Plus, anyone who does show up may not be adequately prepared.
Low attendance can feel like a waste of time and investment and create a feeling of negativity around workplace wellbeing initiatives among your employees or senior management.
Here’s how to maximise attendance:
Schedule it in a month or two in advance at a convenient day and time so you can advertise it, build up interest, and ensure diaries are clear.
Communicate the date and details to your team when you book.
Send out reminders a couple of weeks before.
Distribute final reminders a day or two before.
Choose the right yoga teacher
The right yoga teacher will be experienced and qualified, as well as being a good cultural fit for your organisation.
Ask about their experience and approach to corporate yoga, and make sure they're able to cater to all abilities, from beginners to seasoned yogis.
Find out what your employees want from workplace yoga
Speak to your employees to find out what they hope to gain from yoga so your teacher can plan classes shaped around your requirements.
Whether it's an hour of relaxation in the form of calming yin yoga or working up a stress-busting sweat in a dynamic vinyasa flow, make sure your session is tailored to your team to ensure they (and you) see the benefit.
Make it a true employee benefit
Remember, a workplace yoga class - or any wellbeing activity for that matter - isn’t an excuse to skive off, or a PR exercise.
The aim is to improve your team’s wellbeing, so don’t make people feel guilty for attending or force them to choose between yoga and lunch, and please don’t ask them to pay for the class.
Offering yoga as an employee benefit but expecting the team to give up their lunch break, or pay to attend, will discourage people from attending and ultimately affect your return on investment.
Make sure your managers understand that wellbeing initiatives are important, so they should make arrangements so that anyone from their team who wants to attend, can.
Come prepared
Here are some practical ways to make the most of your practice:
Find a space big enough - if you have a dedicated wellbeing room or gym, that’s great! If not, a boardroom or large meeting room will suffice, as long as it’s clean and clutter-free - stacks of chairs and empty coffee cups don’t make for a relaxing space in which to switch off.
Limited space? Or hybrid team? Offer an online class instead! Online yoga works brilliantly for businesses who don’t have a large space, have multiple sites, or a largely remote workforce.
Share any information your yoga teacher has provided with your team so everyone knows what to expect and can get in touch with any questions.
Put a sign on the door if you’ve opted for a workplace session so it isn’t disturbed - interruptions can really ruin the flow of a class and limit the benefits for attendees.
Lead by example - encourage managers and team leaders to participate, creating a positive culture around mental and physical health.
Monitor the impact on workplace wellbeing and productivity
Corporate yoga is a great way to improve morale, engagement, productivity, and health, but it can be hard to quantify its impact.
I encourage the Birmingham businesses I work with regularly to gather feedback from individuals about their experience of their yoga practice and any benefits they've noticed, as well as recording any impact on engagement levels, output, absenteeism, and overall morale in the workplace.
This can shape how you invest your wellness budget and get buy-in at board level to run similar initiatives in future.
Make it a regular part of your corporate wellness programme
My corporate clients always see the most value from workplace yoga when it becomes a regular habit rather than a one-off activity.
Typically, they feel more energised, experience less stress, and appreciate the time to clear their minds and re-focus. They also feel that their employer values them as individuals and supports their mental and physical health.
Although I do offer one-off classes, in order to see visible improvements in stress levels, productivity, engagement, and concentration, I do recommend booking regular weekly, fortnightly or at the very minimum, monthly sessions.
How to book your corporate yoga class
Is it time to escape the screen and make the most of yoga in your workplace?
I'm an experienced yoga instructor offering different types of yoga to suit a range of abilities and needs, and I love to introduce the practice of yoga to corporate settings to help create a positive work environment.
My in-person corporate classes are ideal for Birmingham businesses committed to their employees' health and wellbeing.
For businesses with a remote workforce, multiple sites, or located outside of the Birmingham area, I offer online classes via Zoom or MS Teams.
Booking a class with me is easy. Simply drop me a message with your desired date/s, location if you want me to come to your workplace, and a very rough idea of numbers, and I’ll get back to you within just a few hours with availability and a quote.
Still need convincing? Discover nine powerful reasons to add regular corporate yoga classes to your wellbeing programme.
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