Happy International Yoga Day from all of us at Supplycart!
While many practice yoga for leisure, we thought why not incorporate it into the workplace with a quick, 10 minute yoga break. The Supplycart team took some time off their busy schedule by participating in a short yoga session.
We clearly enjoyed ourselves and here’s how and why you should you should start incorporating yoga at work!
How to Conduct a Workplace Yoga Session
Organizing a workplace yoga session is incredibly easy and practical, just follow these steps:
1) Check your co-workers’ schedule
Getting everyone in your department to participate may sound impossible if you are working in a big team, but try to get as many colleagues as you can, and remember the more the merrier! Be sure to check their schedule first and find a common time where everyone’s not busy. If you aren’t able to find a suitable time during the work hours, schedule a quick session after work before everyone heads home.
2) Find a suitable location to gather
An empty meeting room, a pantry or even everyone’s respective desk space at your department are all suitable places to get everyone together for workplace yoga. If you’re expecting a large group depending on the size of your company’s employees, you might want to book a larger space that may need some advance booking. Our small Supplycart family gathered around our Ops’ team table and got our yoga moves on!
3) Ensure you have the right equipment
We know what you may be thinking, in order to do yoga, you’ll need yoga mats. Well, that’s not the case for workplace yoga. If you YouTube search “workplace yoga” most results will show the instructor on a chair, and that’s the only equipment you need! The most common office furniture, a chair!
Be sure to check the chairs you plan on using before starting the session! We wouldn’t want any injuries caused by sitting on faulty chairs!
4) Be aware of your co-workers’ health conditions
Speaking of injuries, do check with your colleagues for health conditions they may have. If they have suffered a slip disc episode or have brittle bones, they might want to take it easy on the yoga moves.
5) Appreciate your co-worker’s participation
We know how busy it can get at work, so appreciate your colleagues’ efforts of taking some time off from their hectic schedule to join in the yoga session organized. Send a thank you e-mail (courtesy could make one’s day!) or even treat your colleagues to a post-yoga snack!
Now that you got the easy steps of organizing a workplace yoga session down, you may ask yourself why should you organize one in the first place and we have the answer:
Why You Should Practice Workplace Yoga
1) We all need some time away from our work desks
Yoga is well known for its relaxation capabilities. Every position (or “asana” in yoga lingo) requires you to breathe in and breathe out. Taking deep breaths can not only help you reduce stress levels but also help in keeping your workplace anxieties under control. So if you need a instant way to de-stress at work, take a breather (literally) by doing yoga!
2) It can help you be more productive
Now that you’re all relaxed, you’ll feel re-charged and re-energized for the rest of the work day! Having a mini yoga break is a great way to improve your concentration. Aside from the mental benefits, you’ll feel much better physically as well! The stretches offered in yoga positions will open your body and loosen your muscles, allowing you to work more comfortably and ultimately be more productive!
3) It helps to improve your posture
Sitting for long hours and being hunched over the laptop screens isn’t good for your posture. By taking a quick yoga break, you can improve your posture at work. You don’t even have to attend a full session to have better posture. By standing up from your chair and doing the simple “tree pose“, you’re able to stretch out your shoulders and your back. Whenever you feel like you’ve been slouching over your work desk for too long, just stand up and put your palms together and stretch them upwards. And remember, always take deep breathes in and out while doing so!
4) It’s practical
As you’ve read earlier, it doesn’t take much to incorporate yoga at your office. All you need is 10 minutes and your office chair! You don’t even have to externally hire a yoga instructor when there are YouTube tutorials available at your fingertips, free of charge. Also, you can practice it anywhere in your office!
5) It brings co-workers together
Yoga is a great way to bring your work family together and build rapport. And most importantly, it creates a happy atmosphere in the office when everyone’s a little bit more relaxed.
The Supplycart team we’re all smiles during the session and we hope by incorporating yoga at your office, you’ll be all smiles as well!
