Meditation at Work: So Good We've Made It Compulsory!

Meditation at Work: So Good We've Made it Compulsory!

Here at Camyoga we don't just teach yoga, and teach teachers how to teach yoga, we also go into businesses to help them discover how they can better help their employees to live happy, full lives. This is great for companies in terms of productivity and profit and importantly, it's fantastic for employees' wellbeing. Those of you who are regular visitors to Camyoga will know that our own staff are pretty enthusiastic and knowledgable when it comes to yoga, mindfulness and meditation practices. What you might not know is that as well as attending any yoga classes we like for free, Camyoga's staff also get together on Tuesday mornings to meditate as a group. We jokingly refer to this as "compulsory meditation" but, let's face it, we're all so glad to be doing it!

By taking twenty minutes out of our day, no matter what we are doing or how busy we are at our desks, we tune in with the present moment and with each other. And you know what? It feels great. No matter what kind of morning we've been having, meditating together enables us to press the 'reset' button, to momentarily step back from the reactive behaviour which dominates so many workplaces ("Everything is urgent! Hurry, hurry, hurry! High stakes! Go go go!") and to act (or not act) from a considerate place, always mindfulness of our ultimate goal - to help more people do more yoga.

The amazing thing about meditation is that, like yoga, it just works! Set aside ten, twenty, thirty minutes for practice, and you will see the benefits. It's setting the time aside that's usually the stumbling block, right? Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post, is someone who understands just how vital and effective setting aside this time can be:

It's not just the number of hours we sit at a desk in that determines the value we generate. It's the energy we bring to the hours we work. Human beings are designed to pulse rhythmically between spending and renewing energy. That's how we operate at our best. Maintaining a steady reservoir of energy -- physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually -- requires refueling it intermittently. - Arianna Huffington

Does your workplace offer a wellbeing programme? What are the key stress factors at play where you work? We'd love to hear what you think, so please leave your comments below!

To find out more about Camyoga's Mindfulness in the Workplace programmes, training and events, please click here. Call us on 01223 847930 to have a chat about how we can help you today.