Health & Fitness 10 Ways Yoga Helps You Achieve Well-Being and Be More Focused At Work Volodymir BezditniyJanuary 7, 20230164 views In times of worries, anxieties, and fears, mind-calming tools have become true lifesavers for many people. Disciplines such as yoga, meditation, or breathing exercises are in the first place of the options to explore or deepen, not only on a personal level but also in the workplace. “Due to the great results of Yoga, many HR personnel began to incorporate these techniques into the benefits programs they develop and implement to improve the quality of life of their employees.” says a wellness expert of a start-up created more than a year ago to offer corporate wellness programs. As a physical, mental, and spiritual practice with a millenary tradition, it is proven that yoga is a very useful tool to deal with the stress of the uncertainty of the present moment and to maintain integral well-being. The World Health Organization recommends yoga as a means of improving health in its “Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030: More Active People for a Healthier World.” To spread its benefits and promote its practice, in 2014, the UN General Assembly established June 21 as the International Yoga Day with the aim that “people and populations adopt healthier decisions and lifestyles that promote the good health.” Convinced of the incredible results that the practice presents in the generation of more harmonious work environments, the Personal Mastery team lists the ten benefits primarily observed in the workplace when yoga is incorporated as a daily tool. “It is proven that its impact is highly positive not only in the prevention of stress and fatigue, but also in the generation of healthier and friendlier internal environment based on the personal development that it proposes, and that affects all areas of life,” assures Prabhleen Gupta, founder of Personal Mastery. The list of benefits covers different aspects and reinforces everything that Yoga symbolizes and contributes to in the field of well-being in the short, medium, and long term. Table of Contents Promotes the quality of life in generalReduce anxiety and stressImproves concentrationIncreases energyOptimize performanceStimulates greater mental clarityPromotes flexibilityImproves the work environmentIncreases well-being during working hoursPrevents absenteeism Promotes the quality of life in general The word “yoga” comes from Sanskrit and means union. It symbolizes the union of the body and the mind. The practice of the “asanas” (postures) promotes and generates a sensation of integral well-being, which connects with the present moment and helps to calm the “undulations” of the mind and to go through the day better. Reduce anxiety and stress When we place ourselves in the here, and now, the continuous rumination of thoughts finds a pause; breathing slows down, and feelings of calm and tranquillity begin to be experienced. Yoga is a recommended tool to combat exhaustion. Improves concentration The daily practice of yoga notably favours mindfulness. It helps us to be more focused and allows us to direct the energy to do one thing at a time with greater determination. Increases energy It is suitable for a sedentary lifestyle -which involves working many hours sitting- predisposes to overweight and many physical and muscular ailments. Performing yoga postures in established breaks stimulates movement, being active and help reduce fatigue and feelings of lethargy. Optimize performance A person who works in a more focused way manages to achieve the proposed results more quickly. Productivity and attention span are proven to increase from the benefits of the practice. Stimulates greater mental clarity Achieving a state of balance favors decision-making from a place of greater calmness and internal security. Yoga is also a recommended discipline to face the challenges presented daily with a more comprehensive and humane philosophy. Promotes flexibility The body acquires tonicity with the practice of the different postures that correlate in the plasticity that, at the same time, develops the mind. It helps us be open to new ideas, understands different positions, and contemplate different perspectives. Improves the work environment Yoga in the workplace allows companies to provide a benefit that has a positive impact on everyone. The company itself benefits from the proposal that allows everyone to function in an environment of greater harmony and relate better to the task carried out with their colleagues and supervisors. Increases well-being during working hours The practice of yoga operates on a physical, intellectual, and emotional level. The well-being it produces is integral and is quickly evident in our behavior. Going through the working hours from the benefits that the practice presents has such an impact that it allows us to reach the end of the day without feeling exhausted or empty. Prevents absenteeism Yoga helps strengthen the immune system, prevents physical ailments, reduces nervousness and insomnia, and helps to adopt a correct physical posture. Generating conditions to be in good health avoids recurring absences and helps prevent diseases.