corporate yoga | St. Louis Corporate Yoga

Key Benefits of Corporate Yoga Programs

St. Louis Corporate Yoga creates key benefits in our yoga wellness onsite program throughout greater St. Louis.

What clients say from taking just a few yoga classes is a dramatic increase in higher levels of energy. Even greater than coffee, which offers just a short 2-3 hour buzz; yoga by contrast, offers clients find sustained levels of higher energy throughout the day.

Those who practice yoga also experience more confidence in their own health and rely less and less on drugs, medication and office visits to treat in many cases stress related issues, like the common cold, indigestion or chronic headaches. Lower healthcare visits equal lower health insurance premiums reducing more costs for corporate company owners.

Lastly, a very powerful benefit we found is the overall better feelings of community and cooperative support with their work colleagues.

Overall feedback from corporate clients report that although work challenges continue, practicing yoga increases cooperation, teamwork and greater levels for compassion for company coworkers.

Walter Jones states “As I was getting older, I wanted to do something, to improve my joints, flexibility and my strength, improve my health. With corporate yoga classes, I can come in the middle of the day, renew myself in the middle of the workweek. I love it. Changes I have noticed have been to improve flexibility and I find that I get a lot less stressful about things. I tend to feel that things will work themselves out if I don’t panic. I just think the best thing you can do for yourself is yoga in terms of improving your health, having a great outlook and overall tone body and muscle mass.”

Hear more about what Walter Jones has to say about St. Louis Corporate Video in this video testimonial:

Paula Teabeau says “I have always wanted to try yoga. I have seen it on TV. I have a very stressful job and wanted to also practice something where I could burn calories and also something calm for my mind. The camaraderie for my employees makes it enjoyable and it’s offered two times a week. Overall, it is a wonderful class. Overall, I am less stressed, realized that a lot of my muscles have relaxed more, more ambidextrous, I am a different person, I have a different outlook, makes my day go faster, and helping me physically, mentally, and much better job performance. It gives you a different feeling about yourself and I would definitely recommend it”.

See also more here about what Paula Teabeau has to say in this yoga video testimonial:

With over 10 years of experience, St. Louis Corporate Yoga are the corporate yoga experts. We gladly bring extra yoga mats, yoga music, challenging and safe, accessible yoga postures and invite all students whether they are beginner or more advanced. Our all levels yoga approach is great for the corporate yoga scene.

St. Louis Corporate Yoga has offered onsite wellness programs to more than 10 companies and over 800 happy and satisfied students! Call us today and let us help you create the most motivating yoga program to meet your company’s needs. Please contact Michelle Maue, 314-630-1677 for more information or email, info@claytonyoga.com

Namaste!

Getting Started With Corporate Yoga

Are you interested in offering on site yoga classes at your company or organization? In this article we share the most important questions you need to ask in order to create the perfect program for your employees.

How does yoga fit with your company’s HR strategy?

Why would you like to begin a corporate yoga program? What is your organization’s vision of a yoga program? How does it fit into the company’s employee benefits program?
Why yoga? What benefits will yoga provide compared to other wellness program?
How about the acceptance of yoga among your employees? Is yoga a welcome addition, a valuable offer for them?

Corporate yoga integration into the workday:

Corporate yoga classes run during the workday, mostly in the lunch break, although it can run right before or after work hours. How will this fit with the work systems of your organization?

Yoga classes run between 45-60 minutes. Employees will need only a few extra minutes to return to their jobs afterwards. The classes are designed in a way so students don’t have to take a shower before returning to their tasks.

Financing the corporate yoga classes:

How will your organization finance the classes? There are many options available depending on if your insurance or/and employees will co-finance the cost of the classes.

You can require employees to pay a small fee per class. Even if they only contribute $2-5, depending on the class size a big chunk of the investment can be covered this way.

Independent yoga studio classes begin at $12 (as part of a package), single yoga class can cost up to $18. Contributing $4-5 to a corporate class is an excellent investment in comparison.

Finding space:

You will need to provide a big enough room for the class. Meeting rooms, company training facilities, conference rooms are good choices usually. An excellent yoga class space has enough space, fresh air, natural light, and a good atmosphere. Most important is to create a calm environment for practice if possible. Even if the selected room doesn’t have all these attributes, our experts will help you make the best of an available room option.

Can you provide some space for storing yoga mats, props for the yoga instructor and students? This is not necessary but certainly a nice addition.

Yoga group size:

On site yoga classes can take up to 25 participants usually. Even if you have 10 employees, it is still worth to begin with classes as usually more and more people want to take advantage of it as they see the positive impact their colleagues experience.

We don’t recommend having a group of more than 25 students so everybody can get personal attention from the yoga instructor. You have more people interested in participating? Let us prepare a special offer for your organization!

We provide custom solutions for your company and employees. Please call us at 314-630-1677 so we can help you create the perfect on site yoga program for your organization’s special needs.

How About One to One Yoga Private For Top Executives?

Did you know that St. Louis Corporate Yoga in addition to offering 11 weekly corporate yoga on-site classes also offers fantastic one on one yoga instruction to top level corporate executives and company team managers?

Our yoga on-site privates are very affordable and take place within the setting of your company. The total cost includes sales tax, driving time and all handouts and is offered as a bonus package for companies that are promoting St. Louis Corporate Yoga classes at their workplace.

There are times when a company president or manager would prefer to practice outside the company of their work colleagues. Yoga postures are designed to open the meridians or energy centers, to help students to play their edge, wake up life force power, and feel empowered, calm and more peaceful throughout the day.

One to one personal yoga consultations offer a great way to work out and improve one’s nutritional and wellness lifestyle. Every week, we bring handouts and yoga sequences designed specifically for your body type and what your workout routine needs. For personal training and yoga combined, the price is also very affordable. St. Louis Corporate Yoga enjoys adding these bonus features to our already highly successful and very popular onsite yoga programs.

Typically, our yoga sessions run for 45-60 minutes. This gives special clients the opportunity to ask questions to better help tailor their practice to meet their own individual needs and provide them with optimal support and encouragement. Then we offer a variety of modifications and adjustments to learning challenging and advanced postures. Working one to one is an excellent idea and no matter where the client begins, we often see tremendous results happen quickly.

Greg Christoffel, a long time corporate private one to one client with St. Louis Corporate Yoga says “Yoga is difficult. Needing time and support to better understand it all, yoga privates have given me the confidence and motivation to take better care of my unique body needs, inspire an ongoing diet that works great, improve my overall sleep, and let myself receive uplifting resources, yoga music, sequences to feel great.”

We supply specific take home sequences designed to address specific needs of the client such as too much anxiety, depression or fatigue. Many times, in a one to one session, the client is able to open up more quickly and learn about their own particular body.

Clients feel most comfortable to ask many types of questions and will receive answers directly related to their next step or level. This informal environment offers maximum guidance and support and great tips to encourage an at home and office practice to enjoy yoga throughout the week and encourage individuals who are beginners, and not wanting the burden of having other work colleagues distract them.

To book your private one to one yoga appointment, please contact Michelle at 314-630-1677 or go to our email at info@claytonyoga.com! Let us help create a unique private yoga class that will support you in your personal empowerment to relieve stress and feel great today!

St. Louis Corporate Yoga Clients Feedback

Presenting corporate yoga programs for over ten years, St. Louis Corporate Yoga now teaches 11 corporate yoga classes each week and offers several more private yoga classes to top company executives too.

The top benefits for having on-site yoga classes is the convenience, the team building, fun and challenging movements and the incredible vitality and energy clients feel throughout the day.

The reason yoga is so successful is its emphasis on the breath. Poor breathing is the cause of much tension, stress, exhaustion and anxiety. And even more importantly to understand, poor breathing is an epidemic bad habit in today’s society.

Our yoga instructors will guide clients to learn how to practice yogic breathing. This deeper breathing will allow for greater circulation with less work, less stress on the heart, improving the overall cardiovascular system and enhancing ability, comfort and awareness in difficult situations.

Here is what several of our corporate clients had to say:

“I can handle the daily problems and hassles better and I have a new variety of positions or movements from yoga to help alleviate my back pain. Many of these I can do during the day, even in my office. I highly recommend Michelle’s class and have so to many friends.” Tom Hinton

“Yoga has improved my overall health and attitude personally and professionally. I am stronger, calmer and more focused. I recently participated in the biometric screenings and ALL of my numbers were great.” Natalie Warren

“Yoga has helped me reduce stress and tension. My balance has improved as I am getting older. The breathing aspect has helped me to quit smoking.” Donna Boeger

St. Louis Corporate Yoga offers a variety of levels in each yoga class. No matter what background and level of ability, every yoga client is encouraged to join and attend class. Because the emphasis is on how you feel and not how you look, St. Louis Corporate Yoga motivates and empowers everyone to be their own personal best. When we are true to our heart, the world bends to support us. Authenticity comes from the soul, not from the ego.

More and more companies are seeing the direct benefits of offering company yoga to their employees. Insurance premiums are lower. Employees report heightened satisfaction at work. In just a few short weeks, clients report greater inner strength, motivation and sense of purpose.

At St. Louis Corporate Yoga, we truly believe that everyone can practice yoga. And that once we find the support is there, we change the way we look at things, and with that newfound perspective, everything in life naturally follows. It is true that life is simply a stretch!

For more information about St. Louis Corporate Yoga, please contact us at 314-630-1677 or email us info@claytonyoga.com. Also to view more corporate yoga video testimonials about this program, please click this link here: http://claytonyoga.com/corporate-yoga/

Working Women’s Survival Show Yoga Presentation

Clayton Yoga presents at the Working Women’s Survival Show this upcoming February 23rd + 24th, 2013. For the very first time, Michelle Maue will demonstrate yoga to this lovely group of people. It will be a thirty minute yoga demonstration to put people at ease with practice of learning yoga. We will present yoga at 4pm on Saturday, February 23rd, 2013 and 12pm on Sunday, February 24, 2013.

Did you know how yoga increases our resiliency to stress? Yoga opens up energy centers in our body and helps us reconnect with our natural energy flow. This creates better health and greater overall confidence.Are you aware that stress itself is actually healthy for us? In this fun and important yoga demonstration, Michelle will show you just how to breathe and feel great.

Yoga postures are over 2,500 years old and designed to open the nadis or energy centers throughout the body. When we practice yoga and breathe deeply, we give ourselves a chance to connect with natural vitality and feel refreshed, recharged and centered.

Yoga and meditation is a very powerful medicine designed not only to support better health, but also provides us with a great system we can customize to meet our own particular needs. Most of us for example, have a great deal of anxiety and stress in today’s modern world. In navigating through the present moment and in relationships with our coworkers, we can sometimes get stuck in a rut.

We may find that we often get upset with others or ourselves. Rather than being a perfectionist, yoga helps us release control of the situation and remember to trust. Rather than being fixated on getting someone else to change, yoga empowers us to let go and simply let good.

Yoga when done properly connects us with our body and our heart chakra. This is where we find our empathy and reconnect with universal intelligence, rather than the use of brute force, we find natural vitality and trust again. It is there that we get back into balance with the earth and transform this world by being an example as Ghandi once said thus making it a great collaborative place to live.

In addition to covering these main yoga points, we will also be giving away free gift bags and empowering yoga handout tips on better ways to find relaxation, courage and success. And of course, the very best part is that we will share with you, just how easy it is to get yoga started for your company!

For over ten years, Clayton Yoga has delivered corporate yoga wellness classes throughout the greater metro St. Louis area. Currently we offer 11 corporate yoga classes each week to many different companies and organizations.

Research shows that students who attend corporate yoga wellness on-site classes have fewer doctor’s visits, greater vitality and productivity at the workplace.

Please come out and join us! See why thousands of women will be interested in attending such a fabulous show as the 26th Annual Women’s Working Survival Show. To see more information about purchasing your tickets, please go the following website at www.wwssonline.com today!

Sitting is Silently Killing You!

There is mounting evidence that sitting for longer periods at a time can be very dangerous for your health. The same is true for your employees and colleagues, too of course.

Let’s look at research done in the last decade to understand the threat that sitting at work poses in the workplace.

The dangers of sitting too long during your waking hours:

Heart Disease

Several studies indicate an association between sitting for extended periods and heart disease. According to a study in the “American Journal of Epidemiology,” sitting for more than six hours daily leads to an 18 percent greater risk of death from heart disease. Research conducted at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center found that extended sitting results in a 54 percent greater chance of a heart attack.

Other Chronic Diseases

Many studies also indicate an association between extensive sitting and cancer, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. The 2008 “Diabetes” study posited that the 47 million cases of metabolic syndrome — a condition that leads to diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular problems — in the U.S. are linked directly to a sedentary lifestyle characterized by extended sitting. Unfortunately, even if you exercise for the recommended 30 minutes per day, five days per week, it doesn’t compensate for sitting eight hours daily.

Mortality

Mayo Clinic researcher Dr. James Levine describes sitting as a “lethal” activity, according to The Wellness News. While this may sound dramatic, studies back his assertion. A 2012 study of more than 222,000 participants found that people who spend more than 11 hours per day sitting have a 40 percent greater chance of dying in the next three years than do those who sit for four hours or less per day; participants who sat from eight to 11 hours per day had a 15 percent greater mortality rate. The increased risks weren’t affected by other health factors, such as participants’ age, weight and physical activity levels. Further, the most inactive participants in the study — those who spent the most time sitting each day — had more than twice the mortality rate of those who sat the least. Similarly, a 2011 study at the University of South Carolina found that men who were sedentary for 23 hours per week or more had a 64 percent greater chance of dying from heart disease than men who were sedentary for 11 hours a week or less.

The above excerpt is from an excellent summary article published on http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/health-problems-sitting-day-work-1827.html.

One solution is to provide employees with standing desks or even treadmill desks. But not every company is willing to make the investment in these innovative desks. Plus it seems that after the initial enthusiasm is gone, the usage of these desks declines among office workers. Sitting is still more comfortable and associated with “doing your job”.

Walking and moving around during the workday will bring huge benefits if done consistently. These methods don’t cost you a penny, either. The only thing you need to get the most health benefits from these easy activities is your unwavering commitment.

Some ideas to get you stand up and move during the day:

Walking down the corridor to talk to colleagues instead of writing an email
Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
Standing while talking on the phone
Standing during meetings
Taking a walk during lunch hour

Company yoga classes are also an excellent way to get employees moving and away from their desks for an hour. Yoga practice can offset the health destroying impact of sitting for hours every day.

From the testimonials we get from our corporate yoga students, we know that yoga had many very favorable changes to their well-being and health. Would you like to hear some of our happy students speak about their experience of St. Louis Corporate Yoga classes at their workplace? We gathered a testimonial video collection on our Praise page: https://stlouiscorporateyoga.com/praise/

We would love to help you bringing better health and outstanding productivity to your employees. Please call us at 314-630-1677 to set up a complimentary consultation on creating the best fitting corporate yoga program for your company.

St. Louis Corporate Yoga Benefits St. Louis Corporations

The effective antidote for the stress of modern-day challenges in business and in life: Yoga.

The Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital found in survey after survey, that Americans identify stress as their number one health concern today. More than 50% of adults in the U.S report high stress on a daily basis. Untreated, stress can seriously affect, performan, health and well-being. St. Louis Corporate Yoga brings yoga right to your doorstep! St. Louis Corporate Yoga offers business professionals a great way to unwind, learn how to relax in their own workplace, increase positive energy, and team bonding.

Corporate all level yoga classes are designed for all levels and backgrounds. That is because the emphasis is not on achieving advanced postures but learning how to stay calm moment to moment. We work with negative emotions such as impatience, fear, anger, aggression toward one another and develop a systematic program to learn how to shift into stress-free appreciation, team bonding, and courage.

Clients who have worked with St. Louis Corporate Yoga say that it is the convenience of having such a course right at the workplace that they love the most. Yoga has been proven to lower blood pressure, improve sleep and alleviate stress. According to Thomas Perls, M.D. and director of the New England Centurion Project at Boston University, “It isn’t the amount of stress that matters, but how you manage it.”

Begin now to notice your posture, and style of breathing. When you do not sit up straight and hunch your shoulders forward, you are cutting off circulation between the body and brain. This requires a huge amount of energy to keep circulation going. Try in this moment, to sit up tall, relax the shoulders and take a few simple, deep breaths.

A study done at the University of California at San Francisco has confirmed that stress really does age you. The reason is that constant stress causes the telomere, or tiny caps on cell chromosome which govern cell regeneration to get smaller. When the cell’s telomere become too short, the cell stops dividing and eventually die. Greater relaxation then leads to a longer life span for the telomere and rejunvenated energy throughout the body.

Please read our list of benefits for Corporate Yoga Program here as well as click on our St. Louis Corporate Yoga Video to see just what it is like to be in one of our on-site yoga and wellness classes.

Benefits of Corporate Yoga Programs:

Improved morale in the workplace
Increased productivity and communication
Increased efficiency
Increased concentration
Decreased anxiety and tension
Decreased muscle tension and pain
Decreased sick time and absences
Ability to manage emotional stress

To start a corporate yoga on-site program and boost your employee morale, simply give us a call or email today. One of our company representatives will be happy to answer any of your questions.

You can reach us at (314) 630-1677 or info@claytonyoga.com.

Yoga in the Workplace Produces Stronger Bonds

When challenge surrounds you, and time pressures feel overwhelming, that is the time to keep your cool. Have you ever noticed the complainers at your workplace, are the ones who usually have the least amount of responsibility?

Before I began my yoga practice 15 years ago, I too, was very judgmental and hard on myself. I suffered from the disorder called perfectionism and many people today, not just woman, or those who are experiencing a setback, also feel this imminent pressure around them especially at work.

I would now clearly argue that the pressure is a great step toward a new future opening or opportunity.

In our yoga postures, we are all taught to play the edge. When we push against our resistance and breathe, we learn to remain calm. Our body’s own nervous system becomes rewired to withstand even greater pressure. Staying calm, we provide the body with the opportunity to strengthen our central nervous system. Have you ever noticed when you feel depressed or down, you are more susceptible to getting sick?

Many research findings are proving now that the mind and body are not disconnected but are indeed the same. A healthy mind cannot be separated from a healthy body!

Here is a short corporate yoga video to enjoy sampling a yoga class with Clayton Yoga.

Regular yoga practice at work can be a great way to relieve stress, build up one’s immunity system but even more importantly find new creative ways to collaborate and work better with people. When people take yoga classes together, they build better avenues of communication and trust between one another and even have fun.

Would you like to get more details on getting yoga classes started at your company or practicing at Clayton Yoga, please feel free to contact us through our Contact page!

10 Super Reasons for Getting A Corporate On-site Yoga Class Started Today!

The Mind and Body Medical Institute found that in survey after survey, Americans identify stress as their number one health concern today. More than 50% of adults in the US report high stress on a daily basis and more importantly, untreated, stress can seriously affect performance, health, and well-being. Also the Journal of Retired Persons found that according to Dr. Thomas Perls, MD with Boston University, Centurion Project, “it isn’t the amount of stress that matters but how you manage it”.

St. Louis Corporate Yoga keeps its clients healthy with up to date research findings, yoga sequences to practice at home, healthy nutritional ideas, and other preventative lifestyle tips too! Studies and research prove now that a regular yoga practice, or at least practicing 30 minutes 2-3 times per week, has shown itself to be an effective antidote to the stress of modern-day challenges in business and in life.

Here are 10 Super great reasons to get a corporate yoga on-site program started today!

1) Improved sleep

2) Energy level increase throughout the whole day

3) Blood pressure decrease

4) Endocrine function normalizes

5) Fewer sick days

6) Less back pain

7) Better problem solving skills

8) Quicker response time

9) Happiness

10) Stronger Team Bonds

There is never a better time to invest in a new yoga corporate program and motivate yourself, to greater health, peace, and happiness. Let’s begin to move some sacred energy, and bring ourself to our full potential and creative possibility now. With corporate jobs’ increased resilience upon technology, employees suffer a huge amount of physiological stress from sitting all day at the computer. Yoga is an excellent form of cross-training for all students, improving energy and group morale.

Would you like to start a corporate yoga program at your workplace? Please contact, Michelle Maue, at 314-630-1677 or through the Contact page!

Image: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

What Our Happy Corporate Yoga Clients Have To Say About St. Louis Corporate Yoga

Since 2001, St. Louis Corporate Yoga has been offering on-site wellness yoga programs to many corporations throughout the greater metro St. Louis area. St. Louis Corporate Yoga has expanded to a staff of 10 yoga instructors who offer the best yoga available.

Our companies include: Towers Watson, Gallop, Johnson and Neuman, AG Edwards Headquarters, Renaissance Financial, and St. Louis County Employees. More and more companies are realizing the wonderful benefits of having on-site corporate yoga in their workplace today.

Here what other current clients have to say:

Benefits according to Natalie Warren, Office Services Representative for the Department of Revenue, are multiple. “Regular yoga classes give me a better ability to focus on time consuming projects, produce better quality work, experience more energy throughout the day, and address underlying health issues that are all weight related”.

Anna Gail, Director of Employee Wellness for the St. Louis County began almost one year ago and has now seen the yoga wellness movement explode with popularity and interest. Classes have expanded from two to four classes each week. This is what Ms. Gail has to say, “Michelle and her staff are passionate about what they do and very respectful of each yogi who comes to class. This is a great stress relief and great low impact fitness workout. The price is right, low cost sharing with our sponsor, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.”

Tom Hinton, chief investigator for the U.S Federal Government started taking yoga for chronic lower back pain and found that “yoga helped me to detach from the problems, lower my stress and anxiety, push distractions away and increase my flexibility. I also love the music and quiet soothing instruction. I find that many of the movements alleviate my back pain and I can even do it in my office. I highly recommend St. Louis Corporate Yoga to anyone.”

Joe Hagen, Attorney, U.S Court of Appeals, says “I started yoga after hyperextending my knee. It did take several months but with yoga, I am able once again to participate in all my previous athletic activities, something I could not do even with physical therapy. I attend the class during my lunch hour and while the workout is often strenuous, I don’t get sweaty and therefore am able to change and get right back to my desk. I heartily recommend yoga to co-workers as well as friends and I find it’s made a tremendous difference in my quality of life”. Business professionals find St. Louis Corporate Yoga to be a great way to get in shape and relieve stress.

To get more involved in starting a corporate yoga program at your workplace, please contact, Michelle Maue, at 314-630-1677 or email us at info@claytonyoga.com.