St. Louis Corporate Yoga | St. Louis Corporate Yoga

St. Louis Corporate Yoga Delivers Positive Results to the Workplace

No one is immune from feelings of frustration from too much expectation or competition. Tensions can arise especially in the workplace. Practicing yoga and looking at our breath can greatly neutralize excessive stress. When we redirect our attention to the breath, we find the unity and peace is there. According to Wayne Dyer, when we stay connected to spirit, nothing can go wrong. Judging another only makes us someone that needs to judge.

In order to develop a calm, equanimous mind, we look to our breath. After just one minute or longer, with the practice of deeper breathing, we feel more energized and refreshed. Too much work often results in poorer overall performance and results. Try to step back several times throughout the work day and simply be aware of your breath.

I began practicing yoga sixteen years ago to find inner peace. At 26, I was a restless, and very anxious first time mother. I wanted to be a great mom. So, I decided to try yoga. At first, I found it difficult to stay focused and concentrate on one pose at a time. My mind wanted to race around so many times! I must be honest, because my body was so flexible, it gave me courage to keep trying to calm my brain. After practicing yoga regularly for 6 months, I definitely noticed I was less judgmental both with myself and with others. Now after 16 years, my mind may still be unruly and reactive, but now I want to learn how to work cooperatively with others, soften their burdens and be happy.

Yoga corporate onsite classes has this same softening effect on our clients. Many students reports that they feel less tension at work, greater energy, more vitality and more patience with their own approach to learning. Students tell me that they practice the breathing on the plane, while in a meeting or completing a project. Corporate yoga students enjoy learning how to breathe the yoga postures apart in order to enjoy all the benefits yoga has to offer. They are most appreciative for the all levels yoga approach that St. Louis Corporate yoga classes offers and find that stretching with their work colleagues is a great way to build a cooperative and collaborative, fun work atmosphere!

By gently coming back to the breath, we can all release negativity and develop a stronger mind. In truth, I think the universe wants us to enjoy our tasks and to have a greater sense of ease with life’s responsibilities. It is certainly more fun to let go of things we cannot control and learn to stay calm, and be more focused.

Finding greater discipline to stay in there in times of challenge helps us to cherish and awaken loving kind energy and vitality at the workplace. Let us help you design a unique yoga corporate program that fits your company’s needs today! To get a free phone consultation with St. Louis Corporate Yoga, call 314-630-1677. Please join us!

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.

All You Wanted to Know About Corporate Yoga

Corporate yoga classes are proven to add to your business’s revenue and profits.

Offering yoga classes at the workplace has many advantages. You are welcome to browse through our site for research results and different articles on how yoga can support reaching your objectives, let it be a decrease in employee absence due to illness or a better work atmosphere.

In order to make it easier to find the information you are looking for, we put together a list of major topics with all the relevant articles gathered in one place.

Feedback from our corporate yoga students:

On our “Praise” page you will find more than 10 different video testimonials from our happy yoga students from different organizations we work with.

Plus check out the following 2 articles with more feedback:

https://stlouiscorporateyoga.com/happy-yoga-corporate-clients-about-st-louis-corporate-yoga/

https://stlouiscorporateyoga.com/st-louis-corporate-yoga-clients-feedback/

Corporate yoga program design:

It is our passion to help all companies interested in starting an on-site program to find the perfect arrangement! We believe that no two organizations are the same so their needs and possibilities vary wildly, too.

We make sure to create the most fitting program for your particular situation. The following articles give insight how we accomplish this goal:

10 reasons to get started today: https://stlouiscorporateyoga.com/10-reasons-for-a-corporate-on-site-yoga-class-started-today/

Your company’s unique needs: https://stlouiscorporateyoga.com/st-louis-corporate-yoga-design-program-fits-companys-unique-needs/

One-on-one yoga instruction for executives: https://stlouiscorporateyoga.com/how-about-one-to-one-yoga-private-for-top-executives/

Benefits of yoga in any organizations:

There is much to be said about the benefits your company and employees will reap as a result of yoga wellness initiatives. We gathered 5 of our most important articles on this subject here:

Yin yoga for corporate: https://stlouiscorporateyoga.com/how-can-yin-yoga-help-benefit-corporate-yoga-classes/

Stronger bonds among employees: https://stlouiscorporateyoga.com/yoga-in-the-workplace-produces-stronger-bonds/

Yoga benefits St. Louis companies: https://stlouiscorporateyoga.com/st-louis-corporate-yoga-benefits-st-louis-corporations/

Finding balance: https://stlouiscorporateyoga.com/reigniting-balance-in-our-work-life-with-yoga/

High energy, positive results: https://stlouiscorporateyoga.com/yoga-natural-high-energy-positive-successful-life-results/

Specific health conditions and yoga:

Many symptoms and even full blown health conditions could be partly remedied with including yoga in your life. We selected 5 articles that will give you interesting insights and practical suggestions!

Eye strain, tired eyes: https://stlouiscorporateyoga.com/eye-strain-remedies/

Diabetes: https://stlouiscorporateyoga.com/diabetes-and-yoga/

Sitting as a silent killer: https://stlouiscorporateyoga.com/sitting-is-silently-killing-you/

Better sleep: https://stlouiscorporateyoga.com/sweet-sleep-for-increased-productivity/

More energy: https://stlouiscorporateyoga.com/need-more-energy/

Important: We advise to consult your doctor before beginning yoga if you suffer from health issues! Please let your yoga teacher know about any health conditions you have so she/he can help you enjoy yoga without any risks.

We understand that you will have very concrete questions about how to integrate corporate yoga offerings into the employee benefits structure of your organization. We would like to invite you to a complimentary consultation so that you have the best chance to have all your questions answered. It is easy to set up a consult with us! Simply call us at 314-630-1677 or email to info at claytonyoga.com to schedule your session.

We are happy to meet you at your offices, of course to save you precious time.

Please ask about our latest corporate yoga case study! The results speak for themselves and we cannot wait to share them with you.

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/

Need More Energy?

Late winter is the time that many people complain about having very little energy to go through the day. No wonder … after the winter, our bodies are depleted and usually low on some vitamins and minerals. And we all feel the impact… some days seem to drag on for too long, we don’t feel productive at all and struggling with taking action. Getting stuff done seems to be just wishful thinking on some days.

A few easy tips to increase your energy in the spring time:

Go outside, walk and breath in the spring air! Go on a walk during your lunch hour instead of shopping. Stop and look at the beauty of spring, breathe in the smell of new life. Feast your eyes on the energizing colors around you.
Pay attention that you get enough sleep. You might need a bit more at this time of the year so try to get at least 7 hours of sleep every day. If you feel very tired and under pressure but have to finish a project, it might make more sense to get some zzzzzz before you attempt to continue working. Yes, this sounds counter intuitive as you feel that you are losing valuable time, but you can abuse your body only to a certain extent….
Let citrus fruits brighten your day. Sniffing at oranges or lemons will make you more alert. Of course eat them, too. Let the peel sit on your desk for a continued dose of lingering scent.
Elevate your mood with essential oils. With low energy levels, the chance to feel depressed, hopeless and inactive grows. Turn to pure scents to gently increase your capacity for joy. Peppermint, rosemary, basil, pink grapefruit, orange, ginger, lemon and lemongrass are just a few of the natural oils that can work wonders for your mood.
Enjoy a handful of raw nuts every day. Cashews, almonds and hazelnuts… full with magnesium goodness will help you get an energy boost without the sugar.
Add color to your life for a better mood. Yellow, orange, red, vibrant blue and green – colors influence our lives. Leave those dark winter colors behind and let your home and office get a makeover. Just adding a few strong accents of color will have a huge impact on your energy levels.
Feeling dead tired? You might be dehydrated without even noticing it. To really understand how much water you drink, get a water bottle, fill it up and keep track of how many bottles you finish per day. Most people get less water than they need to function properly. Your brain needs water so if you need your brain working properly… go and get a glass of water now.
Begin practicing yoga! If you are lucky to have on-site yoga classes at your company, definitely take advantage of those. No corporate yoga classes yet at your workplace? St. Louis Corporate Yoga can help your company to build the best yoga course for your colleagues and employees. All you need to do is to connect with us through our contact page or give us a call at 314-630-1677.

Let’s get you energized!

Diabetes and Yoga

Prevalence Of Diabetes And Pre-Diabetes In The United States, 2007

Did you know that more than 8% of the total population of the US suffers now from diabetes? And this number is consistently growing: just in 2010 1,9 million people were newly diagnosed with this condition according to the American Diabetes Association’s 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet (released Jan. 26, 2011 Source: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-statistics/). There are estimated 79 million people who are in the pre-stages of diabetes.

How many of your employees are suffering from this new epidemic or are in the pre-diabetes phase? And what is the impact on your organization as a result?

The costs of diabetes are horrendous for our society. Not just the economic burden we suffer as a result if this disease. We should not forget about the consequences of loss in quality of life for all the sufferers and their families.

Some of the most serious complications as a result of diabetes are:

heart disease and stroke
high blood pressure
blindness
kidney disease
nervous system disease (Neuropathy)
and amputations.

Here are the shocking facts about the real cost of diabetes for the US economy:

“New research provides revised comprehensive estimates that suggest that the U.S. national economic burden of pre-diabetes and diabetes reached $218 billion in 2007. This estimate includes $153 billion in higher medical costs and $65 billion in reduced productivity. The average annual cost per case is $2,864 for undiagnosed diabetes, $9,975 for diagnosed diabetes ($9,677 for type 2 and $14,856 for type 1), and $443 for pre-diabetes (medical costs only). For each American, regardless of diabetes status, this burden represents a cost of approximately $700 annually.”

Source: http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/29/2/297.short

The above research results urge all of us to search for understanding of how to prevent and treat this new epidemic and reduce its economic toll.

Can yoga help in managing diabetes and decrease the debilitating health conditions as a result of diabetes?

We see growing evidence that yoga may positively influence the health of our yoga students with or without a diabetes condition. Some of our clients report lower blood sugar levels and a higher awareness for healthy lifestyle choices.

We found a research study critically reviewing published research around diabetes and yoga done by Kim E. Innes and Heather K. Vincent at the Center for the Study of Complementary and Alternative Therapies and Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Virginia Health Systems, Charlottesville, VA, USA.

Here is the summary of this research:

“In summary, a growing number of studies suggest that yoga may improve indices of risk in adults with type 2 diabetes, including glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, lipid profiles, anthropometric characteristics and blood pressure. Limited data also indicate that yoga may reduce oxidative damage, improve coagulation profiles and pulmonary function, and decrease sympathetic activation in adults with diabetes and related chronic disorders. Yoga may also be useful in reducing medication requirements in patients with diabetes and could help prevent and manage cardiovascular complications in this population.”

Source: The influence of yoga-based programs on risk profiles in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review. http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2176136

Besides reporting very promising facts about the use of yoga in diabetes therapy, it also calls for more “rigorous studies … to clarify the effects of specific yoga therapies on measures of DM 2 risk and related clinical outcomes, especially in American and other Western populations that remain underrepresented in existing research.”

Our St. Louis Corporate Yoga program introduces a gentle Vinyasa yoga practice that emphasizes the importance of the body-mind connection. Offering on-site yoga classes once or twice a week for your employees will increase their health consciousness and can result in better diabetes management for those who suffer from this condition.

If this article piqued your interest, please call us at 314-630-1677 to get more information how we can help your employees stay healthier longer!

The graphics above “Prevalence Of Diabetes And Pre-Diabetes In The United States, 2007” are from: http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/29/2/297/F1.expansion.html

Content sources for this article:

www.Diabetes.org

http://content.healthaffairs.org/

http://europepmc.org

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!

Do you Live in a Friendly World or a Hostile One?

Have you noticed when you have more energy, you are more inspired and get more done? You have happier thoughts, are in a better mood and find more creative new ideas?

Albert Einstein once said that whether you live in a friendly or hostile world was the most important question of our time.

I used to look outside and wait for others to be kind. Guess what? I was spell casted into believing that someone else would one day bring me my happiness. As I practiced and taught more yoga, and opened up more about my true feelings of inferiority, I found that more people were drawn to me and inspired by my willingness to be authentic. I realized that right in the middle of our stressors, it is possible to pause, and come back to my center, to discover the creativity, vitality and wisdom within.

And wow, did I attract lots of business, new clientele and have lots of energy. No longer content with waiting for other people to change, I wanted to learn the tools to do that myself. And I discovered many cool things changing in the workplace too!

In 2001, when I began teaching corporate on-site wellness, to be honest, I really did not have much idea about what I was doing except I had faith. I believed that what I was teaching would one day bring about fantastic results and 10 years later after teaching 2,000 corporate yoga classes and training yoga instructors around the world, I believe that came true.

Since practicing yoga, I am lighter on myself and can even laugh at my own imperfections and weaknesses more somehow, just knowing, that is where the light is. For example, I am a terrible driver; I just don’t enjoy being behind the wheel and going places, except for the good music that sometimes plays on the radio. I also am not a very good cook. Despite many halfhearted attempts, and with a very busy teaching schedule, my cooking over the past ten years has not changed very much. But all of that is okay. In fact that leaves lots of room to enjoy and collaborate with the strengths of others.

Enjoy another great corporate yoga video celebrating 10 years of success for St. Louis Corporate Yoga (Clayton Yoga Studio).

With the practice of daily breathing, I have the increased energy, and perspective to go past the daily dramas and labeling and evaluation of everything and just be in a state of gratitude and wonderment. It is there that I understand how to prioritize better, laugh more and just lighten up! As I do that I recover my spirit, feel even more energy and thank the sky, the sun, the moon, and these cycles that are teaching us, anyone can do yoga, anyone can experience profound love and anyone can fly!

Would you like to get more details on getting yoga classes started at your company? Feel free to contact us at St. Louis Corporate Yoga or call us at 314-630-1677 and get your corporate on-site wellness class started today!

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!