Yoga in the Workplace Compiled by: Trisha Lamb Last Revised: April 27, 2006 © 2004 by International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) International Association of Yoga Therapists P.O. Box 2513 • Prescott • AZ 86302 • Phone: 928-541-0004 E-mail: [email protected] • URL: www.iayt.org The contents of this bibliography do not provide medical advice and should not be so interpreted. Before beginning any exercise program, see your physician for clearance. “Bernice Moore, senior manager of training and development at CTB/McGraw-Hill, helped bring yoga classes on-site to the local McGraw-Hill offices a year and half ago at the urging of several employees. The results have impressed her. “‘People who have taken the yoga course have reported so many physical, mental and productivity benefits. (They reported) better decisions, better able to deal with the pressures of the job, less stress, better clarity of thinking, less ergonomic strain, better wrist and shoulder motion, less neck pain,’ said Moore. ‘They felt that it really benefited their well-being, it prevented injuries and enhanced their wellness and flexibility and made them healthier people and more productive on the job.’” —From an article by Megan Wong, “The Yoga Way,” Monterey Herald , April 12, 2004 “[Yoga is] a very efficient way of regaining a perspective on what’s important in life and recharging the body . For any business person, the practice of yoga will definitely make life more efficient and enjoyable.” —Craig James Leggat, attorney The Bulletin With Newsweek , February, 16, 2002 “The Yogi and the Businessman” Imagine there are two Tibetan people: One doesn't know much about dharma, the other is a yogi who lives in a cave. The yogi has no money with which to buy or make prayer flags. He hardly has enough food to survive. He has nothing but lots of knowledge. The other person is a businessman who does tsog offerings and gets new prayer flags at all the necessary times. Let's say the yogi is in a bad mood. Bad days happen for yogis – maybe it's raining and water is coming down in his cave, and the yogi's lungta is going down a bit. At the same time, the businessman has the stress of work and of taking care of his family, yaks and cows. His lungta is going down as well. The yogi goes inward. The businessman goes outward - he goes to the monastery and climbs up a hill carrying the prayer flags and incense. He is dressed up wearing symbols of power. Nowadays, you might carry your credit card or checkbook instead to symbolize your power. So, the businessman climbs up and up. The process of going from low lungta to high is already beginning. Just climbing a hill, carrying prayer flags, and being exposed to the wind and open space improves your lungta. Meanwhile, what is the yogi doing? He is going inward and visualizing the three channels within his energy body. He breathes in and visualizes red and white light entering the channels, and brings the two qualities together as a luminous sphere, which rises in his central channel. As the sphere rises, the yogi is also climbing up, just as the businessman is going up the hill with all his stuff. At the same moment the prayer flags are hung and the smoke from the incense rises in the businessman's sang ceremony, the yogi visualizes propelling the luminous sphere up and out into space. Both of them are now feeling good. The actions are different, but the principle is the same—connecting with open space, awareness, and light. —Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche Voice of Clear Light, 5(5) According to a 3 March 2005 Press Trust of India article, which quote s an article in an unidentified issue of The Washington Post, for every dollar invested, corporate wellness 2 programs (which include “Yoga, meditation, massage, reflexology,” etc.) produced the following returns at U.S. corporations: $6.15 over a six -year period at Coors Brewing Co., $5.80 for office furniture maker Steelcase Inc., $5.52 for Equitable, and $3.40 for Travelers Corp. (now part of Citigroup). It is further reported that corporate Yoga programs are bringing significant returns to Yoga teachers as well. Karen Wiedemann founded Urban Yoga Studio in 2001 in Washington to bring Yoga to corporate offices. She was the only staff member. Today (March 2005) she has contracts with five Yoga instructors who teach employees at several corporate business clients as well as the National Park Service and the Service Employees International Union. Wiedemann charges $200/hour for her services. NOTE: See also the “Stress,” “Repetitive Strain Injury,” and “Travel” bibliographies. Books Agombar, Fiona. Beat Fatigue with Yoga: A Step-by-Step Guide. Shaftesbury, Dorset, England/Boston, Mass.: Element Books, 1999. Ananthanarayanan, Raghu. The Totally Aligned Organization. India. The author can be contacted through Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, www.kym.org. Raghu Ananthanarayanan is a leading organizational consultant in India and elaborates in this book on some of the key ideas from Yoga that he uses in a management context. Anderson, Bob. Stretching at Your Computer or Desk. Bolinas, Calif.: Shelter Publications, 1997. Bahm, Archie J. Yoga for Business Executives and Professional People. Citadel Press. Carr, Rachel. The Yoga Way to Release Tension. New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, 1974. “Specifically geared to help executive and other office-bound workers reduce tension, many of these exercises can be done at the desk, in the elevator, or even walking down the street.” CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME. See the “Repetitive Strain Injury” bibliography. Daczynski, Vince. For Sales’ Sake Meditate! Hats Off Books, 2003. “Explores the [Transcendental Meditation technique] in light of its application to the sales profession . This book is about motivating salesmen from within. It shows how a simple technique can unlock one’s inner energy, intelligence and creativity and apply those to selling, to naturally increase productivity while reducing stress.” 3 Davidson, Let. Wisdom at Work: The Awakening of Consciousness in the Workplace. Burdett, N.Y.: Larson Publications, 1998. Day, Harvey. Practical Yoga for the Businessman. London: Pelham Books, 1970. Fairechild, Diana. Office Yoga: A Quickie Guide to Staying Balanced and Fit in the Work Environment. Anahola, Hawaii: Flyana Rhyme, 1999. Friedeberger, Julie. Office Yoga: Tackling Tension with Simple Stretches You Can Do at Your Desk. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1992. Freedman, Miriam, and Janice Hankes. Yoga at Work: 10-Minute Yoga Workouts for Busy People. Rockport, Mass./Shaftsebury, Dorset, England: Element Books, 1996. ___________. Yoga for Busy People: Simple 10-Minute Exercises. Sterling Publications, 2002. From the publisher: “After an afternoon hunched over the computer terminal, do you ever suffer from tense shoulders, headaches, or eyestrain? . If so, this fully illustrated, easy- to-follow guide to specially adapted yoga exercises is just what you need . Practice these inconspicuous stretching and breathing techniques at home or in your cubicle for on-the-spot mental and physical relief and overall improved well-being. In just minutes a day . you can release tension and soothe away the stresses of the day to feel calmer, more in control, and happier within yourself.” Godden, Lee. ZenWise Selling: Mindful Methods to Improve Your Selling . and Your Self. Telsius, 2003. See also the interview with Lee Godden in the Zen and Business newsletter, www.zenandbusiness.com. Grace, Nicole. Mastery at Work: 18 Keys for Achieving Success, Fulfillment and Joy in Any Profession. This work, by unconventional Buddhist monk Nicole Grace, “integrates the spiritual paths explored in Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, mysticism and the martial arts to show how humility, gratitude and a sense of service can offer new energy for doing the same old task.” Groves, Dawn. Yoga for Busy People: Increase Energy and Reduce Stress in Minutes a Day. Novato, Calif.: New World Library,1995. (Includes Office Yoga and Travel Yoga.) His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler. The Art of Happiness at Work. New York: Riverhead Books, 2003. From a review by in Spirituality and Health by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat (http://www.spiritualityhealth.com/newsh/items/bookreview/item_6552.html): Cutler begins by discussing the dissatisfaction most people have expressed about their jobs. The 4 Dalai Lama immediately responds that individuals need to realize that it only takes small changes in one’s attitude to bring about refreshment in the midst of work that has lost its savor. He suggests seeing the job from a wider perspective. “Another way to build contentment,” he adds, “is simply to reflect on how fortunate one is to have the work, how there are many people unable to get any kind of work. You can think, There are other good things in my life, and I still have it better compared to many. This is always the reality.” Cutler points out that he has noticed that many of his psychotherapy clients resist giving up their misery. They seem to nourish themselves on sour grapes. Letting go of this resentment and anger on the job is essential if one is to achieve optimal mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. The exact opposite of this relishing of misery was demonstrated by the many Tibetans who endured terrible suffering, starvation, and torture in prisons and still were able to practice compassion for their captors. Cutler suggests that we follow the Dalai Lama’s advice and use our lives as laboratories for practicing kindness, compassion, and equanimity. The workplace is an excellent location for this activity. One person consistently being cheerful, open, and kind can transform that environment. Another major source of worker dissatisfaction revolves around the widespread feeling of men and women that they are not being paid enough for what they do.