Workplace Wellness

It's common knowledge that a healthy, happy workforce results in fewer sick days, increased productivity, increased staff resilience and morale and a better functioning business. 

We have been lucky enough to team up with Active Sussex's Workplace Challenge and recently taught a class for the awesome guys at The Student Room. The session reminded us that there is always time to switch off at work, clear some space and move, breathe, unwind and get some perspective.

As well as being great for individuals, wellness sessions give staff something to share helping with team cohesion. They are a reason not to run out of the door at 5.30 which can really boost a sense of enjoyment in the workplace. If you see it as a place to do something enjoyable it's no longer just associated with 'work' (although hopefully we all love our work!) 

Workplace wellbeing is a buzz word at the moment, and rightly so. A simple gesture from employers that they care about their staff  can greatly increase a sense of value. If we feel valued we want to honour that. It may not be possible to offer a pay rise to all staff every year, but a one hour session to improve their health and wellbeing is a small investment that shows an employer cares. 

In a survey carried out for Britain's Healthiest Companies 87% of the participants had a Vitality Health Age older than their actual age. That's a vast majority and something that really needs to be addressed! From high blood pressure to stress to postural issues, the workplace is proving to take it's toll on it's staff. However, according to the Stress Management Society, for every £1 spent on workplace wellness initiatives a company will see £3 return. Surely that's incentive for businesses if they're staff's health is not! 

We currently run regular sessions for the NHS South East Commissioning Unit and have delivered Wellbeing Days in schools, colleges and businesses across the county. For more information on how we can help your business just get in touch, or head over to our Corporate page. 

Where you look you go

I'm a firm believer that we create our reality in a sense that the things we focus on are the things that happen, whether we are focusing on what we do or don't want.

Where we send our gaze is where our attention goes.

On a workshop this weekend I learnt more about Drishti (the gazing point) in Ashtanga yoga and how each pose has a Drishti associated with it. When you practice following this your mind is not allowed to wander off around the room because it is following your gaze, focused on these set points.The movement of yoga becomes more meditative as your awareness turns inwards. Being reminded of this has led me on to think about our gaze in a broader sense. 

I recently returned from a surf trip to Portugal where my partner and I spent most of the time messing around in the waves near the surf schools (because it was too big for us out back!). The one thing we could continuously hear the instructors saying was 'you go where you look!'. I have been told this countless times when surfing. I've also told my yoga students this, especially when trying poses like Crow - you know that if you look down you'll fall on your face! The exact same words were repeated in the yoga studio during the workshop on the Drishti.

The significance with this in all aspects of our lives are huge. From a physical perspective, your body will move in the direction of your gaze. When practicing sport whether weight lifting or shooting a hoop, you keep your gaze up and on the target otherwise you will fall over or not know where to aim for. So how do we forget this fact in day to day life? 

It's taken me a long time to realise that the thoughts that occupy our minds are the ones that become the reality, because these are the thoughts we are living. I guess this is where mindfulness / meditation / focus can help you to clear your mind, but I think it requires real understanding in order to conquer the power of our attention. It also requires strength - dragging your awareness away from the things that scare you is hard as it is natural to keep your eye on the enemy! But as with all things in life, there has to be balance. 

On the flip side, being able to focus on what you do want and really, truly believe in it happening... maybe that's where the magic begins...?!! 

To Keep Calm and Carry On?

I've been thinking a lot recently about an article I read on 'why lying broken in a pile on your bedroom floor is a good idea'. I've had different view points on this depending on where I'm at in my life. I see people every day coping with massive challenges and just 'getting on with it', and yet I also see people hiding their problems only to find they explode later on. What is the best way?

We live in a culture where we are proud to 'Keep Calm and Carry On', despite the challenges we meet along the way. We try not to burden others with our problems and we try our hardest not to let the cracks show. But sometimes this is the worst possible thing to do. There are times in life when you just need to keep going. However, when the emotion builds up it needs a release, whether it's through talking to a friend, exercising, doing something creative. A lot of the time we hold on just long enough and then let go in an unhealthy way through drinking, eating or partying (excessively), and then carry on again doing the same thing we were doing before  and feeling the same way. There is no change, just keep going, escape a little, keep going. 

As a culture, we often look at vulnerability as a weakness and try not to show it. We think we should 'carry on' because that's what we have been indoctrinated to do! However, letting yourself to break down is empowering because it allows you to build yourself up again, and that's when the fun starts. My favourite line from a song is 'when you have nothing you have nothing to lose', I have been on the best adventures and had the most amazing experiences as a result of this mindset, using the downs to fuel me on to the ups and help me change the situation. Embrace the collapse because when you are broken, when you have nothing... you have all the possibilities and nothing holding you back! 

There is a Hindu goddess called Akhilandeshwari, 'The Goddess of Never Not Broken', who teaches us this important lesson. She is in constant flux, breaking apart, spinning herself into a whirlwind in an attempt to get closer to God, and riding a crocodile as a symbol of the fear inside us, our reptilian brain. Rather than give in to this fear she rides it. And rather than hold it all together, she embraces the breaking apart and uses her fear to literally ride forward in her life. 

So, I don't think 'Keep Calm and Carry On' is a very good mantra! Fall apart, embrace the fear, and move forward every time! Life isn't about carrying on it's about change, and without challenge there wouldn't be any change.

Top tips for cultivating a home practice

For many, rather than regularly practicing at home, yoga is confined to 1-2 hours a week as a way to de-stress, unwind and as an active recovery day. The saying 'little and often' is so relevant  when it comes to yoga but it's difficult to find the time, the space or the discipline to practice outside of the yoga studio. So I have compiled a few tips to help you to cultivate your own home practice:

Time: Set your alarm clock just 10 minutes early and do a few rounds of sun salutations before you start the day, or take 5 minutes at lunch time to quietly sit with your breathing. Finding a set time and sticking to it every day will help you to create a routine. 

Place: This is often tricky, so try to find a quiet spot in the house or at work (I have been known to practice in the bathroom!) where you can switch off for a few minutes. If you are lucky enough to have a spare room or space you can dedicate to yoga that's great, but if not sometimes just setting the scene with some music or incense can help claim the space. 

How long: Your body and mind will benefit from just 5 minutes of focusing in on itself. You can practice for 2 hours if you want, but for most of us who have families and jobs it's just unrealistic to expect to be able to do this every day. Set yourself a goal that you can achieve - 10-20 minutes is fine, and you can always make time for a longer practice once or twice a week. 

Which asana?: It can be really difficult to choose which asana or pranayama technique to practice, especially if you are a beginner. I have always enjoyed practicing Ashtanga at home because I don't have to think about what comes next, I just follow the sequence, and the structure really helps me. There are also countless online classes that you can take on Youtube and on various websites. When I feel like a more playful practice I will often follow one of these, and I love learning new ways to practice an asana. 

Choosing the correct asana and pranayama require knowledge and understanding - if you really want to deepen your self practice I would suggest taking a few workshops that delve into the world of yoga! It is a subject which constantly has more to teach, and through practice and self enquiry you will always be learning. 

A home practice is great because it is something that you are able to do yourself, to yourself, without needing anyone or anything. This is the reason I started teaching yoga - I wanted to be able to give this gift to other people. Whether you want to become more flexible or manage your stress levels yoga is an amazing tool. You have the ability to access this tool whenever you want... so get practicing!! 

Yoga for Crossfit

Continuing on the theme of 'Yoga for....' I thought I'd write a blog about how Yoga compliments high intensity exercise such as Crossfit (although it could be any other form of workout/weight lifting/HIIT etc) with a few of my favourite 'post workout' asana. Whilst these activities seem to contradict each other, lots of us find the fast pace acts as an energising yang to the calming yin of our yoga practice. It's also just nice to mix it up a bit, trying different styles of yoga and different forms of exercise to keep the body on its toes! 

Crossfit combines weight lifting with high intensity aerobic and anaerobic workouts. The quadriceps, hamstrings and shoulder muscles are used A LOT and it's therefore really important to give them a bit of TLC. The following asana are great for this:

Eagle Pose stretches out the shoulder blades. You can do just the arms, or cross the legs, sitting back in chair pose which will test your balance!! For the arms, cross one arm over the other and interlace your palms. As you exhale start to draw your arms away from your, lifting them up slightly. Use your breath to move you deeper into the pose, being gentle.

Lizard pose (Utthan Pristhasana) helps to open the hips, which can get really tight when doing lots of squats!! You can come down onto your hands, or place a block underneath your forearms if the stretch is too intense. Try not to let your front foot roll out too much, keep grounding through the big toe and pressing into the back foot as you sink your hips down. 

Pigeon (Eka Pada Rajakoptasana) is another great stretch for the hips and glutes. Keep pressing into the outside edge of your front foot to protect the knee, and try to keep your back foot in line with your leg. You can keep your body up or walk your hands forwards and rest your forehead on them for a deeper stretch

From pigeon you can come into a great quadricep and hip stretch by bending your back leg up and drawing it in towards your thigh/buttock. Try to keep the hip of your back leg moving forwards to prevent your hips from twisting. If  you can't reach the foot you can wrap a strap/scarf around the foot and hold on to this instead. To deepen the stretch bring the foot into your elbow crease. 

An alternative is to bring your front foot up into a lunge first, and then bend your back leg up. You can either twist here, or keep your body and shoulders facing forwards. Keep squaring your hips to the front of your mat and try to gently resist your hand with your foot. 

Cow face (Gomukhasana) with the legs and arms helps to open the chest and access your hips. If it's uncomfortable to sit in this position come to kneeling or sit comfortably. As you breath out try to draw your elbows towards the centre line of your body, whilst gently tucking your pelvis under to prevent your lower back arching. If you can't reach fingertips hold on to a strap or scarf.

There are so many more asana, each having a different focus, but these are a good starting point and building block. If you are doing any form of intense exercise it's really important to rest and stretch in order to prevent injury. Your nervous system is also placed under a lot of stress and it needs time to recover otherwise you will 'over train'. Therefore the benefits of yoga go beyond just 'stretching' (we all know this!!). Focusing on your breath helps to calm the nervous system leading to more successful recovery. It also helps to focus your mind, which is something we all need. There is a culture of pushing your body to it's limits, constantly bettering yourself and your performance... which is ok, progression is a good thing! But sometimes it's also ok to give yourself some time to just 'be' in your body. Having greater body awareness will help you to notice which parts are weak, which are over compensating in an exercise, which areas are tight, and all of this will improve your performance. The benefits are endless....