3 Corporate Wellness Solutions That Your Company Probably Hasn't Considered (and Should)
According to Harvard Business Review, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health) prepared a report, “From Evidence to Practice: Workplace Wellness that Works. What they found shouldn’t surprise any reader - to have real impact, companies need to take a holistic, long-term perspective. One-off events or short-term programs, even using financial incentives, won’t make the sustainable lifestyle changes that are necessary to shift behavior and lifestyle changes. Posting links to resources on the corporate intranet also don’t offer significant long-term returns.
So what works? Consider programs that focus on the mind-body connection. According to University of Michigan Health, “how you think can affect how you feel. And how you feel can affect your thinking.Research shows that what your brain produces depends in part on your thoughts, feelings, and expectations.”
As a wellness professional, here are my top 3 recommendations for activities that address the mind-body connection:
1. Breathwork
As I shared in a recent blog, Pranayam: Control Your Life-Force, Prolong Your Life, there are several different types of breathwork. Pranayam, the controlled breathing technique associated with yoga, can be an amazing, zero-cost tool to support your well-being. Benefits include:
Calming of the mind;
Reduction in anxiety;
Boosting the immune system;
Increased focus
Research has also demonstrated that pranayam can be useful for individuals with cardiovascular disease, including asthma and moderate to severe COPD. The balanced breath was even used to help 9/11 survivors suffering from the painful condition known as ground-glass lungs improve their lung function.
Learning to control your breath, not only supports you to live your daily life with greater ease, it may also help you live longer. According to separate studies conducted by Harvard University, University of Buffalo and the Congressionally-funded Framingham Study, lung capacity was determined to be the most significant indicator of your life span.
How much healthier and productive would your team be if they were comfortable applying pranayam regularly? Consider including a pranayam session into your next wellness or team building event.
2. Kundalini Yoga
As someone interested in a return on your investment, you will appreciate the efficiency of Kundalini Yoga. It is the acupuncture of yoga, supporting students to better cope with life’s daily challenges and stresses. It’s incredibly efficient in moving energy in the body. The thousands of classes are prescriptive series of integrated postures, breath work, mantra, mudras and meditation to move energy through the body in support of the nervous and glandular systems. The incorporation of pranayama and meditation emphasize the mind-body connection. Of course, stress reduction can be a recurring class theme. But how about preparing for your next board meeting by focusing classes on a theme of building intuition? Was there a tragedy in the company? Employees may benefit from a series of classes that connect them more deeply with their hearts. In preparation for end of fiscal year, consider asking a teacher to focus a series of classes on reducing anxiety.
3. Gong Sound Therapy
As an altered state therapy, it brings your mind to a meditative state without any effort. There is a reason it is called the smart or lazy person’s meditation! The softening of the mind’s control brings you mental relief and can also increase creativity as it supports the flow and realignment of energy in the body. Experience what is called gong consciousness - a clarity of mind that comes from getting out of your head and shifting to a more holistic perspective that is more sensing than thinking. How does it work? The gong’s vibrations create ripples in the body that can shift energy and provide relief energetic imbalances. The unique sounds and resounds are difficult for a thinking mind to label. After several minutes of experiencing these unique tones and vibrations, the mind surrenders to what it cannot identify.
Regular gong sessions can support your employees to be more relaxed and focused. The experience quiets the mind, reducing the chatter and supporting greater focus. Gong sound therapy has also been proven to reduce stress, tension, and anxiety. As an altered state therapy, it brings the mind to a meditative state without any effort. There is a reason it is called the smart or lazy person’s meditation!
Benefits of Corporate Wellness Programs
A targeted investment in your employees well-being can reduce the long-term effects that the stress of the pandemic has inflicted on them. So not only is it a smart investment for your organization, it is also a compassionate act in these challenging times.
Book a Gong Meditation
Experience relaxation, healing, and increased intuition within 5-minutes.