Comstock's magazine 1119 - November 2019 | Page 68

n WELLNESS
and move our bodies with Cleverites (fellow employees) from
other teams or departments that we don’t often work with,”
says Ashley Redding Hall, a human resources specialist at
Clever who has practiced yoga for 10 years. “I show up as a
more present and thoughtful HR partner to my colleagues
when I have a regular yoga practice,” she says, adding that her
regular desk stretches helped reduce the pain of nerve com-
pression in her wrist, caused by too much typing.
A session tends to cost $100-$300 and takes time away
from work, so a cynical CEO eyeing the bottom line might
ask: What is the return on investment?
YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR
It’s hard to quantify the impact of office yoga, but one sell-
ing point is a reduction in employee anxiety. Results from a
2006 Anxiety and Depression Association of America survey
included that of people who have daily stress in their lives,
56 percent say it affects their workplace performance, 51
percent say it hurts their relationships with coworkers and
50 percent say it lowers the quality of their work. And a 2017
survey by the American Psychological Association found 61
percent of Americans viewed work the second highest source
of stress, just after money, at 62 percent.
“Anxiety can be crippling,” says yogi la O’. “When anxiety
takes over, the hardest thing to do is to sit and be quiet. Yet,
the more we do it, the less anxious we feel.” When she teaches
classes in the workplace, she focuses on breathing exercises
designed to soothe the nervous system. Breathing is key: She
says quick, sharp breaths are a sign of anxiety — the body
telling itself that it’s time for action, triggering the fight-or-
flight mechanism associated with stress. Long, deep breaths
(like those done in yoga) tell the body it’s safe to relax.
A little yoga goes a long way, and that mindset is some-
thing every instructor emphasized. It doesn’t take tons of
yoga to see benefits. A few simple stretches at one’s desk,
deep breathing or a quick meditation can be enough. “I al-
ways tell people that it’s better to do two minutes every day
than 20 minutes once a year,” says Clark.
Price Walker, the Elliott Homes VP who organized the
paddleboard yoga, can no longer envision a life without yoga.
“Everyone says, ‘What’s yoga doing for you, Price? You’re a
high-strung, competitive guy!’” He laughs. “Well, yoga works
so perfectly to complement that. It clears my head when I’m
on the mat. It does things for me that no other activity has
ever done in my life. You don’t do it for the workout. You do
it for the head clearing and the heart opening.” As for the re-
turn on investment? “Do I think it helps the bottom line?” He
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comstocksmag.com | November 2019