NicolePresents: Wellness

I launched a discussion last year on Linked In with various Corporate Wellness and Yoga related groups asking people how to tap into the Corporate Wellness space in Los Angeles. Until recently my questions went unanswered.  Interestingly enough my discussion is now generating eyeballs and things are getting juicy! I wanted to share some of the insights coming through.

First of all, I see a few things happening in the marketplace resulting in this shift of interest.

On the Yoga side of things…

1) Yoga is a huge business and growing rapidly

2) Teachers are graduating teacher trainings at a rapid rate and can’t find work in studios anymore

3) Studios aren’t paying well so Yogis are turning to Corporations with larger budgets

4) Yoga instructors are getting more business savvy and joining Linked In and other social media platforms to help them grow their business

On the corporate side of things…

1) Employees are generating more demand for wellness since they spend so much time at work

2) In general people are becoming more aware of their health and wellness

3) Health care and sick days are expensive for the employer so it benefits corporations to keep their employees healthy

4) Yoga is now an accepted, respectable and understood practice, which helps the HR department to sell it

According to leading wellness industry consultant and prolific writer John Bates, “most people spend more hours at work than anywhere else in addition to the time they spend commuting each day. In fact, the typical American works approximately 47 hours a week which is at least 164 hours more than the average 20 years ago.”

If we are spending so much time at work, don’t we want to feel good? I ask my friends every so often if their companies would support a wellness program. Usually, I get these answers:

1) I don’t know

2) It’s not my job, maybe…

3) They are too cheap

4) They don’t know what Yoga is

5) I don’t think anyone has much time

Maybe my friends don’t care much about Yoga or maybe they don’t care much about their bodies. Or, if they do care about their bodies and Yoga perhaps they prefer to get the hell out of work and go to the studio for some peace and quiet!  But, my friends may not have kids, play dates, partners, and countless other things to rush home to that keep them from exercising.

I’ve decided now when I go to a party I am going to ask my friends for the name and number of their HR Director.  You ask, “Why should an HR person care about all this?” and I respond with more of John Bates’ great information!

“Given these statistics (referencing 47 hours a week average time spent at work), it is easy to see why maintaining a healthy work / life balance is becoming increasingly important. Corporate wellness programs are important tools to establish this balance. Programs that emphasize the benefits of corporate wellness can be implemented in a variety of ways.

However, they all share a common goal – to promote the well-being of their employees, employers and organization in general. Many companies are starting to realize the tremendous benefits of corporate wellness.

One of the primary benefits of corporate wellness involves a reduction in the rates of illness and injuries among employees. Unhealthy employees experience a wide range of work-related injuries such as muscle strain, carpal tunnel syndrome, stress fractures or back pain. These individuals are also susceptible to developing complications such as diabetes, heart disease or a stroke. Employees without the opportunity to participate in corporate wellness programs may develop serious illnesses. Consequently, they could find themselves on long-term disability for an extended period of time or be forced to discontinue working entirely.

In addition, …corporate wellness programs also lead to a reduction in employee absenteeism. Employees who are stressed, unhealthy or overworked tend to become sick much more often than healthy employees.

When programs that focus on the benefits of corporate wellness are implemented, this rate can be drastically reduced. For example, Coors Brewing Company experienced a remarkable 18% decrease in employee absenteeism after implementing a corporate wellness program within their workplace.

Another benefit of corporate wellness programming is a reduction in the cost of healthcare. When employees are healthy and less stressed they tend to rely less on costly programs such as disability insurance and sick leave.

Companies will notice a significant decrease in healthcare costs once they incorporate wellness programs into their workplace. For example, after implementing a fitness program in which only 60% of the employees participated, Coca-Cola was able to save $500 per employee every year.

Increased productivity is another benefit of corporate wellness. Employees who are happy and healthy tend to produce a greater volume of work at a higher quality than unhealthy employees. Employers need to realize that implementing programs that lower fitness and stress levels will increase the overall output of their employees.

Corporate wellness programs also contribute to the enhanced retention of key employees. Companies that implement wellness programs normally experience a much lower rate of employee turnover. Recruiting, marketing and advertising for vacant positions are very costly, not to mention time-consuming. If your employees are happy and healthy and enjoy working at your company, you will be able to focus more time and energy on actually getting the job done.

The bottom line is you should take advantage of the benefits of corporate wellness. Make it a goal to implement a program as soon as possible – don’t wait until most of your employees are stressed, sick or applying to other jobs. You will experience a reduction in employee injuries, illness, absenteeism and healthcare costs, as well as an increase in employee retention and productivity. Assuming responsibility for establishing a healthy, harmonious working environment will allow everyone to enjoy the benefits of corporate wellness.“

There are great websites out there like John’s that provide HR leaders with presentations, information and proposals for download that will help sell these programs to their company!  Can it get any easier than that? If the HR Director doesn’t have time to put a presentation together then as Yoga Instructors we can be proactive and create one for them.

For the HR leaders out there, Yoga instructors can be flexible with any working arrangement.  Not only are we flexible on the mat, we are in the mind!

Now, I want to share some of the great feedback that I have received on this discussion just to get the wheels turning for both Yogis and HR Directors!

From a member of the Linked In Group who is an ex HR Director:

1. Be very clear about what you can offer and what it can do for individuals and therefore, the company. Find and sell benefits – not just features! Don’t take on more than you can effectively deliver, so find companies with a head count that you can properly manage, evaluate and report back on.

2. Determine what kinds of problems companies need to resolve; some will just want to comply with regulations: some will be running employee engagement programs – some may have issues with absenteeism, sick days, low morale – find the problems that you confidently feel your offering addresses and align with those.

3. Create ways of delivering your work that will be acceptable to the client at an operational level, (e.g. flexible timings, a mix of delivery options) and also find ways of showing results. This is usually very important to organisations – not always of course – some will invest for pure altruism – but most will find your services easier to justify when they can easily justify what they have spent on you.

4. Align yourself with professional bodies in your specialist field to increase your credibility.

5. Budget – well, you’re the one who has to determine how much money you want to make. Once you’re clear about this, you need to calculate how much your programs will cost and then you can more easily identify who can afford your services. The best thing is always to ask – “How much have you in your budget for this” – once you get face-to-face with a potential client. Ideally, you are probably looking at organisations who have a legal duty of care to their staff, and there is no doubt a minimum headcount for that in the U.S. as there is in the U.K. which would at least give you a criteria to search on, when you start to identify your potential clients.

Another great participant in the discussion:

“It really helps having a business background as you can relate to the needs of the business and deliver something that fits in with a busy, buzzy office world.”

A Linked In member offered this:

“I teach regular weekly classes at a health club and a community center. From time to time I mention to my students that I am available to come to their companies or organization for a private class. Even without mentioning it often, I have had students approach me asking for it. Once you develop loyal students who appreciate your teaching style, they will want to share you with others.

I have found teaching in the corporate environment very rewarding. As a former corporate person myself, I can relate to the stress levels. You can see a visible difference in the energy they bring into the room, versus how they leave the practice. Yoga is for everyone, but especially needed in this environment. And, it is a nice way to be well compensated as a teacher. Win-win.”

I love this idea too:

“What I think would be great is some sharing of real-world “case studies” and examples of how the disciplines of yoga have been successfully integrated into a corporate environment, with evidence of the benefits [ideally in terms of increased productivity, improved relationships and collaboration, improved organizational performance, etc.].”

Thank you to everyone for participating in the Linked In group forums.  I really find the discussions to be so rewarding, purposeful and enlightening.

On a final personal note, I have an interest in this topic because I started my Yoga practice as a result of being overworked, stressed and in lots of physical pain while in a corporate environment.  So, I get it!  I really want to help people find the peace, happiness and joy that I did. That is why I got my teaching certifications.  I want to give back what I so humbly have received from this amazing Universe!

Thank you to John Bates for your wonderful information!  John is a leading wellness industry consultant and prolific writer about all aspects of health and wellness programs. His work can be found on numerous wellness websites including his own: Wellness Proposals, Infinite Wellness Solution’s and Infinite Health Coach.

Blessings!

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Can you be a zero waste consumer for one year?   The Clean Bin Project is an inspirational project, lifestyle and movie that is incredibly inspiring in honor of Earth Day! The pledge from Grant and Jen and Rhyannon was to try to buy no more stuff and produce zero landfill waste for one year.

“Starting on Canada Day, July 1, 2008, we (Grant and Jen and our roommate Rhyannon) pledged to try to buy no more “stuff” and produce zero landfill waste for one year. No buying clothing or DVDs, no make-up or i-pods, no fancy running shoes, sparkley headbands or duct tape, no plastic patio lanterns, saran wrap or handmade pottery mugs. . . . you get the idea. The zero waste idea came from the idea that packaging is also “stuff”. After all, it’s the goods we want, not the plastic or styrofoam surrounding it. We’re trying to reduce packaging wherever we can and to make sure that packaging we do get is either compostable or recyclable. No buying individually wrapped granola bars or foil lined boxes of cookies, no tomatoes in plastic clamshells or take-out containers, no frozen pizzas wrapped in plastic followed by cardboard followed by plastic. We know what you’re thinking: “what about toilet paper?” Yes, we can buy it. Check out The Rules for, well, the rules. The bottom line is this: by bringing less stuff into our house, we’ll have less stuff going out of our house and into the landfill.”

We are of the Earth. Our Mother Earth supports us every day! It’s time to give gratitude, bless her, and show up for her the way she does for us! When we begin this conscious path of awareness to our surroundings, we see tap into the beauty and flow of life.  This magical energy vibration is all around us. When we see this, our lives become richer and fuller. Our relationship with her is symbiotic.  If we are going to dump all over the Earth, she is going to feel that pain.  Let’s tap in and connect to our blessed Mother and treat our relationship with respect.

Here are some things that we can do to support the environment that are quite simple.

Our Earth (and every day) Mantra:  Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!

• Use filtered water from the faucet to fill a water bottle instead of buying plastic water bottles.
  (Have you seen the floating islands of plastic? http://tinyurl.com/n63kvw)
• Turn off lights when you don’t need them.
• Avoid plastic bags. If you do get them, reuse them.
• Take shorter showers.
• Reuse the containers food is packaged in (glass jars for instance).
• Participate in clothing swaps with your friends instead of buying new.
• Use the products you buy until they are done before buying more.

Thank you to The Clean Bin Project and all the other amazing companies and projects around the world that are supporting and loving our planet!

http://cleanbinproject.com/

Happy Earth Day!!

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This story is amazing. It is exactly what needs to be happening around the globe. We need to be standing up to these fast food chain restaurants and take control of what we are feeding our bodies, minds and our spirit. Instead of complaining and playing the victim role, we can take action like these students and devise a better solution-based plan. We need to take back our rights and be in control of our environment again! Thank you U Cal Berkeley students for your inspiration!

Across the Country, Food Co-ops by the Students for the Students

By Barry Estabrook

When Panda Express, a 1,300-outlet Chinese fast-food chain, announced plans to open a branch on the campus of the University of California-Berkeley, a group of students protested (not surprisingly, given that their city is the heart of all things local/seasonal/organic). What is surprising is that the students not only defeated the chain but also took their victory one step further by raising $100,000 to replace the proposed Beijing Beef, Honey Walnut Shrimp, and Kung Pao Chicken joint with a student-run co-op carrying fresh, local, healthy, sustainable, and fairly produced food that would be sold at affordable prices.

Youthful naiveté? Think again. After two and a half years of planning, the Berkeley Student Food Collective opened late last year. According to Yoni Landau, one of the organizers, the collective resembles any small convenience store or market, featuring grocery items and prepared sandwiches that harried students can grab on their way to or from classes. Prices are kept affordable with the help of volunteer employees. “We won,” said Landau in an interview. “This was all the students’ idea,” said Slow Food’s Viertel. “They said, ‘If our college campuses aren’t going to start buying local, organic, sustainable food, then let’s train ourselves how to set up co-operatives.’”

If Landau has his way, there are going to be a lot of other winners, too. Landau, who graduated recently, and others involved in the Berkeley effort realized that the experience had taught them a great deal about the nitty-gritty details of opening a successful co-op. Instead of allowing that knowledge to languish, they decided to start an organization that would train students nationwide how to open their own campus food co-ops. “It’s really about food sovereignty,” he said. “Students having control over the institutions that serve them food.”

About a year ago, with Landau as director, the students founded the Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive (CoFed), whose launch committee includes such sustainable food luminaries as authors Michael Pollan and Bill McKibben and Slow Food USA president Josh Viertel.

Late last month, 30 students from 10 campuses across the country—in Oregon, California, Washington, D.C., and Massachusetts—gathered in Sebastopol, California, for 10 days of leadership training. Along with sessions dedicated to “youth empowerment” and “university politics,” the students also took classes on nuts-and-bolts subjects like business planning and finance.

The newly trained students, either volunteers or earning “symbolic stipends,” according to Landau, will share their knowledge through six regional CoFed branches. “By the end of the summer, we plan to be on 25 campuses and have trained 100 leaders,” said Landau. “It’s about creating generations of leadership.”

“This was all the students’ idea,” said Slow Food’s Viertel. “They said, ‘If our college campuses aren’t going to start buying local, organic, sustainable food, then let’s train ourselves how to set up co-operatives so that we can support the local farming community and feed ourselves. Now, they are training each other, and it works really well. I’ve seen students make incredible things happen. In fact, I would say that students are always a core part of a successful social movement. They are creating a different future.”

According to Landau, one of the instructors at the Sebastopol retreat left the students with this message: “The best thing about unsustainability is that it’s unsustainable.” That’s a lesson us old folks would do well to learn.

Full article: DailyGood.org

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I have a new game that’s really fun.  I call it “The Awesome ABC’s”!

I can’t think of any “ABC’s” first without actually breaking into song… so let’s take a breath to honor MJ, send him gratitude and get that out of our system!

“A-B-C…is easy as 123…or simple as…do re me, ABC, 123, baby you and me girl! “

OK…Moving on!

I started compiling a list of super cool, positive words that I could reference daily. By using these types of words I am projecting a better all around feeling and based on the Law of Attraction I know this will bring more profound positivity and better feeling thoughts.  Those, in turn, will inspire others and me with more yummy goodness!

If I find myself using negative language, I quickly identify the emotion behind it, acknowledge it, challenge my negativity and replace those thoughts with my awesome, inspirational ABC’s.  This process in Yoga is called Praktipaksha Bhavana as explained in Yoga Sutra 2:33, “When disturbed by negative thoughts, opposite (positive) ones should be thought of. “  In the Vortex, by Esther and Jerry Hicks, there are powerful tools like “The List of Positive Aspects” or the “Positive Rampage of Appreciation” that work similarly .  These tools allow you to get into a higher energetic vibration (the Vortex) based on writing lists of positive thoughts to break habits and patterns of negativity. There are many great tools for breaking patterns and releasing negative thoughts. You’ll have to attend my workshops to get more in depth and familiar with this work!

Here’s a small sample of my word collection moving through the alphabet!  I will leave it up to you to create your own collection of words.

Alive
Beautiful
Courageous
Delicious
Evolve
Freedom
Grace…

There are so many more great words!  So don’t stop here.  Go to Z.  Take out a pen and paper and start writing! Then, if you are inspired, take a few of these awesome words and weave them into your personal mission statement (if you have one)! Before you know it, you are feeling great and you have all these new words at your disposal that imbue the community with love!

Hope you have fun with this new game!

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