The events of the past year or so have caused many of us to be more conscious of our physical and emotional well-being. To do great work, support others and reach our full potential, we must first be in a good place personally. Our associate, Alyssa Hintz is sharing how her personal passion for yoga helps her re-energize and focus throughout the day so she can continue to thrive in the workplace.
Tips on Mindfulness:
It’s so easy to get caught up within ourselves and the things going on around us: people, places and details pulling our attention in all different directions at the same time. Sometimes you need to pause and reset in order to restore your balance. It really can be that simple! I recommend that people start with these 4 steps:
- Stop what you’re doing and 5 deep breaths. Become aware/notice the sensation of the breath. Feel it rise up through the diaphragm, upper belly, chest, into the throat and out the mouth.
- Put down your phone! Take a break from texting, email, and social media.
- Do one thing at a time, trying to take on too much is overwhelming. Take a moment to prioritize and break tasks down into bite-sized action items. This will help you feel a sense of accomplishment each time you tick something off your list.
- Notice the moves you already make — if you already exercise in some way that helps you to feel more centered and present, that can be your mindfulness practice. Alternatively, your practice can be as simple as paying attention to the feeling of your feet on the floor as you walk up the stairs to work.
It is not about what you focus your attention on, but rather that you take the time to consistently practice holding your awareness on one thing and notice what comes up.
Why people should practice yoga:
For me, I practice yoga to help with my anxiety. While I’m working out I don’t have time to think, I am able to quiet the noise through the movements and breadth of my practice.
And, it’s a great workout! You can adapt your practice to your own speed and level of comfort. There are SO many different kinds of yoga — I personally love hot vinyasa.
- It helps create a mind/body connection by tethering your breath to your movement. Doing yoga on a regular basis will really get you to be more in tune with your body. Knowing when something really is working and when something isn’t. Allowing you to listen to your body.
- It helps the body detoxify and aids in organ function
- It can develop your physical and mental strength. The breathing exercises can improve lung capacity, lunges, stretches and other poses increase core strength as well as every muscle you can think of. Yoga forces you to focus on being in the moment, and the meditation aspect is to help clear your mind and alleviate stress.
- Best of all – all you need is…. you! Yoga can be done anywhere – the office, home, park, etc. so there’s no need to spend money on fancy equipment, or time trying to get to a gym. That also means, there are NO EXCUSES.
Learn more about our comprehensive wellness program here.