What Are The Best Practices Of Virtual Yoga For Remote Teams?
The Rise of Virtual Yoga for Remote Teams
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many companies to adopt remote work out of necessity. As the months wore on, employers and employees realized the benefits of flexible and remote work. Even though offices are reopening, remote work is here to stay.
However, working from home can be isolating and stressful. That’s why more and more companies are offering virtual yoga and meditation classes to improve staff wellness. The global pandemic changed many aspects of our work culture, and virtual yoga is one change that remote teams embrace wholeheartedly.
Best Practices for Virtual Yoga Sessions
Yoga brings people together through breath, movement, and mindfulness. Done right, group yoga builds trust between team members who may never meet face-to-face. Here are some best practices for planning and conducting virtual yoga for your remote team:
1. Find the Right Instructor
Working with a dedicated virtual yoga provider helps you find highly qualified instructors for your sessions. Platforms like YogaHub can source experienced teachers, check references, review video samples, and handle scheduling logistics. In your program setup, specify your preferred class times, group skill levels, and preferences for class styles (consider something non-traditional, like Desk Yoga). Having the right platform and instructor is a crucial component for keeping employees engaged.
2. Include Registration and Attendance Tracking
Use a registration form for each yoga session, ideally hosted digitally via email or a team management platform. Registration helps determine appropriate class sizes suited to your instructor’s abilities. Tracking participation over time also shows which session styles and instructors garner more interest. With ongoing attendance data, you can optimize the program and forecast demand more accurately.
3. Use Zoom
As of this article’s publication, Zoom offers the best options for viewing in gallery mode, or speaker mode. Zoom also offers the option for advanced audio sharing, which enables instructors to play music through the app, making for a truly immersive yoga experience.
4. Actively Promote
Spreading the word about your class via emails, calendar invitations, Slack messages, internal newsletters, and other communication channels is key. Not all staff checks their email consistently. Use multiple outlets to increase awareness and engagement. Also, clarify that attending sessions is encouraged when feasible as part of the workday. Support from upper management demonstrating the program’s importance can also boost participation.
5. Set Clear Expectations
Avoid mismatched expectations by stating guidelines upfront like required space, equipment, attire, skill level, class goals, etc. For example, clarify if Desk Yoga means participating from cubicles vs. in a room with mats. Or whether beginners can keep pace. Outline the tone, too – more fitness and postures vs. breathing and guided meditation. Such transparency sets appropriate expectations.
6. Ask for Feedback
Use post-session surveys to get feedback on the instructor, content, skill applicability, desired modifications, recommendations, and other areas for improvement. Tracking this data can reveal changes to boost effectiveness and participation over time. It also shows attendees their input matters in shaping offerings best suited to their needs.
The Benefits of Virtual Yoga
Consistent virtual yoga and meditation greatly benefit remote employees and company culture. Here are some top advantages:
- Reduces Stress: Just 20 minutes of yoga triggers the relaxation response, lowering blood pressure, heart rate, and harmful stress hormones like cortisol.
- Boosts Focus: Mindful movement and breathing enhances concentration, information processing, and on-task performance.
- Improves Sleep Quality: Relaxing postures followed by savasana (corpse pose) positively impact sleep architecture and duration.
- Bolsters Immunity: Yoga’s emphasis on breathwork increases lung capacity and circulation, which helps fight illness and disease.
- Heightens Creativity: Calming anxiety and inner chatter allows for new ideas and innovative problem-solving.
- Builds Team Cohesion: Shared challenges like balancing in awkward poses bring colleagues closer together through laughter and accomplishment.
- Keeps Employees Happy: Worker satisfaction links to wellness initiatives like virtual yoga. Happier staff perform better and remain loyal.
The Future Is Flexible
Hybrid and fully remote teams are the future of work. Making distributed employees feel seen, valued, and supported requires creativity and compassion. Virtual yoga gives remote workers much-needed social connections along with improved well-being. Leaning into this change rather than resisting it will set your company up for post-pandemic success.
Sign Up Now for Online Yoga Classes
If you want to start offering online yoga classes for your remote team, YogaHub makes it easy. Their experienced staff knows how to help you get the most out of your program, and teachers tailor classes to all skill levels. Their wellness packages come with company branding and attendance reporting.
Visit YogaHub today to schedule a free consultation and account setup. Now is the perfect time to bring the many benefits of virtual yoga to your distributed team!
