Workplace stress yoga in cornwall with British wheel of yoga teacher Phil Aston BWY Dip

About yoga at work -

An interview with Yoga at Work director, founder and Life Coach Phil Aston

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making yoga work for you from yoga at work with british wheel of yoga teacher Phil Aston

What is the ethos behind Yoga at Work?

I could simply say 'to make yoga work for you' but our true goal is to make a difference. I don't necessarily mean on a grand scale either. Our true focus is on the individual. This is where our work is most rewarding and this has been the cornerstone of our success.

We take this approach whether we are teaching in a one to one situation, a yoga workshop, a yoga holiday, or for a large corporation.

Does working with an organisation need a different approach?

Organisations are made up of individuals, it's the way those individuals relate to each other that helps create a company culture and in return the basis for team success. We do take time to get to know the organisation, to understand the direction the management team are heading and understand team dynamics. Our background of senior management has helped here.

Are there other companies offering similar services to you?

Yes there are and we work closely with some of them. My advice for a potential client would be to find out what commercial background the organisation has. Anyone can say they have a business background, but there is a world of difference, for example from someone who worked as a temp for 6 months to someone who ran budgets and staff over multiple sites.

You also have to realise that what you offer has to deliver, this means although you are offering a service to staff to look after their physical and mental health, the executive board will want to see an increase in productivity, an improvement to the company's bottom line and less sick leave. So you need the experience and insight to communicate at all levels and sometimes to very suspicious senior Directors!

Are UK companies receptive to what you offer?

Well the incentive is there! Employers are now more responsible for the welfare of staff and in particular the effects of stress.

In the UK it is still unusual for companies to have bridged the gap in seeing that taking an active interest in the physical and mental health of their staff will foster and successfully improve their performance and the companies bottom line.

How does taking interest in your employees health improve performance?

A common problem we encounter is the incoherent team. This can be a team of people picked due to experience and put together to see an organisation through a project or a team who deal with everyday issues. The reality is that in many situations the people have the experience and the skills but it does not work. This can be because of hidden agendas, fear of change etc. Managers may complain that staff don't follow the process they are given or there is a high level of illness or lethargy.

What we teach is to go beyond the perceptions of body language and look at the feelings behind them. We do this with the team collectively and individually and the format is open discussion, relaxation and focusing techniques. We also look at common solutions such as posture!

How does posture affect team performance?

If you sit slumped in your seat you will not be able to breath fully into the lungs and will be breathing into the upper chest. Breathing this way activates the sympathetic nervous system, which is part of the flight or fright process. People who habitually breath in this way are more prone to anxiety, paranoia, find change difficult and suffer from headaches and back pain. A good posture keeps the mind in balance, improves listening skills and facilitates good team work. We all remember being told in school to sit up straight when answering a question!

In yoga we use the expression that 'the body is the mind made visible.' You often find that people who are uninspired, have fixed ideas, inflexible opinions are also more likely to suffer from digestive disorders.

As I said earlier it is the individual that matters. When we get feedback that someone has started to sleep better, common sense will tell you that a less tired member of staff is going to have more energy, be more open to new possibilities, less stressed and off work less.

So do you also teach physical yoga in the office?

We do. This can be a weekly class open for all, but even then we will take time to understand the company culture and look at the type of activities staff carry out so we can tailor lessons to help both inside and outside the office or factory.

We are also very sensitive to what people feel comfortable with. We respect shy people! I now do a lot of public speaking in front of large audiences, but I remember the shy individual within me and I know what encourages people to grow and what makes people withdraw.

Is life coaching something you also offer?

Yes it is. I am lucky to have had a varied career and been responsible for managing large groups and staff and to do this successfully you need to be able to listen and offer objective advice. I have been responsible for developing individuals all my working life, being a yoga teacher gives me a unique insight into how physical posture affects our motivational abilities. In many ways our body is the mind made visible, this means I am able to help the whole person on both a physical level and mental level.

What about your yoga holidays in Cornwall?

These are going from strength to strength. Unlike a yoga retreat at a health farm, people can experience yoga and de-stress whilst still being able to enjoy the superb food and wine offered by the hotel.

We also run weekly yoga classes in Cornwall which are going very well.

Are your services suitable for all?

Our approach is to teach yoga in a way that makes it work for each individual, regardless of age, sex or ability...

Our style of teaching is to be sensitive to an individual's requirements, to give them tools which will help enhance their health, their lifestyle, their work and their individuality.

We cover all aspects of using the benefits of yoga to help at work, at home and in life. I believe our service is successful because it is run by real down to earth people who have managed staff, run budgets and coped with the school run!

What about you?

I worked in management for over 25 years, starting in industry and moving into media and marketing as a Director in the late 1980s. I have also been a professional musician, web designer and Reiki practitioner.

My commercial background has helped me ensure that my approach complements the complex dynamics that can be found in any organisation. I don't enter an organisation armed with incense sticks, my tools are practical and based on personal experience. It's important they work for the individual.

The term 'yoga at work' is a play on words, the idea is to teach in a way that makes yoga work for everyone, and by everyone I am including people who would not normally consider Yoga being for them. Yoga and meditation are words that carry certain expectations. I want to help people focus, relax and be more awake for your projects and for their family.

The techniques I teach work on or off the yoga mat.

We also provide stress and anxiety consultation for individuals, team coaching, corporate and private yoga lessons.

With employers now responsible for ensuring staff don't become ill through stress, we are seeing a definite increase in enquires for relaxation and breathing techniques [go to our services pages for more details]

To function at our optimal level, we need to be in balance both physically and mentally.

I take my responsibility to students and clients very seriously, but laughter and humour are also a big part of what we do.

What drew you to Yoga?

My wife, I had not got any interest in yoga and thought it was for girls! I was a typical workaholic, juggling lots of projects, never really finishing any and getting very stressed out.

So I started yoga not expecting a great deal in return, but within weeks I was astounded to how much better I felt. I was less stressed, a better boss, a better husband and father. It was realising what this ancient practice had done for me that motivated me to become a qualified teacher. I have not forgotten my early preconceptions and this has helped me encourage more men to take up yoga.

How long did it take you to qualify?

It takes over three years with the British Wheel of Yoga, which is the governing body for yoga in the UK. Three years sounds such a long time and in the world of business it's hard for anyone to understand how this can be. However a lot of the teaching of yoga is experiencing the techniques themselves and you cannot teach experience in a weekend.

When I qualified as a yoga teacher I founded 'Yoga at Work' to act as the focal point for my teaching based on my commercial, creative and yogic background.

Yoga is a powerful medicine and the science of mental health and yes, it will tone your body giving you additional flexibility, stamina and strength. But it will also make you more relaxed, sleep better and be able to cope better with the stress of modern life.

Phil Aston is married to the violinist Sue Aston and has two children Dan & Lee and has helped many individuals conquer panic attacks and lead a full life and introduced hundreds of people to yoga - click for feedback