Workplace Yoga & Meditation Reduce Stress
By Richard Shank
Researchers at Ohio State University conducted a pilot study that evaluated the impact a workplace meditation and yoga program had on stress. They were interested in evaluating ways to reduce chronic stress because of its strong association with chronic disease.
Recruited for the study were 48 adult office workers with body mass index scores lower than 30; each of whom performed 30 minutes or less of exercise on most days of the week. They were introduced to a modified version of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, which was designed to aid hospital patients during the healing process. Participants were randomly assigned into control and experimental groups (i.e., the group performing the MBSR program).
The original MBSR program was designed to be performed for an hour per day for eight weeks, supplemented by lengthy consultation sessions and a full-day retreat. Researchers modified it to make it more practical for working people. Each participant attended one-hour weekly meditation and discussion sessions during lunch and practiced 20 minutes of yoga and/or meditation each workday at their desks.
Improvements in stress awareness and perceived stress resulted from participating in the program. This research suggests that MBSR programs can be successfully tailored to the needs of workers; however, since this is a pilot study, the researchers will not make the program available for public use until further testing is performed.
Source: Maryanna D. Klatt, Janet Buckworth, and William B. Malarkey (2009). Effects of Low-Dose Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR-ld) on Working Adults. Health Education and Behavior 36: 601-614
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