Workplace Yoga May Tame Stress and Sleep Troubles

Practicing yoga and meditation in the workplace could ease stress and promote sounder sleep, according to a new study.

For six weeks, 22 office workers attended daily, one-hour lunchtime meetings during which they talked about work-related stress and performed deep-breathing exercises, gentle yoga poses, and other techniques designed to enhance mindfulness. The study members also spent 20 minutes per day practicing meditation and yoga at their desks.

At the end of the study, the office workers who took part in the mindfulness intervention had significantly lower levels of perceived stress than those who were wait-listed to receive the intervention later on. Members of the intervention group also reported fewer sleep disturbances and less daytime dysfunction than their colleagues.

In past studies, practicing yoga has been found to keep blood pressure in check and lessen low back pain, while meditation has been shown to protect against depression and boost immunity.