Mental and physical health at work 

Is your business working towards a Healthy Working Lives Award or a Mental Health & Well-being Commendation Award? Or do you want to provide benefits for employees at work? 

I run workplace workshops in guided meditation and also ‘Body Parts!’, a movement/dance session. Both are designed to fit into a lunchbreak, guided meditation being about 1 hour long and ‘Body Parts!’ about 25 minutes long. 

A guided meditation session consists of my leading participants through a visualised landscape by means of story-telling. The meditation itself lasts about 30 to 35 minutes, with the rest of the session devoted to reflection on participants’ experiences of the meditation. Each participant receives a handout of meditation hints to help them continue in their own time. 

Meditation has been shown to assist mental and physical well-being.

It can help :-

Relieve anxiety                                               

Lower high blood pressure                             

Clarify thoughts                                              

Improve creativity and imagination

Relieve stress

Refresh the mind

Improve and calm emotions

Increase mental energy

A few comments from previous guided meditation participants: 

‘I enjoyed that I was able to switch off in a room full of people!’ 

‘Very calming – can see the benefits of meditation for relieving stress.’ 

‘I enjoyed the opportunity to just ‘let go’ in the middle of a busy working day.’ 

Most participants mention their surprise and pleasure at finding themselves able to sit down and relax for an hour – something they feel they would not otherwise be able to do. 

‘Body Parts!’ is a movement session designed to warm up the head and neck, shoulders, elbows, hands, hips, knees and feet , with a short section for free movement/dance at the end. It’s very useful for today’s employees, who spend so much time at their computers.

It can help :-

Increase stamina                                             

Improve muscle tone and bone density          

Recharge energy levels                                   

Improve creativity 

Relieve back pain

Clear the mind

The basic 25 minute session can be lengthened by beginning it with exercises designed to alleviate back pain, to create an hour-long session. Participants of the hour-long session receive a handout describing the exercises used, to help them follow up at home. 

Some comments from ‘Body Parts!’ participants: 

‘It generated an unexpected sense of freedom. I liked the way a very simple exercise built up until – linked with other movements – it became a very individual dance.’ 

‘Movement and music went well together and provided an opportunity for reflection.’ 

Other participants have told me how they went back to work feeling ready to deal with the afternoon’s work and how surprised they were at how well they worked afterwards. They found their mental and physical energy had increased. 

I am committed to bringing these benefits to workplaces by means of my workshops. If you feel your workplace and employees could benefit, please contact me for more information.