Category: Blog

The benefits of corporate massage go a long way – a really long way. Not only are routine corporate massage sessions beneficial to the staff who receive them, but your business also thrives with the newly added employee perk. Let’s be honest… Who doesn’t want to work for a company that has free massages available to anyone who wants or needs them?

Body Techniques has perfected our corporate massage services for every kind of setting. No matter if you’re looking to book a one-time employee celebration event or seeking to enhance the wellness package you offer employees, we make onboarding easy by handling the logistics.

And while we facilitate the nuts and bolts, businesses should keep a few things in mind as they prepare the office for our most popular service. In this article we’re highlighting our top 10 FAQs on how to plan for a corporate massage event.

Corporate Massage Event Planning Tips

Planning a successful corporate massage event starts with organization. At Body Techniques, we guide you step-by-step so you’re always ahead of the game. In your initial assessment, we’ll identify what kind of corporate massage you’re interested in:

• Chair massage
• Table massage
• Reflexology

If you’re in the initial decision making stage and not sure what kind of massage would be best for your employees – ask them! Taking the time to add a benefit crafted around your staff’s specific wants and needs builds trust in their employer, which ultimately helps you avoid the fallout from a widespread resignation.

Now, onto our top 10 corporate massage planning FAQs.

1. How Soon In Advance Should I Book My Corporate Massage?

We’ve found clients have the best planning experience when they book a month in advance. Sometimes this isn’t possible, so we suggest a minimum of 2 weeks to plan your corporate massage event. Learn more about how corporate massage works here.

2. What Space Or Room Should We Use For The Session(s)?

Planning a one-time event at a health and wellness conference looks a little different than a recurring in-office corporate massage. Luckily, we’ve had plenty of experience with both and found the following works best:

Special events like conferences, fairs, and conventions typically have a designated area for the massage table to be set up ahead of time. This can either be around other vendors or in a quiet space to help participants tune out the bustling crowds.

In-office corporate massage – recurring or single sessions – ideally have a space or room that’s semi-private so the rest of your office isn’t distracted. Conference spaces, communal areas, or empty offices all work well for employees to trickle in throughout the day to receive a massage.

3. How Should I Notify Employees?

We all benefit from reminders. Blame social media or a world dependent on screens, but regardless you have to have a plan when it comes to marketing your employee event! Both single and recurring sessions can be included in your internal company newsletter or distributed by email. If you have a break room, create a flyer and hang it up! Bigger corporations can task department heads with relaying the who and what to help streamline communication.

All in all, there’s never a wrong way to notify employees about a perk like this.

4. What Else Can I Do To Host A Memorable Employee Event?

We love seeing employers going above and beyond for their team! If you’re looking to add a little something extra to your upcoming corporate massage, consider one of the following:

• Company merchandise table: Think t-shirts, notebooks, tote bags, etc.
• Refreshments: Set up a table with snacks, drinks, or go all out and get lunch catered.
• Photo booth: If you’re hosting a big event, photo booths are a great way to encourage employee engagement and they’ll most likely share their pictures on social media! Two PR birds with one event.

5. Do I Need To Do Any Setup Preparations?

All you need to do is have a space for our certified Massage Therapists (MTs) to do their thing. On the day of your event, our MTs will arrive early to set everything up prior to the scheduled start time. Because each employee’s body is built differently, we take the time to listen to them and provide a comforting massage tailored to what they need. To make sure your event runs smoothly and as scheduled, you can utilize our proprietary booking software to keep everything on track.

6. What Can I Do To Promote Employee Attendance?

We already mentioned having special merch and refreshments to create interest in your upcoming corporate massage, but if you’re looking for something more, we’ve seen a lot of success when clients host raffles for prizes like full or have days of PTO. Other prizes we’ve seen include:

• Preferred parking spots
• Additional massage credits (recurring events)
• Lunch
• Technology like smart TVs and Apple products

If your organization decides to host a raffle, be sure to include it in your internal promotions of the event to create more buzz!

7. What If I Need To Cancel Our Corporate Massage Event Last Minute?

Even the most organized managers can’t plan for last minute schedule conflicts (hello COVID-19). If you need to cancel your event, notify your Body Techniques contact ASAP and we will help you navigate next steps. Never hesitate to reach out to us for additional support – we are here for you! Remember, this is all about showing gratitude for your employees. They’ll appreciate the event no matter what – even if it needs to be rescheduled!

8. How Can I Continue The Fun After The Event?

Keep the celebration going by sharing photos to your company social media accounts or add them in your next newsletter. Be sure to include any raffle prize winners should you decide to host a giveaway!

9. One-Time Events Or Recurring Corporate Massage Sessions: Which Is Better?

One-time events are great, but life happens. Deadlines creep and all employees may not be able to take advantage of this onsite benefit when the massage event is only hosted on one specific day. Instead, consider making this productivity-boosting benefit a regular occurrence in the office so that your team can all enjoy some rest and relaxation.

10. What If My Employees Cancel The Day Of?

If there are day-of cancellations, our massage therapists are able to fill those slots with employees who did not register in advance. If all appointments are filled, our MTs are able to put together a waitlist so that any last minute cancellations can be filled. We work hard to get everyone a session, and are always happy to return onsite if there are employees who did not get a chance to receive a massage.

If you do have recurring sessions and notice a large amount of employees are either cancelling or not RSVPing at all, we can support you in finding out why. Sending out an email survey or asking for direct feedback is always a great first step.

In the end, you can always rely on analytics to solidify the best next step. Body Techniques can provide you with analytics to gauge how many people received massages, cancellations, and how many people were on the waitlist.

Talk To Us About Your Corporate Massage Needs

Sometimes companies need an extra hand to manage workplace stress and show their employees they care. Body Techniques uses state-of-the art software and analytics tools to make your upcoming event a breeze. Talk to us today about how you can take your employee appreciation up a notch.

If you haven’t considered expanding your benefits package to promote a healthy work-life balance this is your sign.

Why? Employees often struggle with feeling connected to their company culture and day-to-day business operations – especially remote workers. We don’t suggest dragging your feet on this one. If your place of work stalls on improving employee benefits, the fallout could be detrimental to your long-term success.

Enhancing your company benefits to include things like virtual wellness programs not only boosts employee morale and participation but gives your employees the well-deserved mental break they need! Read on for corporate wellness activities that unite your entire workforce including anyone WFH.

How Virtual Wellness Keeps Remote Employees Connected

Virtual wellness programs are ideal for corporations or organizations that have remote and hybrid employees. Not only can they help with stress management, but these kinds of activities help promote team bonding which is essential for successful project completion, communication between departments, and independent working capabilities. When your employees are connected to their work and the people they work with, the possibilities are endless.

Bring Your Team Together WIth Corporate Virtual Wellness

Mapping out a fresh benefits package brings up a lot of questions like, “What are the best virtual wellness programs?” or, “How long should each virtual session last?” Luckily, our trainers specialize in corporate wellness to ensure this investment exceeds expectations and can walk you through the process. We’ve highlighted some of our favorite virtual wellness programs that work best for remote employees:

The Daily 15: Make The Most Out Of A 15-Minute Break

Sometimes a quick 15-minute break is all you need to reset. The Daily 15 is our quick, yet impactful virtual wellness program that boosts energy and lowers stress for remote workers. The Daily 15 has a new activity every day from self-care to fitness and even yoga! Employees also have the opportunity to see classes ahead of time so they can pick and choose what activity works best for their bodies and goals.

BT Mindful: Build Stronger Minds & Team Chemistry

Empower employees to sharpen their mind-body connection while simultaneously strengthening team chemistry with BT Mindful. This virtual wellness program can be a single workshop or is also available in four, eight, and twelve-week series. The longer your BT Mindful series, the deeper we dive into meditation, work on building healthy daily routines, and learn how to manage stress levels on and off the clock.

Tip: Not sure what virtual series employees would like? Send out a survey asking them to submit their preferences and implement feedback directly from the source!

BT Engage: Online Group Classes For Everyone

Should you want a traditional corporate virtual wellness program, BT Engage is for you. These online group classes hit four essential core areas of stress management:

• Fitness: Zumba, cardio kickboxing, or online bootcamp
• Yoga: All experience levels welcome
• Stretching: Twist and tone muscles to improve posture and pain relief that’s all to common with WFH life
• Self Massage: Get professional guidance from our trained massage therapists on self massage techniques

Virtual Wellness Comes In All Shapes & Sizes

Just like no two businesses operate the same, no two employees have the same WFH routine. Add some consistency into the mix with corporate virtual wellness activities to keep remote workers grounded to their jobs and connected with their team. Even as little as 15-minutes can strengthen our stress management skills to become the best version of ourselves. If you’re not sure what virtual program would be best for your workforce, just ask! Odds are your employees will be thankful you’re taking their opinion into account as you improve employee wellness benefits.

Start Building Your Benefits Today

Looking to build on your benefits package? Body Techniques helps hundreds of businesses make the most out of their wellness dollars and get a major return on the investment. Reach out to us today to tell us more about your current setup and goals you’d like to achieve moving forward. We can’t wait to meet you!

How many times have you had to tell yourself to take a deep breath while on the clock?

No matter what profession you work within, simple meditation practices like deep breathing can provide the mental reset you need to make conscious choices that aren’t clouded by stress. When we take the time to practice different meditations at work, we become more equipped to respond to situations versus reacting.

Should you find yourself becoming overwhelmed keep these workplace meditation practices top of mind – the benefits they reap go much deeper than we realize.

The Benefits Of Meditation For Stress Management

Before understanding the benefits of meditation for workplace stress management, it’s important to have a grasp of what mindfulness at work actually is.

At its core, mindfulness is about being present. When you are in the office or working from home, this can be a challenge. Pings, emails, phone calls – did someone bring snacks? All of these things can pull you away from the task at hand and in doing so, heighten stress and anxiety.

Bringing mindfulness to work means you truly focus on the here and now. Whether that’s a project or a conversation with a coworker you work towards eliminating the mindless chatter and truly listen. There is no magic potion for achieving mindfulness. Instead, it is a constant practice and reminder to ourselves to be present and aware.

The benefits of mindfulness – especially at our jobs – reduce the stress that bog down our productivity and general happiness. It helps lower our heart rate and anxiety. We can make level-headed decisions without sweaty palms and tension headaches. While practicing mindful meditation at work isn’t rocket science, there are a few tricks to keep in mind as your workday unfolds.

Getting started is the hardest part but once you’ve finally found your Zen the rest comes naturally!

How To Meditate At Work

It all starts with finding a moment of calm. In the meditation world, we call this setting an intention. Why do you need to meditate? What brought you to this moment? Internally repeating a short phrase to yourself can help center your workplace meditation practice. It’s also beneficial to make sure the space you’re meditating within is free of clutter and distractions. Yogis refer to this sense of purity as Saucha. One of the Niyamas of Yoga, Saucha literally means cleanliness and/or clearness.

Your intention is set and your mind is clear. All that’s left to do now is choose your meditation method.

Tune Out The Chaos

If you’re able to bring headphones or earphones to work, finding a soft meditation playlist on Spotify can help you tune the world out from your desk. Closing your eyes is encouraged because you’re eliminating any visual distractions to really transcend into your meditation session.

Walk It Out

Ever heard of open-eyed, moving meditation? This is a great meditation to do at work if you’re able to get a few steps in during lunch or a 15-minute break. Taking a walk to meditate helps us connect with nature and builds a strong mind-body connection.

Practice Breathing

If the weather isn’t permitting you to take a stroll, you can always utilize breathing exercises that you can do literally anywhere – the car, desk, breakroom, wherever! A few breathing exercises that pair well with any level of meditation are:

• Alternate nostril breathing – Inhale through your left nostril while holding your right nostril closed with your right thumb. At the bottom of your exhale switch nostrils by closing off your left nostril and continuing to exhale smoothly through your right nostril. Remove your finger from the left nostril and exhale fully. Continue alternating your breathing through each nostril for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Ujjayi breathing – Also known as the “victorious” breath, Ujjayi breath work helps calm the mind and recenter your thoughts. To begin, take a big inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth emptying all of the air out of your lungs. On your next inhale, breathe in through your nose and keep the back of the throat slightly constricted. Imagine you’re inhaling through a straw if you’re having trouble getting started. As you exhale, keep the mouth closed and think about how you would breathe out to fog up a mirror in front of you. This controlled, steady breathing is known to create energy through the body and even lower blood pressure!

Participate In A Company-Sponsored Wellness Program

They say there’s strength in numbers. Practicing meditation with your coworkers is a great way to keep anxiety at bay and build team chemistry at the same time. Body Techniques offers a variety of both in-person and virtual meditation workshops that employers can incorporate into their benefits package. Group breathing and meditation exercises help you and your coworkers relax and feel refreshed once it’s time to get back to work.

There’s No Wrong Way To Meditate At Work

Meditation has been around for thousands of years – meaning there’s really no “wrong” way to practice it. Exploring work-friendly meditation techniques opens a door to a whole new world of stress management. You can do it alone at your desk, grab your coworker for a walk, or ask your manager about a monthly company-sponsored mediation program to help everyone stay calm, cool, and collected.

We’re Here To Guide You

Body Techniques has an entire staff dedicated to helping our clients find the perfect stress management solution for their unique office environment. Even employees working from home can benefit from guided meditation practices! Now more than ever, employees are demanding legitimate benefits and healthcare perks from their employers – let us help you create a wellness program designed to keep your team happy and healthy! Talk to us today to get started.

While some see the holidays as an opportunity to slow down and appreciate the magic in the air, this time of year can create high-stress levels at the office when it comes to annual reporting, evaluations, and client deadlines. Managers can try to lighten the mood with a holiday party, but this sometimes has the opposite effect due to unanticipated financial and time commitments. In the end, an effort to help employees stress less during the holidays turns into extra anxiety no one is prepared to take on.

In our experience, the best way to help your employees enjoy the holiday season is with dedicated workplace wellness programs that are designed to give people the tools necessary to manage healthy stress levels. Read on for five of our favorite ways to fight end-of-year burnout and truly celebrate your employees for another year of hard work – but first, let’s cover why corporate wellness plays such an important factor in overall company longevity.

Why Workplace Wellness Is Important

When people are happy about their jobs they are more productive. So, how do you keep employees happy in a world where “The Great Resignation” is making national headlines?

Introduce benefits to your office that help retains employees.

If you’re not sure what those benefits look like, all you have to do is ask your employees what they’re looking for. Workplace wellness comes in many forms – including stress management programs. Not only do these benefits keep employees happy, but it keeps them healthy! A stronger mind-body connection unfolds and your staff becomes more efficient, focused, and willing to go above and beyond for their teammates.

While the benefits of workplace wellness programs are obvious, knowing the right way to implement them requires a unique approach to maintain “business as usual” during the crazy end-of-year operations. Each program brings a different perk to the office. The idea is to find the right one for your employees.

Reduce Tension With Chair Massage Therapy

Chair massage therapy is the perfect way to show gratitude for employees who sit all day. Also known as corporate massage, this stress-relieving program reduces tension in the back, neck, shoulders, head, arms, and hands. Your employees will instantly feel rejuvenated and ready to hone in on the next project. Body Techniques offers multiple onsite massage programs in addition to chair massage:

• Table massage therapy: Using a series of techniques, our practitioners apply rhythmic finger pressure, gentle rocking, stretching sequences and deep structural work to achieve a relaxed and balancing effect in the body.
• Reflexology: Our therapists apply gentle pressure to the reflex points, facilitating a free flow of energy that creates a state of balance and deep relaxation in your employees.

We believe in keeping things as easy as possible for our clients – which means we bring the massage directly to your workspace. Never worry about employees going offsite to take advantage of this 5-star perk. Think of it as a well-deserved mental break before getting back to the daily grind!

Build Team Chemistry Through Movement

Some of your employees may still be working from home, which can make the task of offering universal benefits even more challenging. Incorporating fitness classes into your benefits package can not only increase employee productivity but boost chemistry between departments entirely, no matter if they’re in the office or WFH!

The thing is when your employees trust each other the possibilities are endless. Communication is instantly strengthened and people become prideful in the work they deliver. Body Techniques offers virtual and in-person fitness classes for just about every workout you can think of.

• Bootcamp (basic and advanced levels)
• Zumba
• Pilates
• M.A.S.H. Bootcamp
• U-JAM Fitness

Consistent movement and exercise keep stress levels at bay all year long. When your employees look good, they feel good and come to work with a healthy mindset to conquer those daunting year-end projects.

Breathwork Sustains Sanity

In addition to workplace stress, your employees are also dealing with the anxiety that comes with seeing toxic family members, buying gifts, traveling, and all of the other holiday unpleasantries. Offering a yoga or meditation workshop equips employees with mental tools to logically process these kinds of things without becoming overwhelmed with stress and anxiety. While best results come from consistent practicing, even a one-time session can provide useful insight on how to keep the heart rate low with breathing exercises.

Use Acupuncture To Calm Nerves

For corporate settings that love alternative approaches to stress management, acupuncture is the ideal way to prevent burnout at work.

How Does Acupuncture Work?

During an acupuncture session, the central nervous system is stimulated. Our body releases endorphins, circulation improves, and our immune systems can get a boost along the way. Who couldn’t use a combination of all of these in the midst of potentially stressful holiday planning?

Virtual Wellness Programs Lower The Risk Of Exposure

Body Techniques practices a strict protocol around the safety and cleanliness of our workspaces. If you’re looking for a zero-risk wellness program in terms of germ exposure, virtual wellness is a great solution to keep employees engaged and safe. From a mindful 15-minute break to stretching and self-massage follow-along programs, our specialists design virtual wellness calendars customized to your organization’s specific goals! We’ve found that even though employees are not together in-person, they still bond over virtual platforms and feel safe while doing it.

Employers: Do Your Part To Reduce Stress During The Holidays

As the holiday season quickly approaches, keep in mind that employee retention is grounded in sound benefits that promote healthy work-life balance and stress levels. Don’t be afraid to ask your team directly what would make their lives easier as the year winds down. There are numerous ways to reduce the burden that comes with end-of-year business operations and holiday expectations as a whole. Exploring different workplace wellness benefits can show your staff you care about their wellbeing and give them the right outlets to channel any unwanted stress.

Customize Your Workplace Wellness Benefits Today

Thousands of businesses are already reaping the benefits of our stress management programs. During your consultation, one of our team members will help identify the best approach for your office setting, employee count, and underlying needs. Contact us today to learn more about the process and help your employees stress less this holiday season!

We could all use more “Om” in our lives – especially if you have a desk job. No matter if you’re a secretary, sales representative, customer service manager, or CEO doing yoga at work will almost instantly revive your spirit.

In our time working within the corporate yoga and meditation industry, we’ve found that dedicating even 10 minutes a day to a well-deserved mental break can boost employee morale, collaboration, and ultimately productivity. After all, a little mindfulness never has never anyone!

Read on to explore different ways you can incorporate yoga and meditation into your workplace and help your employees manage their stress naturally.

What Is Corporate Yoga?

Skipping the technical jargon – corporate yoga is a stress management program employers can offer their workforce so they live happier, healthier lives. We hire the most qualified yoga instructors in various areas of expertise like Vinyasa, Hatha, Vini, and more. The idea behind this is to provide corporate yoga in such a way that all of your employees are able to enjoy this practice because in all reality – it’s life-changing!

Wellness is for everybody, so we also offer online yoga classes so everyone – remote or in the office – can catch a well-deserved mental break.

Does Practicing Yoga In The Office Really Work?

No one can argue that practicing mindfulness through yoga and meditation benefits those who do it. Those who practice are in a better place mentally and physically. This trickles into every aspect of their lives including their professions. There’s a special chemistry that happens between a group of people who practice yoga consistently together. You begin to realize that you’re not so different from your fellow coworkers. In fact, you have a lot in common after all.

This not only helps your employees bond but makes it easier to bear the daily stress that comes with the job because you trust one another more than ever before.

Different Types Of Corporate Yoga

A common misconception about practicing yoga is that you have to be an expert doing handstands and balancing on fingers all the time.

This couldn’t be farther from the truth. If it were, then we wouldn’t call it a practice. Body Techniques provides several types of yoga classes that are easy to introduce into any workplace setting.

The best part? Classes are modified to meet your employees where they are in their own practice be it a beginner, intermediate, or advanced!

Decompress Yoga

In our Decompress Yoga classes, employees experience a balanced blend of vigorous flowing asanas and intense, yet blissful stretches with a little restorative movement before letting it all go in savasana. Your employees float out of class revitalized and ready for the rest of the day.

Hatha Yoga

If you’re looking to feel the benefits of deep stretching, Hatha Yoga may be a good option for your needs. This technique encourages increased body awareness and therapeutic release of tension through long-held yoga poses and movement. By focusing on the breath through the poses, chanting, and meditation, employees open their lungs, hearts, and minds welcoming an energizing sense of calm.

Strengthening Yoga

Strengthening Yoga helps build a strong foundation and core. You could almost consider it our form of a yoga bootcamp! Nearly all of the postures focus on both strengthening and stretching major muscles and tend to take the brunt of a desk job. Sweat towels are encouraged – you’ll be glad you have one after class!

Understanding Yoga

We highly recommend the Understanding Yoga class for beginners, as it is the foundation of the other classes we offer. If employees are interested in going deeper into the roots of yoga this is also a great fit! In this class, we teach about correct alignments in the most fundamental Asanas (postures). Employees will also dive into the energetic body exploring the sensations of the breath and chakras.

Vini Yoga

Originating from the ViniYoga tradition, this form of yoga is sequenced to help employees learn how to transform the neuromuscular patterns in their bodies into a more relaxed state. Each pose is adaptable to any level of yogi.

Vinyasa

One of our most popular corporate yoga classes is Vinyasa. Set to music and harmoniously uniting breath to movement, Vinyasa builds heat, strength, and flexibility. Poses range from beginner to advanced but modifications are always offered for all levels.

Yoga Flow

If you’re seeking a gentle but energizing meditative yoga practice we suggest Yoga Flow. The class features guided meditation and sound healing to awaken the mind and synchronize it with the body. This class is another client favorite!

What To Expect In Your Corporate Yoga Class

In order to provide the best experience for your employees, make sure you have everything prepared prior to the session. Two major factors to set your stress management program up for success are:

• Subsidize the full cost of the program. There is stronger participation and thus benefits from these classes when companies offer the program at no cost to their team.
• Make sure you have enough space. This applies to both in-office yoga classes and virtual classes for remote employees.

Find The Right Workplace Yoga Program For Your Business

With so many options, it can feel overwhelming to choose the right corporate yoga and meditation class for your business. Should you need help with program selection, or have questions in general about our stress management programs we’re here to help! Contact us today to learn more.