Mind Body Solutions (a non-profit yoga studio based in Minnetonka, Minnesota) collaborated with Courage Center (a non-profit rehabilitation and resource centre in MN) to train rehabilitation staff in mind body techniques such as breathing, grounding and centring. The results showed significant changes in staff job satisfaction and job stress, quality of life and commitment to their employer and profession. Teaching these principles to others can be equally effective.

“Minds and bodies work better together,” says Matthew Sanford, yoga teacher, national speaker, author and owner and founder Mind Body Solutions.

Returning people back to work can be stressful. It’s easy to burn out and have your energy drained. Commit to having a mind-body practice of some kind. It doesn’t mean you need to practice yoga or meditation for an hour/day. Incorporate little things throughout the day to listen, feel and be more in your body.  Your presence is a gift; it carries over and positively affects both you and those you work with.

We’re a highly stressed society and we’re on the go all the time. It’s hard to slow the mind down and be present in the midst of constant stimulation from technology, multi-tasking, tight schedules and challenging people in difficult situations. Mind clutter creates tension in the body and disconnect from ourselves and our world. Connecting mind and body increases your ability to be truly present helping you to be calm, patient, more connected and less stressed.

“Being present in your body is the best and most effective way to combat stress,” says Sanford.

Don’t leave your body behind. Try the following strategies to engage your mind-body relationship during your workday. 

Meditation

Before you leave for work, meditate for at least 5 minutes to begin your day feeling more calm, centred and balanced. Sit in a quiet place and simply pay attention to your breath. Your mind will wander; just keep bringing it back to the present moment by tuning into the natural rhythm of your breath. There are several types of meditation, this is just one example. Experiment and find what you like.

Breath

Breathing is the gateway to connecting mind and body. Be aware of your breath. Really feel it in your body and let it be sensual. Throughout your day, take a few seconds to several minutes to centre yourself by feeling your breath. Try to breathe in and out through your nose as this forces the breath to be slower and deeper. Try this just before or following a time when you are struggling with a difficult person or situation, making a difficult decision, or when you are feeling particularly stressed, hurried or scattered. 

Feel your feet

It stabilizes the mind and helps you feel grounded. Feel your feet in connection to the ground. Become more conscious when you walk -- feel your feet connect with the ground, lift your chest and breathe. Be brave and take your shoes off at work. Let your feet breath and connect to the earth and the world.

Lift your chest

This is not sticking your chest out with your shoulders back, but lifting as if someone is pulling a string from your belly button up through the front of your spine to your chest/ sternum and up through the top of your head. Imagine as though your head kisses the sky. Lengthen the space between your belly and your chest/sternum.

Feel your sit bones

Yep, we mean the bones on the bottom of your butt! While sitting in a chair or on the floor, bring your attention to your sit bones and sit equally on each sit bone. Feel yourself in connection to the chair or the ground.

Mix and match

Try any of these (feeling your feet, sit bones, lifting the chest) separately or simultaneously when in the midst of a difficult situation or when feeling anxious. Try it when meeting with someone who is manipulative, crying or has a heart-wrenching story and notice a sense of calm in both you and your client.

Combine all of the above with this Seated Centering exercise (with permission from Mind Body Solutions)

1. Sit in a chair and point the feet straight ahead. Position the feet under the knees and each knee directly in front of the hips.
2. Place your hands on your thighs, palms facing up.
3. Sit equally on each sits bone (your bottom), feel your feet and notice the lift of your sternum. Bring your attention to your breath.
4. Connect the sits bones, feet, and chest as you extend up to the top of your head.
5. Broaden across the collarbones and breathe.

Through my training in mind-body medicine and yoga I have learned to use the above techniques at work and feel as if it has helped me to be a better vocational rehabilitation counsellor. I feel less stressed in my job, more centred, calm, patient, compassionate, and able to more easily diffuse stressful, complex situations.  Best of all, I feel better connected to my clients. 

Many times clients enter my office stressed, depressed, in pain, confused, angry, etc. If I can remain calm and present with an open heart, they feel more supported and listened to. It becomes a shared relationship. Our sessions are more effective. The client is more content and I am less stressed. Being in my body allows me to be fully present in a session or on the phone, allowing me to be more engaged and listen more effectively.