Wall Street Journal: Sweating with the Boss at Bikram Yoga
It’s not exactly typical that Bikram Yoga makes the front page news here at YOGANONYMOUS two days in a row, but when you’re talking about Lady GaGa and the WSJ – we simply cannot resist. This article was in yesterday’s WSJ blog - enjoy!
Many companies sponsor softball, soccer or relay teams for their employees, or provide discounts to get workers to the gym. But how would you feel about getting a company discount on Bikram Yoga classes — 90 minutes of tough poses in 105-degree temperatures, stripped down to something like a swimsuit and sweating shoulder-to-shoulder with your boss?
Some employers have begun offering discounts for their employees at Bikram Yoga NYC, which has four locations in Manhattan, says co-owner Jennifer Lobo. Begun in the U.S. in the 1970s by Bikram Choudhury (pictured right), Bikram Yoga is practiced in high temperatures to make participants’ muscles more malleable, and less susceptible to injury, Ms. Lobo says. Thanks in part to all the sweating, “you feel light and totally stress-free” after a class, she says. Many practitioners dress in bikini-like attire to stay cool, or “as little as you feel comfortable wearing,” Ms. Lobo says. A law firm, a lingerie company and a fashion-design firm, among other employers, have secured employee discounts on the classes, she says.
As intrigued as I am by Bikram Yoga, I would stick to advice given last year by Wall Street Journal columnist Christina Binkley: Never undress to anything like a swimsuit in front of co-workers. “Once you’ve stripped to the equivalent of skivvies in front of your colleagues, you’ll never be fully dressed again in their minds,” she wrote. Of course, a company discount at a Bikram Yoga center doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be sweating next to your boss in the same class. And workers with gyms on company premises often face the awkward situation of working out in skimpy exercise gear next to their colleagues or managers.
The sports and activities employers choose to sponsor in support of wellness vary widely with the culture of the company. Some companies tailor company teams to the passion of the CEO. The former Sun Microsystems long had an informal ice-hockey team, for example, led by CEO Scott McNealy, an avid amateur player and fan. Other companies field triathlon teams or distance-relay teams. Still, only 22% of employers currently sponsor an organizational sports team, down from a high of 33% in 2004, according to an annual employer survey by the Society for Human Resource Management.
Readers, what sports or other stress-busting activities would you like to see your employer offer a discount? Do you have a company team, or employer discounts at particular activities? If you were the boss, what exercise pursuits would you encourage employees to pursue?
- Sue Shellenbarger
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