|
Sep 26, 2016
Jan 2, 2024

Office Hack #31 — Lululemon’s Meditative Hack

This week’s office hack is proof that at least one company walks what it talks.
Envoy logoEnvoy Author
Writer
Marketing Specialist
Office Hack #31 — Lululemon’s Meditative Hack

Envoy is all about making things easier and more fun in the office. In that spirit, we are proud to bring you our new Envoy Office Hacks podcast series. Every week, we deliver the coolest, most ingenious, and just plain fun fixes people have invented to improve efficiency and productivity in their workplace.

A lot of companies claim to stand for certain values. Sometimes they even mean it. This week’s office hack is proof that at least one company walks what it talks.

Lululemon, the yoga-inspired athletic apparel company, aligns itself with healthy living and mindfulness.

And it’s standing by those values ensuring staff can be healthier and more mindful while at work. So much so, Lululemon has a full-time mindfulness manager at its headquarters.

Today’s Envoy Office Hack is called Danielle.

Envoy: “What does a mindfulness manager do?” Danielle: “I lead meditations, yoga sessions, and I also create curriculum that’s based on yoga; not only the practice on the mat that we often think of as yoga but the philosophy. I teach (this curriculum) to our employees and the collective too, including our guests and ambassadors.” Danielle, Mindfulness Manager at Lululemon

Danielle was brought on as staff a year-and-a-half ago. She defines mindfulness as “present moment awareness”, and says meditation cultivates mindfulness.

Who knew mindfulness could be considered such an important state-of-being at the office? According to some of the staff we talked to at Lululemon, it works as a mechanism for improving concentration, productivity and overall happiness.

“Having the freedom to work out or to do Yoga or to attend meditation classes has just decreased my stress level significantly. The fact that everybody in the company is in support of that and does it as well makes a huge difference. It’s just a part of our culture and a part of our day to day life here.” Erin, works at Lululemon head office

At Lululemon’s Vancouver headquarters, there are two meditation sessions a day, along with a handful of other fitness classes employees can take (including a Beyonce dance class!).

“I mean, after 5 minutes, you’re going to be like, “This is so cool. I get to close my eyes and do nothing, how rad is that?” I think that’s why half the people come (to these meditation sessions), it’s like, “Woah, 3 o’clock, I can go meditate, leave this meeting”, yeah and just be. Why wouldn’t you want to meditate for 20 or 30 minutes?” Danielle, Mindfulness Manager at Lululemon

So why does Lululemon place so much value on mindfulness?

“I think as a culture grounded in yoga, mindfulness is a huge part of how we show up for ourselves and how we show up for others. …The outcome, hopefully, of a regular meditation practice is that we’re more present, we’re focused, we’re listening, we’re in-tune to what’s going on around us.” Danielle, Mindfulness Manager at Lululemon

And maybe the corporate culture at Lululemon has it right. You don’t have to look far to find articles that support the practice of meditation, claiming a wide variety of physical and mental benefits.

How to hack it

If you want to hack meditation and mindfulness into your own workspace, Danielle suggests starting small, just a few minutes a day.

  • Find some champions who would be willing to lead the charge
  • Create a space that’s quiet and comfortable
  • Create a regular time and routine for staff
  • Search up some meditation podcasts to use as your guide to start

Listen & Subscribe

You can listen to the full story in the Envoy Office Hacks podcast. Please subscribe to the podcast in iTunes — just click here and hit ‘subscribe’.

Was this article helpful?
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Thanks!
Oops! Something went wrong.

Envoy AuthorEnvoy logo
AUTHOR BIO
Envoy Author

This post was written by one of the many writers at Envoy who are passionate about helping educate and inspire workplace leaders. We cover everything from the visitor and employee experience, to space and delivery management, to the workplace tech-stack that keeps it all running.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Demo
Contact