Yoga and meditation in professional ethics

With its emphasis on breathing practices and medita­tion—both of which help calm and center the mind— it’s hardly surprising that yoga also brings mental benefits, such as reduced anxiety and depression. What may be more surprising is that it actually makes your brain work better. A sharper brain When you lift weights, your muscles get stronger and bigger. When you do yoga, your brain cells develop new connections, and changes occur in brain struc­ture as well as function, resulting in improved cog­nitive skills, such as learning and memory. Yoga strengthens parts of the brain that play a key role in memory, attention, awareness, thought, and language. Think of it as weightlifting for the brain. Studies using MRI scans and other brain imaging technology have shown that people who regularly did yoga had a thicker cerebral cortex (the area of the brain responsible for information processing) and hippocampus (the area of the brain involved in learn­ing and memory) compared with nonpractitioners. These areas of the brain typically shrink as you age, but the older yoga practitioners showed less shrinkage than those who did no yoga. This suggests that yoga may counteract age-related declines in memory and other cognitive skills. Research also shows that yoga and meditation may improve executive functions, such as reasoning, decision making, memory, learning, reac­tion time, and accuracy on tests of mental acuity. Improved mood All exercise can boost your mood by lowering levels ...

Katerina Tapas ( • Scott Eblin spoke at the 2018 Compliance & Ethics Institute and included some thought-provoking questions about what helps us be at our best. He asked the audience to consider categories like mental, spiritual, physical, and relational. As ethics and compliance professionals, we routinely find ourselves under stress. There is always a deadline to meet. Some days you need to switch gears in an instant because someone did something questionable and your expertise is needed. Sometimes doubt creeps in on whether we are on the right track. We ask ourselves: “Does this PowerPoint deck say what I need it to say?” “Are my numbers right?” And a host of other questions and situations that have a way of building stress. Outside of my role as an ethics professional, I teach mindfulness meditation and yoga. I have found my yoga training very useful as an ethics professional. As a yogi, I offer these six tips to ethics and compliance professionals everywhere. About SCCE The Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE) is a non-profit, member-based professional association. SCCE supports our members' work with education, news, and discussion forums. We are a community of leaders, defining and shaping the corporate compliance environment across a wide range of industries and geographic regions. In developing and maintaining effective ethics and compliance programs, our members strengthen and protect their companies. About HCCA The Health Care Compliance Association...

As yoga teachers, we need to continue to be mindful of the core teachings of this wonderful tradition. For many, yoga is a sacred practice; while for others, yoga is a physical practice consisting of a series of postures that can help release stress or burn weight. The study, practice and teaching of yoga is a lifelong journey, during which we have the opportunity to learn from a myriad of teachers along the way. We may encounter some amazing and fantastic yoga teachers—and some not so great ones as well. The practice of yoga can both heal and harm. Thus, teaching yoga carries a great deal of responsibility. When teaching yoga, we need to keep in mind When teaching to group classes, we need to consider the overall feeling of the room: the class level, room temperature, cleanness of the space… Like many professions, yoga teachers also have ethical standards and professional behaviors to follow. These ethical and professional standards not only refer to the student–teacher relationship; they also refer to integrity, personal behavior, language, monetary compensation, advertising, community service and much more. I love the saying, “When the student is ready the teacher will appear,” or, During our lives, many of us had a teacher—or series of teachers—that inspired us, challenged us to grow and guided us when we needed it the most. Some of these inspirational teachers may not have been aware of their thankless gift. As a teacher, If you or anyone you know has had a negative e...

Many yoga benefits are physical, ranging from increased strength and flexibility to lower blood pressure. But a regular yoga practice also provides a variety of mental health benefits, such as stress relief and improved well-being, while increasing spirituality at the same time. Certain poses can be done just about anywhere, and a yoga session can go for hours or minutes depending on your schedule. Enjoy the many benefits of yoga by engaging in this practice in a way that fits your lifestyle best. Yoga derives its name from the word “yoke,” which means to bring together. And it does just that—bringing together the mind, body, and spirit. Whether you use it for spiritual transformation, stress management, or physical well-being, yoga’s benefits are numerous. Table of Contents • • • • • • What Is Yoga? The practice of yoga involves stretching the body and forming different poses while keeping your breath slow and controlled. This helps the body become both relaxed and energized at the same time. Dating back over 5,000 years, yoga is considered by many to be the oldest defined practice of self-development. The methods of classical yoga include ethical disciplines, physical postures, breathing control, and meditation. While it was first practiced in India, yoga has now become popular all over the world. Many companies understand the benefits of yoga in the workplace, recognizing that relaxed workers are healthier and more creative. Thus, they are sponsoring yoga fitness progra...