Q: How long has Inward Office been around?

Marla: We began the company in 2006, as soon as I returned from India with my yoga teacher training certification. In 2007 we signed up our first clients. One of our clients we signed up in 2007 is still hiring us for classes!

Q: Have you always done virtual classes?

Marla: No, we began virtual classes in 2020 with COVID shut downs. We have learned a lot since then and maintained the personal touch in our classes with more interactive experiences. That means at the start and end of classes we talk directly with participants.

Q: Why did you choose to offer yoga at work?

Marla: Bringing yoga to the workplace had been established in companies and call centers in India. Yoga is an easy kind of exercise to bring with you anywhere. You don't need special clothes or equipment to integrate simple stretches into your day.  The importance of bringing yoga to work hasn't changed over the years, but expanded in different ways. Now, classes are shorter, we are talking more about the power of micro-resets and taking short, regular breaks, than we were in 2007.

Q: How does yoga differ from exercise?

Marla: Yoga is a self-awareness practice first and foremost. Its goal isn't to cultivate a good looking body. The goal is to cultivate concentrated attention and deeper awareness. The body is a vehicle through which we practice a technique. Although people still think yoga is an exercise program its greatest benefit is how it changes our mindset and our greater sense of who we are in the world.

Q: Is yoga appropriate to do in the middle of the day?

Marla: Yes our mid-day classes are more gentle. We often do get down on a mat because it's important to change the shape of the body during breaks. We make the movements accessible to someone who is dressed in casual or business casual clothes. When we are in person we really customize to the worksite and the needs of participants.

Q: How do you work with corporate wellness programs?

Marla: The most common ways that corporate wellness programs use are services are: (1) Working in the background providing weekly fitness, yoga and mindfulness classes, or (2) providing one time workshops for special events or to align with wellness initiatives. The biggest results arise from regular programming where employees can take weekly classes with Inward Office. Yoga, exercise and meditation need regular practice and ample opportunity for employees with busy schedules.

Q: What's your favorite class?

Marla: Right now my favorite class to teach and to offer is meditation. I think meditation is really misunderstood and many people have tried it and not continued to practice. There's a lot of normalizing we have to do about how our brains work and the self kindness that we need to show ourselves to do a courageous practice like meditation.

Q: What do you think is a favorite class among participants?

Marla: We are best suited to teach yoga and our instructors can adapt yoga for any group and many, many needs, including anxiety, stress, insomnia, hips, low back, and more. On our daily live virtual schedule, Toning & Stretch is a favorite, I think because it is challenging and you actually feel like you are stronger after the practice. Also, self-massage is a fun class because in a 30 minute class we can feel a complete change in range of motion.  Too many to choose from!

Q: Do you hold classes for managers in mindfulness?

Marla: Yes we love teaching managers about communication, empathy, compassion, and how to create psychologically safe teams using mindfulness and self awareness.  We need many tools and soft skills are tools that may not have been taught in conventional managerial and MBA programs. These skills aren't just for the office, but certainly aid in creating a welcoming and open workplace culture that can invite innovation and surf the waves of change.

Q: Why workplace wellness? Why don't you have a studio like other yoga and fitness companies?

Marla: Right from the beginning we knew we needed to overcome one obstacle. How to get to class. As a mother myself, I dislike the idea of working all day, having my kids at school all day and then to fit in a practice like yoga, I have to again put them in a gym daycare. I wanted people to find it easy to get to class and convenient. Also, many of experience high levels of stress at work and we need ways to re-calibrate right at work. Then we can take these practices to our homes.