What if Your Most Productive Hour Was the One You Stepped Away?
At lunchtime, more of us than ever now keep going. Meetings run over, emails keep coming, notifications ping and our to-do list just keeps on growing. And it’s really tempting to power through – to eat at your desk, to squeeze in one more task, to prove how committed and capable you are, to get stuff done.
But what if the most powerful thing you could do for your afternoon – for your clarity, energy, even your effectiveness – wasn’t doing more? What if it was stepping away?
Jean, who teaches our Wednesday lunchtime class, sees it all the time: “Students come to lunchtime class stressed by trying to get away from work but leave not only more relaxed but definitely also energised.”
We often treat rest like a reward for hard work, something we earn after the important stuff is done. But at our yoga studio in the heart of Glasgow’s city centre, we believe rest is important. Revolutionary, even.
As Matt, who teaches on Fridays, reminds us, it’s not about escaping: ”…it’s precisely the fact of being surrounded by the day-to-day hustle and bustle of the city centre that makes this stillness seem extra still. It’s a reminder that you don’t have to retreat to a forest, beach or mountaintop to practise yoga – rather, yoga meets you where you are.”
Movement, breath and stillness aren’t separate from your productivity – they fuel it.
And it’s not just me saying this. A recent study from NIH (National Institutes of Health) showed that even short yoga sessions during the workday can reduce stress and improve productivity.
Matt describes a lunchtime yoga class as: “…the eye of the storm. Outside, everything may be swirling and chaotic, but when people step through the studio door and onto their mats, they can start to find a little stillness.”
A lunchtime yoga class might feel indulgent – but it’s not. It’s strategic.
And again it’s backed by evidence.
As The Guardian reported, people who took part in just 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity during their workday – including yoga – showed a significant improvement in performance compared to days they didn’t.
And author Mithu Storoni, in her book Hyperefficient, explains how taking breaks in tune with our brain’s natural rhythms actually enhances focus and decision-making. The key is choosing the right kind of break – one that restores rather than distracts.
Yoga does exactly that. It helps us regulate our nervous system, sharpen our attention and ease physical tension – all of which feed directly into how we show up for the rest of our day. In just an hour, you come back to your desk not depleted but refocused – calmer, clearer and more present.
People often run in to class at the last minute feeling wound-up, scattered, flat or wired. Boundaries between work and rest are easily blurred. Jean says: “…maybe they've got commitments with family or caring or whatever it is and lunchtime during their working day is precious time and if they can do yoga, then that is time well spent.”
So, what if you give yourself an hour?
Not at the end of the day, when you’re knackered. Not on a weekend, when life is full. But right in the middle, where it might just do the most good.
Matt describes what happens within a few minutes of folk arriving for class:
“Those first few moments, as you sit, observe and connect to the breath, are really magical. It only takes a few breaths for a palpable sense of calm to descend.”
Here at MCY the studio is light, bright and spacious at lunchtime, no matter what the weather outside. Jean often tells the story of one warm, sunny day when she had the windows wide open during relaxation “… there just happened to be a busker on Argyle Street singing the sweetest rendition of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'. It was just one of those perfect moments.”
We’ve got two 45 minute lunchtime classes to help you through the week:
* Wednesdays at lunchtime, join Jean for her Lunchtime Ashtanga Beginners class – a grounding, energising way to reset your body and mind midweek. [Try a short taster here.]
* Fridays at lunchtime, it’s Matt’s Lunchtime Yoga Flow – a moving, breath-led practice to round off the week feeling clear and uplifted. [Watch his taster class here.]
You don’t have to be bendy or experienced. Just come as you are. You’ll move a little, breathe a lot and you’ll head back into your afternoon feeling better than when you arrived.
Matt says "What I love about these classes is that they offer an opportunity to leave the office or shop and your screens behind, to slow down, move mindfully and joyfully, and take some time for yourself.”
Take your lunch break seriously. You might be surprised how much more you get done when you do less.
No need to book weeks in advance. Just check the schedule, drop in and see how it feels.
Judi x
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‘The Chai Sessions’
Anyone who has been to Merchant City Yoga on a Sunday knows how much I love catching up with everyone over a cup of my freshly brewed spiced chai. These Sunday chai sessions really bring everyone together, a true celebration of friendship, community and connection.
I want to try and capture some of that magic and share it with you at home. So I've invited some familiar and new faces from our MCY family to chat with me over a cuppa. I'm affectionately calling them 'The Chai Sessions'.