If you follow Shanti Aruba on LinkedIn, you know she is now a certified Mindfulness at Work Trainer and Consultant. Aruba’s most famous yoga teacher pivoted to wellness in general, a one woman army against stress on the job, operating in Aruba’s corporate world.
Among her clients, the Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort who just graduated its associates, company-wide, from a Diversity & Inclusivity Mindfulness Training. Aruba’s only Certified Carbon Neutral Resort opted for the investment in mental health, in an effort to improve its staffers’ coping skills on a personal and professional level, and increase their degree of Happiness at Work.
Divi Resorts Health & Wellness Week also included topics that would help employees be happier; the Aruba Tourism Authority joined the Happiness at Work movement seeking more playfulness and fun among colleagues. Aruba Bank signed up.
The Hyatt Regency incorporated Wellness as a core company value, and introduced a Mindfulness Training, teaching associates Mindfulness A to Z, how it works and how to apply it effectively to their personal and professional life. In the process they started to apply 30+ techniques they’ve learned in the workplace, and at home.
Shanti’s journey began at the Butterfly Farm where she went from personal yoga practice to teaching adults and kids, besides serving as assistant manager, for eight years.
When a British yoga teacher left the island and willed her students to Shanti, it was a welcome opportunity to transition to full time yoga.
Locals would remember Shanti’s good work at Prana Yoga and later on at Centro Quivit, with Sofie Slegers of Qi-Gong Aruba and other talented health professional. They collaborated successfully, for five years and not too long ago, the facility reverted to SABA. By that time Shanti had been thinking about mindfulness, seeking certifications, ready to move on and provide answers to the stress on the job, pandemic.
It is sad to see, she says, when we are unhappy at work and feel under pressure, blaming external circumstances. We spend so much time at work and stress is a waste of human potential, we must transform the workplace into a place of meaning, connection and happiness. There is a direct link between burn out, and sick leave, and there is a huge need in that area on our island.
Over the past two years Shanti has also worked with Respaldo’s staff, telling the health professionals to first take care of their own wellbeing. Schools came knocking on her door, to teach stress management, and train attention, with a special method, ARA, Attention Relaxation and Awareness.
At Colegio San Antonio, all teachers underwent the ARA training, and the investment in wellness also paid off for students. At De Schakel the topic revolved around how to manage anxiety and stress, because stress, Shanti says, is inherited and may be traced as many as seven generations back.
Imagine.
Our great-great-great-grandparents experienced trauma, and it stresses out our lives. And infects all family members, spreading like a virus.
In the World Health Report 2022, the mental health global crisis was identified and defined as a pandemic — there is no more business as usual, we must change how we work and live, if we want to survive, Shanti shares.
Especially in business circles, she adds, we need innovative leaders in HR that nurture wellness as a company goal, people with passion, to help the world, and support the planet.
As a matter of fact, we have more than 40 yoga teachers on the island, and the demand is growing by the day!
