May 15, 2017

Meet Katherine Bicer of Om in the Office

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherine Bicer.

Katherine, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I took my first yoga class during graduate school on the advice of my doctor. That very first experience showed me how powerful yoga can be in combating stress and building self-awareness. I continued to nurture my practice and completed a teacher training in 2006. The first classes I ever taught were at the gym on the campus of the engineering firm where I worked. The room was full of my colleagues and occasionally my superiors. I developed wonderful friendships and working relationships with the people I practiced with over the 5 years I taught and worked there. When I decided to leave engineering to teach yoga full time, I knew that my experience bringing yoga into the workplace would shape my teaching career. I decided to strive to make yoga accessible to people outside of a studio setting. I founded Om in the Office and took my first client in 2011. Since then, I’ve had the good fortune to work with companies all over the Boston Metro and beyond, in fields including manufacturing, food service, banking, and start-ups. I’ve taught at a number of schools to ages 3 through high school, and have worked with incarcerated boys at the Department of Youth Services. In each of these instances, my message is the same: yoga is for everyone.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Owning a business can be stressful and difficult at times. There’s no one helping to make decisions, holding me accountable, or picking up slack. While I’ve been pleased with the growth of Om in the Office, there are times when I struggle because of life’s other priorities. In the time I’ve owned Om in the Office, I’ve had both of my children. Being a mother puts tremendous pressure on me as I need to be fully devoted to both my kids and my business. I’ve relied heavily on friends and family for support and tried my best not to be discouraged by the dips in business that have come with starting a family.

In terms of my services, however, I’ve been delighted to see how receptive Boston businesses are to in-office yoga. Wellness programs are becoming a standard practice and I’m honored to play a part in many companies’ efforts to foster healthier workplaces.

Please tell us about Om in the Office.
Om in the Office is a yoga-based corporate wellness service. We provide on-site yoga classes and seminars to businesses and institutions in the Boston area. Our specialty is chair yoga, which is a fully accessible practice done in regular office clothes. Our clients love chair yoga because it’s easy to do and easy to replicate on your own at your desk. All you need is a chair and a few minutes to stretch, breathe, and relax.

We also offer studio-style classes where our clients practice on mats in gym clothing. Clients appreciate this opportunity to get away from their desks and move completely differently for an hour.

Finally, we teach yoga-based seminars on topics like breathing, meditation, and yoga for swing sports.

I’m most proud when I work with someone who has never done yoga before and I see a spark of understanding that yoga is accessible and powerful. By coming into offices, we reach people who may otherwise not ever participate in yoga.

We’re different from other wellness providers in that we have experience on both sides of the table: as corporate employees and as yoga teachers. We uniquely understand how offices work, what it feels like to sit and type all day, and how stress can damage productivity and morale. When a company works with Om in the Office, they can be assured of getting professional services from start to finish.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I have many wonderful memories of visiting my grandparents in Texas– one pair on a farm and one pair on the Gulf Coast. Visiting them was an annual shift in perspective. I can particularly remember the sandwiches my grandmother would make to take with us to the beach and the blackened redfish my grandfather cooked for dinner. Those tastes still take me back to that place.

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