Yoga at the Desk We’re constantly busy in our daily schedule, going back and forth from home to work or work to home! Whether it includes spending hours on the desk at school or office or traveling to and fro, we realistically spend so many hours just sitting! Do you experience this life style to become taxing on the body and mind, resulting in loss of vibrancy and energy? Well, don’t worry! Try out these simple yogic techniques in order to release the built-up tension and continue working while feeling fresh and light! So don’t waste a second more while sitting or waiting around at the desk, but give yourself that boost to be proactive in order to perform better at work. Let us begin with some simple breathing exercises directly from the chair! 1.Cat and Camel This stretch is effective to open up the spine. · Sit up straight and place your hands on your knees. · Inhale and open up your chest by rolling the shoulders backwards and looking up. · Exhale and curve your back looking down. · Repeat 5 rounds of these. 2. The Seated Twist · Place your legs shoulder width distance apart. · Inhale placing your left hand on your right knee. · Exhale and twist, holding your chair with the help of your right hand. · Hold this position for 6 to 8 breaths. · Inhale and come back to the initial position. · Exhale and release the arms. · Then try on the other side. 3. The Surya Namaskara Now that we’re warmed up, let’s move onto a variation of our favorite Surya Namaskara.This flow will open up the spine, back, chest, and also provide the head with greater blood flow, all of which can be done on the chair! Can you believe it? Well try it for yourself. Follow along with these steps: · Sit comfortably on the chair, keeping your back straight. · Inhale and exhale deeply, bringing your hands in Namaskara Mudra in front of your chest. · Inhale, raising your hands up and stretch up as though someone is pulling you up towards the sky. · Exhale and bend, keeping your back straight, touching the floor. · Inhale and come up halfway. Look straight in front of you. · Exhale and bend down, touching the floor once more. · Inhale and bring your torso back up, ensuring that your back is straight. · Exhale and release the arms. Do you feel warmed up? Well let us not stop here. Give yourself an extra boost with some asana variations. 4. Virabhadrasana Variation (The Warrior Pose) · Come to the edge of the chair. Inhale and bring your arms up to shoulder width. · Exhale and twist to the right side. · Hold the position for 6 to 8 breaths · Inhale and come back to initial position. · Exhale and release the arms. · Repeat on the other side. 5. Trikonasana (The Triangle Pose) · Inhale and raise both arms horizontally to shoulder level. · Exhale and bend, placing your left hand between both feet and the right arm straight up. · Feel the twist. Hold this position for 6 to 8 breaths with your drashti (gaze) upward. · Inhale and lift the body back up and arms in front of you to shoulder level. · Exhale and release the arms. · Repeat on the other side. 6. Navasana Variation (The Boat Pose) This variation is beneficial to exercise the core. · Sit at the front of your chair. · Straighten your legs, yet keeping the feet on the ground. · Place your arms forward and parallel to each other. · Inhale, engaging your core lean back towards the backrest of the chair but making sure not to touch it. · Exhale and slowly come back up. · Repeat 10 rounds of these. Next time you feel tired or bored of just sitting, put these exercises into action by practicing them, inviting your colleagues or friends to join you to make the practice even more enjoyable! Little do we realize that our lifestyle is taking a toll on our body, so let us ensure take care of our health for the years to come by practicing Yoga everyday.
