Our work lives today are as stressful as ever, and it can be very difficult to find release when we are limited to staying inside an office. All that means is we need to get a little more creative! Utilizing techniques from the yoga practice is a great way to find some release in a small space.
So what is yoga anyway? Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice that originated in India. The ultimate goal of practicing yoga is to attain tranquility in the mind and spirit, by means of yoga poses and meditation. There are plenty of benefits from yoga, including increased flexibility, muscle strength, energy, and improved respiration.
Here are some poses that you can do within your office space, to take advantage of the benefits yoga has to offer within your workday.
1. Seated Crescent Moon Pose
In our modern world, we are often hunched over a computer throughout the workday. Long term, this can contribute to neck and shoulder issues. Seated Crescent Moon Pose is a great pose to undo this tension.
- Simply lift your arms overhead with your fingers stretched wide
- Lean to the right and take a few deep breaths
- Lean to the left and take a few deep breaths
2. Wrist and Finger Stretches
Working at a desk builds tension in the muscles in the fingers, hands, and wrists. By properly stretching, you can provide these areas with extra blood flow.
- Extend the arms to the sides or overhead and draw 5 to 10 circles inward and outward through the wrists
- Next, quickly spread the fingers and close the fists, repeating this 5 to 10 times to shake off any excess tension
- Then, place your hands on the desk, palms facing up and fingers towards you, putting gentle pressure to counter-stretch the wrist and the forearm
- You can also stretch each arm out by bending the wrist inward
then outward, counter-stretching with your other hand
3. Chair Pigeon Pose
Crossing legs while seated can cause an imbalance in the hips and lower spine. Pigeon pose works against this imbalance, making it a great post to use throughout the day.
- While seated in your chair with both feet flat on the floor, cross your right leg over the left at a 90-degree angle, keeping the foot flexed as to not place pressure on the knee
- Keep weight evenly distributed on the seat
- You should feel a gentle stretch on the outermost part of the right thigh
4. Sit and Stand Chair Pose
When we’re seated all day, the underused glutes and hamstrings weaken and cause us to rely on the upper back all the way up to the neck to bring the body to a standing position. This pose helps to awaken these leg muscles.
- Begin seated with your knees bent 90 degrees and your feet flat
- Press down from your heels, trying not to move the feet in toward your chair or use your arms, and make your way up to standing
- From standing, slowly sit straight back down, refraining from leaning forward and from shifting the hips
5. Desk Chatarunga
Powering out a few of these strengthening movements throughout the day causes the muscles around your neck to relax while energizing the arms, which tend to go soft during the majority of the day.
- Rest your hands about shoulder-width distance on the edge of your sturdy desk, and step your feet back so your torso is diagonal to the floor
- With your feet firmly placed on the ground, inhale as you bend the elbows, hugging the elbows in towards the ribs
- Exhale and press your chest back up to the starting position
6. Desk Upward Dog Pose
This pose will iron out the rounded upper back posture, which is prevalent in those who spend most of the time seated at a computer screen.
- Start with the Chatarunga pose from above
- With your arms straight, lower your hips toward the desk, refraining from sinking in the lower back by using the strength in your legs
- Stretch your chest between your shoulders and gently tilt your chin upwards while sliding the shoulder blades down the back
7. Desk Plank Pose
Use your desk to support this spine-lengthening and hamstring-stretching final pose.
- Place your hands shoulder-width distance or wider at the desk edge
- Step your feet back until your feet are directly under your hips as you create traction for your spine
8. Seated Twist
This pose stretches the outer hips, abs, back, chest, shoulders, and neck. Perfecting this pose will increase spinal mobility, and release tension throughout the body.
- Sit with a straight back and both legs out in front of you
- Cross your right foot to the outside of your left thigh and bring your left foot back to your right hip.
- Place your right fingertips behind you and hug your left knee into your chest
- Inhale, sit up tall. Exhale, twist to the right from the base of your spine
- To increase the intensity of the pose, bring your left elbow to the outside of your right knee and twist a little deeper
- Hold the pose for 5 deep breaths, in and out through the nose
- Come back to
centre on your last exhalation and switch sides
9. Cow Face Arms
Cow Face Pose is a seated yoga posture that deeply stretches the hips and shoulders. It calms the mind and brings balance to the whole body.
It’s named after the illusion created by the full pose, that of the face of a cow: The crossed legs create the cow’s snout and mouth, and the arms create the cow’s ears. The body’s torso creates the length of the cow’s nose.
- From a kneeling position, cross your right leg over your left just above your left knee. Place the top of your right foot on the floor alongside your left ankle. Exhale and sit back onto your heels, keeping thighs and feet together
- Gaze gently at your knees as you place your right hand on your right knee, and your left hand on top of the right. Bring the chin toward the sternum, inhale to sit tall and straight
- Inhaling, lift your head and gradually tilt it back to extend the lower neck. Rotate your left shoulder forward as you reach that hand up your back with the palm facing out. On an inhale, reach up with your right arm. Bend your right elbow, drop your right arm down your back, and clasp your hands together behind your back
- Now, roll the top of the left shoulder back. Point your right elbow at the ceiling and your left elbow toward the floor, and gently pull your arms in opposite directions. Drop your sitting bones toward the floor and softly squeeze your legs together
- Release the pose on an inhale. Switch the cross of your legs and repeat on the other side
10. Three Part Breathing
Three-Part Breathing is often the first breathing technique taught to new yoga practitioners. The “three parts” are the abdomen, diaphragm, and chest. During Three-Part Breath, you first completely fill your lungs with air, as though you are breathing into your belly, ribcage, and upper chest. Then you exhale completely, reversing the flow.
You can practice Three-Part Breath in any comfortable position in which your spine is straight and your abdomen is not compressed.
- Place your hand over your navel and take a slow, deep breath into your belly. Feel the belly inflate like a balloon as you inhale, and deflate as you exhale
- Move your hand two to three inches above your navel to your rib cage. Feel the ribs expand as you inhale, and retract as you exhale
- Place your hand below your collarbone, at the center of your chest, and inhale. Feel the chest spread as you breathe in, and withdraw on an exhale