Practicing yoga at your desk may sound far-fetched. But think about it: How many hours a day do you spend sitting down? Between commuting time on the bus or in a car, at your home or office desk, and on your couch, the number of hours spent sitting might surprise you.
Office Yoga
While the negative effects of prolonged and long-term sitting on our physical health have been known for some time, it can still be impossible to avoid the computer. Our lifestyles, and many times our livelihoods, mean sticking ourselves in front of a monitor for much of our waking time.
As a writer I struggle with the necessity of sitting in front of my computer for hours and even days on end. Luckily, as yoga teacher, I have learned a few tricks that can help counterbalance too much chair time.
Incorporating these simple tips and stretches into your computer routine will keep your body limber and energized. These preventative measures will help ease muscular tension caused by the repetitive strain of typing and the poor posture habits we often unconsciously slip into.
Get Up
Taking short frequent standing breaks is amazing for you. They will help keep your brain and body energized so you can work productively throughout the day. I have found a great free ‘app’ that reminds you to take 15 second stretch breaks every 20 minutes and 5 minutes walking breaks every hour.
It’s truly astounding how much better you will feel when you take a few deep breaths, stretch your arms up above your head with interlaced fingers and straighten your back. This is just one of the many kinds of short breaks which provide immeasurable benefits.
Short Poses for Long Days
These seated yoga moves are amazing for long flights, sitting in traffic and especially stressful deadlines. Let your chin drop down towards your chest and breathe into the back of you neck. Then let your head roll over to the right, then the left, just letting gravity and the weight of your head create the stretch.
Bringing your head back to center and upright, start making slow circles with your shoulders, drawing them up towards your ears and then down towards your hips. Slowly exaggerate the circling motions, making them wider and moving faster. Interlace your fingers in front of you and push your knuckles away from your face as you round your upper back and get a nice juicy stretch between your shoulder blades.
Stop Slouching
Try to remember to breathe deeply at your desk. Here you should be incorporating your 3 part yogic breathing. Proper breathing will help you maintain great posture, because you can’t inhale completely while slouching! Yogic breathing will also help you deal with stress and keep your metabolism speedy.
Finally, a little yoga stretch for your eyes! Keeping your back straight, and without moving your neck, simply look up, then down, and then left and right, as far as you can. Repeat this 3 times, then start circling your eyes, clockwise, then counterclockwise.