admin I always tell my students that the best way to practice yoga is to incorporate it throughout your day. Doing several 5 to 20-minute mini-yoga practices when your brain and body need a break may be even more effective than doing one full, 60-minute class.
It is also more likely for busy people to happen. You could use a little break right now. Try this routine, which consists of simple yoga poses that you can perform at your desk. It will only take you 5-10 minutes.
Wrist Stretch
Put your hands in a praying position.
Hold for 3 to 5 breaths.
Press both hands towards the right.
Repeat the same on the other side.
Therapeutic Benefits: If your wrists are sore from typing, you can prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. The carpal tunnel syndrome can be quite serious and lead to severe pain, even requiring surgery. You can reverse or even prevent carpal tunnel syndrome by performing simple stretches.
Chair Twist
Place your feet on the floor.
Sit up as tall as possible.
Bring your hands to the right of your Chair, either the arm or the seat.
As you twist gently, maintain the length of your spine.
Use your hands to assist you in the twist.
Repeat on the other side.
Therapeutic benefits: I will not say that it removes toxins from the organs. As a physiology instructor, I have no idea what yoga teachers are talking about when they say this!
This is good for spinal disc health. (Warning: If you have a herniated or bulging disc, it’s best to avoid this or do the stretch super gently. Focus on lengthening instead of twisting.) It also helps relieve back pain by stretching muscles in your core.
Chair Pose
How: Stand your feet apart and parallel. As if you were going to sit in a chair, bend your knees and come down. Maintain a neutral spine and engage your core. Keep your hands on the hips, or if you have a strong back and seat, raise your arms into a “V” shape.
Stand up straight after taking 5-10 deep breaths. Repeat this up to three consecutive times. This pose can boost your confidence. Learn more about power poses by reading my article here.
Therapeutic Benefits This can be especially helpful if you’ve been sitting for long periods. Humans were not designed to sit so much in modern times. This is a powerful pose for increasing circulation.
This is the pose I would choose if you wanted to maximize your time. In Chair Pose, you activate the largest muscles of your body, including the quadriceps and gluteals.
Desk Downward Dog
How-to: Place your hands on a desk, and then step back until you feel comfortable. You can pedal your foot to warm up the muscles in your legs.
Therapeutic benefits: Up Dog safely stretches your shoulders and your backside (including your hamstrings and calf muscles). Your hamstrings will thank you for doing this. If you’ve been sitting down a lot or wearing heels, then your calf muscle is asking you to do this.
Chair Pigeon
Bring the right ankle up to your left thigh. You may not need to stretch any further.
If you still need more stretch, hinge your hips and lean forward with your torso until you feel the sensation.
Hold for 5-10 breaths, then repeat the exercise on the opposite side.
Therapeutic benefits: This is a great way to prevent or relieve sciatica. Sciatica can cause numbness and pain in the feet and legs. Sciatica is a major problem for those who sit or stand a great deal. The pigeon pose helps stretch key muscles, which can cause sciatica if they are tight. These include the piriformis, a deep buttock muscle that can put pressure on the large sciatic nerve.
Sit tall and take a few deep breaths to end your practice. Just a few minutes can bring you mental clarity and sensations. Join my Office Yoga Challenge to get 10-minute guided practices for free. We hope to see you at the event!
