24 May Eight Energising Yoga poses you can do at your desk
When you think about it, most of us – whether studying or working in an office – spend most of the day sitting down. We spend hours typing away and losing all space of time. Before we know it, we have been hunched over allowing our heads to hang and our shoulders to hunch.
Yoga at your desk is perfect for those who want to relieve some tension and stiffness in your body. Practice some deep breathing with your eyes closed to begin and centre yourself into the sound of your breath. Try building these into your schedule for a week and see how your body reacts. Hopefully, the result will be less neck pain, fewer headaches and less tension in the back. Bought to you with love. Namaste.
Wrist and Finger Stretch
Sit on a chair extend you right arm in front of you – like you’re pushing something away with your palm.
Keeping your arm straight in front, spin your hand so your wrist faces up and your fingers point towards the floor.
Now take your left hand and gently pull your fingers back towards you, whilst keeping your arm straight.
You should feel a slight stretch in your wrist, palm and fingers.
Take five deep breathes then do the same on your other side.
Chair Pigeon Pose
Crossing our legs while seated, especially when done on one side more than the other, can create imbalances in the hips and lower spine. Bring balance back with Chair Pigeon.
While seated in your chair, 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. Maintain equal weight distributed between the sitting bones while staying in an upright seated position.
You should feel a gentle to moderate stretch on the outermost part of the right thigh. Hold 5 to 10 breaths before switching sides.
Desk Chaturanga
Your desk can support your yoga pushups! Blasting out a few of these strengthening movements throughout the day reminds the muscles around your neck to relax while energising the arms, which tend to go soft during the majority of the day. Get up out of your chair for this!
Rest your hands about shoulder-width distance on the edge of your sturdy desk, and step your feet back so your torso is a diagonal line to the floor. Your feet firmly placed, inhale as you bend the elbows to a 90-degree angle, hugging the elbows in towards the ribs.
Exhale and press your chest back up to the starting position. Repeat 8 to 12 times.
Desk Upward facing dog
After the above pose, opening the chest and shoulders is a MUST! You will also reap the benefits of ironing out the rounded upper back posture seen in those of us who spend most of our time seated across a computer screen.
Set up the same way here as you did for Chaturanga 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 towards your chest to lengthen through your spine while sliding the shoulder blades down the back. Hold 5 to 10 breaths.
Sit/Stand Chair Pose
When we’re seated all day, the underused glutes and hamstrings lose their motivation to help us get back up, and we rely on the upper back and even the neck to hoist the body to a standing position.
This two-part pose helps 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/or from shifting the hips to one side or the other. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Desk Plank Pose
Use your desk to support this spine-lengthening and hamstring-stretching pose.
Place your hands shoulder-width distance or wider at the desk edge. Step your feet back until your feet are about a metre away from your desk. Keep a straight spine and squeeze your shoulder blades back together. Hold 5 to 10 breaths and let this pose help you undo all the negative effects of sitting.
Shoulder Openers
Stand up facing your desk, feet hip-width apart and keep about a metre between you and the desk.
Inhale and raise your hands above your head, shoulder-width apart. With a straight back, slowly hinge from your hips and bend forward, lowering your back towards the desk as you exhale. Your hands should rest on the desk.
Legs can be straight with a slight bend in the knees or fully bent (if your hamstrings don’t like it).
You should feel like your legs and back are forming a right angle with the desk. With very exhale, see if you can reach your hands further away until you feel a releasing stretch through your chest, across your shoulders and under your armpits.
Hold this pose for five breaths and slowly come out by tucking your tailbone under and curling up to a standing position. y standing up straight.
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