Yoga at Work - Tips to stay fit, even at your computer.

After sitting for hours at a desk or in an office, it can feel so good to get up and stretch. That, however, can look a bit awkward in most busy offices. In my experience, there aren’t many Downward Facing Dogs happening around the traditional office setting. What’s a yogi to do? Well, after identifying the major problem, there are a few, quick solutions…[/amprotect] [amprotect=1]After sitting for hours at a desk or in an office, it can feel so good to get up and stretch. That, however, can look a bit awkward in most busy offices. In my experience, there aren’t many Downward Facing Dogs happening around the traditional office setting. What’s a yogi to do? Well, after identifying the major problem, there are a few, quick solutions.

The real issue for people who sit at the computer for hours every day, and believe me I count myself in there, is that it’s basically one long forward bend. Actually, most everything we do during the course of a normal day is a forward bend. Tying our shoes, washing the dishes, folding the laundry… all these things require a forward bend at the stomach or hips (usually the stomach). The best thing you can do to help your body, and restart your brain, is to do a small, gentle back-bend.

Here’s one example you can do without even leaving your chair:

Scoot all the way forward in your seat (a hard seat is better). Take both hands, fingers facing forward behind your sitting bones. Pushing your stomach as far forward as you can, inhale and try and drop your head back to rest on the top of the chair. You might not to able to reach, but the idea is to open your chest as much as possible. Hold for 5-10 breaths. As you come back to a normal seated position, exhale. If this hurts your neck, you can drop your chin towards you chest, and just focus on pushing the chest forward and up.

Another common office issue is stress. Too much to do and not enough time in the day. The tasks at hand, however, will feel a lot easier if you take a minute to yourself to practice mindful breathing. Sitting tall in your seat and gently focusing your gaze (ideally, not at a computer screen!), begin breathing in and out through your nose. Notice the gentle rise and fall of your chest with each breath. With each inhale, your chest should expand. With each exhale, the chest should fall. Just reading this should help you notice your breathing more!

After awhile of focusing breathing, begin this exercise:

Inhale to the count of 5. Hold for a comfortable period of time. Exhale for a count of 10. If this feels like too long for for inhaling and exhaling, follow the 1:2 ratio, but for a short period of time. By extending the length of our exhales, we engage the parasympathetic nervous system and encourage our entire body to relax. Come back to this practice whenever you feel stress or anxiety.

Yoga at work might seem like an awkward impossibility, but with these easy exercises, you can do yoga anywhere!