5 Important Desk Yoga Poses

Earlier than I grew to become a yoga trainer, I sat at a desk for eight hours a day, 5 days per week, and commuted an hour every method. I believed I used to be taking good care of myself by training yoga after work, however all that sitting nonetheless created super ache in my decrease again. I attempted taking breaks and standing up each hour or so, however it was solely once I added desk yoga poses to my on a regular basis routine that I started to expertise reduction.

The consequences of sitting for hours at a time can incur devastating—and totally different—results on every of us. The next desk yoga stretches deliver some launch to the assorted muscle teams which will in any other case change into tight and irritated, together with the neck, shoulders, hips, and again aspect of the physique.

You could discover that pausing bringing consciousness to how your physique feels, and stretching advantages your focus and helps you quiet your multitasking ideas, even after you come back to work.

5 Simple Poses for a Full-Body Stretch

You possibly can follow these desk yoga poses or sneak one or two in between conferences and deadlines.

1. Palms Interlaced Overhead

Why it helps: Stretches your chest and shoulders.

Easy methods to: Sit tall in your desk chair. Interlace your fingers in entrance of your chest and press your palms away from you. Hold them interlaced as you attain your arms overhead. (You’ll in all probability really feel some resistance in your shoulders and neck. Strive bending your elbows, shifting your arms again a bit extra, after which straightening your arms once more.) Gaze straight forward or look towards the ceiling. Keep right here for 5-10 breaths. Swap the interlacing of your fingers and repeat.

2. Seated Twist

Why it helps: Stretches the muscle groups alongside the backbone.

Easy methods to: Sit tall in your desk chair. Take your arms straight out out of your shoulders in a T-shape after which twist to your proper. Place your left hand in your outer proper knee or thigh and relaxation your proper arm both on the chair arm or chair again just like Half Lord of the Fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana). Press via your heels, breathe in, and sit tall. Breathe out and twist your stomach, chest, and, lastly, your head extra towards the appropriate. Keep right here for 5-10 breaths. Swap sides.

3. Facet Bend

Why it helps: Stretches the aspect physique out of your hips to your armpits.

Easy methods to: Sit tall in your desk chair. Take your toes barely wider than your hips and angle your toes outward. Place your proper forearm in your proper thigh, lean to your proper, and lengthen your left arm over your head alongside your left ear, as you’d for Extended Side Angle (Utthita Parsvakonasana). Breathe in and lengthen out of your left hip to your fingertips as you open the aspect physique. Breathe out and start to show your chest towards the ceiling. Keep right here for 5-10 breaths. Swap sides.

4. Ankle Over Knee

Why it helps: Stretches your decrease again and glutes.

Easy methods to: Sit tall in your desk chair. Place your proper ankle over your left knee in a figure-4 form. Flex your proper foot and press via your left heel as you lean your proper knee towards the ground. Breathe in and carry your chest. Breathe out and keep nonetheless or lean your chest ahead over your legs. Let your neck loosen up. Keep right here for 5-10 breaths. Swap sides.

5. Ahead Fold

Why it helps: Releases virtually your entire again aspect of the physique.

Easy methods to: Sit tall in your desk chair. Make sure that your legs are vast sufficient in your physique to suit comfortably between your thighs. Breathe in and carry your chest, breathe out and lean your chest ahead in between your legs just like Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana). Carry your palms to the ground, in the event that they attain, and let your neck fully loosen up. Keep right here for 10-20 breaths.

About Our Contributor

Patrick Franco, E-RYT500, is a yoga teacher and director at YogaRenew Teacher Training Online. He leads in-person and on-line trainer trainings everywhere in the world, focusing totally on yoga sequencing and the enterprise of yoga.