Yoga at Work

Posture

Before delving into positions, for yoga at work to be most effective, there are several things to keep in mind. When you are at work, focus on maintaining an upright posture. Your head should be directly over your shoulders, which are over your hips, and you are aligned right on top of the sit bones. Sit bones are sharp bones within your backside that when directly sitting on, promotes healthy spinal alignment.

Workplace Ergonomics

It is important to utilize office chair ergonomics. You should be sitting towards the back of the chair with about a fist's room between your calfs and the front of the chair. Your thighs should be parallel to the ground and at a 90 degree angle to your shins. You can raise your foot with a small stool, phone book, etc. to achieve this or simply lower the chair.

Your work surface or desk should be elbow height. Now in this position, close your eyes and wherever they naturally open and focus on, should be the height of the center of your computer screen. Use books or some other means to raise your computer screen to the level of your gaze.

Breath

Before we move on to yoga at work, I want to talk to you about breath. Make sure when you are breathing you are filling up the entire front of your body. Expanding the belly, ribs, lower back, all the way up to the chest and collar bones. If you are unable to breath deeply while in a pose, back off until you can return to deep breathing. Never sacrifice the breath for more of a stretch.

When you are in a pose, try to lengthen the body with the inhale and deepen the stretch on the exhale. As we are stretching the body from the outside in, our breath stretches us from the inside out as long as we are breathing deeply.

Poses for the Wrists, Hands, and Forearms

Start by placing all the fingers of the left hand onto the corresponding fingers of the right hand. Keep the fingers completely touching and the palms apart. Feel the stretch on your fingers, knuckles and palms. Breathe.

Place palms and fingers completely together and strech the wrists from side to side. Hold each side for at least 2 deep breaths.

Roll your wrists around the back of your hand, keeping contact between both hands at all times, stretching out the back of your wrists. Breathe.

Pull the fingers back down towards the ground with the other hand, stretching the inner wrist and inner forearm. Hold for two deep breaths on each side.

Rolle your wrists in one direction slowly, spending any time holding the position and stretching a certain part of the wrist. Rotate the wrists in the opposite direction.

Place your thumbs inside your palms and place your fingers on top of your thumb. Stretch your arms in front of your body parallel to the ground and place your knuckles of both hands together. Feel the deep stretching in your outer forearms. Bring your hands straight up with knuckles together if you want more of a stretch. Breathe deeply throughout.

Poses for the Back

Many people suffer from back pain from sitting in a chair all day. Mindfullness of posture, workplace ergonomics, and breath will get you off to a good start. To loosen up and stretch out the back. Here are some yoga at work poses for the back. That you can practice in your office chair at home or work.

Seated Mountain

Sit in the recommended posture above and place your hands on top ofyour thighs with a straight back and shoulders that are relaxed down, directly sitting on the sit bones, and the chest slightly lifted.

Seated Cat/Cow Series

Seated Cow

Exhale and interlace the hands, turn them outward, and stretch them straight ahead of you. Arch the upper back and drop the head, stretching out the back of the neck and upper back..

Seated Cat

Exhale and interlace the hands, turn them outward, and stretch them straight ahead of you. Arch the upper back and drop the head, stretching out the back of the neck and upper back.

Move back and forth for 3-5 rounds of seated cat/cow coordinating movement with your inhales and exhales.

Seated Spinal Twist

Place right hand behind you on the chair and the left hand holding onto the outside of the right knee. Inhale and lengthen the spine and as you exhale, twist the body to the right. If its OK for your neck, look all the way to the right side completing the stretch all the way up to your cervical spine. With every in-breath you are lengthening and every out-breath you are twisting deeper. Exhale to come to center and repeat on the other side.

Seated Prayer with a Twist

Hook your left elbow outside of your right knee. Place your hands in prayer position and push away with your left elbow, placing your Namasté hands in the center of your chest. Your chest should be facing the right side and you can look to the sky if it is OK for your neck. Same breathing as in seated spinal twist above. Exhale to come to center and repeat on the other side.

Seated Side Stretch

Place your ight hand on the side of the chair and raise the left hand over to the right. Expand your left side body with deep breaths. Hold for at least 2 deep breaths and switch sides.

Seated Chest Opening

Sit in seated mountain with your elbows and forearms are at a 90 degree angle and in the same plane as your chest. Slightly lengthen up from the lower back to the neck. To intensify, open up your arms to side, stretch out your chest, and look up towards the ceiling.

Seated Cobra

Interlace your hands behind your head with your elbows in the same place as your chest. Lift your heart, arch your spine back, and look upwards stretching your chest and back.

Seated Forward Fold

In seated mountain, fold forward at the hips and either place your hands on your knees and look up, let your hands hang, or rest your hands on the ground. Take at least 2 deep breaths.