Did you know you can sneak in yoga at work with some simple office yoga poses? I was at my Mom’s place the other day and I found this smart little book she had lying around called “Office Yoga, Simple Stretches for Busy People”. This is a book I wish I’d thought of writing myself!
“Office Yoga” is almost pocket size. It’s 4 3/4 inches by 6 1/4 inches, and 96 pages. It’s small enough to keep on your desk or in your bag, yet big enough to have a positive impact on your every day work life, both physically and mentally. That’s often when and where you need relief the most…and fast!
The book’s aim is to help you be more relaxed and limber throughout the day without much effort. It gives a number of easy to do stretches and breathing techniques, along with helpful tips to help you de-stress. These office yoga poses are designed so that you can do them anywhere and anytime, even in meetings or on the phone. It’s written in a playful way and is a cinch to follow.
They might be called office yoga poses, but mind you, your office doesn’t have to be a cubicle, or four walls with a desk. There are all kinds of so called “offices” out there. It could be the store or restaurant where you’re employed, the construction site you’re working on, or the house you clean. Most of these “office yoga poses” can be applied to just about any job.
In addition to essential tips for breathing and stretching, the book is broken down into five parts: Morning Eye Openers, At the Desk Relaxation, Lunchtime Escapes, Afternoon Invigoration and Evening Balancers.
There’s also a quick help guide in case you want to tackle a specific issue such as stiff neck and shoulders, headache and eye strain, lack of energy, or feeling completely overwhelmed.
Rise and shine!
Before heading to the office, spending just a few short minutes on some simple yoga every morning will help you ready yourself for the day ahead. The Morning Eye Opener section gives you a two minute calming meditation practice to do before even getting out of bed. It may be brief but it’s a refreshing way to start the day on a promising note.
Next there are some gentle stretches and sun salutations to get your body going. I find these simple enough to do even if I’m still feeling all groggy.
Office yoga poses can even be done when you are stopped at a red light on your morning (or evening) commute. The book even gives an antidote for road rage!
Office Yoga Poses – At the Desk Relaxation
The next section offers a variety of office yoga poses to help you from head to toe. There’s a page on keyboard calisthenics for anyone typing at the computer for hours at a time. Hmm, maybe I should pause for a minute and do these myself right now!
There are a number of stretches you can do at your desk without your co-workers or boss knowing…not that there’s anything wrong it!. Plus, the author says your attention increases as you stretch!
Some, like the circling torso, might be hard to do nonchalantly. But feet and ankle stretches are totally doable. You’ll also find some suggested office yoga poses for for headache and eye strain.
Give yourself a break
Often times at lunch you want to grab something fast that you think will give you an energy boost. But often your options aren’t ones that will sustain you for very long, and can actually deplete more energy in the long run. The book gives you ideas on how to make the most of your lunch time by taking care of yourself, inside and out.
The book offers suggestions to eat light and eat right. Also drinking plenty of water helps fight fatigue.
Beating the afternoon slump
The next section offers a number of fun invigorating office yoga poses to get you through the rest of the day. One of my favorites is the empty elevator stretch.
But what if the elevator isn’t empty? Easy enough, just do the crowded elevator stretch! You’ll just appear to be waiting patiently, but your body will know better, and will thank you.
Yay, time to go home!
The final section of Office Yoga is about unwinding when you get home. One of the quickest ways to decompress is to give yourself a few minutes to relax at soon as you get home. The book offers a few evening stretches, and even yoga poses to do while watching TV. Now that’s multitasking!
It’s a mindfulness reminder to keep in mind
If one could be mindful of posture, tension level, and breathing at all times, that would be amazing. But for most of us it’s not that easy. Keeping a little book like this around, and in plain sight, can be a great reminder and reference on how to keep your mind and body in check.
It’s not a substitute for yoga classes. But if yoga class is like a nutritious, satisfying meal, this little book of office yoga poses is like a rejuvenating power snack. I think it’s a very useful little guide to keep on hand and I highly recommend it!
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