A complaining body, sluggish thinking, sore eyes, stiff back, rounded shoulders, clenched jaw, drooping head, collasped chest, frowning face and tight neck are all signs that your body is suffering from lack of movement, fatigue, heavy thinking and/or stress.
Shift those energies and feelings by trying some face yoga, relaxation moves, foot reflexogogy, deep breathing, some stretching, squatting or even a little tai chi without having to leave your desk. Enjoy.
1. Stick out your tongue:
This is a great 30 second yoga tune up called simhasana or lion pose. It’s fabulous for releasing tension in your face muscles, neck and jaw, as well as improving blood flow to your face. No promises, but it may even help with wrinkles.
Sit up straight, place your hands on your knees and spread your fingers extra wide. Now open your mouth wide, stick out your tonuge, further, even further, and let out a huge roar or sigh. Completely empty your lungs of air.
Feels great doesn’t it. Watch out Gene Simmons.
2. Relax your jaw muscles:
Keeping your lips soft (not pursed) and slightly apart, will help greatly, relax and release tension around your jaw, cheek muscles and lips.
I often catch myself clenching my jaw and teeth (from excess thinking) and have found by simply opening my mouth (ever so slightly – you can hardly tell) it helps unlock my jaw, and relax my jaw muscles. You can even turn up the corners of your lips, into a half smile, to encourage the muscles to relax and soften even more.
3. Squat because it’s good for you:
A simple squatting pose will lengthen your spin and help relieve any strain in your back. It’s also great for strengthening and improving the flexibility in your hips, thighs, knees and ankles. After all, squatting is what nature intended us to do, and not to sit in a chair all day long.
Here’s a 2 minute yoga squat pose video to watch.
4. Lift your chest and spread your collar bones:
Rounded shoulders, collapsed chest and drooping head can create all sorts of problems in your body, not too mention restricting blood flow to your brain. A slumped sitting position can also trigger a depressed feeling.
As my yoga teacher would say your shoulders should be sitting over your hips and head sitting over shoulders. Re-arrange your posture, lift your chin slightly up, relax the shoulders, lengthen your spine and raise your chest.
Exercise your lungs by inhaling and exhaling extra deeply, in slow motion. Filling your lungs, upper chest and collar bone area with extra air, will help open up and expand your lungs, release tension from your shoulders, open your heart and encourage you to sit healthier.
5. Face yoga:
Stress and tension held in your face, restricts blood flow and nutrients getting to your face. Tension starting in your face can and will eventually spread down into your neck and shoulders. So, please don’t underestimate the importance of exercising your facial muscles.
Face scrunch: Inhale through your nose, clench your fists and squeeze all your facial muscles tightly. Now exhale and release your hands and let all then facial tension go with a releasing sigh.
Pinch your cheeks: Improve the circulation to your face by pinching and pulling your cheek muscles.
Cheek puff: Fill one of your cheeks with air and then transfer the air from one cheek to the other.
You might also be interested in this great short video on cheek push ups.
6. Body twist:
I love body twists. They squeeze your organs helping them release toxicity, whilst massaging the muscles up and down the spine at the same time. Sometimes I just can’t quite believe how stiff my spine can get and a body twist can certainly loosen it up.
- Sit in your chair (shoes off)
- Cross your right leg over your left knee (as in the picture above)
- Take your left hand over your right knee and twist to the right
- Breathe into your spine and gentler move into a deeper twist with your exhale
- Repeat for 4 or 5 breathes
- Now switch to the other side. Left leg over right knee. Right hand over left leg.
- If your right legs on top, you are twisting to the right
- If your left leg is on top, you are twisting to the left
* Great 1 minute video for a spinal twist in a chair.
7. Wall push up’s:
This is a simple idea that I picked up from Jennifer Jefferies at one of her workshops. Give your upper body muscles some exercise by taking a five minute “body break” from the key board. Stand about arms length away from the wall and press your hands against the wall – at shoulder width. Now off you go. Twenty wall push ups, one, two, three.
You may also want to check out Jennifer’s Move Your Body Mouse Pad
8. Relieve shoulder tension with finger dancing:
Dance your fingers happily up and down along the top of your shoulders. It’s a bit like playing the piano as your fingers pitter patter along any tension held in your shoulder muscles and up along the sides of your neck. This will increase blood flow and bring awareness into your shoulder area giving you the opportunity to drop your shoulders and spread and relax your shoulder blades.
9. Give your feet marbles:
This little trick is like a mini reflexology session. Take off your shoes and place a golf, ping pong or smallish ball under the arch of your foot. Now roll the ball around, as it massages the bottom of your foot.
There are pressure points in your feet which relate to specific organs in your body so in effect your whole body is getting a work out. For a deeper massage you can stand.
Alternately fill a small box with marbles. Roll your bare feet over the marbles - enjoy the bliss that follows. A couple of drops of the essential oil peppermint sprinkled over the marbles is very soothing for your feet.
10. Grab a can of food:
Another great suggestion from Jennifer Jefferies.
Take a two minute body break by grabbing a can of unopened tinned food. Grab the can with your left hand, now keep the elbow and top of your arm close to the side of your body – whilst pulling the can up towards your shoulder and then dropping back down towards the ground again. Repeat as often as you like, then switch sides.
11. Inhale to oxygenate – Exhale to detox and eliminate:
Breathing is not just for your lungs, its for your whole body. Rapid thinking and rapid breathing can stress and overstimulate your body. Calm and deepen your breathing, and your mind and body will follow – guaranteed. It’s always a good idea to check the depth of your inhale and make sure it reaches all the way down to your belly. Don’t squeeze your belly as this will restrict your oxygen intake. Keep your belly soft and open.
Spending longer on your exhale will remove old, stuck or stagnant carbon dioxide from the very bottom of your lungs, along with toxic bi-products the body has produced. Belly breathing is one of the healthiest and most rejuvenating breathing habits you can cultivate.
* Clever things to know about your breathing:
12. Eye yoga:
Years ago I found a great series of eye exercises from Deepak Chopra which I’m sure you will love, and happy to share with you now.
Look straight up into the ceiling with your eyes (not your head), then move them to the right looking as far as your eyes can reach then move your eyes down, as far as they will go, then across to the left.
First start in clockwise direction then repeat in an anti clockwise direction. I personally feel this is an interesting exercise to do as you soon realize how little movement your eyes are often given when sitting in front of your computer or at your desk.
13. Improve your thinking, hydrate your brain:
Drink water. The brain is the first place in the body to become dehydrated. Drinking water regularly not only hydrates your organs, it detoxifies your body and improves your concentration. Dehydration clouds your thinking. At least two litres of water per day is the recommended dose. If you find it difficult t drink 2 litres a day then try eating your water with fruit.
* 10 tips to grab on the run for staying hydrated
14. Snack happy:
Keep your body happy by snacking on foods that fuel your body with all the good stuff it deserves. A small handful of raw almonds offer protein and a good dose of the stress relieving mineral of magnesium. I often have raw natural almonds, dried figs and dates as a snack on the go. Alternately try your hand at making your own bliss balls. Yum.
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My music recommendations for yoga, meditation and relaxation:
