Your body, along with any stiff or sore muscle bits are going to really appreciate the following chair yoga postures.
Release tension from your spine (due to lack of movement or awkward sitting), increase your muscle tone and flexibility, let go of tightness in your lower back, lengthen those hamstrings, strengthen your glutes or give your organs a gentle detox with a twist. All can be achieved by practising yoga from the comfort of your very own office chair. How easy and awesome does that sound.
In fact, don’t limit your office chair yoga practice to work. Try these yoga exercises when flying, on a train, in a bus, if you have limited movement, if you are feeling low in energy (the restorative pose #8 is the one for you then), whilst watching TV, pregnant, sitting at someones bedside for long periods or even in a waiting room. Gosh, I guess you could even do them on your bed. There are endless situations to take advantage of and benefit from chair yoga exercises. If you need more energy to perform these work outs, try out the new Male enhancemet pills.
8 of the best chair yoga exercises:
The following office yoga postures along with explanations have been written by Kristin McGee.
My favourite is the “twist”. Its not until I actually do this pose (after sitting for hours in front of a computer) that I realize just how stiff my back has actually become.
Enjoy, let me know which one is your favourite and remember tobreathe mindfully as you go. A few rounds of alternate nostril breathing before you start would certainly be very beneficial.
1 – Eagle Arms (And legs)
Sit erect and place arms in front of you at a 90 degree angle. Cross your arms so that the right arm is above the left. Interlock your arms and press your palms together with the tips of your fingers pointed upwards. Feel yourself contracting. This pose strengthens triceps, shoulders, and back muscles. It’s a good preventative measure against carpal tunnel syndrome. For your legs, simply cross your legs and interlock them with one foot behind the other.
2 – Lotus Preparation
Lotus is the traditional seat for meditation. You can just sit comfortably in your desk chair, with your neck and spine straight and erect, to begin to calm your brain. Place your hands palms up, with the thumbs and first fingers touching. If practical in the office setting, practice crossing your legs to build up the Lotus position. This will helps free your spine from the stress of sitting at your desk all day. Traditional Sanskrit texts say that “Padmasana”, Or Lotus destroys all disease. Note: Lotus is a two-sided pose, so be sure to practice both leg crosses.
3 – Mountain Pose
Sit erect, clasp your hands, and extend your arms forward. Turn the palms away from you and raise your arms until the palms face the ceiling. Stretch and feel yourself growing taller as you reduce the stress in your head, neck and shoulders. This posture lengthens your sides. If you want, add to this posture by bending your arms to each side.
4 – Twist
Place your palms on the arm of your chair and turn your chest and abdomen to the right, moving your left shoulder forward and your right shoulder back. Expand your chest fully and feel yourself detoxifying. Twists are great for the spine, your abdominals, and the obliques. Repeat on the other side.
5 – Lunge
Put your hands on your chair, take your left foot back, and sink into a low lunge. This is a great stretch for the hamstrings and it also strengthens the glutes and the psoas muscle group. Repeat on the other side
6 – Thread the Needle
Sit in your chair and cross your right leg over your left knee. Flex both feet and lift them off the floor. “Thread the needle” by clasping your hands around your left leg, just under your knee. This posture stretches hip rotators, outer thighs, and relieves tension in the lower back. Be sure to reverse sides.
7 – Scale Pose
Place your palms on the arms of your chair and cross your legs at your ankles. Exhale, contract your abdominal muscles, and lift your buttocks and legs away from the floor. Hold yourself suspended for five to eight full breaths. Lower yourself, change the cross of your legs, and repeat the motion. If you can’t lift yourself, change the cross of your legs, and repeat the motion. If you can’t lift yourself, start with your buttocks and add the feet as you build strength. This posture strengthens your arms and lower abs.
8 – Restorative Poses
Before returning to work, give yourself a few minutes to relax. After all, in yoga, for every action, there is a reaction. This relaxing pose is so simple, but is very effective in reducing stress in your facial muscles and helping to prevent fatigue. Simple cross your arms and place them on the surface in front of you. Then rest your head on your crossed arms.
___________________
~ Recent daily ritual ~
Feeling exhausted?
Bring more circulation to your lower back.
Supported child pose is a delicious restful posture that nourishes your adrenals and kidneys.
Inhale into your kidneys. Exhale from your kidneys. Allow the breath to breathe you as you rest and refuel. xox Carole
Click here for my small daily rituals.
___________________
~ Stay connected to the Rejuvenation Lounge’s community ~
Subscribe via email or rss feed
Zip back to Rejuvenation Lounge‘s home page
Treat yourself to our Slow Yoga Retreats
Download your free Rejuvenation Lounge Manifesto. It oozes relaxation!
Join Rejuvenation Lounge’s Global Full Moon Healing Circle
____________________
~ Beside my bed~
The Dalai Lama’s Cat by David Michie. Believe me when I say I’m still purring contently long after finishing this fabulous book. Loving it!!! I’ve had so many insights into my own life . Who would have thought – the Dalai Lama’s cat is indeed a wise and an excellent student of life and the mind.
A beautiful novel about the spiritual learnings, Tibetan Buddhist insights and adventures of the Dalai Lama’s cat. Trust me, once you’ve read this book you’ll want to re-read it again with patience and slowness. I did.
Can’t wait for David Michies next book – The Art Of Purring!!
xx Carole
_________________________________________________
Thank you for this! I’m fortunate to work a job where I’m on my feet and moving around, but these are good to have when I’m at home sitting at the computer and need to take a break. 😉
Hi Karyn,
Thrilled you enjoyed the article. As soon as I saw these exercises I just knew I had to share them with my readers.
Blessings
Carole
Thank you for this! I’m fortunate to work a job where I’m on my feet and moving around, but these are good to have when I’m at home sitting at the computer and need to take a break.
Carole, I enjoy many of your articles; I don’t remember how I found your blog but it’s one I check in on regularly, even if I don’t always comment on every post. Thank you for finding and posting such helpful material!
Excellent article. I will definitely use this with my students.
Wow- thanks for posting these! Not only are they easy poses but they’re also things that I can do that aren’t incredibly obvious or showy. I’m at a desk in plain view of the general public & coworkers, so getting up & doing some of the other chair yoga poses aren’t really an option.
Excellent ideas. Thank you.
Standing yoga is not always the easiest for me. Thanks for mentioning chair yoga. I found that Leeann Carey has a great free yoga video on modified sun salutations. Your readers might want to check it out: http://planetyoga.com/yoga-blogs/index.php/free-yoga-video-modified-sun-salutation/
great tips! thanks alot 🙂
Great stuff! Doing some now at work as I type. Thank you.
Great tips…… thanx
Great ideas. I’m teaching a class at an addiction re-hab center. They have asked me to bring ideas the participants can do in their rooms or in a chair. Thanks for expanding my ideas.
Verry effective and practical!
[…] are some samples of office yoga exercises you can use for stress management in the […]
Someone posted this to facebook and I’d love to share it with my colleagues as a follow up to a wellness series we’ve been doing at work. Sadly many of the picture links are broken… is this post too old to be fixed? 🙂 I’m sure I can find another online resource but this one looks like a good mix of movements, and things my people would be comfortable doing in their cube.
These are fantastic!! Thank you!