The time when yoga is most needed is often after a long day at work, when the connection with our body is sometimes unconsciously left aside.
If you do a seated job, you may feel some stiffness or discomfort after spending a full day in front of the screen. And if your job involves repetitive movements, these can cause strain over time.
These four postures are designed to reconnect you to yourself, anchor you in the present and get energy flowing through your body. Try them out to relieve stress and create space in both body and mind.
If you work from home or at a place with a yoga area, set aside about 10 minutes in the middle of the day to take a well-deserved break and restart fresh.
Pigeon pose — Kapotasana
This posture may be uncomfortable at first, but by sending long breaths to areas of tension, you’ll feel a big difference after a few minutes.
Benefits of this posture
After a day spent sitting, it’s perfectly normal for our hip flexors and gluteal muscles to feel a little stiff. This posture stretches these areas, helping release emotional stress.
The option shown in the photo is more restorative.
Variation: raise the torso and grasp the back foot with the hand for a more advanced variation of the posture.
For even more support, you can add a blanket under the buttocks.
Camel pose — Urstrasana
Maintaining good posture while working is often a challenge, especially when sitting at a desk for long periods. In this case, heart-opening postures are a great help in relieving discomfort.
Benefits of this posture
Stimulates the nervous system, relieves tension in the back, stretches the shoulders, torso, hip flexors and quadriceps, strengthens the back muscles and hamstrings… And the benefits for posture are the same for the mind: a feeling of absolute strength and confidence!
Variation: You can go one side at a time for a simpler variation, grabbing one foot only and raising the opposite arm toward the ceiling.
Crescent Moon pose — Anjaneyasana
Present in sun salutations, this posture is often the big stretch we need.
Benefits of this posture
Release tension in the hips and quadriceps, circulate stagnant energy to strengthen the knee and open the heart.
Variation: Lead your hands to the left or right and tilt your torso sideways towards your front leg to stretch the opposite flank.
Bonus: Tilt pelvis back to stretch hamstring of front leg. Repeat on other side.
Child pose — Bālāsana
To ground and refresh yourself, there’s nothing better than this fundamental yoga pose.
Benefits of this posture
This posture relieves anxiety and calms the mind, countering the effects of fatigue.
Take deep breaths and let gravity do the work. Observe the sensations in your body.
Take the time to finish!
To conclude this short practice, we recommend sitting for a few moments, with one hand on your belly and the other on your heart, and doing a body scan, observing how you feel.
Doesn’t it make you feel better? These exercises can be repeated as needed, at any time of day!
*Article from the blog of our wellness experts expoyoga.ca
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