JOIN US Certain variations of common yoga asanas can be done right at your desk! They don’t take longer than 10 minutes, and doing them just twice a day can make a lot of difference to your body, explains Pragya Bhatt.
Our country turned into an IT hub even before we could say ‘Windows’. And as our time in front of the laptops increased, so did our waistlines, cholesterol and stress levels.
Does it help to gobble down a pastry post that particularly stressful call? Or to down another extra strong coffee as you prepare for another extended meeting with the team? No.
Would you benefit greatly by an hour-long yoga practice three days a week? Most definitely. Do you have time for this? Probably not.
So, start small and see big changes. There are certain variations of common yoga asanas that you can do right at your desk! They don’t take longer than 10 minutes and doing them just twice a day can make a lot of difference.
In fact, you may even go ahead and do them during those long conference calls.
Neck rotation
n Start with slowly turning your neck to the left, right, up and down. Hold it at each place for a few seconds visualising the tense muscles loosening and relaxing.
n Start to rotate your neck clockwise and then, counter clockwise. Once again make sure to focus on the stretch on your neck and shoulders.
Side stretches
n Start with interlocking your fingers together and then stretching your hands out with the palms facing outwards.
nLock your elbows, pull your stomach in and deepen the stretch from your shoulder blades.
n Raise your hands above your head with the palms now facing the ceiling. Keep your elbows locked and your arms as close to your ears as possible. Your arms and torso should be in one straight line.
n Next, bend as far to the right as you can, while keeping your arms straight. Then bend to the left, maintaining the stretch, which originates from your lower back. Twist first to the right, then to the left. Focus on the stretch on the torso.
Forward fold
n Scoot back in your chair until your back touches the back of the chair. Then just fold over until your abdomen rests on your thighs. n Now, let your head and hands dangle towards the floor. Relax your neck and your shoulders. Close your eyes and breathe. This allows blood to flow to your head, providing relief from stress and strain to your precious brain. It also gives a break to your tired back muscles.
Chair twists
n Sit at the centre of your chair with your back straight (that’s right, do not use the chair for back support).
n Start with the right side. Grab hold of the right chair arm with your right and left hand. The distance between your hands should be shoulder width distance and your grip should be firm.
n Make sure your shoulders are relaxed. Now inhale and lengthen your torso (which means you want to grow from the base of your spine) and then, leveraging the grip of your hands, gently twist your torso to the right.
n Keep your feet firmly on the ground and make sure you are not tilting backward or forward. Repeat on the other side.
Eagle pose
It’s a chair garudasana of sorts. This one provides great relief for your arms, shoulders and legs.
n Start with crossing your right leg over your left. Then, hook your right foot through your left calve. It’s is a great way to sit, if you want to work on the flexibility of your lower joints.
n Next, hook you right elbow over your left arm and continue to wrap the right arm around the left until the palms face each other.
n Make sure your elbows are raised up in the air instead of resting against your body. Repeat on the left side.
(The writer is a Bangalore-based yoga instructor)