Do you feel tired or exhausted the whole day in the office? Has your body become stiff and taut? If yes, then my friend you need to adapt Yoga at work to smoothen your professional life.

As a matter of fact, a simple stretch and asana a few times a day can give you a big relief. Keep scrolling to know how bringing yoga at work can be a life-changing decision.

Why Yoga at Work?

As they say, “The body benefits from movement, and the mind benefits from stillness.”

But sitting in the chair of the office for 7-8 hours benefits neither the body nor the mind. As you know, working on computers for long hours has multiple side effects. It leads to Neck, back, and shoulder stiffness. The muscles get tight and inflexible.

Besides, stress, anxiety, and fatigue are quite common among the working class.

Such discomfort and distress, needless to say, affects one’s personal as well as professional life. Therefore, few stretches, asanas, and pranayama throughout the day can help in the long run.

Yoga in between the Work

It might feel absurd initially, but it is possible to do yoga in between the work. Of course, I don’t expect you to do Kundalini yoga or Ashtanga yoga. To sum up, no one is going to leave (or can’t leave) the work for a few Yoga Asanas.

Small and Simple Changes…

However, small changes in your work schedule can do wonders for you. For instance, you can take a mini walk break after every 20 minutes, or you can wash your eyes with cold water every hour.

All these are small and possible alterations that potentially bring a positive change.

Besides, simple stretches, asanas and breathing exercises can be practiced anywhere. For example, neck rolls, spinal twists, wrists stretches, and Gomukhasana can be done easily at your desk.

Work it Out

It is very important to know what’s wrong with you. Oh! Don’t take this personally. I just want to say that sitting at the office for 8 hours does no good to a human body. So, find out what you need to work on.

For instance, do your back hurt, or your neck is stiff, or your wrist is not much flexible and other problems. Since only you know what’s you are not feeling good about, only you can work to better the condition.

So let us look at some ways through which you can be more efficient in your life.

Stretching Exercises

Stretching exercises are good to release tension in muscles. Some of the stretches you can easily do at your work. So let’s check out a few stretching exercises.

Cat-Cow Stretch

This exercise is quite crucial for spinal stretching and muscles relaxation.

Steps:

• Get the feet on the floor.
• Put your hands on the knees.
• Breathe in, arch the back and gaze upwards
• Breathe out, round the spine and let your head drop forward
• Do again for 4-6 breaths

Wrist Stretch

Working for eight hours on desk surely impacts your wrists. Therefore, one should not neglect their suffering and pain.

Wrist stretch helps to retain the flexibility of wrists and provides relaxation to the muscles.

Steps:

• Stand slightly away from the desk
• Turn around your hands in a way that the fingers face the border of the desk and the inner side of your wrists face the opposite side
• Keep the arms straight and palms flattened in so far as possible.
• Do it for a few seconds (or as long as you can)

Chin Tuck

It is not your typical stretching exercise but it is wonderful for the neck. It helps in neck strengthening and release of a stiff neck.

Steps:

• Look ahead and pull your head straight back
• Now tuck in your chin and keep this position for 5-8 seconds
• Repeat it 8-10 times for around

Neck Rolls

Neck rolls is the easiest neck stretching exercise. It prevents neck stiffness.

Steps:

• Bring your neck to the straight position
• Commence to move your neck very slowly in a circle
• Make sure your shoulders are relaxed and not tight
• Do 5 times clockwise as well as anti-clockwise
• Do these rolls at least 6-8 times a day

Yoga Asanas and Pranayama

The practice of yoga asanas and Pranayama cover everything from stretching to healing. Therefore, incorporating them at your work can be of great help.

As we know doing yoga asanas as they are done originally is not entirely possible at work. Thus, we will discuss the variant of yoga asanas in the following section that will help you immensely at work.

So let’s begin.

Reverse Prayer Pose

The Reverse Prayer Pose helps to cool restless mind, fights distress and exhaustion.

Steps:

• Begin with the Mountain Pose and relax the shoulders
• Bend your knees slightly
• Get your arms at your back and join your palms
• Turn the fingertips inwards in the direction of the backbone while breathing, and bring them to the upward direction
• Press the palms tightly against each other and keep your knees a bit bent
• Hold this position for some seconds
• Turn the fingertips down bit by bit while breathing out
• Finally, return to the Mountain Pose

Gomukhasana

Gomukhasana has more than a few benefits. It improves the flexibility of the spine and stretches arms, shoulders, ankle, triceps, chest, and hips. Here are the steps to do the variant of Gomukhasana suitable to practice at the office.

Steps:

• Sit straight but slightly towards the front edge of the chair
• Get your left arm straight up; bend your elbow while carrying your left hand to the backside of the neck.
• Lift your right arm, bend the elbow and take the arm up and hold onto both the hands.
• Make certain that right elbow is pointing upwards and the left elbow downwards while smoothly drawing your arms in opposite directions.
• Hold the posture for few breaths, then exhale and return to the initial position
• Do again switching the arms

Anuloma Viloma

Anuloma Viloma, also known as Alternate Nostril Breathing helps to cure stress, anxiety, and depression. It is quite efficient to tackle with work stress.

Steps:

• Sit and relax in your seat
• Now, block your right nostril with the right thumb and inhale gradually through the left nostril
• After few seconds, block the left nostril with the ring finger without unblocking the right nostril
• Hold your breath for 4-5 seconds
• Slowly let go the thumb from the right nostril and breathe out through it
• Make sure to take a pause before breathing in again through the same side
• Repeat the process with the left nostril.
• Perform a complete cycle of inhaling and exhaling from both the nostrils
• Carry out 8-10 cycles per round

Plank Pose

Plank is one of the very effective and famous poses. And guess what! You can do it at your office with a bit of variation.

So let’s get started.

Steps:

• Place your hands a few inches apart or wider at the wall (or desk edge)
• Position your body slantwise to the wall
• Hold 6-8 breaths
• Repeat again a few times

How Yoga at Work Works?

• Regular practice of yoga at work makes the muscles strong and flexible.
• Stretching exercise releases the stiffness of the neck, back, and shoulder.
• Breathing exercise or Pranayama increases the oxygen level in the body.
• Pranayama also helps in the release of toxins and cleansing of negative energy.
• The practice throughout the day makes the individual feel invigorated and refreshed.