Easy Desk Yoga Stress Busters
Here are some stress-busting exercises for Tisserand Aromatherapy by yoga expert Sarah Eckersley to stretch your body and ease your mind – and you don’t have to move from your chair! Do while seated, whether at your desk or at home.
As we work increasingly long hours and stress becomes a daily part of our lives it’s important to take at least ten minutes to help reverse some of the impact this can have on our mind as well as our body. Not only will it help relieve physical tension it helps to calm the mind, improving focus and overall wellbeing.
Neck Rolls
An easy way to help relieve tension that builds up in the neck and the shoulders, commonly associated with stress and working at desks for long periods of time. Method: Close your eyes and bring your chin gently down to the chest. Slowing begin to bring the right ear towards the right shoulder until you feel a deep stretch down the left-hand side of the neck. Once you have the stretch direct each inhale into that place of tension and with every exhale visualise the tension melt away. Hold for ten to fifteen breaths and repeat on the other side.
Seated Cat Cow
A great way to bring some movement into the spine and energy into the body after it has been curved in a tense position at your desk. Method: Place both feet flat onto the floor and put your hands on your knees. Take a deep inhale and arch your back, taking your gaze to the ceiling. As you breath out begin to round the spine, drawing your navel towards the spine and bring your chin down to your chest. Repeat the process for three to five breaths.
Seated Spinal Twist
This is a perfect way to help massage your internal organs which are often slumped together for long periods of time and reset the spine. Method: With your feet flat on the floor place one hand on your desk in front of you and one hand behind you. As you inhale, lengthen the crown of the head to the ceiling and begin to turn the body to the side keeping the hips and feet facing forward. Hold this position for three to five breaths before repeating on the opposite side.
Ankle to Knee
Our hips get extremely tight from sitting at a desk for prolonged periods of time so it’s important that they are stretched out too. What’s more, some schools of yoga believe that we carry a lot of emotion in our hips so by working them out at our desk you’re also helping to release a build-up of stress. Method: Place the left foot flat on the floor and bring the right foot across your left knee. The right knee should be open to the side. Keeping your back straight, slowly begin to lean forward to deepen the stretch. Hold it here for 10 breaths before repeating on the other side.
