Desk Yogi

by Cheng-Ling Chen — November 13, 2007

Except for a few bathroom breaks and lunch, I've been confined to my desk all day. It's been a productive day, but my neck is aching and my upper body feels tight. I do a few stretches right at my desk to loosen up. Check these out:

• Seated Sun Salutation. Sitting up tall with lower back pushed against the back of the chair, inhale deeply as you raise arms wide. Hands meet in prayer position overhead. Exhale to lower hands in front of your face, holding them with reverence at the heart. Repeat five rounds, synchronizing the movements to your breath. If it helps, close your eyes.
• Shoulder roll. Inhale as you squeeze the shoulders tight up to the ears. Exhale and roll them far back, shoulder blades out and down. Repeat five rounds.
• Neck roll. Drop chin to the chest. Roll your head to the right only as far as the right ear is over the right shoulder. Come back to center and continue rolling half way to the left. Move slowly, noticing how every micro-movement feels, and breathe into any points of tension. Repeat a few times. Then if it feels good, do a couple full circle neck rolls in each direction.
• Side stretch. Clasp your hands and notice which thumb is on top. Inhaling, raise arms overhead with fingers intertwined, palms open to the ceiling. Then exhaling, lower arms to one side, feeling the stretch in the ribs and the side body. Inhale as you come up, and exhale, leaning to the other side. Release your arms and repeat again. This time with the other thumb on top, changing the alignment of the fingers.
• Back stretch. Lift right arm overhead and place the palm on the nape of your neck or at the upper back. Then reach left hand behind your back and yearn for your right hand. If the fingers don't touch, use a towel or a piece of clothing to hold on. Hold your spine straight, breathe and feel the stretch in your upper back, the tug of your fingers, and the heat building in your right arm. Release and repeat on the other side.

Try these at work when you feel like your upper body is tangled up in a bunch of tight knots. When you are through, notice how you feel. Do the stretches relax or energize you?