11 Easy Yoga For Handling Stress And Posture For Desk Workers

Why is yoga important in life?

These days it seems like the trendy new thing is to buy a pastel yoga mat and lurid pink yoga pants and go into a Sun Salutation but we are not talking about yoga because it's a good excuse to wear yoga pants but to show you why even just a few minutes of yoga a week will make you more mentally alert happier and healthier. There are plenty of studies that demonstrate yoga's potential for health, for example Oxford University found that people who practice yoga even once a week were less stressed out, have lower blood pressure and slept better at night. Yoga is not just good for your mental health, according to the National Institute of Health it's proven to help with musculoskeletal issues especially lower back pain. It can even help relieve asthma. 

What is the benefit of yoga in professional life?

Today the advancement in every field has no doubt benefited the human race greatly but also has degraded the quality of life. A normal working day is full of stress and tires the body and mind of the individual, which affects his mental as well as physical health reducing the years of his life. Yoga is the light of hope in the busy and stressful professional life. 

So why don't more people try yoga? Some are afraid it'll be too difficult. You see enough people bent into pretzels and you start to believe that you never will be flexible enough but what you might not know is yoga isn't a one-size-fits-all proposition. There are tons of different types of yoga all with names that are kind of difficult to remember for different purposes. While some types do encourage a hard workout where you bend and flex in insane positions and sweat bullets, yoga can more simply be just used as a meditative tool and you get mental health benefits.

The very familiar word Pranayama, means focus on deep breathing and gentle stretching. Its also what people and that Oxford University study tested and found to be so intricately connected to happiness. Anyone in any skill level can try Pranayama.

10 easy yoga asanas for stress relief and posture correction for 9 to 5 desk workers:

1. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-facing Dog Pose):

This is the inverted V posture. To come to this posture keep your legs hip length apart and bend forward with your hand grounded forward you, palm facing outwards and hips stretching to form the V shape as in the image. Stay in this position for 60 seconds.

Benefits:

• It relieves the shoulder, relaxes the neck and increases the blood flow to the brain. 
• It stretches and strengthen the legs muscles which is inactive from sitting at desk the whole day. 
• It also relaxes the tired wrist and hand due to typing.

2. Tadasana (Mountain Pose):

Stand in a comfortable position with feet hip length apart and put your hands straight above your head with palms facing upward and thumbs hooked. Then gently bend backward and breathe. Hold this position for 60 seconds.

Benefits:

• The contracted back due to sitting still the entire day is stretched and relaxed by this pose.
• It frees the tight chest muscles and releases the tension in shoulders.

3. Matsyasana (Fish Pose):

Sit on your hips with legs stretched outwards infront of you with toes pointed. Then bring your hands under your hips and lean back supporting your body up by your forearms. Then lift your chest above your shoulders and bend your head towards the ground behind you. Hold the position for 15-30 seconds.

Benefits:

• It releases tension in the neck throat and head.
• It stretches the chest muscles and opens up the lungs.
• It reduces tension 
• It cures fatigue and anxiety.

4. Utannasana (Standing Forward Fold Pose):

Stand with your fits hips length apart and stretch your arms above your head palms facing upward. Then slowly bend forward from your hips trying to touch your feet and slowly if possible hold your feet so that your shoulders can be stretched further. If you have a shoulder problem you can put a belt between your arms for easing up the tension of shoulder.

Benefits:

• It allows blood to flow down to brain which is very effective after sitting up right for the whole day.
• It allows to relax and remove tension from the shoulder by stretching it.
• It also stretches the legs which gets stiff and inactive through out the day due to the desk job.
• It also serves as a therapy for stress and anxiety as it provides calmness and soothes the mind.

5. Marjaryasana and Bitilasana (Cat and Cow Pose):

Kneel down on the floor and put your hands in front of you on the ground with palms facing frontwards. Now while inhaling lift your body upwards from the spine with knee, toes and palms touching the ground like a cat. Hold this position for 15-30 seconds and then while exhaling bend your spine inwards or downwards like a cow. Hold this position for 15-30 seconds. Repeat this steps to shift from cat-cow pose for 5-10 times.

Benefits:

• It relieves headache which is very common after a stressful day.
• It also opens the back and stretches the spine which is like to get stiff due to constant sitting at desks jobs.
• It also corrects the posture by bringing back neck over the spine which tends too be pushed forward due to incorrect sitting posture.

6. Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle pose):

Sit straight with the soles of both the feet joining each other and knees spreading open. Bring the feet in towards the pelvis and hold the feet tight together with your palms. Then flap the knees to touch the ground and go above the ground like the butterfly wings. Repeat this for 30-50 times and then sit still and focus the weight of the hips and thighs to the ground so that the pain in sciatic nerve (the nerve running in both the leg which starts from the lower back) is eased up.

Benefits:

• It eases up the discomfort in legs caused due to sciatic nerve which originates if the sciatic nerve is compressed and can be made worse by sitting for long periods.
• It opens up the hips.

7. Neck Stretches:

Sit in a cross legged position and lean the head to the right with the help of right palms as shown in the image. Extend the left arm and palm towards the ground until a deep stretch is felt in the left side of the neck. Hold this position and breathe deeply. After 8-10 breathe cycles alternate the sides and repeat the same thing in left side.  It can be done anytime even while standing in your cubicle.

Benefits:

• It counters neck discomfort which is very common in desk workers as they have to stare down at the keyboard or phone for a long duration.
• It eases up the tension and pain on neck.

8. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose):

Lie down on the floor and put your hands in front of you on the ground and tuck the elbows to the chest. Then slowly lift your body up keeping your hips to the ground as in the image and bend backwards and draw the shoulders down. Look upwards and try not to take any tension on face or jaw.

Benefits:

• It cures the hunched back due to incorrect sitting posture.
• It lengthens the spine and opens up the chest.

9. Eka Pada RajaKapotasana (Half Pigeon Pose):

Start by kneeling down and put your hands in front of you in the ground and come to a table top position. Know slide the right knee forward and try make a 90 degree angle by spreading the fore leg outwards as in the image. Slide the left leg backwards. Sit straight and as you exhale try to bring your chest forward and bring the arms in front of you to feel a more deep stretch. Stay in this position for 15-30 seconds and then alternate the sides.

Benefits:

• It improves flexibility of hips which gets tight from long hours of sitting.
• It also opens up the chest and shoulders. 

10. Balasana (Child's Pose):

Sit down with you legs folded beneath you and toes touching and knees spread apart from each other. Now bend down your chest between your thighs and try to touch the forehead to the floor. keep your hands in front of you touched to the ground as shown in the image. Stay in the pose till you can stay with comfort. Relax and keep breathing.

Benefits:

• It slows down our mind and allows it to ease up.
• It gently opens up the back, hips and shoulders.
• It provides relaxation and is a resting pose.

11. Sitali Breathing:

Sit on a chair or on the floor with a comfortable cross legged position and keep your eyes closed. Stick your tongue out and curl up its edges. If you have trouble curly up the tongue then try your best and form a small "O" with your mouth. Inhale via mouth and let the air pass over the tongue. Feel the cool breathe and exhale via your nose. Continue this long breathing for 3 minutes. This is a calming down Pranayama.

Benefits:

• It acts as an antidote to a stressful day.
• It releases tension in mind and body and provides freshness.
• It brings us to a balanced state.

These 11 yoga asanas will take down the stress and strain of the entire day from your body and mind and provide calmness and soothe your soul. Try adding up these to your daily routine. It will hardly consume 30 minutes of your routine will greatly improve your quality of life and no doubt enhance your work performance. Yoga can be practiced by all age groups including children and old age folks. Try this out and share your experience.