At Your Desk Yoga Flow

Meet my friend Evan Marsh.  Over our 12 year friendship I have witnessed his practice deepen and career expand into what I like to call him- The Corporate Yogi. Evan has transformed lunch hours and increased productivity in fashion forward Manhattan high rises and now the tech savvy Silicon Valley campuses.  He focuses on injury prevention and rehabilitation striving to aid his students in embodying a heathy and sustainable practice to use on and off the mat.

Take some tips from the pro below.

3 Yogi Tips for Every Office

• Examine your shoes.  Any shoe that has a heel, even men’s dress shoes and some tennis shoes can lead to forward weight bearing.  When our weight is forward on the balls of our feet it puts strain on our bodies to stay vertical.  This causes lower back pain and overall poor posture.  Flats allow our weight to be distributed towards the heels of our feet.  This allows our legs to engage and work more efficiently.  So maybe heels for the meetings, ballet flats at your desk?

• Post lunch walk —  After lunch, go for an easy 10 minute walk. This promotes healthy digestion and boosts energy levels rather than falling into a food coma.

• Perform these at-desk yoga poses.  Choose one or two to do every hour throughout the workday and say namaste to your neighbor.

MOUNTAIN POSE

Begin in ready position seated at the edge of your chair with your hands resting on your knees. Press you feet into the floor. Draw your belly in and upwards. Lift your chest and reach your arms down by your sides with your palms facing forward. Spread your fingers wide. Maintain this shape and breathe deeply. Notice how the shape changes with your breath.

Repeat 5 to 10 rounds of your breath cycle. Rest.

CAT COW

Begin ready position. Inhale and lift your chest and focus upwards. Exhale and let the weight of your head come forward rounding your upper back. Rest and notice how you feel.

Repeat several times.

SIDE STRETCH

Begin in ready position. Inhale and lift your chest up and bring your right arm up and over to the left. Only go as far as feels comfortable. Pause here for another breath cycle. On your next exhale release the pose.

Repeat on the left side and rest.

EASY TWIST

Begin in ready position. Inhale and reach both arms upwards. Exhale and rotate your torso to the right and let your arms release down. Inhale to reach up and return to center. Exhale and release.

Repeat on the left.

Below Evan and I demonstrate a walking easy twist on the streets of San Fran ;)