5 workstation yoga exercises to increase blood flow and flexibility

Back aches, stiff neck and a foggy mind - sitting for long hours in a desk job can be taxing on both your physical and mental health. No wonder they call sitting the new smoking!

If your desk feels like a second home due to long working hours, workstation yoga asanas can be your best solution. Here are five yoga poses you can do right at your desk to combat the effects of prolonged sitting and give yourself a well-deserved break:

Cat-Cow Stretch

How to do it - Sit on the edge of your chair with your feet flat on the floor. Make sure you are sitting on your ‘sit bone’ and not the ‘tail bone’. Place your hands on your knees. As you inhale, arch your back and look up (Cow Pose). As you exhale, round your spine and tuck your chin to your chest (Cat Pose). Repeat for a few breaths.

Benefits - Enhances spinal flexibility, improves posture, and releases tension in your neck and shoulders.

Ardha Matsyendrasana

How to do it - Sit upright with your feet flat on the floor. Place your right hand on the back of your chair and your left hand on your right knee. Twist your torso to the right, looking over your right shoulder. Hold for a few breaths, then switch sides.
Benefits - Helps relieve lower back pain, improves digestion, and reduces stress.

Parvatasana

How to do it - Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor. Join your hands in a ‘namaste’ and stretch your arms overhead with your palms joined together. Reach up as high as you can while keeping your shoulders relaxed. Hold for a few breaths.
Benefits - Stretches your sides, improves posture, and helps release tension in your upper body.

Trikonasana

How to do it - Sit on the edge of your chair with your feet flat on the floor. Extend your right leg out to the side and place your right hand on your right leg. Extend your left arm overhead, reaching towards the right side. Hold for a few breaths, then switch sides.
Benefits - Stretches the sides of your body, improves balance, and increases flexibility in your spine and hips.

Nadi Shodhana Pranayama

How to do it - Sit comfortably with your spine straight and shoulders relaxed. Place your left hand on your left knee in Chin Mudra (touching the index finger to the thumb). Use your right thumb to close your right nostril and inhale deeply through your left nostril. Close your left nostril with your right ring finger, release your thumb, and exhale through your right nostril. Inhale through your right nostril, close it with your thumb, release your ring finger, and exhale through your left nostril.
This completes one cycle. Repeat for several rounds.
Benefits - Helps reduce stress and anxiety, improves focus and concentration, and balances the nervous system.
The next time you feel overwhelmed or stiff, give these stretches and breathing exercises a try. Your body and mind will thank you! Remember, self-care isn't selfish - it's essential!

(Author: Saurabh Bothra CEO & Certified Yoga Instructor, Habuild)