Are you guilty of sitting all day every day? If your work environment is a never-ending ball of stress, then these gentle moves will make you feel more relaxed and eager to take on anything the work day brings. These amazing yoga moves will…Increase your ability to smile all day long, make you feel confident to take on any task, help you breathe when work stress gets the better of you, push you to choose the right foods for a healthy brain and improve your posture making you the envy of everyone in the office.
Stand Tall & Raise your arms
Stand upright, feet are hip distance apart, arms are by your side with palms facing away from the body. Press your heels and toes into the ground, then, inhale and soften your shoulders, exhale through the nose. Inhale lift your arms slowly out to the side (like a starfish) then up towards the ceiling then exhale slowly as you lower your arms back to your side, keep your shoulders soft and away from your ears. Repeat several times.
Move your neck
For so many of us, stress sits in our shoulders and neck. This move is simple and gentle. Sit up nice and tall or stand, make sure your back is not touching the chair. Breathe in deeply and then as you exhale slowly through the nose, drop your right ear to your right shoulder. Take a few deep breaths here, relax those shoulders and feel the stretch on the left side of your neck, take the head back to centre – breathe here, then repeat on the other side.
Twist & Breathe
First, the chair you use should not have any arms so that you can sit sideways. Sit on the edge of your chair, turn your legs to the right side of the chair so you are sitting diagonally. Breathe in, lift your right arm to the ceiling and while exhaling reaching your arm to the back of the chair on the opposite side. Place your left hand on your right knee and feel the stretch along your spine. Repeat this on the other side, and be gentle as your twist. Twisting correctly helps in improving the flexibility of spine and back, and will help massage those digestive organs.
Let’s open your heart
Stand up nice and tall, press both feet into the ground. relax your neck and interlock your fingers behind your back with your palms facing out. Let go of the tension in your shoulders, lean slightly forward and lift your arms until you feel your shoulders lifting. You should feel the stretch deep in your heart (chest) This is a deep move, so make sure you come out of the pose as slowly and mindfully as you came in.
Standing Sideband
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale and lift your palms towards the sky, and then slowly move to the right and left arm towards one side, then back to centre then repeat on the opposite rise. The aim is to lengthen the sides of your body – so mindfully press your feet into the ground and work on lifting and stretching from the ground up. Keep those fingers active and face soft and don’t forget to breathe!
Article by Twosix Co-Founders Bree & Emma
Having come from over 10 years in a corporate environment both Emma and Bree are passionate about changing the culture of work in Australia, ensuring that wellness is a sustainable practice inside of all workplaces. Twosix Wellness is a Melbourne based wellness hub that provides down-to-earth, and practical health and wellbeing programmes for corporates as well as inspirational content via their online platform. Yoga & Pilates Sessions, Nutrition & Mindfulness Articles, Workplace Wellbeing Workshops and so much more – There are lots of reasons to get excited about the Twosix movement!
