Desk Yoga Tips

Desk Yoga Tips from Yoga Bridge

Yoga Bridge has been asked to speak at the next Healthy U event, sponsored by the Medical Center at Lewisville on September 11.  Here are some of the poses that we'll be sharing with the crowd.

 

Standing Cat/Cow –   Stand behind chair with feet hip distance apart.  Place hands on back of the chair.  Take a few breaths through the nose, standing tall.  Inhaling, lift the chest.  Exhale, round through the mid and upper back, tuck the chin, tuck the tailbone.  Inhale, lengthen the spine, reach forward through the chest, look forward.  Repeat several times.  Releases tension.

Standing Twist Flow – Feet hip distance , knees softly bent.  Begin slow twisting movement.  Arms flow into the twist, tapping the body as they land.  Can speed up.  Head can follow the movement of the twist. 1-2 min.  Releases stagnation, energizing.

Standing Camel -  Feet hip distance apart.  Reach arms out, shoulder-height, thumbs face down, palms reach behind, press arms back.  Option to place fists at sacrum (low down the back).  Press the hips forward very slightly as you lift your chest open and up.  Reach your elbows back and towards each other.  15-30 seconds.  Can repeat.  Energizing, mood boosting.

Strong Goddess Stance – Step feet apart wider than hips, toes pointing out at angle.  Keeping the spine vertical, knees bent, begin to bend the knees out to the side.  Arms reach out to the sides, shoulder-height.  Bend elbows, hands up.  Hold this stance for several breaths. Release.  Repeat if desired.  Energizing, strengthening.

Standing Forward Fold - Stand behind chair with feet hip distance, hands on the back of the chair.  Walk  feet back and relax head between arms.  Can also do this with elbows on the back of the chair.  Hold for several breaths.  Rise.  Soothing, calming.

~Yoga Bridge™  is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that offers free and low-cost yoga programs to all people affected by cancer.  Students are part of a nurturing community where they find relief from fatigue, muscle weakness, and stress.    
www.yogabridge.org  Lewisville, Flower Mound, Denton

The Science of Yoga - Body and Mind

The Science of Yoga
by Susan Reeves

I've recently read two great articles about the benefits of yoga, both physically and mentally (links to the articles are at the end of this post).  I've been practicing yoga for almost 14 years now, and I find what the articles say to be true. 

When I first began my practice, I noticed an almost immediate improvement in my flexibility.  At the time, I was a new mom, chasing a toddler around and spending lots of time on the floor, playing with her.  Whereas before, I could not sit cross-legged because of a knee injury, after a few classes of vinyasa I was able to sit easily in that position.  I also noticed that even though my weight did not change, my clothes began to fit looser.   As my child grew, my physical strength was growing, so that picking her up was not putting as much of a strain on my shoulders and back as it used to. 

 

Throughout the past several years, I've become particularly aware of how I feel internally when I have a regular asana and meditation practice.  I experience my day with a peaceful clarity. When stressful events pop up, I'm able to take a step back and evaluate how to calmly respond.  I still appreciate the physical benefits of my practice, but I have a deeper sense of gratitude now for the mental and emotional balance yoga brings.

The Science of Yoga article gives evidence from recent scientific studies about how yoga can affect the levels of cortisol in the body.   Practicing yoga can also increase levels of "feel-good" brain chemicals and boosts immune function.  Yoga can also reduce inflammation in the body, one of the main causes of disease.  Read more about The Science of Yoga here.

I love the way Stephen Cope, psychotherapist, author and director of the Institute for Extraordinary Living at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, explains the relationship between body and brain in the article:  “yogis came to believe that the mind and body are linked in every way, and indeed, that the mind is just a subtle form of the body, and the body a gross form of mind.” What we do for the one benefits the other. Read more about The Psychology of Yoga here.


Susan Reeves, MA,  E-RYT 500, teaches yoga in Highland Village, Flower Mound, and Lewisville areas of Texas.  She is also the co-founder of Yoga Bridge, a non-profit that offers free services to cancer patients/survivors.  Visit her web-site at www.susanreeves.com .