I have not done much on yoga recently and I thought that this would be a useful post as it is something that helps me so hopefully will help you too. I have spent a lot of my life working at a desk and a computer and have a really bad habit of leaning forward and hunching my shoulders. As a result I have serious shoulder tension that has caused me loads of problems.
Practising yoga on a regular basis I have noticed certain poses that really help to squeeze the tension out of my shoulders and upper back (which is so bad) and have thought about how these could translate into the working day. These little exercises can be done at your desk when you need a break and if you practise them a couple of times a day you they are sure to help reduce the tension.
Seated Cat-Cow Pose
I am not sure if this is an official yoga pose but I love the way it feels and the name describes exactly what it is, so here is how to do it.
1. Sit up straight in your chair and place both of your feet flat on the floor. You want to keep a firm base and particularly do not want to put any stress on your lower back so lock on your lower abdominals and keep this area firm. This should mean that any movement comes from the upper and mid back and not the lower back.
2. As you inhale, arch your back in your chair, ensuring there is little or no bend in the lower back. Everyone will feel this in a different place and so try and breath into the area where you fell tension.
3. As you exhale, keep your lower abdominals locked on and round the back, bringing the chin down to the chest.
4. Continue to move between arching and rounding your back with your breath for 1-2 minutes.
