relaxing: 6 Relaxing Yoga Poses You Can Do at the Office or at Home

Relaxing yoga poses are probably one of the best workouts to deal with stress. Whether you work from home or the office, it is highly likely that you experience stress from time to time.

Yoga is beneficial for increasing your energy and relieving shoulders or lower back pain, and more importantly, just relaxing and letting go. There are many exercises you can perform easily, whether you are at home or in the office. Use simple yoga poses to relax your muscles when you've been sitting for too long and need a stretch break.

Stretching for a short while can boost productivity, reduce stress, and most importantly, make you feel better. The desk-friendly stretches listed below can help you relax your body and mind and counteract the negative effects of prolonged sitting. The best part is that these stretches are all designed to be done while sitting on a chair. You won't even have to get up or crease your clothes.

Relaxing Yoga Poses You Can Do at the Office or at Home

Check out the following relaxing yoga poses you can easily do at home or in the office:

1) Cat Cow Pose

The cat-cow yoga pose at your desk is useful for releasing tension in your upper back, shoulders, and neck. Spinal flexion and extensions are used in this movement to loosen up tight muscles and increase flexibility and mobility.

Here's how you can do this yoga pose:

Place both feet firmly on the ground.
Kneel with your hands at your sides.
Look up and toward the ceiling as you inhale while arching your back.
Round your spine as you exhale and allow your head to droop.
For three to five breaths, repeat the process.

2) Seated Backbend Pose

This simple yoga pose will help you relieve the spine of all the stress it has been carrying for you all day long. This pose will also massage your belly gently and strengthen your immune system.

Instructions:

Your feet should be on the ground as you sit at the front edge of the chair.
Your spine should be straight, not curved, and your back should be away from the chair.
Lean forward and grab the chair's back with your back-facing arms.
Try to maintain as much elbow straightness as you can.
As you inhale, pull your shoulder blades back and pay attention to how your shoulders loosen up in the pose.
Release the pose when you're ready, then sit up straight.

3) Seated Spinal Twist

Spending a lot of time sitting can cause the muscles in the trunk to tighten and become weak, which reduces the range of motion. This yoga pose can help counteract its effects.

Here's how you can do this yoga pose:

Turn around so that you are perpendicular to the chair.
Place both feet firmly on the ground.
While swiveling toward the chair's back, grasp the back with both hands.
To perform the twist on the other side of the chair, turn yourself 180 degrees so that you are facing that side.

4) Stork Pose

Your hamstrings and glutes weaken and your hips tighten naturally after a long day of sitting. Try this yoga pose to loosen up these body parts for better flexibility and mobility.

Instructions:

Hold your desk or chair while standing in front of it for support.
Lift your right knee and hold it in place with your right hand while keeping your feet firmly planted on the ground.
During this stretch, take a few breaths.
Pull your belly in, point your tailbone in the direction of your heel, and lengthen your right knee into the floor as you inhale.
By raising your left leg, you can add a simple balance element.
Exhale and repeat on your opposite side.

5) Seated Eagle Pose

The exercise's balance component is gone with the seated eagle pose, but the hips, thighs, and shoulders are still stretched. This will help you relieve muscle tension from these body parts.

Here's how you can do this yoga pose:

Overlap your right and left legs.
If you can, encircle your left calf with your right foot.
Parallel to the floor, extend your arms out to the sides.
Crossing your left arm over your right arm, bring your palms together as you bring your arms forward.
While keeping your shoulders from sagging down your back, lift your elbows.
The left arm should now be placed over the right.

6) Seated Forward Bend

This yoga pose is very effective at releasing tension and tightness in the shoulders. Your neck, hips, and upper and lower back pain and strain are also reduced by performing this particular exercise.

Instructions:

Push your chair back so that there is sufficient space in your front.
Place both feet firmly on the ground.
Put your fingers together behind your back.
Draw your interlaced fingers down and straighten your arms as much as you can.
Bring your interlaced hands over your back while bending at the waist.
Place your thighs under your chest and relax your neck.

Takeaway

All day, we accumulate stiffness and tension in our body and muscles. Stretching and moving during breaks can help counteract these effects, enhancing joint fluid secretions and posture. Performing the above mentioned Asanas can help you relax, no matter where you are. For more relaxing exercises, check out our article on yoga poses for deeper relaxation.