By: Dr. Rita Khanna
Yoga for Deskjob People
Modern day life is full of stress and majority of us are affected. We have to cope with long hours of travelling and traffic jams & are exhausted by the time we reach office / home. Lot of us are into jobs which involve constant sitting in front of a desk/ computer for long hours, resulting in back pain, headaches, eye and neck strain and a host of other related conditions.
We don’t find time to relax and rejuvenate. Just taking a few minutes at the convenience of your office place without disturbing your work, you can do stretches at your desk, which can relieve stress, increase productivity and most importantly make you feel better. Following are few stretches exercises:
BODY POSTURE
Just sit with your back straight. Try to loosen the clothing that feels tight around your waist. Take your shoes off before starting these stretches in case you are wearing high heels.
1. SHOULDER ROTATION
• Keep both the hands on the respective shoulders, right hand on the right shoulder and left hand on the left shoulder. By keeping the hands on the shoulders rotate the arms & shoulders in a large circle. Try to touch the elbows in front of the chest.
• Do clockwise for eight to ten times and then anti clockwise for eight to ten times. Deeply inhale when the elbows move forward and exhale when the elbows move backwards.
2. CATCHING THE FINGERS LIKE A HOOK
• Bring both hands up to the level of the chest & catch them like a hook as in case of two friends meeting and shaking hands. Take a deep breath and pull the hands in opposite direction. Release the breath while lowering hands. Repeat this exercise eight to ten times.
• Repeat the same exercise behind the head also. Take a deep breath and pull the hands in opposite direction. Make sure your hands are not touching the head from behind. For relaxing or exhaling, bring the hands back over the head in the front every time. Repeat this exercise eight to ten times.
3. RELEASING THE PAIN AROUND THE NECK
• Lock the fingers of both the hands in such a way that the fingers remain on back side of the palms. Keep both the palms on lower part of the skull (the part from where the cervical vertebrae start and the skull ends). Both the elbows should remain parallel to the ground.
• Now exhale and bring both the elbows nearer to each other in front of the face by pressing your hands towards the head and head towards the hands.
• Inhale deeply and move the elbows away from each other and parallel to the ground as well as in line with the shoulders.
• Exhale each time when the elbows move forward and inhale when they move away from each other and on back side. Repeat this exercise eight to ten times.
4. PRESSING THE FINGERS
• Close the fists by keeping the thumbs inside the fingers and press on the thumbs as hard as you can. Then open the fists. After that close the fists by keeping the thumbs outside the fingers and then open it.
• Inhale at the time of closing the fist. Exhale at the time of opening the fist. Do this process eight to ten times by keeping the hands away from the chest.
5. COW FACE
• Take your right arm down over the right shoulder behind the head and bend it at the elbow on back and lower side. Then take the left hand on the low back side and then bend the elbow from below with hand upside. Make the hooks of the fingers and pull the hands in opposite direction. The upper elbow should remain exactly on the back side of the head so that it gives complete exercise to the cervical spine. Inhale deeply when you pull the hands. Relax the hands when you exhale.
• Then do the same exercise by bringing the left hand from above and the right hand from below.
• Those who can’t grasp the fingers can hold a thick handkerchief by the hand from above and lower end of the handkerchief from the hang below. Pull it. Try to bring the fingers of both the hands nearer to each other with the help of the handkerchief.
• Repeat it for 3-4 times each side. Try to remain in the position to the count of three breaths.
6. NECK EXERCISE
• Sit with keeping the back straight. Close the fist of the right hand with thumb inside. Keep the part of the bent fingers where you wear ring under the chin. Now press the chin upwards by the fist. Head will move upwards. Then make a hook of the index finger. Keep it on the chin and press it downwards towards the chest. Inhale when you press upwards and exhale when you press downwards. Do it eight to ten times.
• Very slowly rotate the head first on the right side and then on the left side. Inhale deeply when the neck moves on the right side and comes in the line of right shoulder and exhale when it returns to front side position. Inhale when it moves on the left side and exhale when it returns to front side gradually. Repeat this exercise eight to ten times in total that is four to five times each side. Now relax the neck.
• Thereafter bring the right ear up to the right shoulder and then the left ear to the left shoulder. Repeat this exercise eight to ten times in total that is four to five times each side. Now relax the neck.
• Now rotate the head and neck from right side. In this tilt the head first on the right side then on the back side then on the left side and in front last. This would complete one rotation. Repeat four to five times very gently and without any stress. Do it in reverse direction also that is starting it from the left side. Repeat four to five times without hurrying.
• Rub the hands & massage the neck with warm hands nicely.
7. BLINKING AND PALMING
• Blinking and palming are very good exercises to relax the tired eyes. They eliminate eye strain instantly.
• Close and open both the eyes very quickly eight to ten times. This process is called ‘Blinking’.
• Thereafter rub both the palms of the hand together vigorously so that they become warm. Then put hollow of the palms on closed eyes gently for few seconds. Feel the warmth & energy from your palms into the eyes. Do three -five times. Then slowly open your eyes. This process is called ‘Palming’
8. STRETCHING THE WHOLE BODY
• Stand straight with feet together or apart slightly. Raise your arms over the head. Interlock your fingers & keep your palms up towards the sky. While inhaling stretch the whole body on the toes. Maintain the balance. While exhaling come back. Do 3-5 times.
9. RELAX INSTANTLY DURING BREAKS -METHOD
• Concentrate on your breathing…..
• Slowly inhale through the nose…
• Exhale completely and very slowly through your mouth…
• Place your left palm on your belly…
• Observe that your hand is moving forward while breathing in…and going inward while breathing out…
• Breathe out twice the duration of breathing in…
• Inhale and count 4 mentally…
• Count 8 while breathing out… Next time increase the duration in the same ratio.
• Do it for at least five minutes.
• As you practice, you will find it more and more effective in keeping you relaxed, when you are stressed…
