Yoga in the office workplace

YOGA IN THE OFFICE

Working in an office is something many people do. In the city it is the main source of employment for most people. Large buildings, shut off from the environment, windows locked and looking out at the world below. Once I worked in an office in Sydney, Australia that had the most beautiful view. Straight out over the harbour, opera house and Sydney harbour bridge just in front of me. But not at my fingers reach. I was not able to play in the most beautiful playground I could see before me.

This is where yoga is a very powerful tool in which people can bring themselves some much needed vitality and life. Most of the time people that work in offices are sitting in chairs. Instead of just sitting down, hunching over and starting your day try some awareness of where you are. Take a look at your chair and check to see if the height is correct for your height. It is good to have your feet just touching the ground, not so low that your legs are bent up around you. Just resting on the ground, a light pressure between the bottom of your foot and the floor.

Take the time to activate and cultivate uddiyana bandha, one of the energy locks in the body. Sitting at your chair, make sure your feet are next to each other and facing forward, the toes pointing directly ahead. Begin to draw your navel in toward your spine and hold it there are you start to breathe with awareness. Notice how your spine lengthens and your chest opens, magic huh!! Uddiyana bandha is one of the 3 energy locks of the body and it works just as well sitting in a chair in a big office as it does in a very spiritual yoga class. If we allow our energy to leak around the room rather than hold it within ourselves we can become tired quite quickly. With this awareness of uddiyana bandha and the hollowing of the lower belly we can combat some of the fatigue felt during a long day sitting at a desk in an office.

Now you are breathing with awareness and have cultivated uddiyana bandha by drawing your navel in toward your spine, try adding mulla bandha to this mix. It is amazing, believe me. Keep your navel in and now try to contact your pelvic floor and lift this awareness as you breathe in and out. 2 energy locks at once are better than one this is for sure. This awareness is not something you can hold all day so don’t give yourself a hard time if you find yourself slipping and letting go.

Starting the day like this, with a calm and centered awareness as you begin your day at the office can have startling effects on your mood and energy. Try it for a few days and notice the difference.

These energy locks are invaluable to someone working long days in an office and really, any day is a long day in an office!! Beginning like this will bring an awareness to your day that will surely carry the rest of the day forward. If you find yourself slipping and letting go just gently and surely re capture the holding and lifting we have been talking of.

You will feel your shoulders and chest open and the so often seen hunching over the computer or desk will exit from your days efforts. Just this will be a wonderful change and your feeling at the end of the day will definitely be less tired and happier.

Opening the heart should not only be in a yoga class but can carry through to a days work at the office. Imagine how wonderful it would be if each task you performed at work was through an open and illuminated heart. Your bosses would surely notice the difference and you never know where an open heart can lead you. You could find yourself loving your job as never before.

Yoga is not just for the yoga studio, it is a way of life and your work place is a big part of your life. Love yoga, love work.