The stress of your new job getting too much for you? Or do you spend a tedious amount of time in front of your office PC, willing the hours away?

Yoga, an ancient meditation from the East is best practised on a mat in a calm place, but given our hectic lifestyles, and how much time we spend at our desks, it's also an art that can be done at work. Use it to ease tension headaches and back pain due to prolonged hours sitting at a desk.

The exercises are simple and they use the props around you — your desk, chair, stapler even — as part of your exercise session. Besides being simple and convenient to do, office yoga also:

  • relieves tension and increases flexibility
  • strengthens the muscles
  • decreases anxiety and depression
  • improves concentration and memory
  • requires minimal effort and is very relaxing.

    Diana Fairechild, an author of self-help yoga books, has perfected the practice of office yoga, and has come up with a few easy techniques to start off with, with the first one being the Telecom Twist:

    Telecom Twist

  • Start off by sitting with equal weight supported by both sides of your bum
  • Straighten out your back and place your feet flat on the ground, directly under your knees
  • Make sure that both your arms are relaxed at your sides
  • Inhale deeply and cross your right leg over your left
  • Your left hand rests on your right knee or thigh
  • Exhale as your right hand reaches behind and grabs the back of your chair
  • Twist to the right, your body first and your head last
  • Exhale and stretch your spine upwards, and deepen the twist with each exhalation
  • Balance with a Telecom Twist to the left.

    Optimum desk set-up

    Cyndi Lee, author of 'OM Yoga: A Guide to Daily Practice', says that depending on your desk set-up, clothing, and the level of comfort with your co-workers, you can practically do an entire yoga practice at your desk. Here's how:

  • Begin by sitting on the edge of a chair with your feet placed squarely on the floor about hip distance apart
  • Place your palms flat on your thighs, and feel the length in your spine — head balanced over heart, heart balanced over hips
  • Inhale and exhale evenly for five counts each. Repeat as many times as you'd like.

    This exercise can relieve tension headaches and stress pains felt in the upper shoulders.

    The key to practising any type of yoga is to keep your breathing stable and take deep, slow breathes, by inhaling from your belly region — don't make the mistake of taking small, shallow breaths.

    If your breathing is not correct, it defeats the purpose of the exercise.

    To benefit from the full effects of yoga, it’s important to keep your movements slow and controlled. Also, take time to focus your energy on your self, body and spirit.

    Remember, yoga is a meditation technique, so allow yourself a few minutes alone before starting your routine.

    The art of yoga takes time, and learning the practice is not going to make you an expert overnight. The best part about it is learning to enjoy it as something new and exciting, and it’s also a way of having some exclusive "me" time.

    Click here for more office yoga routines.

    For an illustrative and easy to follow take on office yoga, order 'Office Yoga: 75 Simple Stretches For Busy People' by Darrin Zeer and Michael Klein.

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