Healthytarian Minutes with holistic teacher Evita Ochel. This episode demonstrates 3 easy yoga poses that can be done in a chair at work, or elsewhere, for stress relief and wellbeing.

Learn effective stress solutions to relieve your stress and anxiety with the MAP Yoga Path online video program.

Video Transcript:

While many yoga poses require a mat or a specific space, there are several poses that you can easily do right in your chair at work. Here are three such poses that you can do separately, or in the order presented, as a stress relieving sequence.

The Seated Forward Fold: Move your chair back from your desk so that you can comfortably bring your head down. Sit tall and upright with both feet on the floor, about hip-width apart. As you inhale, elongate your spine, and as you exhale bend at the hips and fold your torso over your legs. The belly rests on the thighs, the head and neck are down and fully relaxed, and your hands rest on the floor. Stay here, breathing deeply through the nose, for about 3 to 5 breaths. When you are ready to come up, engage your core and rise up on an inhale.

The Seated Twist: Sit tall and upright. As you inhale elongate your spine, and as you exhale, twist to the right, from belly, then chest, followed by your head. Bring your left hand to your right thigh or grab the right armrest. Stay here, breathing deeply through the nose, for about 3 to 5 breaths, and release back to center on an exhale. Repeat with the other side.

The Seated Backbend: Sit tall and upright. As you inhale, elongate the spine and reach all the way up to the ceiling with your arms open wide. As you exhale, lift your gaze to the ceiling and gently bend back from your upper back and chest. Avoid crunching your lower back. Stay here, breathing deeply through the nose, for about 3 to 5 breaths, and with an exhale come back to center and release the arms down.

Comments, Questions & Feedback

To share any comments, questions or feedback, please visit the video’s YouTube page.