Alarms, texts, emails, traffic, phone-calls, noise, bills, cash machines, queues, traffic, emails. Just an average few hours in your day? This is all too demanding and too distracting for one mind. Take a breather and find some time for yourself, no matter how busy your day is, take even just five minutes of quiet time.
You don’t need to be in a Yoga studio on a mat to practice Yoga. You can practice it anywhere. Yoga is a mind-body practice that combines physical poses, controlled breathing, and meditation or relaxation. Fitting these activities into your life can help reduce everyday stress and boost your energy and mood. Of course, all stress can`t be avoided, but you can counteract it by teaching yourself how to relax.
The best way to start and maintain a relaxation practice is to incorporate it into your daily routine. It can be tough to find the time in a busy schedule, and so many of these simple movements in the below video can be practiced while you’re doing other things. You can also try meditating while commuting to work on a bus or train, for example, or waiting for an appointment try some deep breathing. While you feel the calming effects of deep breaths and gentle Yoga movements, you will feel increased energy, focus and productivity throughout your day.
Start by bringing your awareness to your breath and letting go of everything else. Easier said than done right? Well, with practice, you can train your mind to become more focused as you breathe. Try to sit comfortably and let go of any tension in your body. You can do this by giving yourself a quick body scan, if you have tense hands, allow your fingers to hang loosely. Likewise, if your teeth are clenched, relax your jaw by separating your teeth.
Neck rolls – Slowly and mindfully move your head in a clockwise circle massaging all the muscles in your neck. Challenge yourself to go very slowly here. This is your time to go slow, there`s no rush. Synchronise your movements and your breath by inhaling as you roll back and exhaling as you come forward.
Spinal Movements – Inhale and move your chest forward while arching your spine. Exhale, tuck your chin and round your spine. The movement is all about flexing and extending your spine. We live in a seated society and our spines don’t get enough opportunity to move during the day. A strong supple spine is a healthy spine and that means a healthy nervous system. So get the spine moving every day!
Shoulder rolls – Inhale, bring your shoulders forward, up to your ears and exhale them down. This will help release tension or stiffness in the shoulders. Go slowly.
Spinal twists – These little twists are like a tonic, they wake you up and get the blood flowing to the spine. They improve lower back mobility and posture as long periods of sitting make these muscles short and tight. Inhale, lengthen up through the spine and exhale twist. You can hold the pose for five deep breaths on each side.
Try to squeeze in five minutes of Yoga a day. You can manage it somewhere along the way. It will improve your mood and increase your focus and concentration. After you get used to it, you will wonder how you ever managed without your sneaky Yoga fix.
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