Mar 26, 2012
Your greatest power is in the present moment. Don't jump out of present moment if you can help it. If you mind wanders gentle call it back like you are calling a small child. Do what you can in the present moment. Accomplish tasks with a single minded focus. Katheryn Hoban
Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts
Monday, March 26, 2012
Friday, May 2, 2008
How to Do Some Easy Chair Yoga Stretches
Mar 26, 2012
We are under the gun and deal with more stress each and every day. More deadlines keep us confined to our desk chair and much of the day to day activities of business are being conducted via e-mail, the computer-fax, the palm pilot, texting via phone, or blackberry, video conferencing, telecommuting, there are various updates, and a constant exchange of data and very little time for breaks and then many of us are eating our lunch without ever leaving our desk.
It’s no wonder that we have more complaints than ever about poor circulation, aching back, stiff neck, tired legs, and the lack of mobility, flexibility, and an unfocused mind. We never leave our desk or that office chair!
Well good news for you. I have a few great stretches that can be done in the chair or in and around the chair. It takes anywhere from 3-7 minutes of your time. Do you think you can spare a few minutes? Great! Let’s get started. Over the next few weeks I’m going to show you many easy stretches that you can do right at your desk. Let’s start with some:
easy and good ones for the back:
Easy back stretches:
(Spinal Twist)
Step One: Push your chair back from your desk for the time of stretching.
Step Two: Uncross your legs and sit with your legs slightly open, which is chair or hip width. Put your feet solidly on the ground. Your hands can rest on the tops of your thighs for now. During the stretching please breathe in and out through your nose only.
Step Three: Take your LEFT hand and cross it to your right knee. Now take your right hand and hold firmly to the back of the chair. Push your left hand against your right knee, and twist your body. You will look over your right shoulder. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breath in and out only through your nose. Release and put your hands back on your legs
Switch Sides--
Step Four: Take your RIGHT hand and cross it to your Left knee. Now take your Left hand and hold firmly to the back of the chair. Push your right hand against your left knee, and twist your body. You will look over your left shoulder. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breath in and out only through your nose as you can. Release and put your hands back on your legs. You can repeat for as long as you need to. It helps to release the spine and back.
New Stretch:
(Bending to the Side)
Step One: Sit with your legs slightly open, which is chair or hip width. Put your feet solidly on the ground
Step Two: Take your RIGHT hand and place it on the chair seat beside your leg. Hold on to what you find there. You may have to shift in your seat to get some chair space on the side of you.
Step Three: Take your Left hand and arm, and bring it over your head towards your right side. Bending now to the right, and extending your arm and palm of your hand down towards the floor near your RIGHT side. You are stretching the left side of your body and back with this stretch by bending over to the right. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breath in and out only through your nose. Release and put your hands back on your legs. You can repeat for as long as you need to.
Switch Sides--
Step Four: Take your LEFT hand and place it on the chair seat beside your leg. Hold on to what you find there. You may have to shift in your seat to get some chair space on the side of you.
Step Five: Take your Right hand and arm, and bring it over your head towards your left side. Bending now to the left, and extending your arm and palm of your hand down towards the floor near your LEFT side. You are stretching the right side of your body and back with this stretch by bending over to the left. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breath in and out only through your nose as you can. Release and put your hands back on your legs. You can repeat for as long as you need to.
Let’s proceed with one more stretch for today. We will maintain and use the same sitting position.
New Stretch:
(Stretch your arms upward and interlock your hands over your head)
Step One: Lift your arms over your head and extend them upward as far as you can. Interlock your fingers. With your fingers clasped stretch from side to side as you breathe in and out through the nose. As you can. Do that several times back and forth from the right to left.
Step Two: Now stop your arms in the middle (arms still upward with your fingers still interlocked above your head.) Lean your arms and hands backward and push your chest slightly forward. Hold for a few seconds. Release.
Ahhh!! Doesn’t that feel better already?! By now with these simple stretches you got some blood flowing. That is one of the key points. It’s very important to leave your desk once and awhile too. Continue breathing and get that oxygen to your belly if you can.
Until next time. This is Yoga Kat
We are under the gun and deal with more stress each and every day. More deadlines keep us confined to our desk chair and much of the day to day activities of business are being conducted via e-mail, the computer-fax, the palm pilot, texting via phone, or blackberry, video conferencing, telecommuting, there are various updates, and a constant exchange of data and very little time for breaks and then many of us are eating our lunch without ever leaving our desk.
It’s no wonder that we have more complaints than ever about poor circulation, aching back, stiff neck, tired legs, and the lack of mobility, flexibility, and an unfocused mind. We never leave our desk or that office chair!
Well good news for you. I have a few great stretches that can be done in the chair or in and around the chair. It takes anywhere from 3-7 minutes of your time. Do you think you can spare a few minutes? Great! Let’s get started. Over the next few weeks I’m going to show you many easy stretches that you can do right at your desk. Let’s start with some:
easy and good ones for the back:
Easy back stretches:
(Spinal Twist)
Step One: Push your chair back from your desk for the time of stretching.
Step Two: Uncross your legs and sit with your legs slightly open, which is chair or hip width. Put your feet solidly on the ground. Your hands can rest on the tops of your thighs for now. During the stretching please breathe in and out through your nose only.
Step Three: Take your LEFT hand and cross it to your right knee. Now take your right hand and hold firmly to the back of the chair. Push your left hand against your right knee, and twist your body. You will look over your right shoulder. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breath in and out only through your nose. Release and put your hands back on your legs
Switch Sides--
Step Four: Take your RIGHT hand and cross it to your Left knee. Now take your Left hand and hold firmly to the back of the chair. Push your right hand against your left knee, and twist your body. You will look over your left shoulder. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breath in and out only through your nose as you can. Release and put your hands back on your legs. You can repeat for as long as you need to. It helps to release the spine and back.
New Stretch:
(Bending to the Side)
Step One: Sit with your legs slightly open, which is chair or hip width. Put your feet solidly on the ground
Step Two: Take your RIGHT hand and place it on the chair seat beside your leg. Hold on to what you find there. You may have to shift in your seat to get some chair space on the side of you.
Step Three: Take your Left hand and arm, and bring it over your head towards your right side. Bending now to the right, and extending your arm and palm of your hand down towards the floor near your RIGHT side. You are stretching the left side of your body and back with this stretch by bending over to the right. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breath in and out only through your nose. Release and put your hands back on your legs. You can repeat for as long as you need to.
Switch Sides--
Step Four: Take your LEFT hand and place it on the chair seat beside your leg. Hold on to what you find there. You may have to shift in your seat to get some chair space on the side of you.
Step Five: Take your Right hand and arm, and bring it over your head towards your left side. Bending now to the left, and extending your arm and palm of your hand down towards the floor near your LEFT side. You are stretching the right side of your body and back with this stretch by bending over to the left. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breath in and out only through your nose as you can. Release and put your hands back on your legs. You can repeat for as long as you need to.
Let’s proceed with one more stretch for today. We will maintain and use the same sitting position.
New Stretch:
(Stretch your arms upward and interlock your hands over your head)
Step One: Lift your arms over your head and extend them upward as far as you can. Interlock your fingers. With your fingers clasped stretch from side to side as you breathe in and out through the nose. As you can. Do that several times back and forth from the right to left.
Step Two: Now stop your arms in the middle (arms still upward with your fingers still interlocked above your head.) Lean your arms and hands backward and push your chest slightly forward. Hold for a few seconds. Release.
Ahhh!! Doesn’t that feel better already?! By now with these simple stretches you got some blood flowing. That is one of the key points. It’s very important to leave your desk once and awhile too. Continue breathing and get that oxygen to your belly if you can.
Until next time. This is Yoga Kat
Good Yoga Chair Stretches for your Hip and Legs
These modified yoga stretches are designed in and around the chair for the less mobile but they can work for anyone who is confined to the desk for long periods of time. Of course I suggest that you get up and leave the desk stretch and breath at least ten minutes per day. If you can’t leave your desk for that period of time these modified yoga stretches for the chair are a very good alternative. They offer strength, balance, flexibility and an opportunity to stretch your tired muscles and clear your mind and refocus on the important tasks at hand.
So let’s begin. The best chair to use for these modified yoga stretches would be a straight back chair, without wheels, and without arms. The chair should be sturdy and stable. A folding chair that is fairly sturdy would also work well. Our starting point as usual is described in step one and two.
Step One: Push your chair back from your desk for the time of stretching.
Step Two: Uncross your legs and sit with your legs slightly open, which is chair or hip width. Put your feet solidly on the ground. Your hands can rest on the tops of your thighs for now. During the stretching please breathe in and out through your nose as best you can.
The first one offers you arm strength. It’s very simple to get there but not so easy to hold yourself up. But let’s try to do just that.
(Modified Incline Plane)
Step Three: Push your body slightly away from the chair back. Next
extend your legs out in front of you, and keep your feet shoulder width or chair width apart.
Step Four: Hold onto the chair seat close to your hips. Brace yourself, because you are going to lift your hips off the chair seat. When you lift up your body you are taking your body weight onto your arms which strengthens the arms and shoulders.
Step Five: Lean your head back and fully extend your legs. Keep your hips off the seat. You are now getting the full benefit of the modified incline plane. Hold the position as long as you can but I suggest that you hold the pose for about ten to twenty five seconds. Hold the pose Longer if you have stamina.
Step Six: Release the pose and sit back down on the seat and rest.
Step Seven: You can repeat this exercise as many times as is convenient.
New Stretch:
(Hip Stretch)
Step One: Go back to the original sitting position. During the stretching please do the best you can to breathe in and out through your nose only.
Step Two: We are now going to stretch the hips and legs. Take your RIGHT foot and ankle and place it across your LEFT knee. Now you are going to lean forward and down over your crossed leg. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breathe in and out only through your nose.
Step Three: Lift your body up. For an added stretch you can press your RIGHT elbow down on your RIGHT knee as you lean over.
Step Four: Release your foot and place it back on the floor.
Switch Sides-
Step Five: Take your LEFT foot and ankle and place it across your RIGHT knee. Now you are going to lean forward and down over your crossed leg. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breathe in and out only through your nose.
Step Six: Release your foot and place it back on the floor. Breathe!!
New Stretch:
(Modified forward Bend and Leg Stretch)
For this exercise you need enough space in front of you so that you will be able to fully extend your leg forward. For this exercise you may also want to have available a strap, belt, or towel. The strap should be firm and not have any bounce or give to it. I’ll show you how to use it in just a moment.
Step One: Bring your Right knee into your chest and grab hold with your hands. This helps to stretch the hip and hamstring, (back of your leg.) Hold this for 5-15 seconds.
Step Two: Next try to brace your left elbow and arm on your left knee if you can reach. This helps to hold your leg out in front of you. Stretch your right leg out in front of you. Keep the level of your leg close to your knee height of the other leg. So your leg is straight out in front of you. Your left arm can be resting on your left leg for support. You lean over towards the knees. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Come out.
The Alternative Pose with help from the Strap Or Belt: When you use a strap or belt the idea is to get leverage on the stretch. It can assist you if you are not so flexible or your strength is not too developed.
The width of the strap or belt can be approximately half of an inch to about two inches wide, and the length should be about three feet long to longer. Roll your towel length wise to accommodate the 2 inch width and three feet length. If you are at home you can also use a pillow case that doesn’t have any give. Roll up the towel or the pillow case as described.
In the extended leg position that we are discussing you can hold firmly each end of the strap in each hand. Place your foot in the middle of the strap and press your foot out against the strap or belt and bend your body forward towards your knee. In this case you are pulling on the strap ends as you pull yourself towards your foot. The height position of the extended leg is still at the same the level of the resting knee.
Step Three: At this point your leg is extended out in front of you either by you holding onto your leg, or holding onto the ends of the straps. Next, start bringing your leg upward towards your face or head. This is a great stretch for your back, the back of the legs and calf muscles. Release.
Switch Sides:
Step Four: First position is to bring your left knee into your chest and grab hold with your hands. This helps to stretch the hip and hamstring, (back of your leg.) Hold this for 5-15 seconds.
Step Five: Stretch your left leg out in front of you. By either holding onto your leg or using your strap as previously described. Keep the level of your leg close to your knee height of the other leg. So your leg is straight out in front of you. Your right arm can be resting on your right leg for support. Lean over towards the knees. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds.
Step Six: At this point your leg is extended out in front of you either by you holding onto your leg, or holding onto the ends of the straps. Next, start bringing your leg upward towards your face or head. This is a great stretch for your back, the back of the legs and calf muscles. Release! Come out and relax! Good job!
I think that is all for today. I hope that you are enjoying our modified chair yoga stretches. More importantly you are stretching muscles that may have been frozen for a very long time. It’s going to take some time to get your flexibility back if you haven’t moved for a long time. But don’t lose hope. This is a very good start. Until next time.
So let’s begin. The best chair to use for these modified yoga stretches would be a straight back chair, without wheels, and without arms. The chair should be sturdy and stable. A folding chair that is fairly sturdy would also work well. Our starting point as usual is described in step one and two.
Step One: Push your chair back from your desk for the time of stretching.
Step Two: Uncross your legs and sit with your legs slightly open, which is chair or hip width. Put your feet solidly on the ground. Your hands can rest on the tops of your thighs for now. During the stretching please breathe in and out through your nose as best you can.
The first one offers you arm strength. It’s very simple to get there but not so easy to hold yourself up. But let’s try to do just that.
(Modified Incline Plane)
Step Three: Push your body slightly away from the chair back. Next
extend your legs out in front of you, and keep your feet shoulder width or chair width apart.
Step Four: Hold onto the chair seat close to your hips. Brace yourself, because you are going to lift your hips off the chair seat. When you lift up your body you are taking your body weight onto your arms which strengthens the arms and shoulders.
Step Five: Lean your head back and fully extend your legs. Keep your hips off the seat. You are now getting the full benefit of the modified incline plane. Hold the position as long as you can but I suggest that you hold the pose for about ten to twenty five seconds. Hold the pose Longer if you have stamina.
Step Six: Release the pose and sit back down on the seat and rest.
Step Seven: You can repeat this exercise as many times as is convenient.
New Stretch:
(Hip Stretch)
Step One: Go back to the original sitting position. During the stretching please do the best you can to breathe in and out through your nose only.
Step Two: We are now going to stretch the hips and legs. Take your RIGHT foot and ankle and place it across your LEFT knee. Now you are going to lean forward and down over your crossed leg. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breathe in and out only through your nose.
Step Three: Lift your body up. For an added stretch you can press your RIGHT elbow down on your RIGHT knee as you lean over.
Step Four: Release your foot and place it back on the floor.
Switch Sides-
Step Five: Take your LEFT foot and ankle and place it across your RIGHT knee. Now you are going to lean forward and down over your crossed leg. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breathe in and out only through your nose.
Step Six: Release your foot and place it back on the floor. Breathe!!
New Stretch:
(Modified forward Bend and Leg Stretch)
For this exercise you need enough space in front of you so that you will be able to fully extend your leg forward. For this exercise you may also want to have available a strap, belt, or towel. The strap should be firm and not have any bounce or give to it. I’ll show you how to use it in just a moment.
Step One: Bring your Right knee into your chest and grab hold with your hands. This helps to stretch the hip and hamstring, (back of your leg.) Hold this for 5-15 seconds.
Step Two: Next try to brace your left elbow and arm on your left knee if you can reach. This helps to hold your leg out in front of you. Stretch your right leg out in front of you. Keep the level of your leg close to your knee height of the other leg. So your leg is straight out in front of you. Your left arm can be resting on your left leg for support. You lean over towards the knees. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Come out.
The Alternative Pose with help from the Strap Or Belt: When you use a strap or belt the idea is to get leverage on the stretch. It can assist you if you are not so flexible or your strength is not too developed.
The width of the strap or belt can be approximately half of an inch to about two inches wide, and the length should be about three feet long to longer. Roll your towel length wise to accommodate the 2 inch width and three feet length. If you are at home you can also use a pillow case that doesn’t have any give. Roll up the towel or the pillow case as described.
In the extended leg position that we are discussing you can hold firmly each end of the strap in each hand. Place your foot in the middle of the strap and press your foot out against the strap or belt and bend your body forward towards your knee. In this case you are pulling on the strap ends as you pull yourself towards your foot. The height position of the extended leg is still at the same the level of the resting knee.
Step Three: At this point your leg is extended out in front of you either by you holding onto your leg, or holding onto the ends of the straps. Next, start bringing your leg upward towards your face or head. This is a great stretch for your back, the back of the legs and calf muscles. Release.
Switch Sides:
Step Four: First position is to bring your left knee into your chest and grab hold with your hands. This helps to stretch the hip and hamstring, (back of your leg.) Hold this for 5-15 seconds.
Step Five: Stretch your left leg out in front of you. By either holding onto your leg or using your strap as previously described. Keep the level of your leg close to your knee height of the other leg. So your leg is straight out in front of you. Your right arm can be resting on your right leg for support. Lean over towards the knees. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds.
Step Six: At this point your leg is extended out in front of you either by you holding onto your leg, or holding onto the ends of the straps. Next, start bringing your leg upward towards your face or head. This is a great stretch for your back, the back of the legs and calf muscles. Release! Come out and relax! Good job!
I think that is all for today. I hope that you are enjoying our modified chair yoga stretches. More importantly you are stretching muscles that may have been frozen for a very long time. It’s going to take some time to get your flexibility back if you haven’t moved for a long time. But don’t lose hope. This is a very good start. Until next time.
EFFECTIVE YOGA TRICEPS AND SHOULDERS STRETCHES
While you’re sitting or standing you can stretch your arms and shoulders. If you are lifting weights this is always a good idea to stretch the muscles that you just worked out.
For this article we will continue to use the picture of someone who is seated. Now we are going to stretch the Triceps (backside of the arms) and the top of the shoulder.
(Tricep Stretch)
Step One: Push your chair back from your desk for the time of stretching.
Step Two: Uncross your legs and sit with your legs slightly open, which is chair or hip width. Put your feet solidly on the ground. Your hands can rest on the tops of your thighs for now. During the stretching please breathe in and out through your nose only.
Step Three: Take your RIGHT hand and fold it back on the shoulder blade of the same arm. Your elbow is pointing up and your hand is resting on the shoulder but more towards the back. Use your LEFT hand and take a hold of the elbow. Pull the elbow straight back towards your back. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breath in and out only through your nose. Release and put your hands back on your legs.
Switch Sides-
Step Four: Take your LEFT hand and fold it back on the shoulder blade of the same arm. Your elbow is pointing up and your hand is resting on the shoulder but more towards the back. Use your RIGHT hand and take a hold of the elbow. Pull the elbow straight back towards your back. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breath in and out only through your nose. Release and put your hands back on your legs.
New Stretch:
(Shoulder and Tricep Stretch)
Step One: Take your RIGHT arm and stretch it across your chest and extend it past your Left shoulder. Take your LEFT HAND and grab hold of the extended arm close to the elbow and pull it in towards the chest. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breath in and out only through your nose. Release and put your hands back on your legs.
Switch Sides-
Step Two: Take your RIGHT arm and stretch it across your chest and extend it past your Left shoulder. Take your LEFT HAND and grab hold of the extended arm close to the elbow and pull it in towards the chest. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breath in and out only through your nose. Release and put your hands back on your legs.
New Stretch:
(Tricep and Shoulder Stretch with Your Fingers Interlocked Behind Your Back)
Step One: For this stretch a straight backed chair without arms is necessary. You are going to change your seating position and swivel your body and legs to the right or left so that the back of the chair is now resting against the side of your body, and elbows. Now your arms are free. With your arms clear of the back of the chair you are going to interlock your hands behind your back over the side of the chair. With your arms interlocked you are going to lift them up as high as you can to the ceiling. Do this without bending your body over. Don’t let your head drop, keep it up.
The upward lift of the arms is a great stretch for the arms, triceps, shoulders, and chest.
Step Two: Now as best you can with your arms still pressing upward and the fingers still interlocked behind your back, you are going to swing your hands and arms to the right and left of your body. Move your arms back and forth which greatly adds to the stretch and releases any built up tension there in your arms and shoulders.
Step Three: Stop moving your arms back and forth. Now we are going to lean over the body still with the hands interlocked behind you. Try to press your arms straight up in the back of you as you lean your body down over your legs. Let your head down now to relax the neck muscles. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breath in and out only through your nose. Release and put your hands back on your legs.
These stretches are mostly warm up stretches but if your have tight arms and shoulders muscles doing just these are very effective. You’re done! That’s today’s lesson.
For this article we will continue to use the picture of someone who is seated. Now we are going to stretch the Triceps (backside of the arms) and the top of the shoulder.
(Tricep Stretch)
Step One: Push your chair back from your desk for the time of stretching.
Step Two: Uncross your legs and sit with your legs slightly open, which is chair or hip width. Put your feet solidly on the ground. Your hands can rest on the tops of your thighs for now. During the stretching please breathe in and out through your nose only.
Step Three: Take your RIGHT hand and fold it back on the shoulder blade of the same arm. Your elbow is pointing up and your hand is resting on the shoulder but more towards the back. Use your LEFT hand and take a hold of the elbow. Pull the elbow straight back towards your back. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breath in and out only through your nose. Release and put your hands back on your legs.
Switch Sides-
Step Four: Take your LEFT hand and fold it back on the shoulder blade of the same arm. Your elbow is pointing up and your hand is resting on the shoulder but more towards the back. Use your RIGHT hand and take a hold of the elbow. Pull the elbow straight back towards your back. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breath in and out only through your nose. Release and put your hands back on your legs.
New Stretch:
(Shoulder and Tricep Stretch)
Step One: Take your RIGHT arm and stretch it across your chest and extend it past your Left shoulder. Take your LEFT HAND and grab hold of the extended arm close to the elbow and pull it in towards the chest. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breath in and out only through your nose. Release and put your hands back on your legs.
Switch Sides-
Step Two: Take your RIGHT arm and stretch it across your chest and extend it past your Left shoulder. Take your LEFT HAND and grab hold of the extended arm close to the elbow and pull it in towards the chest. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breath in and out only through your nose. Release and put your hands back on your legs.
New Stretch:
(Tricep and Shoulder Stretch with Your Fingers Interlocked Behind Your Back)
Step One: For this stretch a straight backed chair without arms is necessary. You are going to change your seating position and swivel your body and legs to the right or left so that the back of the chair is now resting against the side of your body, and elbows. Now your arms are free. With your arms clear of the back of the chair you are going to interlock your hands behind your back over the side of the chair. With your arms interlocked you are going to lift them up as high as you can to the ceiling. Do this without bending your body over. Don’t let your head drop, keep it up.
The upward lift of the arms is a great stretch for the arms, triceps, shoulders, and chest.
Step Two: Now as best you can with your arms still pressing upward and the fingers still interlocked behind your back, you are going to swing your hands and arms to the right and left of your body. Move your arms back and forth which greatly adds to the stretch and releases any built up tension there in your arms and shoulders.
Step Three: Stop moving your arms back and forth. Now we are going to lean over the body still with the hands interlocked behind you. Try to press your arms straight up in the back of you as you lean your body down over your legs. Let your head down now to relax the neck muscles. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breath in and out only through your nose. Release and put your hands back on your legs.
These stretches are mostly warm up stretches but if your have tight arms and shoulders muscles doing just these are very effective. You’re done! That’s today’s lesson.
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