For Workplace Stress Relief, Try These Simple Yoga Poses During Your Lunch Break

Many of our work days can be consumed with stress, deadlines, and accommodating others on our most vulnerable days. We experience hours of back pain from sitting at our desks for long periods, and tension in our legs as they lose oxygen and blood flow. It’s a good idea to take time out for ourselves at work in order to finish the rest of our shift.

Here are six simple yoga poses that can take just 10 minutes to do during your lunch break to give you the reset that your body needs.

The Child’s Pose (or Balasana) is achieved by planting the knees on a comfortable surface and resting the hips on your feet. According to yoga practitioners, a key aspect of this pose is to lay your forehead on the surface, or our “mat,” which allows our bodies to become heavy. This pose encourages fellow yogis to primarily focus on their breathing, opening of the hips, and releasing tension from several areas of the body. This beginning pose creates a moment for you to check-in with your body to see where the tension exists most, and it prepares us for a deeper practice, according to Yoga teacher and author Peter Sterios.

As stated by writers at Employee Wellness News, yogis can expect to gain strength throughout the upper body when doing the Downward Dogpose. As you plant our hands and feet at each end of your mat or other smooth and safe floor space, you’ll feel the stretch most in our hamstrings.

It’s acceptable to bend the knees or “walk it out.” Your body is now physically creating the letter ‘A,’ while using the strength in your arms and back to stay elevated. This pose is essential for relieving the ache and tension in your legs from spending the day in an office chair.

Dr. Ankit Sankhe at PharmEasy states that Chaturanga, also known as a “low plank” can reduce back pain and improving blood circulation.

It’s like a modified push-up position and you make use of your arms and your core when doing this pose.

The Upward Dog will create movement for your entire upper body. You’ll notice your spine begin to engage as each vertebrae evenly aligns with one another. Pushing through our DIY mat, or the ground in most cases, yogis say this is another great way to challenge your strength.

Be sure to let out any deep breaths here as it will truly feel like a reward. Take this moment to thank yourself for all that you’ve accomplished today, and for making time for yourself despite sharing eight hours with your colleagues.

Standing tall, reach our arms way overhead. This pose is completed by grabbing the wrist of the opposite arm. For the best experience, yogis at Ekhart Yogaencourage people to do this on both sides, and you’ll notice that you’re now forming a banana-like stance. An overall stretch of the upper body can release the tension you didn’t know you had.

Savasana is a simple and rewarding pose. As you lay on your back, put your hands on your sides and turn our palms upward, holding the position for about 60 seconds. According to yoga instructors, this allows you to be fully present with your body. It’s also a good time to acknowledge how you’re feeling emotionally.

At this point, you deserve a pat on the back for putting yourself first during your lunch break. Your body will surely thank you simply for taking care of yourself today. As the seasoned yogis say, “Namaste.”