Breathe
deep.
Sounds
easy, doesn't it? But in offices all over the Triad, folks
are holding their breath. They're waiting for the next round
of layoffs, the next hiring freeze. They're not waiting
to exhale - they're forgetting to exhale.
Even
if we're not living in fear, the day-to-day nature of much
of our work can take a toll. According to Real Age, a Web
site devoted to health and wellness issues, people begin
to breathe faster and more shallowly when they type at a
keyboard or use a mouse. Shallow, rapid breathing increases
muscle tension. Tense muscles can, in turn, increase the
likelihood of repetitive stress injuries, such as carpal
tunnel syndrome.
All
right, everybody. Exhale.
Even
when we remember to breathe, we still slump forward in our
chairs, crane our necks out toward our computer screens.
We let our chests cave in, and our upper backs round over.
In this position we couldn't breathe if we tried.
OK,
workers of the Triad. It's time to unwind, de-stress, bend,
stretch and fill your body and brain with revivifying breath
and - prana. Yogic prana is comparable to chi in Chinese
medicine or energy in Western medicine. It is the force
that animates us. In many ways it is life itself.
This
simple series of exercises is a nearly-complete Yoga practice
- pranayama, back bend, lateral bend, forward fold, spinal
twist and relaxation -that you can do in your office or
on an airplane. You can use one or all of these exercises
any time you feel tense or stressed, and you will immediately
feel calmer, more centered in yourself and more present
for your life.
(1)
Breathe deeply (pranayama) In the privacy of your
office, sit on the edge of your chair with your sit bones
in firm contact with the seat. As you inhale, lengthen the
crown of your head toward the ceiling and feel your spine
lengthen; simultaneously, draw your shoulders back and feel
your chest (heart chakra) open.
As
you exhale, draw your belly button toward your spine and
engage the muscles of your lower belly to expel all the
air from your body. Then, release the abdominal muscles
and breathe deeply into the belly, the chest and the upper
chest for a count of 5. Exhale slowly, also for 5 counts,
again drawing your belly button toward your spine and engaging
the muscles of your lower belly to press all the air out
of your body.
Do
this 5 times as you replace worrisome thoughts with simple
thoughts of "breath-in, breath-out." With mindful breathing,
we make space in the body, mind and heart for peace and
health to enter.
(2)
Arm & Shoulder Stretch Still sitting at the edge
of your chair with your back straight, sweep your arms overhead.
Take your left wrist in your right hand (right thumb is
forward on the inside of your left wrist). On an inhalation,
reach up as far as you can; exhale as you tilt your body
to the right, turn your left armpit toward the ceiling and
gaze up past your left elbow. Take a few breaths here, change
hands/wrists and practice on the other side.
(3)
Supported Back Bend This requires a chair with
a low-to-medium-high stationary back, instead of a regular
office chair. FIND ONE THAT WON'T TIP OVER.
Again,
sweep your arms overhead and lean back with the top edge
of the chair-back firmly against your back. Hold for 5 counts.
Adjust the position of your body so that the top edge of
the chair back connects with your back at another point
and repeat. Continue, moving the back of the chair to different
places on your spine, holding for 5 counts in each position
and taking slow breaths in each.
(4)
Seated Spinal Twist In any available chair, sit
near the edge, feet firmly on the floor directly under your
knees. Feel your sit bones in contact with the seat. Lengthen
the crown of your head toward the ceiling, and feel your
spine grow longer.
Turn
to your left, bringing a twist into the area of your rib
cage; look over your left shoulder, taking care not to bring
strain into the neck. Place your right hand on the outside
of your left knee, grasp the chair with the left hand.
With
each slow inhalation, lengthen the spine; with every exhalation,
deepen the twist, using your arms as levers. Hold for 3
to 5 complete breaths.
Unwind.
Take a couple of breaths and repeat the posture, turning
to the right.
(5)
Seated Forward Fold Seated, with feet firmly on
the floor, let your head droop forward, neck relaxed. Gradually,
let your entire upper body - shoulders, middle back and
lower back - cascade forward. Let your arms dangle by your
feet. As you take 5 slow breaths, feel the tension drip
out of your fingertips. Send any remaining tension or negativity
into the Earth.
Conclude
by slowly rolling up to sitting, stacking the vertebrae
one atop the other. Close your eyes. Bring your hands together
in anjali mudra (prayer position.) Take a few more long,
slow, deep breaths and give yourself a blessing, such as
… "May the longtime sun shine upon me, all love surround
me and the pure light within me guide me on."
Wasn't
that fun?
Now,
imagine how great you'd feel if you took an actual Yoga
class!
Lynn
Felder, R.Y.T., received her Yoga-Teacher training under
the direction of Stephanie Keach at Asheville Yoga Center
and is certified by the National Yoga Alliance. She has
studied with many Yogis including Ana Forrest, Rod Stryker,
Sarah Powers, David Life and Sharon Gannon. Her recently
expanded studio, Arts of Yoga, is located at 717 S. Marshall
St., one block from the Old Salem Visitors Center, in Winston-Salem.
Lynn is an award-winning journalist who has written for
newspapers and magazines for nearly 20 years. For information,
call 748-8436.
