Yoga Bites for Desk Workers
No time to exercise? Yoga Bites are ideal for you – many of the practices can be done in under a minute.
This programme introduces simple yoga poses, movements and practices that can be used to release tension, gain strength, improve flexibility and calm the mind before, during and after work.
Our aim is to give you a toolkit that you can then adapt to your own needs and circumstances to make yoga an integrated part of your working day, with some additional practices that you may be able to build into weekends/non working days.
Course design
This course is designed as a 14 day course.
If you work Monday to Friday you should start the course on a Monday.
Days 6 and 7 and days 13 and 14 are weekend (not at desk) days.
If you have a different working pattern, please flex accordingly and feel free to spread the course over a longer period of time if that works better for you.
Course introduction
If you have no time to exercise, Yoga Bites are ideal for you – many of the suggested practices can be done in under a minute and we hope that you’ll be amazed at the difference a yoga break can make.
The exercises are all selected so that you can try them without needing much space or any special equipment and while wearing your normal clothing – as long as it doesn’t restrict your movement.
Many of exercises aim to combat the main physical risks associated with sitting too much, ie weakening of the muscles, poor posture, stiffness and lack of mobility in the joints, but we hope that you’ll notice effects on the mind too – such as reduction in anxiety, lifting of mood or generally feeling brighter.
In addition to the physical exercises, we also have breathing practices and exercises for the eyes to relieve strain from too much screen time.
If your working set up allows you to stand and/or walk for a significant portion of your working day, you may feel that the lower body exercises are not needed so much, so feel free to give more time to those involving the upper body, neck and shoulders.
What to expect
The main content of the course is focused on two 5 day working weeks, with some longer breathing/meditation practices and prompts to review and reflect on the past week being provided at weekends.
During the working week, Yoga Bites are provided in 3 slots:
- Morning – before work
- Lunch – during mid day break
- Transition – between finishing work and starting your evening
In addition, we suggest a range of Yoga Sprinkles – quick exercises or practices that can be done whenever you have a minute of down time – for example, between tasks or while waiting for a kettle to boil, a document to load or your computer to reboot.
Most days content can be done in 20 minutes or less. If this is too much for you on any day, feel free to drop one or two of the slots. Even 5 minutes is worth doing and could be a starting point that ignites your interest in doing more.
General guidance
- Always be mindful of your own body and adapt any pose or exercise as needed to ensure your comfort and wellbeing
- Breathe softly and naturally and modify the pose or exercise as needed to ensure that your breathing remains smooth and unrestricted
- Focus on your breath and notice any physical sensations and changes in your mental state
- Try to use the Yoga Bites and Yoga Sprinkles as a way to completely switch off from your work or from other responsibilities – even if only for a minute
We recommend that you make a note each day of the practices that you did, whether you enjoyed them and whether they created any changes for you, with a view to building your own bank of practices and short sequences to build into your working week once you have finished this programme.
Programme content
Each day of the course includes suggested Yoga Bites for each slot in the day, plus some Yoga Sprinkles.
The content is mainly be in the form of illustrations with supporting text, however some days include a video practice provided by Simon Low, a highly experienced senior yoga teacher.
All of Simon’s videos are recorded in his retreat centre in Andalusia, and the stunning countryside backdrop combines perfectly with his relaxed delivery style to create a unique yoga experience.
On days where a video is featured, we let you know if you need any preparation before starting, such as removing shoes. The videos have been selected to be widely accessible, with plenty of options and alternatives offered when needed. Simon may occasionally use common yoga terms that you may not be familiar with but the meaning of these should be self evident from the demonstrations provided.
We’d love to hear how you get on!
Contact hello@yoponow.com with any thoughts, comments or questions.
