Posted in: Workouts / New Releases

New Free Workout! Extended Desk-Break Yoga

Give your body the movement break it deserves with this all-levels, gentle yoga flow! This moderately-paced practice will lightly engage and lengthen your muscles throughout the whole body. Additionally, we will move through the 7 movements of the spine, get the blood pumping, and find fluidity in the joints all with the intention of realigning our posture.

Gentle Yoga Extended Desk-Break Flow

This gentle workout can serve as a great extended warm-up or cool-down, in addition to serving as a feel-good mid-day break. There are a variety of options offered to modify the flow to best serve your abilities and intentions. This flow offers a gentle warm-up, where we will integrate the breath with our movements and lightly elevate the breath and heart rate. Once the body is beginning to warm, we will explore a light balance challenge, moving with control to enhance our proprioception and ground the mind in the present moment. The peak of our practice is a great opportunity to briefly elevate the heart rate further, but will meet you where you’re at with several modifications. The flow will wind down with a mix of active and passive stretching, slowly moving from standing to reclined stretches. While this practice overall is relatively gentle and can be easily modified, it’s important to note that there are some mild changes in the planes of movement. 

During my work day, I often find it incredibly easy to become engrossed with all of the work-related tasks that I need to complete. As a result, I often forget to give my mind and body a well-deserved break. On these days that I forget to take a break — or I intentionally choose to power through my work — my productivity slows, my focus wavers, and I burn out a little bit faster. However, on the days I consciously choose to listen to my body, rather than my mind/ego, and I give myself a moment to pause and move intuitively, I find that I can return to my work feeling refreshed and a little more energized. Additionally, I notice some long-term benefits physically and mentally: 

  • My joints don’t stiffen as quickly and, while I’m sitting behind a desk, I notice that I carry less tension in my shoulders and back.
  • I also notice changes in my seated alignment, as my core strengthens and is better able to support posture. 
  • Taking a pause to reconnect with the present moment allows me to return to my work feeling a little more grounded. As a result, the rest of my day feels a little more manageable mentally and energetically. 
  • Last but certainly not least, the little stressors that would normally take more of a toll on me as I tire towards the end of my day, feel a little less taxing. 

I understand not everyone has the opportunity to take a break during their workday; however, I encourage you to take any time that you possibly can — even if it’s only 30 seconds — to pause, reconnect with your breath, and take a couple spinal rolls. Any time that you can offer up to reconnect to your mind, body, breath, and pause in the present moment matters; it’s enough — I promise. 

Whenever and however you choose to take this practice, I hope that it leaves you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated! Comment below and let me know what tools you like to utilize when giving yourself a pause/break! 🙂

With light, 

Marina