This week I’m folowing the Wellbeing Zone’s expert advice and trying yoga at my desk. Being a combined degree 3rd year student with 2 jobs and a never ending to-do list I don’t have the time to go to yoga sessions. So I’m all up for relaxation in the comfort of my own home in my pj’s, but you can do these exercises at work, the library, the car, anywhere you like.

Lucky for me(!), my nightmare of missing a First degree by 1.5 marks last night (I’m not even kidding) meant I woke up with some nasty back pain, so desk yoga couldn’t have come at a better time.

Starting with neck rolls, a very easy technique (see instructions below) gently eased me into my yoga session. With a few satisfying clicks I could feel my body loosening up already. 

The cat-cow strecth however, is not as subtle or graceful. I remcommend to use careful controlled breathing here. I started to hold my breath when stretching upwards and it does wonders for increasing your headache pain x2. So breathe and don’t push anything too far, you shouldn’t feel any pain for any of these exercises.

Number 3; the seated spinal twist. I have been doing this one for a while before bed, without even realising I was actaully doing yoga. It involves keeping your legs on the floor and twisting to face sideways while lengthening the spine. Hold the position for a few breaths before doing to the same on the other side. My technique was hindered by my spinning chair so maybe try it on a chair that doesn’t move at first.

4, the standing wrist stretch. If I hadn’t seen the image for this I would have been doing something very different! If you are unsure about any of the exercises a quick google will show you images of like-minded people grinning while doing their desk yoga. This one, you want your wrists faced away from you, your finger tips facing you while you lean backwards. Again, stop if you feel any pain. Try and find a desk thats a comfortable height to use.

5.Finger stretches. You may remember these strecth from dreaded PE sessions, the agony of keeping your arms up while making little circles with your arms outwards. What’s different about these is you clench and uncleanch your hands which really helps to loose some built up tension. Another immediate way to relax muscles is to tense up your body for a few seconds and then untense. You’ll relax muscles you didn’t realise you were tensing.

So there we are, a whole week of desk yoga and thankfully my back feels much better and my stress load a little lighter. Remember to visit the Wellbeing Zone to see the expert advice and techniques, remember I’m not a yoga instructor so have care not to push your muscles too far and then try and sue me.

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