Sitting at a desk is something most of us spend a lot of time doing. Sometimes I can go for hours without moving or even getting up, especially if I’m doing something important. When I eventually do stand up, my body feels stiff and tense. I don’t just feel that way physically. It’s mental, too. Focusing on something for long periods of time without moving around or taking a mental minute can burn you out.
Once I had dipped into the big wide world of things you can do to be more mobile while working, and after doing some tried and tested research, I’ve found the perfect way to make sure I get my breaks in and my body moving. It all started with two very important items, which are now main characters in my day:
Desk Yoga Deck by Darrin and Daisy Zeer
Jonathan Ball
I fell in love with this gorgeously packaged deck of guide cards the second I saw it. This accessible guide to keeping on top of your mental and physical health works no matter where your desk is situated. With four different categories to choose from – Chair Yoga, Standing Yoga, Pranayama & Mudras, and Meditation & Mindfulness exercises – this delivers on all the vital keys to keep your brain and body going.
Let’s do one together!
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Pranayama & Mudra, 34: “Be Here Now, Box Breath”
Free your mind, relax your body, and improve your focus. Remember, it’s always now.
- Sit up tall with your shoulders relaxed.
- Place one hand over your belly.
- Inhale slowly through your nose with sealed lips for five counts.
- Pause at the end of your inhale for five counts
- Exhale through your nose for five counts.
- Pause at the end of your exhale for five counts.
- Push extra air out so your lungs are completely empty.
- Repeat, creating space with each inhale and releasing tension with each exhale.
‘I am grateful for this present moment, here and now”‘
This deck makes for the perfect self-purchase (thanks, me) or gift for anyone who wants an easy way to incorporate yoga into their everyday routine!
Face Yoga by Onuma Foraste Izumi
Jonathan Ball
Face Yoga features in this self-care practice from Japan.
This lovely hardcover book features 40 facial yoga exercises (with detailed photographs to accompany) compiled by Izumi Foraste Onuma, a Japanese face yoga expert.
Face yoga combines exercises and massage techniques to work different areas of the face and enhance your skin’s overall firmness and luminosity. With exercises to reduce bags and dark circles, to lift the eyelids and open up the eyes, or to reduce a double chin or lines around the lips, each movement is illustrated with step-by-step illustrations and accompanying photos!
The Japanese practice of facial yoga is the simple, cheap and natural way to reduce wrinkles and maintain smooth skin. Face Yoga can produce amazing results within just a few weeks and takes only a few minutes every day. Bonus? You’ll make yourself chuckle if you catch a reflection of your face doing these exercises – and that’s what it’s really all about. Have fun with it, develop those smile lines as fast as you lose them!
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Feature Image: Unsplash
