BENEFITS OF DESKTOP YOGA – COMPUTER, COMPUTER …..MACHINES, MACHINES have taken over man’s life today. The twenty-first century has seen a revolution with machines ruling our life. Man is now slowly and gradually functioning like a machine. Machines have no emotions. Machines have no feelings. They know no fear and have no head of their own. Machines are programmed to start work when a button is pressed. Human beings ruled by machines end up becoming machines themselves. Man-made machines in order to live happily, to live life easier, to bring speed to life. The day the wheel was invented was the day when man started moving toward machines. He started growing faster and moving faster but in this process, he forgot what his fast movement was intended for………

              And, with the birth of the computer, man became so impressed by speed that he forgot all other dimensions of his being, namely emotions, love and feelings. So what it all required is Pause. 
              A Pause is the diet of the soul, even the sun takes rest and night takes a pause. Stars look beautiful because they twinkle, that's an indication of a pause taken by star.  A pause is rest for the brain , A pause is an inward journey , A pause is disconnecting from the material world to enter the spiritual world. So what you required is to start yogic practice, which is donated by the Indian sages thousands of years ago. Yoga practice would be most useful to a normal man living in the material world. Yoga was developed so that man could bring his body to such a level of health and fitness that it would need no mental or physical attention. While at work start practicing  desktop yoga by taking pause to your work for 10 to 15 minutes . By doing this simple stretches' you not only have physical benefit but also get mind relaxation. (Pl check my article on benefits of sports , for your child growth)

Benefitgs of Desktop Yoga

Yoga is the science of entering within and being with yourself. This is not simply a geographical condition but a state of mind in which you cut yourself off from the rest of the world in order to spend time with yourself

1. Have the courage to spend a few minutes in the day doing something for yourself even if other ridicule you , with time they will also follow you.
2. One or two green plants kept in your cubicle will help calm the mind and increase the oxygen levels throughout the day and night .
3. Avoid eating a heavy meal before you begin your stretches . Try to practice yoga on an empty stomach or two hours after your meal.
4. When stressed, remember to take deep inhalations and exhale slowly and deeply with the mouth. A mere 10 cycles of this will bring your state of being from agitated to calm and cool.

The human body is designed to move at all angles and every plane for its own survival. Man needs his hands, legs, back, arms, neck and head so as to perform the physical work and day-to-day activities of normal living. Let’s begin with neck exercise

The Neck Exercise(Benefits of desktop yoga)

In order to relieve the stress on the neck, here are a few yogic stretches that relieve the knots and remove the blockages so that every morning your neck makes a fresh start .

Position

Sit comfortably at your desk, feet kept a comfortable distance apart

Technique

• Slowly and gently lower the head forward and slowly rotate the neck and head clockwise.
• Reverse and rotate the neck and head anti-clockwise
• Repeat the same movement slowly five times in each direction.

Benefits

• Loosens up and relaxes the head, neck and shoulder
• Improves blood flow to the brain.
• Helps to reduce tension and calm the mind

Don’ts

• No jerky movements.
• Don’t hold your breath.
• Those with cervical spondylosis should not bend the head forward.

Shoulder Exercises(Benefits of desktop yoga)

Practice the following exercises once or twice a day and remember that these exercises are designed to relax and ease your body so as to prevent diseases like frozen shoulder , spondylitis, shoulder stiffness and general tightness of the upper body.

Exercise 1

Position-

Sit comfortably at your desk ,feet placed together or a comfortable distance apart

Technique

• Interlock the hands behind the head.
• Supporting the neck and head , slowly push the elbows behind.
• Hold the posture for 10-25 seconds.
• Release.
• Repeat the movement five times.

Benefits

• Exercises the ball-and-socket joint so that movement of the arms is possible in all directions.
• Keeps the muscles around the shoulders strong and flexible to avoid developing a ‘frozen shoulder’

Don’ts

Those with a ‘frozen shoulder’ should not over-stretch the shoulder muscles.

Exercise 2

Position-

Sit comfortably at your desk, feet kept together or a comfortable distance apart.

Technique

• Bend one arm up behind the head.
• Twist the other arm behind as shown and interlock the fingers, pushing your upper arm back with the head.
• Hold the posture for 10-25 seconds.
• Release.
• Repeat on the other side.

Benefits

• Exercises the ball-and -socket joint so that movement of the arms is possible in all directions.
• Keeps the muscles around the shoulders strong and flexible so that a ‘frozen shoulder ‘does not develop.

Don’ts

Those with ‘frozen shoulder’ shouldn’t over-stretch the shoulder muscles.

The Back Exercises(Benefits of desktop yoga)

People ignoring their most important body part , i.e. Back in achieving target in office work. The human back is naturally shaped in the form of an S-Curve. Back need mobility in all directions front, back, sideways as well as to twist the body when needed. The back exercises given bellow are designed to stretch the muscles, improve blood circulation and gently loosen the joints of the spinal cord. Your back as a whole will feel supple, loose and relaxed and will not experience overstrain in case you happen to bend down or turn behind. These exercises will prevent your back from tightening up and slowly losing its shape as you grow older.

Exercise 1

Position

Sit comfortably at your desk ,feet placed together or a comfortable distance apart

Technique

• Interlock the palms behind the back
• Pull down while inhaling and slowly pushing the chest out
• Drop the neck and head back ,keeping the back straight
• Hold the posture for 10-25 seconds ,breathing normally
• Then slowly exhale as you relax the palms ,the chest and raise the head .Repeat the same movement three times

Benefits

• Exercises the ball-and-socket joint so that the movement of the arms is possible in all directions.
• Keeps the muscles flexible and no ‘frozen shoulder’ develops
• With straight shoulders and upper back, the ‘hunch’ is removed and blood circulation in the back muscles improves.

Don’ts

• Those with a ‘frozen shoulder’ should not over-stretch the shoulder muscles.
• Don’t hold the breath longer than stated.

Exercise 2-

Position

Sit comfortably at your desk

Technique

• Keep one leg stretched out. Bend the other leg and place the foot on the inner thigh.
• Inhale as you slowly stretch both arms up.
• Exhale as you bend forward . Drop the head down towards the knee and both hands towards the foot.
• Hold the posture for 10-25 seconds, breathing normally.
• Release and inhale as you slowly raise your arms and come up.
• Now reverse the position of the leg and repeat the movement.
• Repeat the exercise three times.

Benefits-

• Loosens the muscles so as not to develop a ‘frozen shoulder’
• Stretches the back muscles.
• Improves blood circulation in the back muscles and tones the abdominal area.

Don’ts

• Those with a ‘frozen shoulder ‘ should not over-stretch the shoulder muscles.
• Those with any back problem should take care while doing this exercise.

Exercise 3

Position

Sit comfortably at your desk.

Technique

• Hold the chair with one hand.
• Stretch the other arm up and bend sideways as shown.
• Hold the posture for 10-25 seconds, breathing normally.
• Release and come back to the start position.
• Repeat the exercise on the other side three times.

Benefits

• Loosens the muscles around the shoulders so as not to develop a ‘frozen shoulder’
• Stretches the siders and upper back muscles.
• Improves blood circulation in the back.
• Tones the sides.

Don’ts

• Those with a ‘frozen shoulder ‘ should not over-stretch the shoulder muscles.
• Those with a back problem should be careful while doing this.

ARM EXERCISES(Benefis of desktop yoga)

Bellow stretches are designed to improve flexibility of the shoulder joints, increase blood circulation and develop muscular strength so that the arms can cope with daily wear and tear.

Exercise 1

Position

Sit comfortably at your desk.

Technique

• Bend one arm behind the head.
• Catch the wrist with the other hand.
• Pull down, stretching the elbow and shoulder.
• Hold the posture for 10-25 seconds , breathing normally.
• Release.
• Repeat the exercise with the other arm three times.

Benefits

• Helps to improve flexibility, strength and blood circulation in the arms.
• Stretches the muscles around the shoulders so that a ‘frozen shoulder’ does not develop.

Don’ts

Those with a ‘frozen shoulder’ should not over-stretch the shoulder muscles.

Exercise 2

Position

Sit comfortably at your desk.

Technique

• Take one arm behind the head.
• With the other hand, gently pull the elbow and stretch the shoulder as shown.
• Hold the position for 10-25 seconds, breathing normally.’
• Release.
• Repeat the same action five times with the other arm.

Benefits

• Helps to improve flexibility, strength and blood circulation in the arms.
• Stretches the muscles around the shoulders so that a ‘frozen shoulder’ is not developed.

Don’ts

• Those with a ‘frozen shoulder’ should not over-stretch the shoulder muscles.

Leg Exercises(Benefits of desktop yoga)

A simple law of the human body is that lack of usage results in deterioration. This applies to every aspect of a human being-be it his mind or body. Sitting on a chair for long hours completely cuts off blood circulation . from the hip downwards. So, in addition to the exercises recommended, it is important to stand up and move around every once in a while to let the blood move to all parts of the lower body.

Exercise 1

Position

Sit comfortably at your desk.

Technique

• Stretch both the legs out as shown.
• Inhale as you stretch both the arms up.
• Exhale as you slowly stretch forward, dropping the head on to the knees, and let the hands clasp the toes.
• Hold the posture for 10-25 seconds, breathing normally.
• Release.
• Repeat the same movements five times.

Benefits

• Helps to improve flexibility and blood circulation in the legs.
• Stretches the muscles around the shoulders so that a ‘frozen Shoulder’ does not develop.
• Tones the abdominal area.

Don’ts

• Those with a ‘frozen shoulder’ should not over-stretch the shoulder muscles.
• Those with back problems should be careful.

Exercise 2

Position

Sit comfortably at your desk.

Technique

• Holding the arms of the chair, raise both your legs.
• Bend the toes inwards.
• Hold the posture for 10-25 seconds.
• Release.
• Now keeping the legs in the same position, stretch the toes and feet outwards.
• Repeat the same movement five times.

Benefits

• Helps to circulate blood freely in the feet and legs.
• Helps to strengthen and keep the feet, ankles and legs flexible.

Don’ts

• Do not hold your breath.

Exercise 3

Position

Sit comfortably at your desk.

Technique

• Keep the back straight and one leg on the ground. Raise the other knee up towards the chest.
• Hold the le with both arms, gently pulling up to the chest as shown.
• Hold for 10-25 seconds.
• Release.
• Repeat the same action five times with the other leg.

Benefits

• Helps to keep blood circulating freely in the feet and legs.
• Helps to strengthen and keep the feet, ankles and legs flexible.

Don’ts

• Do not hold your breath.

The Eyes(Benefits of desktop yoga)

Practice the following exercises diligently and be aware of your eyes, keeping them relaxed at all times, even while performing work which requires a high degree of concentration

Exercise 1

Position

Sit comfortably at your desk.

Technique

• Raise your one arm, keeping the fist clenched and thumb at eye level.
• Focus on tip of the thumb without blinking.
• Now, keeping the eyes focused on the to of the thumb and move the arm to one side as shown.
• Now move to the other side.
• Repeat three to five times.

Benefits

• Improves the focusing power of the eye muscles.
• Develops concentration.

Don’ts

• Don’t move the head.

Exercise 2

Position

Sit comfortably at your desk, back straight, hands resting on the knees.

Technique

• Keep the head straight and body still.
• Close your eyes, relax the face and body.
• Open the eyes and look at a fixed point in front of you.
• Now, focus on the eyebrow center.
• Hold for a few seconds.
• Close and relax the eyes.
• Repeat three times.
  

Benefits

• Strengthens the eye muscles.
• Releases eye tension.
• Calms the mind.
• Develops concentration.
• Retards degeneration of the pineal gland.

Don’ts

• Don’t move the head.

CONCLUSION-

One whose body, mind and soul operate in perfect harmony with each other in order to be productive, happy, successful and yet calm and relaxed through it all. Desktop yoga is a step in that direction. It is the art of relaxation and rejuvenation while at work. It is the art of performing your duties at an optimum level and yet not losing awareness of your inner state of well-being. Keep on practicing desktop yoga and get benefits of desktop yoga.