If, like me, you’ve been summoned to a tiny desk inside your bedroom since COVID, I’m assuming the novelty of ‘working from home’ is starting to wear off. Undulating productivity, back pain, endless scrolling, and actually using housework chores as a form of procrastination has well and truly set in. Well, look no further! There are a few ways to break bad desk habits and create better rituals for your WFH set up like these 5 Yoga poses for productivity.
1. Tadasana
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
- Keep your arms beside you and inhale
- Stretch your arms out in front of you and interlock your fingers and pull them up over your head
- Gently lift your heels up, tuck in your naval and stretch your body as long as possible, as if you were to touch the ceiling
- Exhale slowly whilst bringing your heels down and releasing your fingers
2. Pranamasana
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart
- Place your palms together in front of your heart
- Close your eyes and inhale and exhale slowly
3. Naukasana
- Sit on your mat with your legs extended in front of you
- Bend your knees and lean back slightly
- Extend your arms out in front of you and raise your feet off the ground
- Extend your legs out so they are at a straight 45 degree angle
- Keep your arms out straight, parallel to your mat
- Take a few deep breaths here and release the pose
4. Santolanasana
- Start in downward dog
- Inhale and drop your hips down until you are in a plank position
- Keeping your shoulders over your wrists, elongate the space between your neck and shoulders so you’re not hunching into the pose
- Stay here for a few deep breaths
5. Vasishtasana
- Begin in a plank position
- With your left palm firmly planted on the ground, remove your right hand off the floor
- Turn your entire body to face the right, stacking the right leg on top of the left
- Raise your right arm up straight above you, pointing to the sky
- Make sure your knees, ankles and feet are touching
- If you can, turn your gaze up to your right arm
- Hold the pose for a few deep breaths
- Repeat for the left side
Image by @insa.n.ne
Illustrations by @mariogenoveza
