5 Ways to Relieve Stress at Your Desk

The following yoga tips can help you reenergize, refocus, and realign-right from your desk.

1. Take a deep breath. Your breath is a relaxation tool that never leaves you. You can access it at work, while you're running errands, or whenever you feel stressed. Why not try it now? Close your eyes and observe as you take 10 slow, deep breaths in and out through the nostrils. When you're done you'll feel calmer, more centered, and more focused.

2. Release tension. When you feel your shoulders creeping up toward your ears, it's the perfect time to incorporate this simple movement into your day. Sitting upright, inhale as you lift your right shoulder to your ear. Exhale as you slowly roll your shoulder around and back, dropping it away from your ear. Continue these shoulder rolls three more times alternating right and left. Now, inhale as you lift both shoulders up to the ears. Exhale as you release them. Repeat five times and then let the shoulders relax completely.

3. Wring out stress. Twists are the antidote to sitting for long periods of time. After twisting, you will feel the release of all the muscles in your back (particularly in the middle back) that have been locked into position from sitting a long time. Sit toward the front of a chair, then swivel your thighs toward the right. If you have an arm rest on the side of the chair, bring your thighs as close to it as possible. Inhale and lift your right arm up to the ceiling. With an exhalation, move your arm to the back of the chair on the opposite side, taking hold of the chair back. Bring the left hand to the right knee or chair handle. Inhale and lengthen your spine. Exhale and twist to the right, pressing your right hand against the back of the chair to deepen the twist. Consciously relax the muscles in your back and gently twist a little farther. Stay in the pose for 10 to 15 breaths. Return to your center with an exhalation and repeat on the opposite side.

4. Decompress at your desk. Have you ever noticed that at the end of the day you feel shorter than you did at the start? This is in part because the disks between our vertebrae decompress during the course of the day, which literally shortens our spine. When we rest and remove the pressure of gravity from the spine, the disks expand again and our spine lengthens.However, you don't have to wait for a full night's rest to regain length in your spine. In fact, here's an exercise you can do right at your desk: Sit near the edge of your chair. Curl the left leg underneath you, so your left foot is under your buttocks. Stretch your right leg straight out, with the heel touching the floor. Flex your right foot. Bend forward, holding your thigh or calf with both hands. As you gently pull the center of your chest toward your foot and lengthen your spine, let your head relax to your knee. Hold for five to ten breaths and then switch sides. When you emerge, you'll feel taller and ready to tackle the rest of your day!

5. Take a meditation break. Why not take a meditation break right now, wherever you're sitting? You don't need to do anything special to set the stage for your five-minute vacation-just sit comfortably and move your focus inward.

For more stress relief visit yogajournal.com.