Desk Workers: Try this Quick Hip-Opening Yoga Sequence
Categories: Fitness & Sports Health & Healing
We already know how bad it is for your health to sit at a desk all day. Taking a quick break to open up your hips and low back can make a world of difference. Mark Stephens, author of the best-selling books Yoga Sequencing, Teaching Yoga, Yoga Adjustments, and the forthcoming Yoga Sequencing Deck, recommends the following short sequence to help you stretch out your back, open up your hips, and get your blood flowing during your work day. The Yoga Sequencing Deck made picking out the sequence, reading about each pose, and visualizing the flow a breeze. Check it out and give it a try!
Quick Hip-Opening Yoga Sequence
1. Child’s Pose
Start in Child’s Pose (Balasana) to release tension across the low back and stretch the quads and muscles around back of the hips. Breathe deeply here for 30 seconds.
2. Simple Noose Pose
Sit up and then slide off to the side of the heels to set up for Simple Noose Pose (Bharadvajrasana A), which targets the outside of the hips on one side and the inside on the other, with the added benefit of a simple spiral twist that helps relieve tension across the back from long periods of sitting. Hold on each side for 5-10 breaths.
3. Downward Facing Dog Pose
Bicycle out the legs in Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) for 5 breaths to relieve tension around the knees and backs of the legs as both a counter-stretch to Child’s Pose and Simple Noose Pose, and as a great complete body stretch that opens the hips even more.
4. Cow Face Pose
Come to all fours, cross the knees and sit back into the set-up position for Cow Face Pose (Gomukhasana). Consider the option of hands on the floor, or make the hand clasp for a great shoulder stretch. Hold on each side for 5-10 breaths.
5. Wide Angled Seated Forward Fold
Extend the legs apart for the Wide Angled Seated Forward Fold (Upa Vista Konasana) and either stay upright or slowly fold forward, holding for 5-10 slow deep breaths.
About the Author
Julia Kent
After graduating from UC Berkeley in 2007, Julia was delighted to find out that “professional book recommender” was a job. She has been working in marketing and publicity with independent Bay Area publishers ever since. She joined North Atlantic Books in 2014. She lives with her husband and two very nice cats in Oakland.
