Yoga is for everyone. My ultimate goal is to enable my networks with Do-It-Yourself (DIY) yoga poses at the comfort of your desk and chair. Our body always wants us to do some or other form of movement.
On the contrary, we never realize that our body needs some stretches or movements. It does not surprise us that we spend 8+ hours per day sitting on a chair.
I hope you got a chance to see my earlier blog on the 1-minute desk/office yoga series. It is my 2nd blog in this series to enable everyone to perform a Chair Sun Salutation/Surya Namaskar in the comfort of your office chair at home to improve your omnichannel health.
You may be wondering what is omnichannel health (OH)? Yes, we have heard about omnichannel marketing in the business world. The OH is the combination of our physical (P), mental (M), and emotional (E) health and well-being to face the 'new normal.'
In a nutshell, simple math is as follows:
OH = PH + MH + EH
Here is a step-by-step practice guide for this 30-second desk/chair pose - Chair Surya Namaskar. Feel free to watch this <1-minute (30 seconds) video of chair Surya namaskar poses.
Step-1: Make sure you sit straight without the back support of the chair along with your feet stay close to each other and bring your palms together in Namaste.
Step-2: Breath in. Extend your arms and bend your neck backward as much as you can so that your ears touch the sides of the arms.
Step-3: Breath out gently. Bring your arms down and place your palms that touch the floor on either side of your foot. Feel free to allow your upper part of the body/torso and chin to rest on the thighs and try to gaze at your feet.
Step-4: Breath in. Come back with your spine straight. Bring your right leg up by bending your knee, placing it on the chair, and holding it with your fingers interlaced. Feel free to bend your neck backward to look up a ceiling (as much as you can) and then bring your neck forward towards the knee to make sure your forehead rests/touches the knee.
Step-5: Breath out. Release your right leg to the ground and raise your arms with your neck bending backward and leaning forward to make sure your palms touch the ground along with upper body/torso and chin rest on the thighs and try to gaze at your feet rest (Similar to Step-3).
Step-6: Breath in. Come back with your spine straight. Bring your left leg up by bending your knee, placing it on the edge of the chair, and holding it with your fingers interlaced. Feel free to bend your neck backward to look up a ceiling (as much as you can) and then bring your neck forward towards the knee to make sure your forehead rests/touches the knee.
Step-7: Breath out. Release your left leg to the ground and raise your arms with your neck bending backward and leaning forward to make sure your palms touch the ground along with upper body/torso and chin rest on the thighs and try to gaze at your feet (Similar to Step-3).
The key benefits of chair Surya namaskar are as follows:
- Helps to keep the spine intact
- Improves overall omnichannel health
- Strengthens the immunity
- Improves digestion
It is beneficial for people above 50+ years of age and those with limited mobility. I encourage you to try these poses for better flexibility and health.
A word of caution - Don't strain too much and enjoy the experience of gentle stretching.
