Quick Yoga Sequence For Office Workers

Are you too busy to get to a yoga class?

Feeling stiff and sore from sitting all day?

This quick yoga sequence for office workers is super easy and gentle. The full body stretch sequence will get you energized, refreshed and back into balance.

To practice:

Find a quiet place with no distractions
You may want to use a blanket or pillow to sit up on, so have one nearby.

Table Pose – Cat / Cow Tilts

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On hands and knees, stack the wrists under the shoulders and knees under the hips (if there is discomfort in the knees, place a blanket under them for more padding)
On inhale, drop the belly and arch the low back. Pull the ribs and chest forward and if it’s okay for the neck, gaze up toward sky
As you exhale, round the back, press up through the back of the shoulder blades and gaze down or between the legs. Keep the arms straight as you flow back and forth.
Practice 10 – 15 rounds and come back to a neutral spine to release

Downward facing dog/walk the dog

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From table pose, with a neutral spine, hands under shoulders, tuck the toes under and lift the knees off the earth
Widen the fingers and press the palms, thumbs and index fingers in the earth
If the shoulders are tight, widen the hands so they are more than shoulder width apart
Feet are open hips width apart
Draw the chest back to the thighs as you bring the heels down to the earth
Keep a slight bend in the knees to not hyperextend
Allow the neck and head to hang, gazing through the legs or let the neck be an extension of the spine with the gaze on the earth
Breathe deeply and slowly in stillness for 5-10 cycles of breath, working the chest back to the thighs and heels down to the earth
Add in movement by walking the dog, bending one leg as the other lengthens alternately for 5-10 cycles of breath
When you are ready, gently release the knees down to the earth, coming back into table pose

Child’s pose & side stretch

From table, sink the hips back to the heels as the arms lengthen out in front of you
Rest the forehead down on the earth, on the forearms or a blanket
If arms lengthening out in front of you isn’t accessible, rest the arms by your sides for embryo pose
If you are feeling pain in the knees, place a blanket on the heels to sit back on
Breathe slowly for 10-20 breaths

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Moving into the side stretch, use an inhale to walk the hands and arms to the right, opening up the left side of the body
For more stretch, rest the left hand on the right
Breathe 5-10 cycles of breath
Inhale through center, exhale hands to the left
Breathe 5-10 cycles of breath
Come back to center on the inhale, stay for the exhale
Inhale back into table pose

5 part neck stretch & forward fold

From table, slowly come into a comfortable cross-legged seated position. (Sit up on a blanket if the knees are higher than the hips, so the back doesn’t round)
Lengthen the spine, lifting the chest and softening the shoulders down

Inhale as you lengthen, exhale and drop the chin to the chest
Breathe into the back of the neck for 5-10 cycles of breath. For a gentle assist, interlace the hands behind the head, providing some weight but be sure to not force or pull the head
If the hands are interlaced, release the hands on your next exhale

Inhale and roll the head over to the right, stacking the right ear over the right shoulder
Both shoulders soften down as you breathe into the left side of the neck for 5-10 cycles of breath
If you would like to practice self-massage, cross the right hand over the chest to the left side of the neck, base of the skull or top of the shoulder, massaging out any tight or tense places. You can also just keep the hand on one area to provide some weight and warmth
If you are practicing self-massage, use your next exhale to release the hand down
Pause here for the inhale and as you exhale, roll the chin to the center of the chest, inhale head over to the left

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Stack the left ear over the left shoulder. Feel free to practice self-massage on this side and hold for 5-10 cycles of breath
Using an exhale, release the hand, pause for the inhale, exhale and bring the chin back down to the center of the chest
Inhale, head up to center

Exhale, gaze over the right shoulder. Hold for 5-10 cycles of breath
Inhale through center and exhale, gaze over the left shoulder. Hold for 5-10 cycles of breath
Inhale to center and lengthen the arms up toward sky, exhale forward fold (If there is a low back injury, work this fold with a straight spine). Tailbone drops down to the earth as a strong line of energy flows up the spine through the crown of the head, without rounding the shoulders. The gaze is down. If there is no injury in the low back, feel free to round the back and shoulders as you drop the head down
Breathe into the hips and soften the legs and feet for 10-20 cycles of breath
Inhale back to a neutral spine when finished and switch the cross of the legs

Shoulder rolls, arm cross & interlace forward fold

Use your next inhale to shrug the shoulders up to the ears and as you exhale, roll the shoulders back and down. Continue with these rolls, allowing the breath to be your guide, taking 10-20 cycles of breath
Bring the shoulders to stillness on your next inhale
As you exhale, lengthen the arms out in front of you

Inhale, grab the right wrist. On exhale, draw the arm across the chest to the left
Soften both shoulders and breathe into the stretch of the right shoulder blade for 10-20 cycles of breath
Inhale back to center, switch the grip, grab left wrist and exhale the arm across the chest to the right
Breathe into the left shoulder blade for 10-20 slow breaths
Release on exhale, circle the wrists and wiggle the fingers
Inhale and lengthen the arms toward sky and as you exhale, interlace the hands behind the back
If interlacing the hands is not accessible, grab onto opposite wrists, forearms or elbows. Draw the front of the shoulders back and squeeze the tips of the shoulder blades together

If the hands are interlaced, keep a bend in the elbows on inhale and on exhale, straighten the arms. Continue with this movement. Inhale, bend elbows, exhale, straighten arms for 5-10 breaths. When you are ready, hold straight arms for 5-8 cycles of breath, squeezing the tips of the shoulder blades together, opening the fronts of the shoulders
Release using an exhale, circle wrists and wiggle fingers
Inhale and reach the arms up toward sky and as you exhale, come into a forward fold, either working a round or straight spine, dropping tailbone down and softening the hips, legs and feet
Breathe slowly for 10-20 cycles of breath

Inhale back to center and exhale, bringing the hands behind you as you lengthen the legs. Gently shake out the legs and circle the ankles

Table Pose – Cat / Cow Tilts

Come back onto hands and knees
Take 4 more rounds of Cat/Cow (1 round consists of 1 Cat tilt and 1 Cow tilt)
When you are finished, come into Downward Facing Dog for 2 cycles of breath
Inhale, gaze at the fingertips and as you exhale, step to the front of the mat and fold

Ragdoll

Open feet hips width
Put a soft bend in the knees
Weight is distributed evenly on the bottoms of the feet, soft toes
Let the arms hang or hold onto opposite elbows
Head hangs and you breathe slowly for 10-15 cycles of breath
On exhale, release the elbows if you were holding them

On inhale, bring the hands to the shins, coming into a flat back. Pause here for the exhale

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Inhale up to standing and lengthen the arms toward sky. (If it’s okay for the neck, gaze up.)
Exhale and draw the hands to heart center, pressing the palms together in prayer pose or lengthen the arms by your sides, palms face out
Close the eyes and feel the connection of the feet to the earth. Feel the energy in the legs and hips rising up out through the crown of the head. Stack the shoulders over the hips as the shoulder blades soften down the back. Lift the chest into the hands and soften the jaw and face
Breathe softly and gently for 5 cycles of breath. Notice how you feel, before you get back to your day

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Quick Yoga Sequence For Office Workers