Living at Work

Dear Yoga Therapist, 

I work remotely from home and have a very intense busy schedule, think on-line meetings, emails, and spreadsheets for 8-10 hours a day. My hamstrings are tight, my belly is getting bigger, and some days my tailbone aches. But the work’s gotta get done. Can you help me find ways to break up my hyper-focus and get a bit more active?

Signed,

Living at Work

Dear Living at Work,

Amigo, you just described about half the people I know. Turns out the whole “maybe try a yoga class” bit is not very helpful after all.  You’re working hard, your body is feeling it, and the last thing you need is one more thing on your calendar. I hear you. Let’s keep this practical.

FIRST, A RITUAL FOR TRANSITIONS

Here’s the truth: your body doesn’t know you’ve finished work just because you closed a tab. It needs a signal. A real one. Something physical.

It could be changing your cardigan and shoes like Mr. Rogers. Making a specific cup of tea that you only ever make on a break. Or try this one — move a ring from one hand to the other when you clock off. Simple, free, and surprisingly powerful. Do it every day and your nervous system starts to recognize the cue. The work  actually ends. Your body gets the memo.

Humans thrive on ritual. Give yourself one.

NOW, ABOUT THAT PAIN IN THE… TAILBONE

Those tight hamstrings, that softening belly, the aching tailbone, they’re connected. Long hours at a desk compress the sacrum, shorten the hip flexors, and tip the pelvis forward. The belly follows. The lower back ends up carrying a load it cannot support.  It’s just what desks do.

The good news is your body is remarkably willing to forgive you, as long as you give it something to work with.

 21ST CENTURY FISH POSE

Roll a bath towel into a gentle, modest roll — not too thick. Lie back and place it horizontally across your shoulder blades, just below the tips of your shoulders. Let your arms drift out to a T, palms facing up. Let your head rest comfortably on the floor. Stretch your legs out long.  Close your eyes. Breathe. The smaller the roll, the gentler the opening — start there.

We call this 21st century fish — a gentle take on the classical yoga pose matsyasana — because it is the single best antidote to what a modern workday does to a body. The chest opens, the shoulders let go, and the spine  remembers its shape.

Three to five minutes. Use it as a midday break, a way to “undesk” between meetings, or the first thing you do when you clock off — especially effective if you’ve just moved that ring. It works beautifully as both.

Until next time- 

 Close the laptop. Mean it. 

Your yoga Therapist