Yoga on the Keyboard

"You must approach your yoga practice with reverence and gratitude and love. It’s very much like entering a temple."  – Amrit Desai

The Neck

Working at the keyboard can cause tension in the neck and shoulders. Deadlines, lack of sleep and improper diet can make it worse. Practice becoming aware of where your body holds tension with compassion. Embrace your obstacles rather than avoiding them. Then you can learn other ways of moving around or through them.

The benefit of the neck stretches are:

• Relieves tension in the neck.

• Opens the freeway between your mind and heart.

• Facilitates ease of communication.

• Enhances listening skills (often referred to as the third ear).

a. Turkey Stretch

Sit squarely grounding both feet deeply in to the floor. Lengthen the sides of your torso using your back muscles. Lift your chest and slide your shoulder blades down your back. Rest the backs of your hands on your thighs, palms turned up and align your elbows to your shoulders. Inhale deep gently tucking your chin with out allowing your head to bend forward, creating two or three double chins like turkey’s withers. Exhale slowly floating your head up off your shoulders. Do this five times remembering to breathe long and deep. Finish by relaxing back in to your chair.

b. Moving turkey  

Sitting square and tall, breathing long and deep. Maintaining your turkey stretch inhale mindfulness slowly rotating your head towards the right. Exhale completely slowly rotating your head back to center. Inhale deep slowly rotating your head towards the left, exhale completely slowly rotating your head back to center. Continue floating your head away from your shoulders and please do this three more times on each side. The slower the better.

c. Ear to shoulder

Sitting tall breathing long and deep gently lower your right ear toward your right shoulder. Please try to keep your shoulders square with out slouching. If you’re an over achiever remember the ear never touches the shoulder. If that’s comfortable, float the right palm of your hand and rest it on the crown of your head allowing you left arm just to hang and dangle. Take five long deep breaths, and with each exhale relax your left shoulder more. When you are finished please do the left side too.

d. Armpit Stretch

Sitting tall breathing long and deep gently lower your right ear toward your right shoulder. Drop your left shoulder and slowly rotate your nose towards your right armpit. Float your right arm up resting your hand on the crown of your head. Five long deep breaths. Slowly return your head to neutral and do the left side.

e. Half Circles

Finish this series by sitting tall breathing long and deep gently bow your chin to your chest. Slowly rotate your left ear to your left shoulder and inhale, slowly rotate your right ear to your right shoulder and exhale. Move in a rhythm that feels good. The slower the better.