Sun Salutations – Have you tried them yet?
Anxiety can affect our ability to focus for long periods of time, so committing to a daily yoga practice can be challenging. What if instead of a 60 minute yoga session you could spend 20 minutes and still get the benefits? It turns out you can! That’s because just 15-20 minutes of Sun Salutations can have a profound effect on your wellbeing.
Imagine a typical day at the office (or home office)… Does your energy dip so low at around 3pm that the only thing you can think of is having a nap at your desk (or on the sofa)? What if… instead of reaching for chocolate or coffee, you go to a meeting room (or a quiet place in your house) and roll out your yoga mat?
What are Sun Salutations?
It is a series of postures that strengthens and aligns the entire body. They build heat in the body and are often used as warm-up sequences for a yoga practice.
How Sun Salutations can help relieve anxiety
This humble sequence gives your body an energising re-start. Sun Salutations link the body, breath and mind. The repetition introduces a meditative element. In times of stress and anxiety, our muscles tend to tighten, as a result our bodies become stiff.
Breath regulation helps relieve anxiety
When we are anxious, we tend to take fast and shallow breaths and even hold our breath. Sun Salutations slow down the breathing. We become more aware of our breath as we move through the poses. We soothe the nervous system, the body and the mind gain a sense of calm and ease.
Anxiety is one of the top causes of absence at work
According to the CIPD’s ‘Health and Well-being at Work‘ survey report from March 2020, mental ill health (for example clinical depression or anxiety) was quoted in 59% of cases. The report can be found at https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/health-and-well-being-2020-report_tcm18-73967.pdf. It offers a very revealing insight on how organisations are tackling work-related stress and support good mental health in the workplace.
A little bit of yoga is better than no yoga
Start by doing 15-20 minutes of Sun Salutation each day and build it up to a full hour of yoga practice whenever you can. Sun Salutations should not be used a long-term substitute for a comprehensive and consistent yoga practice, but if you are short on time, they are life-saving!
Yoga for your office (or home office)
Find out how you can improve the wellbeing of your employees through yoga.
You must log in to post a comment.