JillFlorio

This small, goofy-looking hardcover yoga book is actually quite nifty. It takes you across a full workday of ideas to incorporate yoga and peaceful actions to your schedule.

Starting with arising, there are a few pajama asanas. Nothing that absolute yoga novices can’t do - there are some stretches forward in bed, followed by an extremely modified sun salute (no planks, chatarungas or cobras, just lunge, cat/cow and downdog). After recommending breakfast smoothie options, the author has you doing head rolls during the commute.

The “in-office” part is the meat of the book, with useful keyboard finger stretches, proper sitting postures, and a great assortment of easy chair stretches one can do the entire day. I keep this book propped open at my desk to this section to remind me to do the arm pulls, reaching hands and open chest stretches.

More from the office section: there are self-massages, eye strain solutions and headache rubs, and some “closed door” poses like tree pose, rag doll and warrior. Although if you are brave and work in a cubicle or bull pen, you might want to just do these poses where you can be seen and not worry about it.

The lunchtime section recommends a few floor poses, if you can find a place to be alone. The break section discusses brisks walks and suggests subtle stretches you can do in the elevator (one stretch is recommended for crowded elevators and one for when you have it all to yourself), copy room and in any office doorway.

A restorative desk posture and meditation are offered for the end of your workday, followed by simple releases and couch potato postures for once you get back home.

My overall impression is this book has more solid little tricks for real life than I expected from just browsing through it. There are real useful nuggets in there! The line drawings are a little hokey but I can overlook that.

I’d get this book as a neat gift for anyone with a frazzled work life, and I use it myself each day as a reminder to add simple stretches and mindfulness to my most mundane desk activities.

Office Yoga: Simple Stretches for Busy People

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