De-Deskify Your Body

Try these seated micro-yoga moves to let go of tension and restore balance to these often-ignored body parts.

When most of us think of yoga, we think of big whole-body moves that challenge your flexibility and strength—and we love that. But your smaller joints and muscles need a little love too, especially if you work at a desk.

This routine was developed by Jyoti Gautam, a senior yoga teacher at Kamalaya Koh Samui, a holistic wellness spa in Thailand. “The whole concept of yoga is itself therapeutic,” says Gautam. “The sequence we designed here is for all types of people—those who have any ailments in the body can also use it as a supplemental practice,” along with their regular treatment.

These moves that you do seated start by focusing on the eyes, arms, wrists, and hands, and then move on to your neck, shoulders, and spine. All of them “improve joint flexibility, increase blood circulation, enhance awareness, and provide better coordination,” says Gautam. You can do the whole series or pick a section or two as needed. Do the poses cross-legged on the floor rather than on your swivel chair—so you can focus on yourself rather than on work, work, work.

Revitalize Your Eyes

Keep your head steady throughout all these poses—move only your eyes—to improve flexibility in your ocular muscles.

Two thumb gazes

1. Look around the room by stretching your eyes left, right, up, and down and to the corners. Make a loose fist with your right hand and hold it at eye level about 12 inches in front of you, thumb pointed up; place your other hand on your chin to keep your head still.
2. Breathing normally, follow your thumb with your eyes as you slowly swing your arm right until the thumb is almost out of view; hold for seven seconds. Slowly track its return to center.
3. Bring your fist in toward your eyes, holding it a few inches in front of you for several seconds, then back to the starting position. Repeat four times.
4. Next, head still, move your arm to your lower field of vision, continually tracking your thumb. Hold for several seconds. Track your thumb above your head, holding for several seconds.
5. Return your arm to center, switch hands, and repeat the full sequence.

Large eye circles

Left arm in front, thumb up and elbow straight, make five large clockwise circles in front of you, eyes tracking your thumb throughout. Repeat, moving counterclockwise for five circles.

Diagonal gaze

1. With both thumbs up, stretch your left hand down at your lower left side and raise your right thumb up to the right. Slowly shift only your gaze from one to the other. Repeat 10 times; reverse arms and repeat 10 times.
2. Lower your arms and blink quickly 10 times. Tightly close your eyes, then open them wide several times.
3. Rub your palms together to generate heat and gently cup your palms over your eyes. Repeat a few times.

Release Arms and Wrists

Loosen the muscles of your hands that may be taut or tired from lots of device clutching or keyboard use.

Wrist action

1. Make fists, thumbs tucked in. Stretch your arms straight in front of you.
2. Arms still, inhale and flex your wrists to raise knuckles to 12 o’clock. Exhale and pivot your fists down to 6 o’clock. Repeat 10 times.
3. Next, arms still straight, circle your wrists clockwise five times, then counterclockwise five times.
4. Stretch all 10 fingers wide as you exhale. Inhale and make tight fists. Repeat five times; lower your arms.

Hand press

1. Widen your elbows out to your sides and place the lengths of your fingers gently together, keeping your palms apart. Inhale, then exhale and press your fingers together firmly with each exhalation. Repeat six times.
2. Press your palms together as well, spreading your fingers wide. Exhale and feel the stretch as you lower your hands to your abdomen, palms together. Inhale as you press and raise your hands. Repeat six times.

Gently Unknot Your Fingers

Banish the effects of a tight mouse grip with these easy stretches, which will limber up your fingers and hands.

Finger swings

Lift elbows to shoulder height. With fingers separated and wrists steady, inhale and press the fingertips of both hands downward, then exhale and raise them. Continue in a gentle swinging motion, repeating six times.

Grab and release

Straighten both arms in front of you. Envision two large doorknobs and grab them, tensing knuckles. Hold for several seconds, then release and flutter your fingers. Repeat five times.

Finger pulls

1. Inhale as you stretch your right arm forward, straightening the elbow. Exhale and use your left hand to gently pull right thumb toward you, arm steady. Hold for several seconds, breathing normally.
2. Use your left hand to rotate your right thumb five times clockwise and five times counterclockwise. Inhale and stretch your right thumb toward your body, then exhale and bend it forward.
3. Repeat for each finger of your right hand, then switch hands.
4. Tighten your fists, then open your hands wide. Repeat several times. Shake out all your fingers.

Soothe Tense Shoulders and Neck

Relax muscles and the nerves that send signals from the spinal cord down to your shoulders, wrists, and hands.

Forearm stretch

1. Sitting, place fingertips of both hands gently on your shoulders, elbows facing front.
2. Exhale and release hands forward until elbows are straight. Flex your wrists and extend fingers down so palms open wide.
3. Slowly reverse, and repeat 5 times.
4. With fingers on shoulders, open elbows out to sides. Gently circle elbows 5 times in each direction.

Wall press

1. Keep left arm on shoulder and release the right. Extend right hand to right side of body and press the palm on an imaginary wall to your right.
2. Continue pressing wall as you drop chin forward, breathing in and out.
3. Drop left ear towards left shoulder. Increase stretch by placing left fingers over the head on right temple and gently pull head. Inhale and exhale 4 times.
4. Keep head and both hands in place. Exhale and gently lower right palm, fingers up, as if sliding it down the wall. Inhale and raise hand up.
5. Keeping hand in same position circle right palm clockwise 4 times, then counterclockwise 4 times.
6. Repeat on other side, with left hand on imaginary wall.

Floor press

1. Rotate right thumb down and place hand on lower back, palm outward, thumb up. Inhale and place left palm on floor near the left hip.
2. Exhale and gently raise head and chest to ceiling. Take several breaths. Inhale and return head and chest to center.
3. Place right hand on left elbow. Drop chin to chest and round your back for several relaxing breaths. Return upright and place both hands back on shoulders.
4. Stretch left arm out to repeat moves on other side.

Open a Closed Chest and Tight Neck

Reverse the forward tension you’ve built from leaning over that computer.

Head drop

1. Interlace fingers behind the head, elbows open wide. Inhale and press head back into the fingers.
2. Exhale and close elbows in front, dropping head down, chin to chest. Raise head and open elbows.
3. Repeat 5 times.

Hand press

1. Keep your right hand behind your head and place the left on the left temple, fingers facing up.
2. Inhale and press your head into the left palm, simultaneously pressing your palm into your head.
3. Move right hand to forehead and press both hands into your head and press your head into your hands.
4. Repeat on other side.

Head rolls and rotations

1. Release hands to lap and drop chin to chest. Gently roll head in from shoulder to shoulder in front of you 5 times.
2. Slightly drop head back and roll 5 half circles, taking care not to strain neck. Return head to center.
3. Exhale and look over right shoulder, turning head as far as comfortable. Hold several seconds. Inhale and return to center. Repeat on left.
4. Drop chin to chest. Gently rotate head around the neck making 5 full clockwise rotations (taking care not to drop head far back). Reverse direction.
5. Return head to center.

Chest lifts and spine twists

1. Start by raising both arms overhead, elbows straight, palms together.
2. Exhale and stretch hands a few inches higher. Inhale and lower to start. Repeat 10 times.
3. Keeping left arm in place, place right palm on floor by right hip. Lean over right side, stretching left torso. Repeat on other side and return to center.
4. End by twisting: Exhale and twist torso to tap right hand on the left knee and left hand on floor behind. Repeat on other side.

Breathe deeply, noticing how the space you’ve made in your head, arms, neck, and upper body. Now go about the rest of your day, able to enjoy it tension-free.