Mats Down

  • Home
  • About
  • Yoga
    • Classes & Events
    • Lessons & Coaching
    • Benefits
    • Free Yoga
    • Jade Yoga Mats
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About
  • Yoga
    • Classes & Events
    • Lessons & Coaching
    • Benefits
    • Free Yoga
    • Jade Yoga Mats
  • Blog
  • Contact

The Blog

Is Yoga Enough to Counter-Balance a Sedentary Job?

11/1/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
So many people have jobs plopped on a desk chair behind computer screen, or these days...multiple computer screens. I know first hand how long a human body can sit in a chair without barely moving for hours at a time. Working on a computer for hours on end is so easy to do because we often get stuck in the massive world called "the internet". There is always something to do online, whether its send an email, work on a project, browse pictures and comments on social media, playing games, etc. It's an entire world at our fingertips and we barely have to move a muscle to participate. If you sit there long enough, most of the time your mind becomes completely complacent on what you're physical body is (or, is not doing), hence, horrible posture and the ultimate potential for pain and muscle degeneration.

The parts of the body that suffer the most from sitting at a desk for long hours are hamstrings, low back, shoulders and chest. That is a large part of our anatomy, and an even bigger part of our life.
It seems like more and more corporate and private companies are investing in wellness programs, sometimes offering yoga to employees, especially in bigger and more progressive cities across the nation. I'm happy to see our society starting to realize the detrimental results of long-term sedentary sitting, and recognizing how it affects us as we age. The way we spend our lives right now will foreshadow our future health, most of the time. Of course we can't outsmart genetics and random acts, but we can try to keep our bodies healthy and active. Without strategic movement to counter our sometimes-sedentary jobs, our bodies start to morph into bad posture and we often don't realize it until there is consistent pain or discomfort presenting itself.

This is a huge problem...and a well-known epidemic. 

Poor body alignment and stagnant movement not only deteriorates our physical bodies, but it can also deplete the healthy connection the mind has with the body. The body and mind work as pathways, a two-way-street, communicating back and forth. Both work in sync, but when one is out of whack, so is the other. When bodies fail or trend weak, the mind can easily become depressed and detached.

But how do we begin to counter five to eight hours of unhealthy posture and decrepit body alignment? Is it even possible?

​Is a half hour or less of yoga enough create positive change in the body and mind? 


Yes! Sometimes it's not the big things that make a difference...it's a series of small things. Even just a few minutes of yoga each day can significantly change the way our bodies adapt (or not adapt) to stagnant movement or imbalanced alignment. The most important piece of the puzzle is the fact that practicing yoga will dramatically increase mind and body awareness. We learn what feels good, and we begin to crave that counter-balance. We start to rapidly recognize what makes our body feel unhealthy and what makes our body feel alive, strong and hearty.

​In my personal experience, this encourages me to fight the system I've become accustom to deal with at work, or anywhere I am really. It encourages change, it encourages movement, circulation and expansion. This is where we begin to heal. This is where we begin to grow, and expand into new, creative and free territory.

A yoga practice, even just a few minutes at a time, can mean the start of a pattern change. Pattern changes open up new opportunities, new light, new roads. Yoga can give the gift of new life. Healthy, happiness and a lifestyle that brings joy, brilliance and smiles.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Julie Mats Down

    ​Hello, I'm Julie.

    One of the many things yoga taught me was empowerment...and I hope to share that with you here.
    Bring wisdom, nourishment and a deeper connection to all aspects of your life.

    *​breathe on purpose*
    Achieve anything on your yoga mat
    Picture
    Create a home yoga practice
    Warming up to back bends

    Categories

    All
    A Page In My Journal
    Food
    Natural Wellness
    Product Reviews
    Thoughts
    Travel
    Wednesday's Wisdom
    Yoga

    Archives

    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    May 2014

Picture

Yoga to empower life.

© 2017  Mats Down, LLC.  All Rights Reserved.
Terms & Conditions