Is Yoga Enough to Counter-Balance a Sedentary Job?

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.