sitting | St. Louis Corporate Yoga

Garland Pose with St. Louis Corporate Yoga Teacher Alyssa Ward

My name is Alyssa Ward. I have been teaching as a yoga instructor at Clayton Yoga since 2010 after I received my 200-hour certification. I typically teach an open level Vinyasa flow class on Friday evenings from 4:30-5:30pm. I would love to have more students drop by and try out my class! I have previously written a blog post about pigeon pose. In this post, I will discuss garland pose, which in Sanskrit is called malasana.

I like garland pose because it is accessible to all levels. It can be modified by sitting on the edge of a chair if needed. If you are able to squat all the way to the floor, but the heels lift up off the mat, you can roll a mat underneath the heels for support. I like that this modification only requires a yoga mat because I can use it in my corporate classes where I typically do not have props available to practice with as well as in the studio.

To prepare for the pose, yoga journal suggests trying baddha konasana (butterfly) to open the hips and stretch the groin. It can be performed seated or supine (supta baddha konasana). You could also prepare for garland pose with upavistha konasana (dragonfly) or virasana (hero). After finishing garland pose, uttanasana is a good counter pose.

To get into the pose, come to a squat with the thighs wider than the torso, lean forward with the torso keeping the spine long, press the elbows into the inner knees and bring the palms together in prayer to open and lengthen the torso.

There are many benefits to garland pose. It helps to counteract the effects of sitting in beds, chairs, or cars for many hours at a time, like most of us tend to do. When we sit in chairs for hours, we often use poor posture and over time, we can lose mobility in our hips and back. Garland pose opens the hips. It strengthens the back torso, ankles, and groin muscles and tones the core. In addition, it is great for pregnancy. It helps to prepare for labor and delivery by opening the groin and hips and also aids in digestion. It can also be used during labor and even during delivery. In this pose, the birth canal is in an upright position for delivery enabling the baby to find its way out more easily. For labor, it can be modified using ropes or sitting against a wall.

While in garland pose, it is possible to add a twist, pressing one arm against the thigh as the other arm opens to the ceiling. If I am working on arm balances for a class, I often rest in garland pose before having students balance in crow. I think the transition between those two poses is very smooth.

Garland pose has many benefits, great for prenatal yoga, aids in digestion, and stretching the hips, finally strengthening the back torso, ankles, and core. I would suggest making garland pose (malasana) part of your practice.

Would you like to join us for a yoga class at Clayton Yoga? Everyone welcome. Please go to our website, www.claytonyoga.com, find a suitable class time, and feel free to simply stop by our studio. Life is a stretch!

Sitting Is Killing You Now

Sitting is silently killing you – It is true. We wrote about this 18 months ago on this blog already. Would you like to read our article? Here is the link.

Just a few days ago The Washington Post published an awesome article summarizing the different ways sitting is becoming one of the most dangerous thing we do every single day. Who would have thought that an activity we engage in for hours at the workplace and then at home in front of the computer or TV can wreck our lives so efficiently.

The infographic in the article shows in detail which part of our bodies suffer the most from sitting way too much.

One of the most shocking finding we read is the way sitting might actually lead to an overproductive pancreas and then to diabetes. Here is the quote:

“The pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that carries glucose to cells for energy. But cells in idle muscles don’t respond as readily to insulin, so the pancreas produces more and more, which can lead to diabetes and other diseases. A 2011 study found a decline in insulin response after just one day of prolonged sitting.”

Please view the whole infographic here: http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/the-health-hazards-of-sitting/750/

You can also download it as a PDF. Print it out and keep it by your desk so you get a daily reminder why you must stand up and move to stay healthy!

For easy reminder we post here the part of The Washington Post infographic which gives you advice on how to deal with the consequences of too much sitting.

Practicing yoga is mentioned as an effective way to counteract the damage sitting is causing. The simple fact that you decide to use 1 (or more) lunch break to be in movement, stretching and moving those muscles will benefit you tremendously. We like to focus on poses beneficial to the hip flexors in our classes.

You can practice yoga during work hours without sweating or messing your clothes and hair up. After 50 minutes of calm inducing practice you will bale to return to your desk without any extra prep.

Would you like to hear what long time corporate student have to say about St. Louis Corporate Yoga classes? Pay attention to the wonderful benefits they enjoy as a result of yoga! Please watch our many testimonial videos!

What will you do today to cut back on sitting? Feel free to share in the Comments section!

Would you like to introduce yoga classes at your work place? Your solution is just one phone call away – call Michelle at 314-630-1677!

Sitting is Silently Killing You!

There is mounting evidence that sitting for longer periods at a time can be very dangerous for your health. The same is true for your employees and colleagues, too of course.

Let’s look at research done in the last decade to understand the threat that sitting at work poses in the workplace.

The dangers of sitting too long during your waking hours:

Heart Disease

Several studies indicate an association between sitting for extended periods and heart disease. According to a study in the “American Journal of Epidemiology,” sitting for more than six hours daily leads to an 18 percent greater risk of death from heart disease. Research conducted at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center found that extended sitting results in a 54 percent greater chance of a heart attack.

Other Chronic Diseases

Many studies also indicate an association between extensive sitting and cancer, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. The 2008 “Diabetes” study posited that the 47 million cases of metabolic syndrome — a condition that leads to diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular problems — in the U.S. are linked directly to a sedentary lifestyle characterized by extended sitting. Unfortunately, even if you exercise for the recommended 30 minutes per day, five days per week, it doesn’t compensate for sitting eight hours daily.

Mortality

Mayo Clinic researcher Dr. James Levine describes sitting as a “lethal” activity, according to The Wellness News. While this may sound dramatic, studies back his assertion. A 2012 study of more than 222,000 participants found that people who spend more than 11 hours per day sitting have a 40 percent greater chance of dying in the next three years than do those who sit for four hours or less per day; participants who sat from eight to 11 hours per day had a 15 percent greater mortality rate. The increased risks weren’t affected by other health factors, such as participants’ age, weight and physical activity levels. Further, the most inactive participants in the study — those who spent the most time sitting each day — had more than twice the mortality rate of those who sat the least. Similarly, a 2011 study at the University of South Carolina found that men who were sedentary for 23 hours per week or more had a 64 percent greater chance of dying from heart disease than men who were sedentary for 11 hours a week or less.

The above excerpt is from an excellent summary article published on http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/health-problems-sitting-day-work-1827.html.

One solution is to provide employees with standing desks or even treadmill desks. But not every company is willing to make the investment in these innovative desks. Plus it seems that after the initial enthusiasm is gone, the usage of these desks declines among office workers. Sitting is still more comfortable and associated with “doing your job”.

Walking and moving around during the workday will bring huge benefits if done consistently. These methods don’t cost you a penny, either. The only thing you need to get the most health benefits from these easy activities is your unwavering commitment.

Some ideas to get you stand up and move during the day:

Walking down the corridor to talk to colleagues instead of writing an email
Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
Standing while talking on the phone
Standing during meetings
Taking a walk during lunch hour

Company yoga classes are also an excellent way to get employees moving and away from their desks for an hour. Yoga practice can offset the health destroying impact of sitting for hours every day.

From the testimonials we get from our corporate yoga students, we know that yoga had many very favorable changes to their well-being and health. Would you like to hear some of our happy students speak about their experience of St. Louis Corporate Yoga classes at their workplace? We gathered a testimonial video collection on our Praise page: https://stlouiscorporateyoga.com/praise/

We would love to help you bringing better health and outstanding productivity to your employees. Please call us at 314-630-1677 to set up a complimentary consultation on creating the best fitting corporate yoga program for your company.