Workplace stress affects millions of people daily, but yoga instructor Mimi Ghandor of Mimi Yoga in Miami believes there are accessible ways to find relief right at your desk or office. Ghandor joined Inside South Florida to demonstrate three effective stress-reducing yoga poses that require minimal space and can be performed anywhere during the workday.
"In general, yoga helps you de-stress, but there are certain poses that help you de-stress even more deeply," Ghandor said.
Child's pose: Always available stress relief
The first pose Ghandor recommends is child's pose, which she describes as universally accessible and requiring no special equipment.
"Literally, you can do it anywhere," Ghandor said. "We have a mat today, but you don't really need a mat. You can do it on the floor. You can do it on a carpet in your bed."
To perform child's pose, spread the knees as wide as comfortable, bring the big toes to touch, elongate the fingers toward the front, and place the forehead on the ground.
"The forehead is the third eye," Ghandor explained. "So once you start to rock the forehead side to side, you're gonna start to immediately feel the stress."
The key component is breathing deeply into the hips while allowing them to descend back toward the heels.
Forward fold targets the nervous system
The second stress-reducing pose is the seated forward fold, which Ghandor says specifically targets and calms the nervous system.
"All forward folds target the nervous system and calm them," Ghandor said.
To perform this pose, sit up tall, anchor the sit bones on the ground, reach the arms up, then exhale and fold over the legs. Ghandor stressed the importance of working within individual limits.
"Find your limit and stick with your body's limit," she said. "Some people say, 'Oh, I can't reach my toes.' It doesn't matter. Reach as far as you can."
This philosophy extends beyond yoga practice into daily work life.
"We have to remember that at work too, and anywhere else, we have to do the best we can do," Ghandor said. "Don't overextend yourself."
Low lunge opens the heart
The third pose, low lunge, serves as a heart opener that can be particularly beneficial for those who spend long hours hunched over computers.
The pose involves sinking into the front hip while reaching the arms up, with the option to circle the arms behind the back and interlace fingers to open the chest further.
"This is so, so yummy," Ghandor said about the chest-opening variation. "You're opening your chest. It's a heart opener."
While this pose benefits from having a yoga mat to protect the knee, it still requires minimal space.
Bringing yoga philosophy to work
Ghandor emphasized that yoga's benefits extend far beyond physical poses, incorporating mindfulness and self-acceptance into daily routines.
"What you do on your mat, you do off of your mat," she said. "You take it with you throughout the day."
Those interested in exploring more yoga practices can sign up for classes at mimiyoga.com or simply visit the studio in person.
