At your desk at work? In need of a short break? No problem. In fact, your office—or a nearby park as our Live Happy team recently discovered—is the perfect place to learn about the benefits of yoga.
Three years ago, Matt Sanderson, a practicing attorney in the Dallas area, wandered into a yoga studio out of curiosity and was hooked after the first class. Before long, his colleagues told him they barely recognized him and wanted to know what he was doing differently to increase focus and fitness and lower stress levels.
From lawyer to yogi
“Stress is part of every lawyer’s job, and I won’t pretend that it’s not still hard,” Matt says. “However, after taking yoga and now as a teacher, that stress takes on a different form. When I can remember that, which is still hard for me like it is for everyone, stress is not nearly as internalized as it once was.”
As part of his yoga teacher training, Matt was directed to give free community service classes. “The folks at my law firm had heard that I was becoming a teacher, and they actually insisted that I teach at the firm. After 10 classes or so, the class solidified, and Yogis On The Go was born.”
Practice yoga anywhere
Matt, founder and president of the traveling yoga company, says, “Our yoga students have seen weight loss, arthritis reduction, the reduction in lower back pain and swelling, and many more physical improvements. Additionally, especially for those in the office environment, the yoga we offer works like a release for anxiety, stress and many other mental challenges as well.”
Four poses to practice at the office include:
- Simple Sitting Pose: This can be done even in a chair or at your desk. Just close your eyes and breathe.
- Forward Fold: Stand up, slightly bend your knees, and bend at the waist. Then, release the head.
- Seated Twist: Either on the floor or in a chair, place one hand on the opposite knee. Look over the shoulder, pull up through the crown of the head, and twist on the exhale.
- Seated Oblique Stretch: Either on the floor or in a chair, take both hands high. Use one hand to pull the opposite wrist over the head, but ground down through the hips to increase the stretch.
“The practice of yoga is one of the most meaningful things I do in life, and when I teach, I have the blessing of bringing that same feeling of peace and happiness into the lives of others,” Matt says. “There's almost no greater thing I can do for people than to teach them to find happiness in their lives, and that's the reason I started Yogis On The Go.”
Pick up the fall 2016 issue of Live Happy magazine for more exercises and poses from Matt.
