11 Yoga Poses To Stretch Out After You’ve Been Sitting All Day

(Continued From Page 01) Hands and Knees With Wrist Stretch

Why it helps: Many of us are tethered to technology, which can be taxing on our forearms and wrists. This variation of Tabletop helps undo a day of typing.

How to: Come to hands and knees and flip your hands so that your palms face up and your fingertips point back toward your knees. Make sure that your wrists are still aligned beneath your shoulders and your hips are over your knees.

If the pressure feels too intense on your wrists, shift your weight back a little more into your knees so that the angle at your wrists is less sharp.

If it feels good to do so, slowly rock forward and back a few times or take a few Cat and Cow motions. Remain here for 5–10 breaths. With care, lean back slightly and bring your palms to the mat.

Vasisthasana Variation (Modified Side Plank Pose or Gate Pose)

Why it helps: This pose is a wonderful way to stretch your side body, which often gets compressed when we sit. The sides of our torsos are home to our intercostal muscles, which help us breathe. Take time at the beginning of your practice to create space to breathe more fully on your mat.

How to: From Tabletop, extend your right foot toward the back of your mat and turn your heel down so that your entire foot connects to the mat and the edge of your foot is parallel to the back of the mat.

Pivot on your left knee to bring your left foot directly behind your left knee and your shin parallel with the back of the mat. Stretch your right arm overhead. Breathe into your right side to your capacity. Remain in this shape for 5–10 breaths. Come back to Tabletop and switch sides.

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)

Why it helps: This foundational pose helps lengthen the hamstrings and calves and develops upper body strength. The inverted nature of this yoga asana also improves circulation, which is imperative af- ter you’ve been sitting all day.

How to: From Tabletop, lift your hips up and back to DownwardFacing Dog. Begin with a slight bend in your knees so that you can focus on lengthening your back rather than the backs of your legs.

Spread your fingers wide, and evenly distribute your weight between your hands. Turn your inner arms upward and relax your shoulders.

Draw your ribs in toward your back and lift your sitting bones toward the sky. Counter the arch in your low back by heavying your tailbone toward your pubic bone. With the knees slightly bent, press your thighbones back toward the wall behind you.

Spread your toes wide and evenly distribute your weight between your hands and feet. Soften your gaze and drop your head so that your upper arms line up with your ears. Breathe steadily into the entire length of your back body for 5–10 breaths. (Continued On Page 23)